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All in the Mind: A Farewell to God
Ludovic Kennedy explores the question of whether we are any longer justified in interpreting what we call God as an autonomous, independent, sentient being, or whether the time has come to recognize him as we do all history's gods - as images created by the human mind to meet human needs.
The author examines the origins of gods from the earliest times, questions the reliability of both Old and New Testaments, and records the growth of European atheism from before the Reformation to the present. Interspersed with this, Ludovic Kennedy offers his often witty insights into how his own upbringing affected his thinking; and, in the final chapter, tells how he has found his own way to spiritual fulfilment.
The author examines the origins of gods from the earliest times, questions the reliability of both Old and New Testaments, and records the growth of European atheism from before the Reformation to the present. Interspersed with this, Ludovic Kennedy offers his often witty insights into how his own upbringing affected his thinking; and, in the final chapter, tells how he has found his own way to spiritual fulfilment.
313 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Ludovic Kennedy
46 books16 followersLudovic Henry Coverley Kennedy was a Scottish journalist, broadcaster, and author. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Strathclyde in 1985 and also held similar posts at the Universities of Edinburgh and Stirling. He was knighted in 1994 for services to journalism.
He was a member of the crew of the British destroyer HMS Tartar that took part in the pursuit and destruction of the German battleship Bismarck in May of 1941. 'Sub-Lieutenant' (1942) told of his naval experiences and 'Pursuit' (1974) told of the sinking of the Bismarck.
He undertook many campaigns on behalf of people who had been wrongly convicted of murder, including Derek Bentley and Timothy Evans and also wrote an account of the trial of Stephen Ward following the Profumo affair. He also wrote an account of the murders at Ten Rillington Place.
He married actress Moira Shearer (1926-2006) on 25 February 1950 and the couple had four children.
He died of pneumonia at Salisbury, Wiltshire on 18 October 2009.
He was a member of the crew of the British destroyer HMS Tartar that took part in the pursuit and destruction of the German battleship Bismarck in May of 1941. 'Sub-Lieutenant' (1942) told of his naval experiences and 'Pursuit' (1974) told of the sinking of the Bismarck.
He undertook many campaigns on behalf of people who had been wrongly convicted of murder, including Derek Bentley and Timothy Evans and also wrote an account of the trial of Stephen Ward following the Profumo affair. He also wrote an account of the murders at Ten Rillington Place.
He married actress Moira Shearer (1926-2006) on 25 February 1950 and the couple had four children.
He died of pneumonia at Salisbury, Wiltshire on 18 October 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 18, 2023
For me, one of the great things about reading is that it brings obscure and interesting people into my field of view. Before All in the Mind I had no idea who Ludovic Kennedy was. His credentials as a writer, broadcaster, and journalist are impressive but it seems his celebrity tapers off beyond the signal strength of the BBC. That is our loss.
THEN AND NOW
Kennedy begins with an autobiographical accounting of his own gradual transition from Christian believer to free-thinking apostate. For those of us who have unyoked ourselves from oppressive theologies, this is familiar ground.
“…no master, tutor or chaplain considered it part of my education to be told that many, if not most, of the claims made for Christianity were either based on speculation or were contrary to the laws of nature.” (pg 6)
THE MIND GAMES OF MYTHOLOGIES
Taking direct aim at scripture, Kennedy calls out many instances of violence and inhumanity. The execution of disobedient children (Deut. 21:18-21), the stoning of brides found not to be virginal (Deut. 22:21), and Jephthah setting fire to his own daughter (Judges 11:30-39) are but a few examples of atrocious acts carried out either at God’s direction or with his approval. A kind and loving deity? I think not.
“…my quarrel with some books of the Old Testament is less with their brutalities than their irrelevance. I and many of my generation were taught that these books were history . . . If by history is meant accurate accounts of past events supported by evidence, they are certainly not that. They are mythological folk tales.” (pg 48)
Not content with shredding the Old Testament, Kennedy has plenty to say about the New Testament as well. In his crosshairs are the purported utterances of Christ—those words biblically highlighted in red that were copied and then re-copied and then translated and then re-translated and then edited and then re-edited—from unknown writers who themselves wrote decades after the Messiah was crucified and gone.
“Jesus himself left no record of his ministry, so that all the words he is reported as uttering have been put into his mouth by gospel writers . . . however powerfully these stories may affect us, it is important to remember that they are not history, not based on undisputed facts, but are for the most part stories masquerading as fact…” (pg 54)
THE KILLING FIELDS
All in the Mind is a well researched register of the atrocities and barbarities of faith. From Pope Constantine ordering the eyes gouged out of Archbishop Ravenna (710 c.e.) to the bloody French Crusades (1096) to the dreaded Papal Inquisition (1231) to the much feared Spanish Inquisition (1484) to the burning at the stake of Giordano Bruno (1600) to the hanging of the Paisley Seven (1697) to the gruesome dismemberment of Chevalier de la Barre (1766)… Need I continue?
Kennedy’s analysis of religion is unflinchingly honest and boldly heretical. It is reminiscent of Christopher Hitchens but just a bit more literal and just a bit less persuasive.
__________________________________
“It is an absurdity to believe that the Deity has human passions and one of the lowest of human passions, a restless appetite for applause.” -David Hume
“Operationally, God is beginning to resemble not a ruler but the last fading smile of a cosmic Cheshire cat.” -Sir Julian Huxley
THEN AND NOW
Kennedy begins with an autobiographical accounting of his own gradual transition from Christian believer to free-thinking apostate. For those of us who have unyoked ourselves from oppressive theologies, this is familiar ground.
“…no master, tutor or chaplain considered it part of my education to be told that many, if not most, of the claims made for Christianity were either based on speculation or were contrary to the laws of nature.” (pg 6)
THE MIND GAMES OF MYTHOLOGIES
Taking direct aim at scripture, Kennedy calls out many instances of violence and inhumanity. The execution of disobedient children (Deut. 21:18-21), the stoning of brides found not to be virginal (Deut. 22:21), and Jephthah setting fire to his own daughter (Judges 11:30-39) are but a few examples of atrocious acts carried out either at God’s direction or with his approval. A kind and loving deity? I think not.
“…my quarrel with some books of the Old Testament is less with their brutalities than their irrelevance. I and many of my generation were taught that these books were history . . . If by history is meant accurate accounts of past events supported by evidence, they are certainly not that. They are mythological folk tales.” (pg 48)
Not content with shredding the Old Testament, Kennedy has plenty to say about the New Testament as well. In his crosshairs are the purported utterances of Christ—those words biblically highlighted in red that were copied and then re-copied and then translated and then re-translated and then edited and then re-edited—from unknown writers who themselves wrote decades after the Messiah was crucified and gone.
“Jesus himself left no record of his ministry, so that all the words he is reported as uttering have been put into his mouth by gospel writers . . . however powerfully these stories may affect us, it is important to remember that they are not history, not based on undisputed facts, but are for the most part stories masquerading as fact…” (pg 54)
THE KILLING FIELDS
All in the Mind is a well researched register of the atrocities and barbarities of faith. From Pope Constantine ordering the eyes gouged out of Archbishop Ravenna (710 c.e.) to the bloody French Crusades (1096) to the dreaded Papal Inquisition (1231) to the much feared Spanish Inquisition (1484) to the burning at the stake of Giordano Bruno (1600) to the hanging of the Paisley Seven (1697) to the gruesome dismemberment of Chevalier de la Barre (1766)… Need I continue?
Kennedy’s analysis of religion is unflinchingly honest and boldly heretical. It is reminiscent of Christopher Hitchens but just a bit more literal and just a bit less persuasive.
__________________________________
“It is an absurdity to believe that the Deity has human passions and one of the lowest of human passions, a restless appetite for applause.” -David Hume
“Operationally, God is beginning to resemble not a ruler but the last fading smile of a cosmic Cheshire cat.” -Sir Julian Huxley
March 5, 2013
The best part of the book were the chapters that dealt with the history of atheism. People forget that a mere 200 years ago a person could go to jail for speaking out against Christianity, and 200 years before that they could be executed. The brave freethinkers who dared to challenge religious bigotry and fundamentalism are celebrated here. There is also a reminder of how intolerant and violent Christians were in the dark ages (and the middle ages) and how they killed so many people. I often wonder if Christians would do the same things (martyr people, etc) if they ever were in power again. the book was very eye-opening and powerful, and gives the reader a lot to think about.
April 15, 2009
Sir Ludovic Kennedy was best known as a presenter of television programmes such as This Week, Panorama and Did You See? He also published a number of books dealing with causes célèbres - most famously Ten Rillington Place - the story of the murderer John Christie, and the wrongful hanging of simpleton Timothy Evans in his place, which was made into a film starring Richard Attenborough in 1971.
In this book, written when he was eighty, Kennedy plucked up the courage to expostulate his 'belief' in atheism - or rather his non-belief in God. Explaining how, as a child, he was baffled by the inexplicable nonsense surrounding God and religion. However, unlike most people, who simply stop questioning and accept what they are told - presuming themselves to be inadequate, he stands by the evidence. Credibility rather than creed. There is no God, Theology is bunk. The emperor has no clothes.
Admitting to being an atheist is a difficult thing to do. It is still a bit taboo. Even some scientists are still too superstitious to write off God altogether, or too wary of attack to do so publicly. Starting with examples of the brutality of the Old Testament - no longer relevant outside Judaism, (N.B. Troublesome teenagers today might be interested in the advice given to parents in Deuteronomy ch.21 v.18-21) Kennedy guides us through the history of mythologies from around the world concentrating on the history of the Christian faith he repudiates.
His analysis of the veracity of the Gospels leads him to conclude that they are no more historically accurate than modern day docudramas. Hearsay, written with the benefit of hindsight and the desire to make the (greatest) story (ever told) fit Old Testament prophecies. He points to the ancient mistranslation which led to Mary being described as a virgin and how this is contradictory to the assertion that Jesus is descended from King David via his 'father' Joseph.
Even in a world where the Church is in decline, and Humanism is making tentative progress, this is a brave tack to sail. There is no mention of (or comment from) Salman Rushdie in this book - and the hot potato of Islam is tactfully avoided most of the time. Although describing "Yahweh, Allah and the Christian God" as "the three greatest fictional charcters in history" will upset those who prefer irrational faith to logical investigation. Also, linking the Eucharist and Transubstantiation to ancient rites of sacrificial cannibalism will surely stick in the throats of Roman Catholics.
He catalogues the slaughter of the Crusades warning the reader beforehand that "what follows may be found distressing". And that's before we get to the inquisition...details of which aren't pleasant either.
The second half of the book charts the history of atheist thinkers from
the rediscovery of the science of the ancient Greeks onwards, and the treatment they received from not-so-forgiving Christian authorities.
For example, the hanging of Thomas Aikenhead, a 20-year-old Arts student at Edinburgh University, for ridiculing the holy scriptures in 1697; and the 1880's Liberal MP Charles Bradlaugh who was denied the right to affirm, rather than swearing an oath, and not allowed to take his seat in the House of Commons. Three times the electors of Northampton returned him, and eventually he opted to take the oath to end the farce.
Famous atheists of their day include the poet Shelley, who was expelled from university for writing a pamphlet called "The Necessity of Atheism", and the Scottish philosopher David Hume who asked the $64,000 question: "if God was the cause and everything had to have a cause, what caused God?"
A thorough, intelligent exposition of the facts, this makes surprisingly interesting reading. As a fellow infidel, I am proud of dear old Ludo for such a cogent rationalization of the subject.
[This review is adapted from one I posted at ciao.co.uk in March 2001.]
In this book, written when he was eighty, Kennedy plucked up the courage to expostulate his 'belief' in atheism - or rather his non-belief in God. Explaining how, as a child, he was baffled by the inexplicable nonsense surrounding God and religion. However, unlike most people, who simply stop questioning and accept what they are told - presuming themselves to be inadequate, he stands by the evidence. Credibility rather than creed. There is no God, Theology is bunk. The emperor has no clothes.
Admitting to being an atheist is a difficult thing to do. It is still a bit taboo. Even some scientists are still too superstitious to write off God altogether, or too wary of attack to do so publicly. Starting with examples of the brutality of the Old Testament - no longer relevant outside Judaism, (N.B. Troublesome teenagers today might be interested in the advice given to parents in Deuteronomy ch.21 v.18-21) Kennedy guides us through the history of mythologies from around the world concentrating on the history of the Christian faith he repudiates.
His analysis of the veracity of the Gospels leads him to conclude that they are no more historically accurate than modern day docudramas. Hearsay, written with the benefit of hindsight and the desire to make the (greatest) story (ever told) fit Old Testament prophecies. He points to the ancient mistranslation which led to Mary being described as a virgin and how this is contradictory to the assertion that Jesus is descended from King David via his 'father' Joseph.
Even in a world where the Church is in decline, and Humanism is making tentative progress, this is a brave tack to sail. There is no mention of (or comment from) Salman Rushdie in this book - and the hot potato of Islam is tactfully avoided most of the time. Although describing "Yahweh, Allah and the Christian God" as "the three greatest fictional charcters in history" will upset those who prefer irrational faith to logical investigation. Also, linking the Eucharist and Transubstantiation to ancient rites of sacrificial cannibalism will surely stick in the throats of Roman Catholics.
He catalogues the slaughter of the Crusades warning the reader beforehand that "what follows may be found distressing". And that's before we get to the inquisition...details of which aren't pleasant either.
The second half of the book charts the history of atheist thinkers from
the rediscovery of the science of the ancient Greeks onwards, and the treatment they received from not-so-forgiving Christian authorities.
For example, the hanging of Thomas Aikenhead, a 20-year-old Arts student at Edinburgh University, for ridiculing the holy scriptures in 1697; and the 1880's Liberal MP Charles Bradlaugh who was denied the right to affirm, rather than swearing an oath, and not allowed to take his seat in the House of Commons. Three times the electors of Northampton returned him, and eventually he opted to take the oath to end the farce.
Famous atheists of their day include the poet Shelley, who was expelled from university for writing a pamphlet called "The Necessity of Atheism", and the Scottish philosopher David Hume who asked the $64,000 question: "if God was the cause and everything had to have a cause, what caused God?"
A thorough, intelligent exposition of the facts, this makes surprisingly interesting reading. As a fellow infidel, I am proud of dear old Ludo for such a cogent rationalization of the subject.
[This review is adapted from one I posted at ciao.co.uk in March 2001.]
January 30, 2025
Slightly disappointed he didn't call it 'Well, That Just About Wraps It Up for God"
October 16, 2008
My grandmother used to carry this around...time for me to dive in.
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