Racing Toward Armageddon: The Three Great Religions and the Plot to End the World – An Exposé of the Messianic Conspiracy Driving Religious Extremists in the Holy Land

by Michael Baigent

In Racing Toward Armageddon, Michael Baigent, the New York Times bestselling author of The Jesus Papers and Holy Blood, Holy Grail, exposes the conspiracy of religious extremists in the Holy Land and their efforts to bring about the end of the world in our lifetime. Baigent expose the many diverse, public, and clandestine figures who are driving this perilous messianic message forward, and poses a pressing can we really afford to remain oblivious much longer?

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Politics, History, Christianity, Philosophy

442 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Michael Baigent was born in New Zealand in 1948. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Canterbury University, Christchurch, and holds a master's degree in mysticism and religious experience from the University of Kent in England. Since 1976 he has lived in England with his wife and children.

Baigent is a Freemason and a Grand Officer of the United Grand Lodge of England. He has also been an editor of Freemasonry Today since 1991. As an author and speculative historian, he has been published in 35 languages; he is the author of From the Omens of Babylon, Ancient Traces, and the New York Times bestseller The Jesus Papers; he is the coauthor of the international bestsellers Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Messianic Legacy (with Henry Lincoln and Richard Leigh); and the coauthor of The Temples and the Lodge, The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception, Secret Germany, The Elixir and the Stone, and The Inquisition (with Richard Leigh).

Reviews

[Megan]

This book looks at the three major religions, with an emphasis on Christianity and it's role in modern America and the rest of the world. Definitely not a book for fundamentalists, and probably not for Protestants or evangelicals, either.
Baigent examines the dogma, how and why it came about, and where it's going. Startling, yet fully plausible. I recommend it to everybody, but especially conspiracy theorists, and maybe even more especially to people who believe Zionists are running the world.
I read one review that said this book is offensive to Christians. I think that's too broad. This is a well-written book that exploresIslam, Judaism and Christianity from an objective point of view, highlights the parallels and the small things they diverge on, and shows how Fundamentalists of all three are basically hurrying along the prophecy of Armageddon, which is completely misunderstood in the first place. Baigent highlights the dangers of taking any of the religious texts absolutely literally and shows how we can avoid the cataclysm some are so intent on creating.

[Христо Блажев · Rating 4 out of 5]

Надпревара за Армагедон, борба кой ще избие човечеството за славата божия: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/n...

"…би трябвало да сме подозрителни към всеки – мъж или жена, който чете само една книга,
независимо дали е Тората, Библията или Корана."

По принцип не си падам по конспиративни книги, а “Надпревара за Армагедон” на Майкъл Бейджънт изглеждаше точно така, особено ако трябва да бъде съдена по оригиналната корица – за радост обаче едно ревю в “Приумици” за нея ме убеди, че макар авторът определено да гони сензационност, все пак в основата на изследването му лежат и реални факти. А те са съсредоточени в изследване на фундаменталистките течения в трите аврамически течения, които трябва на всяка цена да бъдат изолирани от властта, защото стремежът им не е да подобрят живота на хората, а да докарат Апокалипсиса и да приберат полагаемата им се според свещените им книги награда."

ИК "Хермес"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/n...

[Phil · Rating 1 out of 5]

A waste of my time!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because this book was published in 2009, the author can't state what he thinks of Harold Camping's two failed predictions of the end of the world in 2011. However, he does a very good job of detailing the three monotheistic religions and their ideas and prophecies about the end of the world. "Armageddon" (or Har-Mageddon) appears only once in the Bible, in the book of Revelation. However, loose interpretations of the text as well as of the Koran and other holy writings have convinced many that the end will come soon and the storied city of Jerusalem will be involved.

Baigent holds a degree in religious experience. He believes that hard-liners in each of the three religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) are actually hastening Armageddon by their political machinations. It's clear that he feels fundamentalism is the root of the problem and he describes it as "a relentless progression deeper and deeper into intolerance and igorance, which, unless opposed, will by default achieve its aims." (preface, page xx)

It's a fascinating look at the end of the world through religious eyes and whether one of the faithful or a doubting skeptic, it's a good read.

[JoAnn J. A. Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book on the influences of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic beliefs about the end times. It gives a convincing view of how these traditions are effecting life today. It brings understanding of these worldviews.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in how major religions are influencing our lives today and into the future.

[Danica Champion · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some really good historical information. Not an easy read, had to go back and reread a lot to get what he was saying. He's pretty offensive to Christians.

[Fred Reynolds · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written with extreme prejudice. Some interesting points, but the author seems brainwashed.

[Shane Savage · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh My, what a rebellious, blind soul is the Author.
A Mason, and in love with Egyptian mysticism.

[Patrick Shuman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting review of the fundamentalists of each of the Abrahamic religions. Very informative, but I'm not sure I appreciated some of the smugness Baigent seemed to be writing with.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

When an author fails to be consistent, I lose respect for him and unfortunately the remaining content of the book.

As an example, he begins by stating that the Bible is metaphorical, not historical, and cannot be believed. But then, when he deals with the prophetic aspects of the Bible, he sees them as literal not metaphorical. He needs to make up his mind and stay with one position.

If a suicide bomber approached you (because of your religion, your favorite baseball team, who cares what the reason is) and was intent on killing you, your choices would be to let him blow himself and you up (as well as other innocent bystanders) OR kill him before he is able to detonate the bomb. In one case, someone who wants to die and who is the aggressor dies taking with him innocent victims who had no reason to be targeted and killed. In the other case, only the person who wants to die is killed but the innocent bystanders are unharmed.

If you killed this man and prevented the deaths of innocent people, would you be considered a merciless, cruel and vindictive person? I hope not.

But Baigent says that God is merciless and cruel and enjoys the suffering of others when He moves in to defend Israel by killing the armies intent on destroying innocents even if they die in the attempt.

Regardless of your political beliefs, in this case, Israel is being attacked. Israel is not the aggressor. God is moving in to destroy those aggressors who are intent on evil while saving those who are innocent. Does this action make God evil and merciless? No more than us killing a terrorist bomber who would die anyway. I would be glad for the same actions on God's part to protect any country that was being invaded to have its resources stolen, whether Israel or an Arab nation or any other nation.

I just could not connect with Baigent's logic (or lack of logic).

In addition, he has decided that the Bible is not to be believed; yet he acts as if every part of Revelation is true. I think he should make up his mind whether to believe the Bible or not. I like an author who is consistent

I liked even less his lack of understanding of what makes people operate in their innermost being. He seems to suggest that Israel has only one Holy site; Jerusalem is the most important site in the world for Christians; but the Muslims have many other sites much more important. So they should give up the Dome of the Rock. Great theory, except it is lacking in many ways.

First of all, it may not be the most important site to Muslims, but still it is important to them.

Second, some Muslims have said that they want to drive the Jews out of Israel. It is highly unlikely that giving up the Dome of the Rock would fit into this goal of theirs at any point.......

He shows a real lack of understanding of the reality of people. He may want them to behave in a way that is logical to him but he does not seem to understand real people and how their beliefs determine their actions. Muslims are not going to give up the Dome of the Rock and Jerusalem for the sake of peace.

Third, his suggestion at the end of the book is that Christians, Muslims and Jews get together in peace by compromising and finding areas in common. To find areas in common among these 3 major religions would mean removing most of their beliefs and watering them down to "hot dogs, baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet", a rather shallow interpretation of what it means to be American.

The Jews believe that their Messiah is coming and they protected their faith by crucifying Jesus, a heretic; the Christians believe that the Jews killed the Messiah and that He rose from the dead and the Jews have missed Him; the Muslims believe that their "Messiah", a different one from Jesus or the expected hope of the Jews, is coming. About the only belief that all three of these religions have is that there will be an Armageddon and a Messiah will show up in a time of tribulation.

These are the fundamental differences between these religions and they cannot be negotiated away while still maintaining their identifiable religion.

It just does not seem that he has a realistic grasp of the situation.

Also, he seems not to understand the difference between someone who calls himself by a particular designation and someone who is actually living that designation. I can call myself a mechanic if I want and I can fix your car and ruin it. You should then be intelligent enough to realize that I am not a mechanic, even though I call myself one and then, hopefully, find a real mechanic.

A person who bombs an abortion clinic and calls himself a Christian is not really following the leadership of Christ. He is not a Christian. A terrorist who bombs a target or who kills only Christians but lets Muslims live might call himself a Muslim. But I think there are many Muslims who do not want this kind of behavior identified with being a Muslim.

But this author seems to take extreme examples of every kind of behavior in history and blame it on the religion that is was associated with, without stopping to study if that behavior was condoned by that religion. Jesus never said to put women through horrible trials at which they could prove only that they were not witches by not being able to supernaturally save themselves from certain death. Yes this author calls these judges extremist Christians. Just because a mouse is in the cookie jar does not make him a cookie. These people who called themselves Christians were definitely not Christians. For those of you who believe in Hell, I am betting that they are there.

Whether people called themselves Muslims or Christians or Jews, the only reasonable way to determine if they are what they are labeling themselves as is to read the criteria in the books that they follow... I think the author gave a misguided view of history.

There is a very long history of the relationships between these 3 religions, a lot of detail about political leaders and how their decisions are helping to bring about Armageddon, and much other very interesting material in this book from an historical viewpoint.

But I have read books which live up to their title much better and show the nearness of the world to Armageddon. I think he is trying to persuade the world to work together and to prevent Armageddon (a noble purpose). But if he studies the religious books of these 3 religions, he will find that they all believe that Armageddon is inevitable. If he were to have a spiritual experience, he might end up believing the Old and New Testament that there will be an end time war.

And if he believes history... could World War II have been prevented? I doubt it. A nation wanted resources and invaded countries to steal their resources. Nations will invade Israel wanting to steal her resources... and talking nicely to them is not going to stop the war. Nor is getting everyone together to compromise. The signs of World War III have been on the horizon for a long time. If anything, the author should have read his own book and realized that history repeats itself, evil exists, and it seems that eventually good overcomes evil. If history repeats itself, there will be a third world war, evil will try to conquer but good will overcome in the end and the evil people will be dealt with.

The author has a lot of detailed information showing how we are closer to Armageddon than ever before. But I think you can get this information faster in many other books available today.

However, I think this is a book that you will either strongly like or dislike. There are 5-star reviews out there. Read them, and if they resonate with you, then you might enjoy this book. I didn't.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. Researched.
Do you believe in prophecy? The Bible as literal truth? Armageddon? The Rapture? The return of the Da'jaal? Or the creation of a worldwide caliphate as a harbinger of the end of time? More important, if presented with compelling evidence, would you believe that there are today powerful forces actively conspiring to bring about these cataclysmic events within our lifetime?

In his provocative book Racing Toward Armageddon, Michael Baigent, bestselling author and one of the most controversial religious theorists of our time, turns his keen attention to modern-day Jerusalem and its increasingly important role in global affairs, exploring yet another of his explosive theories: that hard-liners within the three great Abrahamic religions, many of whom hold positions of enormous influence in government, industry, and the military worldwide, are working to hasten our end as prophesied in each of their texts and traditions of faith. Exposing these forces, the myths upon which many of their beliefs are based, the stealth action they have been taking for decades, and the insidious and potentially devastating effect they are having upon the educational, political, cultural, and spiritual fabric of our society, Baigent poses the pressing question: Can we really afford to remain oblivious much longer?

[Barry Snell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, clear and concise. Very accessible to the layperson. Given that Baigent does sometimes lean a bit toward sensationalism (it does sell books, after all), what is truly freaky about his explanations and predictions in this 2009 book is that his wildest prognostications have since been far exceeded. I finished this book about a week before Trump 'ruled' that Jerusalem is now officially viewed by the United States as the capital of Israel and the global protests that ignited, from the streets of Palestine to the United Nations. So, take Baigent's predictions with a grain of salt if you will, but realize also that the bizarre inter-connectivity between the fundamentalists behind all three Abrahamic faiths have become even more strange since this book was published. In fact, I'd love to see a revised version of this book to cover the many twists and turns that have taken place in the years since 2009.

[Frank Kool · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Good: a fairly interesting side-by-side comparison of fundamentalism in the three Abrahamic religions and how it has effected or even taken over politics in certain countries.

The Bad: the author letting the education train repeatedly grind to a halt to write unnecessary paragraphs filled with melodramatic bemoaning or smug derision of religious views he doesn't like. I also think he completely misses the mark in claiming that Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels has nothing to do with horrific End Time predictions such as wars and rumors of wars or The Rapture.

[Zia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly shocked of what I read. My beliefs are very different. Sometimes it felt like arguing with your own points of views. I'm Catholic, my faith hasn't been challenged. Nor am I going to jump ship.
Now if your, easily loose your faith, then this book isn't for to you read.
Maybe some day I'd like to have a conversation with a priest about this novel, what does he think? Of course with whiskey or beer. I wonder if this novel is in Spanish. I recommend IF you're up for the "challenge"!?

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of how ridiculous the 3 big faiths are with their competing roadmap to the destruction of the world and return or first coming of their savour. A book that was hard to put down which keeps you shaking your head at some 87% of the world's population which are religious.

[Trent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heard on audiobook. It was an in depth look at apocalyptic texts from the major religions and how they fuel extremist factions of those religions. Some interesting stuff, but nothing exciting.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Deceitful title. It's essentially a Zionist manifesto. Not educational in the least since he really just rehashes a lot of already well-known information. Mostly packed with the author's personal religious and political views and vitriol against everything he does not support. He is petty and insulting, to say the least.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's the scoop: this book was very interesting at tying together the Abrahamic apocalyptic sects and stories of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The book tends to focus on Christianity, as apocalyptic evangelical Christians are at the forefront of the end-of-times scenario with the New Testament's Book of Revelations. The author uses logic and history to debunk, more or less, the apocalyptic way of thinking for each religion. While he does use some tongue-in-cheek and facetious comments throughout, I didn't find that they took too much away from the writing and overall message, nor were they overtly offensive to any religion.

This book actually carefully reminds readers that not every Christian, Muslim and Jew obsessed with the end of the world (brought about by a deity or technological means). The author stresses the issues that 1) extremists in any religion are dangerous; 2) organized religion can be helpful, but it can exacerbate intolerance; and, 3) religion, in general, should be about each individual's exploration of their own spirituality, not the organization's spirituality imposed upon its followers.

This book is quite enlightening for the believer, the non-believer, or the agnostic.

In short, the author poses a very serious question: "What about the middle guy?" (I.e. "Can't we all just worship our respective deity (or deities) the way we want to?)

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Racing Toward Armageddon
By Michael Baigent

Publisher: Harper One
Published In: New York, New York, USA
Date: 2009
Pgs: 276

Summary:
The world of the fundamentalist religious factions of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are explored by one of the co-authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail.

Genre:
Religion. Society. Culture

Main Character:
n/a

Favorite Character:
n/a

Least Favorite Character:
n/a

Favorite Scene:
Where the author compares where we are in modern society and religion with the Dark Ages while asking the question are we seeing the birth of a new Inquisition.

Plot Holes/Out of Character:
n/a

Last Page Sound:
Uhmmm...

Author Assessment:
I would look at anything else written by him.

Disposition of Book:
Half Price Book it.

Why isn't there a screenplay?:
The only way this will ever see the screen is if History, TLC, Discover or one of those channels takes a look at the book’s focus and uses it to do their own special report and go around talking to some of his sources and some of their own. I would guess not though.

[Jonathan Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting read... not quite as far fetched as Mr. Baigent's other theories (Da Vinci Code inspiration) but a logically sounded explanation given historical context for the background of the writing of the Book of Revelations. For every (thankfully not that many) yahoo out there trying to bring about the end of the world, there deserves a place in this world for men like Baigent who albeit are a bit extreme, serve to weigh down the other side. Still brings about an interesting question... with something as terrible as the Armageddon, why would any "good" person ever want this to occur let alone take efforts to accelerate it? As with those with visions of their own future, even while clearly negative, still take actions to reach such results with their own hands?

[Lynn Coffren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Michael Baigent's books even though some of his topics are a bit on the edge of sensationalism. This one I enjoyed also, it was an interesting read and brought home the dangers of extreme fundamentalism. Still, in the last couple of chapters the book seemed to lose some of its cohesiveness, and Baigent went on multiple tangents at once. Still, it's worth reading, give it a chance.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of the three monotheistic religions, with particular attention to the fundamentalist components of said religions, and their conceptions of the final war between God and unruly mankind, Armageddon.

[Jamie Belanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the three monotheistic religions and how followers of their fundamentalist factions view prophecies regarding the end of the world (and how they're trying to bring that end to fruition as quickly as possible).

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fasinating and completely scary in terms of level of crazy in religous fanatics on all sides! Jumps to some probably less then scientific/logical conclusions but I found it really interesting.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was very sensationalistic.