A fundamental lesson of the scriptures is to promote cooperation among community members. However, some ancient teachings can be misinterpreted, leading to conflict between people. Ricardo V Sibilla addresses this topic in detail in God's Words. He lists the inconsistencies in the Bible and other ancient texts and analyzes them in depth. He shares archaeological data and cites reliable sources to refute some erroneous beliefs. He also explains how the language of a culture changes over time, and therefore, its vocabulary does as well. This causes some ancient texts to change depending on the translation, adapting them to new social contexts. For this reason, he emphasizes the importance of going directly to the source to understand the teachings better and evaluate the reliability of the information.

Ricardo V Sibilla encourages us to question beliefs we take for granted. For example, the Bible never specifies that the forbidden fruit was an apple, which is a popular idea. Therefore, using simple language and detailed explanations, he talks about the role of faith in society. He explains that prayer and meditation can reduce a person’s tendency to question statements found in texts they consider sacred. He also highlights that violence often arises when prior beliefs distort one's perception of reality. This was the case with Galileo, who was tried for challenging the beliefs of his time by claiming that the earth revolved around the Sun. In addition, what I liked most is that the author contrasts research from different cultures, such as Egyptian, Greek, Muslim, and others. This shows an objective perspective and makes for an enriched read. God's Words teaches us to question the world around us in a respectful way.

God's Words by Ricardo V. Sibilla is a well-written book that analyzes the contents of several religious texts, offering readers insights into the sources of fanaticism that lead to religious violence. Ricardo begins by exploring the evolution of the ancient scriptures, which were initially based on oral legends and traditions, and how they have led to a cross-civilization dilemma. While drawing reference from the Abrahamic books, including the Torah, the Quran, and others, he discusses the role of magic logic in these sacred scriptures. He further analyzes the life of Abraham to ascertain if he played a central role in interpreting violence in the biblical context, while outlining five debatable behaviors of Abraham. Other crucial topics discussed include the role of faith in religious violence, dreams and divine revelation in religious history, holy plagiarism, and more.

This book opened my eyes to many controversial issues that have mostly been ignored by religious leaders and experts, particularly with respect to the contradictions and distortions in religious books used to incite violence. I commend Ricardo for his courage and for being straightforward in his writing, which proves him to be a skilled and passionate writer. I also loved that he included references from different sources, which further authenticates most of the information in this book. The writing is engaging, detailed, well-paced, and easy to comprehend. The themes cover religion, faith, history, mythology, philosophy, and more. I recommend God's Words: Preaching Peace While Justifying Violence by Ricardo V. Sibilla to anyone curious about the origins of sacred scripture and religious extremism.