From the author, Jack McElroy:
If you had to give a message at your own funeral, what would you say?
It's an arresting thought, isn't it? You look out at the crowd and see your family, friends, relatives, coworkers, and acquaintances. Imagine that your parents, grandparents, and grandchildren are there, too.
You've got their undivided attention, so what will you say to them?
It's your chance to really influence their lives. This is your legacy. It's what they'll remember you by.
I figured out what I would say, and I ended up writing it in a book. It's called How I Lost My Fear of Death and How You Can Too.
It's a unique soul-winning tool.
How I Lost My Fear of Death is a unique and universal soul-winning tool that can be given to anyone of any religious background. It's written in a conversational and nonthreatening tone that engages the reader right away, carefully explaining that they have a problem and that there is a solution.
THE PROBLEM Dying is a scary prospect for those who aren't assured of what will happen to them after they die. These folks are in bondage to this fear. They live every day like a condemned prisoner.
Their hope is that by having faith in God (or gods), keeping certain laws, and observing certain religious rituals, they'll gain life after death or nirvana/peace. The problem is that every religion, without exception, is great at prescribing things for them to DO but never tells them when they've DONE enough.
THE SOLUTION How I Lost My Fear of Death presents the solution to their problem in an informative and interesting way.
First, all the major world religions are spread out on the table.
One of the problems in approaching a subject like this is that it can get pretty confusing and really boring in a hurry.
How I Lost My Fear of Death makes this seemingly complex analysis simple by cutting to the chase. We focus--and then only briefly--on what each major world religion says about what you must DO in order to obtain life. All other detailed theological beliefs are omitted. (Roman Catholicism is a lengthier section because it is necessary to the story.)
- Christian Religions: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Jehovah's Witnessism, and Mormonism
- Non-Christian Religions: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism
- Atheism, Humanism, Christian Science, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shintoism are also touched on.
Then what the Bible says about life after death is examined.
How I Lost My Fear of Death clearly explains why the Bible is different from other religious writings. The Bible tells us EXACTLY what we must DO to inherit eternal life (believe on the one whom the Father has sent) and what was DONE by the Lord Jesus Christ to secure eternal life for us. The book emphasizes over and over that this gift is free.
Who are the prospective readers?
- Unbelievers who are scared of dying: This book offers them a solution. People always want solutions.
- Christians looking for an evangelistic tool they can give to anyone of any religion without fear of insulting them: This is one that recipients will actually READ instead of consign to the trash bin.
- Christians who want reassurance that their faith is not in vain since many believers don't understand why they can have eternal security.
Why people will like this book.
Discussing religion can sometimes be divisive, insulting, and hurtful if not done in a spirit of love, openness, and candor. Nobody's beliefs are insulted in How I Lost My Fear of Death, and readers are encouraged to make up their own minds based on the evidence presented.
The book's conversational style and over 50 pictures and illustrations immediately connect with readers from age 12 to adult. More importantly, over 110 Scripture references explain biblical truths––so that the Gospel is clearly presented.
They'll get an easy-to-understand answer to the fear that's plagued them their whole lives. They'll discover that their fear of death can be done away with once and for all by simply believing what the Bible says and doing it—receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
Author Jack McElroy tells why his book makes witnessing so easy:
Table of Contents
Introduction
- The ultimate value of any religion is how well it relieves your fear of death. A religion must answer two questions if it is to be of any help: is there an afterlife, and if so, what must you DO to get there?
Chapter 1: What Happens After You Die?
- Compares Islam and Catholicism to show how most religions provide a "magic formula" for life after death.
Chapter 2: Is There an Afterlife? What the Religions Say
- Examines what Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Jehovah's Witnessism, and Mormonism teach about life after death.
Chapter 3: What About Religions That Don't Include Jesus?
- Examines what Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism teach about life after death.
Chapter 4: What People Say About the Bible
- Quotes praising the Bible from Thomas Jefferson, Helen Keller, Patrick Henry, Daniel Webster, and Noah Webster; quotes denouncing the Bible from Richard Dawkins, Aleister Crowley, Isaac Asimov, and Samuel Clemmons (Mark Twain).
Chapter 5: What the Bible Says
- Looks at why the Bible is a trustworthy source and what it says about the afterlife.
Chapter 6: How I Finally Lost my Fear of Death
- The realization that I was not good enough to get to heaven on my own, and what I did about it.
Chapter 7: Eternal Life is a Free Gift
- Religions teach that you must DO something to earn eternal life. The Bible explains why eternal life is a free gift.
Chapter 8: How You Can Lose Your Fear of Death Right Now
- Walks you personally through the steps that will relieve you of your fear of death.
Endnotes
Image Credits
About the Author
Table of Contents
Introduction
- The ultimate value of any religion is how well it relieves your fear of death. A religion must answer two questions if it is to be of any help: is there an afterlife, and if so, what must you DO to get there?
Chapter 1: What Happens After You Die?
- Compares Islam and Catholicism to show how most religions provide a "magic formula" for life after death.
Chapter 2: Is There an Afterlife? What the Religions Say
- Examines what Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Jehovah's Witnessism, and Mormonism teach about life after death.
Chapter 3: What About Religions That Don't Include Jesus?
- Examines what Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism teach about life after death.
Chapter 4: What People Say About the Bible
- Quotes praising the Bible from Thomas Jefferson, Helen Keller, Patrick Henry, Daniel Webster, and Noah Webster; quotes denouncing the Bible from Richard Dawkins, Aleister Crowley, Isaac Asimov, and Samuel Clemmons (Mark Twain).
Chapter 5: What the Bible Says
- Looks at why the Bible is a trustworthy source and what it says about the afterlife.
Chapter 6: How I Finally Lost my Fear of Death
- The realization that I was not good enough to get to heaven on my own, and what I did about it.
Chapter 7: Eternal Life is a Free Gift
- Religions teach that you must DO something to earn eternal life. The Bible explains why eternal life is a free gift.
Chapter 8: How You Can Lose Your Fear of Death Right Now
- Walks you personally through the steps that will relieve you of your fear of death.
Endnotes
Image Credits
About the Author
