Let it first be noted that Bill O'Reilly of the #1 rated cable Fox News Factor TV program takes pride in the fact that “I am a simple man,” something a truly humble man does not constantly boasts. Minimized is the fact that co-author Martin Dugard may well be the principle author though he takes a back seat to the verbose O'Reilly who for months unashamedly promoted his Killing Jesus book as a truly second coming. The book jacket cover features “Bill O'Reilly” in oversize bold case, but very small case for co-author Martin Dugard. Perhaps subliminally, could that indicate that O'Reilly is the pitch man and Duggard is the main author?



O'Reilly, on his TV Factor program, said, “Jesus died because of taxes, also stating the Holy Spirit directed him to write ‘Killing Jesus’” that followed his two previous “Killing” books, Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy. Did the Holy Spirit directed this travesty???



O'Reilly’s book never mentions the title of Jesus as “the Christ” as both Christ and Messiah mean the “Anointed One.” The coauthors focus on Jesus of Nazareth, not Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, or Jesus the Son of God. As for Jesus, the authors note “His body has never been found.” Is there enough Kool-Aid?  Of course the body of Jesus has never been found as O'Reilly might have discovered if he read Acts 1:1-11 as follows:



>1 In the first book, O Theophilus,I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.“ 6So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”



O'Reilly on his TV Factor program promoted the book by saying, “Jesus died because of taxes,” that Jesus was negatively affecting payment of taxes to Rome. Another comment notes, “Much has been written about Jesus, the son of a humble carpenter. but little is actually known about him.” O'Reilly may have known a little more about Jesus had he actually read the Bible accounts first, and then he may have determined that he would have been admonished not to add or subtract undocumented suppositions to facts already known and disclosed.



As to the cross, O'Reilly discovers that the cross is in two sections and then tied together, but this should not be an earth-shaking revelation, as that is a well-known fact, despite later artistic renditions that show the two sections already attached like tongue-in-groove as Jesus carries the cross.



The co-authors conclude by saying, “But the incredible story behind the lethal struggle between good and evil has not been fully told. Until now.” Who knew how little was known until the fair and balanced one spoke? And who knew how little depth he added to the Bible narratives.



O'Reilly has proven himself to be a bombastic brash bloviator who does not generally permit answers to his questions to be completed without his interruptions and injection of his prepared insightful response that, as in his Killing Jesus book, is the last word.



O'Reilly is not the epitome of correct thinking as he was staunchly in favor of the G.W. Bush preemptive attacks on Iraq, decrying objectors as being unpatriotic and traitors, but like all Monday morning quarterbacks, reversed himself as his contention now is that the Iraq War was a mistake. Compounding that initial error in judgment, O'Reilly has recently been in favor of similarly attacking Syria.



Further muddying the waters in Syria, rebel forces have turned their guns and weapons on each other. When radical Muslims began to make up a growing part of the opposition, infighting became inevitable, so Mr. O'Reilly, can you tell who the good guys and the bad guys are, or are there really ANY good guys in that part of the Middle East?



If O'Reilly cannot even learn from history of the last ten years, how can he get the why and wherefore right about Jesus who lived, died, resurrected, and ascended into heaven some 2,000 years ago? Stupid by natural gift is not stupid, but is better, different, and more intelligent than stupid by intent.