Men read the Book of Malachi and they hear the divine tax collector. They fixate on the verse about "robbing God," and their religious leaders use it as a divine hammer to demand ten percent

Men read the Book of Nahum and they feel a dark thrill. They see a righteous God finally unleashing His wrath on a wicked enemy. They use it as a divine permission slip for their own vengeful fantasies,

Men read the Book of Micah and think they have found the mission statement for their religious social club. They pull out Micah 6:8, " To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your

Men read the Book of Jonah and think it's a children's story about a man who gets swallowed by a big fish. They treat it as a charming fable about obedience, a lesson on why you shouldn't run from God.

Men read the Book of Amos and see a prophet of social justice. They hear his condemnations of the rich oppressing the poor, and they turn him into a political revolutionary, a proto-communist railing against

Men read the Book of 2 Maccabees and think they have found the ultimate handbook on martyrdom. They get swept up in the religious fervor, the graphic tales of suffering, and the heroic defiance of Eleazar