Lying about Heaven is bad.

Lying to children about Heaven is worse.

But why let a little thing like ethics stop you from making money off of fiction masquerading as truth? That’s what Anthony DeStefano is doing with his new book A Travel Guide to Heaven for Kids:

According to the book’s description:

This long-awaited children’s edition will quickly become a favorite for the reader and the child alike. Imagine the comfort and peace children will experience when they hear about this incredible place God has prepared for them.

Of course, he’s making everything up. Not just the story in the background, but also his idea of what the afterlife is like. It’s no better than Colton Burpo‘s vision or Eben Alexander‘s — it’s all a comforting lie. It’s the Christian equivalent of what John Edward and Sylvia Browne do when they “cross over” and communicate with the dead. They’re conning you by feeding you what you want to hear, and making a ton of money off of it in the process. (DeStefano is coming off a six-figure advance on a previous two-book deal.)

It really makes no sense how some say you can’t be good without God, when this is the sort of thing “good” Christians do with their influence.



