For centuries, our history books have perpetuated a familiar narrative: the Inquisition was a brutal and terrifying chapter in Western history, Pope Pius XII was a Nazi sympathizer, the Dark Ages were a period of ignorance and superstition, and the Crusades were a ruthless pursuit of wealth and power. But what if these long-held beliefs were based on fiction rather than fact? In his provocative and meticulously researched book, Rodney Stark, a renowned sociologist of religion, challenges these entrenched myths and presents a radically different picture of the Catholic Church's past. Stark argues that many of our most deeply ingrained ideas about history are, in fact, false, and that they have been perpetuated by a combination of ideological bias and intellectual laziness. In each chapter, he tackles a different myth, tracing its origins and evolution, and presenting a compelling alternative narrative. For instance, he reveals that the Spanish Inquisition was not the bloodthirsty institution we've been led to believe, but rather a relatively moderate and just force in its time. He also debunks the notion that Pope Pius XII was "Hitler's Pope," showing that this myth was fabricated by the Soviet Union as part of a Cold War propaganda campaign. By shedding light on these and other myths, Stark offers a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the Catholic Church's role in history, and exposes the ideological and egotistical motivations that have driven the distortion of historical truth. In the end, readers of Bearing False Witness will emerge with a fresh perspective on the past, and a deeper understanding of how our perceptions of history have been shaped by ideology and bias.