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Review
"Deep wisdom and patient explanations fill this excellent book. The author--a journalist with worldwide experience and thorough scientific knowledge--doesn't ridicule supernatural beliefs. He seems fond of believers. But he quietly employs logic to show that invisible gods, devils, heavens, hells, miracles and the like belong in the superstitious past, and cannot be taken seriously by educated modern people." -- James A. Haught, author of 2,000 Years of Disbelief and editor of West Virginia's largest newspaper, The Charleston Gazette
"Guy P. Harrison has written a persuasive and frequently humorous book about an important topic . . .This thoughtful work should be read by religious practitioners, political leaders, and the general public and should be taught as a foundation for explaining the role of religion in society. I recommend it heartily." -- Nick Wynne, PhD; Executive director of the Florida Historical Society
"Religion is as universal as language, which hints at a biological basis. Why did our ancestors evolve an attraction to the supernatural? The fundamental question is not whether this attraction is rational or not - which is the subject of a dozen recent provocative books -- but what exactly faith delivers to those who possess it. The present book treats this question respectfully, listening to the answer of the believers themselves, which seems an excellent place to start." -- Frans de Waal, leading primatologist, author of Our Inner Ape (Riverhead, 2005)
"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but now Guy Harrison has given us 50 ways to believe in God, or not if you care to read this engaging and enlightening book in light of what it says about the cultural and psychological power of belief. If the number one predictor of which God someone believes in is what culture and time period they happened to have been born in, what does that say about the actual existence (or not) of a deity? Read this book to explore the many and diverse reasons for belief." -- Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist Scientific American, author of Why Darwin Matters
"Guy P. Harrison has written a persuasive and frequently humorous book about an important topic . . .This thoughtful work should be read by religious practitioners, political leaders, and the general public and should be taught as a foundation for explaining the role of religion in society. I recommend it heartily." -- Nick Wynne, PhD; Executive director of the Florida Historical Society
"Religion is as universal as language, which hints at a biological basis. Why did our ancestors evolve an attraction to the supernatural? The fundamental question is not whether this attraction is rational or not - which is the subject of a dozen recent provocative books -- but what exactly faith delivers to those who possess it. The present book treats this question respectfully, listening to the answer of the believers themselves, which seems an excellent place to start." -- Frans de Waal, leading primatologist, author of Our Inner Ape (Riverhead, 2005)
"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but now Guy Harrison has given us 50 ways to believe in God, or not if you care to read this engaging and enlightening book in light of what it says about the cultural and psychological power of belief. If the number one predictor of which God someone believes in is what culture and time period they happened to have been born in, what does that say about the actual existence (or not) of a deity? Read this book to explore the many and diverse reasons for belief." -- Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist Scientific American, author of Why Darwin Matters
Book Description
Many books that challenge religious belief from a skeptical point of view take a combative tone that is almost guaranteed to alienate believers or they present complex philosophical or scientific arguments that fail to reach the average reader. Journalist Guy P. Harrison argues that this is an ineffective way of encouraging people to develop critical thinking about religion. In this unique approach to skepticism regarding God, Harrison concisely presents fifty commonly heard reasons people often give for believing in a God and then he raises legitimate questions regarding these reasons, showing in each case that there is much room for doubt.
Whether you're a believer, a complete skeptic, or somewhere in between, you'll find Harrison's review of traditional and more recent arguments for the existence of God refreshing, approachable, and enlightening. From religion as the foundation of morality to the authority of sacred books, the compelling religious testimony of influential people, near-death experiences, arguments from Intelligent Design, and much more, Harrison respectfully describes each rationale for belief and then politely shows the deficiencies that any good skeptic would point out.
As a journalist who has traveled widely and interviewed many highly accomplished people, quite a number of whom are believers, Harrison appreciates the variety of belief and the ways in which people seek to make religion compatible with scientific thought. Nonetheless, he shows that, despite the prevalence of belief in God or religious belief in intelligent people, in the end there are no unassailable reasons for believing in a God.
For skeptics looking for appealing ways to approach their believing friends or believers who are not afraid to consider a skeptical challenge, Harrison's book makes for very stimulating reading.
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Most helpful customer reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best book I've read on beliefs and atheism,
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This review is from: 50 Reasons People Give For Believing In A God (Paperback)
Of late, i've read a number of books on atheism and belief. I've read:The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins god is not great by Christopher Hitchens End of Faith by Sam Harris All great books that i would also recommend. As a believer, i've been very interested to hear other points of view of whether there is a God or not. This is by far the best book i've read on the subject. The difference between this book and the others is that Guy Harrison specifically looks at the reasons believers give for belief in a God and tries to answer these questions from the point of an atheist. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a believer or is interested in religion, beliefs, spirituality, and atheism.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic!,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: 50 Reasons People Give For Believing In A God (Paperback)
I've read many books on the matter of theism/atheism and this so far is one of the best. It is a very easy, enjoyable read, but not at all shallow. The writing flows and the writer gets the message across very well. The 50 chapters are not overly long, so are not tedious. They stay on point and keep you gripped.Most theists are far too easily offended when their evidence-void supernatural beliefs are brought under the seering light of reason, rationality, and critical thinking. This is largely due to the protection from criticism that religion has enjoyed for far too long. The criticisms found in the latest wave of books which systematically destroy the myriad religious claims, are actually NOT overly harsh; they are no more harsh than what one would expect in any other realm of debate. In fact, when one considers the wild, fantastical claims of religion, the criticisms one now finds on the bookshelves are actually quite mild and polite. However, with this in mind, the author intentionally attempts a very tender approach with "believers", and I feel he succeeds extremely well. It is more like he is sitting down and having a friendly conversation with the reader. The challenge though, is to get the "faithful" to actually put their cherished beliefs (usually fed to them from the cradle) under scrutiny. Most don't have the courage or intellectual honesty to do that. But for those who do care enough about what is true, this book is a very good first step. An audio interview with the author can be heard here: http://www.pointofinquiry.org/guy_p_harrison_50_reasons_people_give_for_believing_in_a_god/ PS: I was a christian for 25 years, but now awake for the last 23.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of the decade,
By
This review is from: 50 Reasons People Give For Believing In A God (Paperback)
This is one book I would highly recommend reading for atheist and theist alike.A must read for everyone. I would consider this book the best of its kind in a decade. The book is well organized and easy to reference. The chapter headings are: 1. My god is obvious. 2. Almost everybody on Earth is religious. 3. Faith is a good thing. 4. Archaeological discoveries prove that my god exists. 5. Only my god can make me feel significant. 6. Atheism is just another religion. 7. Evolution is bad. 8. Our world is too beautiful to be an accident. 9. My god created the universe. 10. Believing in my god makes me happy. 11. Better safe than sorry. 12. A sacred book proves my god is real. 13. Divine justice proves my god is real. 14. My god answers prayers. 15. I would rather worship my god than the devil. 16. My god heals sick people. 17. Anything is better than being an atheist. 18. My god made the human body. 19. My god sacrificed his only son for me. 20. Atheists are jerks who think they know everything. 21. I don't lose anything by believing in my god. 22. I didn't come from a monkey. 23. I don't want to go to hell. 24. I feel my god when I pray. 25. I need my god to protect me. 26. I want eternal life. 27. Without my god we would have no sense of right and wrong. 28. My god makes me feel like I am part of something bigger than myself. 29. My religion makes more sense than all the others. 30. My god changes lives. 31. Intelligent design proves my god is real. 32. Millions of people can't be wrong about my religion. 33. Miracles prove my god is real. 34. Religion is beautiful. 35. Some very smart people believe in my god. 36. Ancient prophecies prove my god exists. 37. No one has ever disproved the existence of my god. 38. People have gone to heaven and returned. 39. Religion brings people together. 40. My god inspires people. 41. Science can't explain everything. 42. Society would fall apart without religion. 43. My religion is so old, it must be true. 44. Someone I trust told me that my god is real. 45. Atheism is a negative and empty philosophy. 46. Believing in a god doesn't hurt anyone. 47. The earth is perfectly tunes to support life. 48. Believing is natural so my god must be real. 49. The end is near. 50. I am afraid of not believing.
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