Book Description
"If a martian landed in America and set out to determine the nation's official state religion, he would have to conclude it is liberalism, while Christianity and Judaism are prohibited by law.
Many Americans are outraged by liberal hostility to traditional religion. But as Ann Coulter reveals in this, her most explosive book yet, to focus solely on the Left's attacks on our Judeo-Christian tradition is to miss a larger point: liberalism is a religion—a godless one.
And it is now entrenched as the state religion of this county.
Though liberalism rejects the idea of God and reviles people of faith, it bears all the attributes of a religion. In Godless, Coulter throws open the doors of the Church of Liberalism, showing us its sacraments (abortion), its holy writ (Roe v. Wade), its martyrs (from Soviet spy Alger Hiss to cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal), its clergy (public school teachers), its churches (government schools, where prayer is prohibited but condoms are free), its doctrine of infallibility (as manifest in the "absolute moral authority" of spokesmen from Cindy Sheehan to Max Cleland), and its cosmology (in which mankind is an inconsequential accident).
Then, of course, there's the liberal creation myth: Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
For liberals, evolution is the touchstone that separates the enlightened from the benighted. But Coulter neatly reverses the pretense that liberals are rationalists guided by the ideals of free inquiry and the scientific method. She exposes the essential truth about Darwinian evolution that liberals refuse to confront: it is bogus science.
Writing with a keen appreciation for genuine science, Coulter reveals that the so-called gaps in the theory of evolution are all there is—Darwinism is nothing but a gap. After 150 years of dedicated searching into the fossil record, evolution's proponents have failed utterly to substantiate its claims. And a long line of supposed evidence, from the infamous Piltdown Man to the "evolving" peppered moths of England, has been exposed as hoaxes. Still, liberals treat those who question evolution as religious heretics and prohibit students from hearing about real science when it contradicts Darwinism. And these are the people who say they want to keep faith out of the classroom?
Liberals' absolute devotion to Darwinism, Coulter shows, has nothing to do with evolution's scientific validity and everything to do with its refusal to admit the possibility of God as a guiding force. They will brook no challenges to the official religion.
Fearlessly confronting the high priests of the Church of Liberalism and ringing with Coulter's razor-sharp wit, Godless is the most important and riveting book yet from one of today's most lively and impassioned conservative voices.
"Liberals love to boast that they are not 'religious,' which is what one would expect to hear from the state-sanctioned religion. Of course liberalism is a religion. It has its own cosmology, its own miracles, its own beliefs in the supernatural, its own churches, its own high priests, its own saints, its own total worldview, and its own explanation of the existence of the universe. In other words, liberalism contains all the attributes of what is generally known as 'religion.'"
—From Godless
Customer Reviews:
One of Her Best Books.......2007-10-17
Brilliant, Witty, Entertaining, and Incisive. Ann Coulter puts her finger precisely on the pulse of the virulent anti-God and anti-Christian animus of the Neo-Stalinist Left that occupies the DemocRatic party, the University Proffessoriate, the public school educrats, and the Leftwing Media.
A bit inflammatory but still many good points.......2007-10-16
Like many of Ann Coulter's books, this book is rather inflammatory. Maybe that's why a lot of people read them - she says the stuff that the rest of us are afraid to say. Like many of her other books, either you love this book or you hate it. In many ways Ann Coulter is the conservative counterpart of Molly Ivins.
Her basic point is that, contrary to what liberals would have you believe, their position is not religiously neutral. She argues that liberalism has all the characteristics of a religion, a thesis that's sure to get a rise from many supposedly nonreligious liberals.
Regarding teacher pay, I have to admit I was rather shocked by some of the points she brings up; I simply had never heard a lot of that before. I have since seen similar information elsewhere, so I believe her points here are accurate. This section is sure to irritate the teachers' unions by pointing out rather inconvenient facts that go against their standard dogma (such as the fact that teachers are actually paid very well for the amount of work they do). This is sure to challenge what you've always been told about the subject.
Regarding Darwinism, she points out that evolution is bogus science. Sure, this section does contain some errors in it (Coulter is not a scientist), but overall she brings up many valid points that can serve as a foundation for further discussion. I would encourage who would like a more thorough scientific critique of Darwinism to seek out books by the likes of Michael Behe and his associates at the Discovery Institute, or from the likes of Ken Ham and his associates at Answers in Genesis.
She brings up a lot of other really interesting points, but I'll leave it to you to read the book yourself. Sure, there's a lot of rhetoric in this point, and sure a lot of it is deliberately inflammatory, but a lot of it's really thought provoking too. The tone of the book apparently makes it difficult for most people to read or discuss it rationally or objectively, but if you do I think you'll find a lot of food for thought, and maybe have some of your pet ideologies challenged. I'm glad someone finally had the courage to say a lot of the stuff she did. Definitely recommended.
So much hatred, so little brains..........2007-10-09
I wonder why some people in this country who claim to be such good Christians have no problem with our government slaughtering thousands of families? If the church of liberalism is godless, then what would you call a government who has done just that? Invaded another country for its own personal gain? I just can't help but wonder what makes Ann Coulter tick, that her vision is so clearly focused in one direction while totally ignoring the sins of her own. I am reminded of the Bible passage that talks about removing the log from one's own eye before attempting to remove the speck from a brothers. These kind of books will do nothing more than to continue to polorize this country, other than making her more money from idiots who cheer her on.
Makes for good educational reading........2007-10-07
Read this and other far right books. Read far left liberalism books. You should realize that both the far right and the far left are necessary evils. As long as the left and right agree not to agree we as a nation will prosper. Much like our government. When both parties agree you best worry! Imagine our nation without the right. Many would join on the dark side. Imagine our nation without the left. We would be how should I say, Talibaned or held to the strict standards of Sharia law, in the Christian sense. Careful how far we lean. We might just fall and not get back up.
Ann is dead on....again!.......2007-10-03
This book is so dead on and rock solid. Everything in this book, footnotes the source, and is packed with information on the whole liberal thought process. The book is also full of analogies like 'liberals freak out if a tree is cut down, but could care less about aborting babies'. This book along with Bill O'Reilly's Culture Warrior, are awesome at exposing a lot of this left wing agenda. Ann Coulter, is/was an attorney and knows her stuff. Of course all the liberals are going to rate this a '1' so no one reads it, but you will not be disappointed in this book.
Book Description
"A timely, well-written and scholarly polemic for the separation of church and state."—Bernard Crick, The New Statesman
The Godless Constitution is a ringing rebuke to the religious right's attempts, fueled by misguided and inaccurate interpretations of American history, to dismantle the wall between church and state erected by the country's founders. The authors, both distinguished scholars, revisit the historical roots of American religious freedom, paying particular attention to such figures as John Locke, Roger Williams, and especially Thomas Jefferson, and examine the controversies, up to the present day, over the proper place of religion in our political life. With a new chapter that explores the role of religion in the public life of George W. Bush's America, The Godless Constitution offers a bracing return to the first principles of American governance.
Customer Reviews:
Simple and Insightful.......2007-02-01
I picked this up from the library after seeing it referenced by Damon Linker in "The Theocons". This book is short and sweet. The authors are clear, balanced, and their research is insightful. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the context in which the founders formally placed a dividing line between matters of state and matters of faith.
Good but repeptitive.......2007-01-12
After hearing about the book from the author on NPR I picked it up. It is fascinating to some extent but the same points are made over and over again with only a sprinkle of new insights. I'm not going to be keeping this one in the sanctity of my bookshelf, rather send it off for other people to read.
Average customer rating:
- Thought-provoking, indeed
- It's just a religion. Right?
- A great read by Henry from Richmond
- A Great Book for Pre-Teens who Question Religion
- Godless, reviewed by Martin
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Godless
Pete Hautman
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
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ASIN: 1416908161 |
Book Description
"Why mess around with Catholicism when you can have your own customized religion?"
Fed up with his parents' boring old religion, agnostic-going-on-atheist Jason Bock invents a new god -- the town's water tower. He recruits an unlikely group of worshippers: his snail-farming best friend, Shin, cute-as-a-button (whatever that means) Magda Price, and the violent and unpredictable Henry Stagg. As their religion grows, it takes on a life of its own. While Jason struggles to keep the faith pure, Shin obsesses over writing their bible, and the explosive Henry schemes to make the new faith even more exciting -- and dangerous.
When the Chutengodians hold their first ceremony high atop the dome of the water tower, things quickly go from merely dangerous to terrifying and deadly. Jason soon realizes that inventing a religion is a lot easier than controlling it, but control it he must, before his creation destroys both his friends and himself.
Customer Reviews:
Thought-provoking, indeed.......2007-08-22
I think it's hard for anyone to come away from "Godless" without having put the book down at least once during the read and have gone, "Huh...". It's a thoroughly thought-provoking book, from the initial characters to the ending. It's not the kind of story where every page has action and big things exploding. Interestingly enough, the sort of action that happens at the end is the second wave. The feel of a climax happens in the middle, though the end certainly has its drama and power.
Many books have been thought-provoking without being incredible. But "Godless" is a readable book. It's not choppy, it's not boring, and it doesn't have TOO much crammed into it. It all felt incredibly realistic and plausible. The characters felt like real teenagers I might meet, the ideas they came up with felt silly enough to be young, but thought out enough to be adult, and every page made me want to keep reading. The only thing that made me want to put the book down was the constant thoughts I kept getting, about religion, friendship, and history. Okay, there were a few other thoughts there as well, but this book just made me THINK, and that's a huge plus.
It helps that it's well-written. It helps that it's interesting. It helps that the characters breathe and live. It's a book with messages, a book to make you think, and book you can just enjoy. It's simply a great book.
Definitely recommended.
It's just a religion. Right?.......2007-02-14
15-year-old Jason Bock and his friend Peter Stephen Schinner (AKA Shin) are scrounging around the town's water tower when Henry Stagg shows up with his fists and an attitude. That single event, combined with Jason's antagonism toward his parents Catholic religion, leads Jason and Shin to create their own religion. The Ten-Legged One watches over the town, pumping life through the piped veins of the city, so why not worship the life giver?
Why mess around with Catholicism when you can have your own customized religion? All you need is a disciple or two. And a god.
Cleverly dispersed throughout the opening pages of the chapters, the myth of The Ocean and the secrets of their religion grow and mutate. Chutengodianism is born and spreads. Friends join. Sides are drawn. The water tower becomes the focus of their lives, the center of their adventures, the bane of their existence.
Resonating with the spirit of great works like Orwell's ANIMAL FARM, Hautman's ludicrous tale raises important questions about religion. Who or what defines religion? Is religion a good thing? And what happens when religion is taken too far?
After all, people shouldn't make such a big deal out of it. It's just a religion. Right?
-- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens
A great read by Henry from Richmond.......2007-01-03
Godless was a great book about a boy named Jason Bock and his summer vacation he spent with his friends. In the first chapter of the book you come on to three characters: the main character Jason but also his best friend Shin (Peter Stephen Schinner). Henry is a boy who likes to always make trouble, he is the kid that there always is in a story that grew up in a bad environment and loves to pick fights. But shin on the other hand is totally different, he is very quiet and shy, and when ever he gets mad or embarrassed he does what the author explained as "going into his shell" and wouldn't talk or anything. In the first scene of the book you find three of the biggest characters in the biggest seen in the books, but for now Jason and shin are searching for snails in this place under the water tower. When henry comes around and punches Jason in the gut.
This book is strongly based on Jason and his religion and how he takes it to a whole new level. But it starts out about his Christian religion and how he doesn't believe in god, so he makes up his own beliefs and even his own religion known as "the Chutengodians" and worship the water tower in the center of the town known as " the ten legged one".
His two other friends in the book are cute as a button Magda Price and Dan Grant that normal nothing-special friend that every one has. But as this religion gets bigger so does the danger. Especially at the first meeting when they plan to climb to the top of the tower.
A Great Book for Pre-Teens who Question Religion.......2006-11-03
I loved this book. Simply loved it. Everyone had such a personality. I never expected Henry to be so nice to Jason when Jason was at Henry's house. Shin, I never thought he would get so mad at Jason for letting Henry join. I knew he would be mad, but not that mad. Another surprise was when Henry hit Jason, giving him a concussion at the end of the book. I would recommend this to anyone of the ages 12, 13, and 14, but not younger because of the language. That's another reason why I loved it, because it was directed to my age level, so I could understand the situations.
Godless, reviewed by Martin.......2006-11-02
With lightning striking beneath their toes Shin and Jason dive into a pool of cold yet refreshing water. Godless is a thrilling adventure exploring the territory of the big mystery of religion. This book deserves big props, because it is a very fun book and it also ponders on how religion affects teenager's lives. It was very exciting when the kids climbed the water tower and encounter the darkness and a feeling of helplessness.
The author established his characters very well. When Henry climbed the water tower I got the impression he was a rebel teenager who was sort of lost. With Shin, the author's first little paragraph about him told me immediately what type of kid he was. Later in the book he did surprise me with his insane deep devotion to the water tower.
Another great thing about this book was that I felt like I could relate to the characters. As a teen myself I know how puzzling the world can be and what a challenge it can be to form your own beliefs. You don't know what to believe or whom to believe. This book reminded me that I am not alone in the quest for answers. I would call this a must read for teens because this book had it all. It had action, a strong storyline, and deep thought.
There were minor flaws in the book. I thought the author put in too much of his own views but overall it was definitely a good read. This is a great book for teens and parents with teens.
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Godless Shakespeare (Shakespeare Now!)
Eric Scott Mallin
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
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ASIN: 0826490425 |
Customer Reviews:
An invaluable book.......2002-01-05
She was a brilliant child lecturer, an incorrigible brat, a devoted freethinker, and a lifelong feminist. Queen Silver is one of those people that should be presented in any high school civics class (if such things still exist).
McElroy has given readers a book that can be appreciated on different levels. It can be read as a straightforward biography, detailing not only Queen's life but that of her mother, Grace Vaughn Silver, socialist lecturer and union advocate, who was the dominant figure in Queen's life. At 17, Grace left an abusive home with 5.00 in her pocket and the determination never to be anyone's slave. Ten days after giving birth to Queen, the pair resumed the lecture circut and Queen's life of freethought and self-education began.
This book also serves as a valuable collection of lectures and essays, illustrating Queen's diverse interests. These writings cover a wide variety of subjects, from the lesser known subversive works of Mark Twain to one of the earliest explorations of the Salem Witch Trials.
McElroy has written an engaging history of one of America's more intriguing subversives.
An astounding story of an authentic child prodigy........2000-05-04
When she was just eight a little girl with an odd name delivered six astounding public lectures on Darwin and Einstein. A child prodigy, Queen Silver was a feminist at a very early age and in later years worked to further women's rights. This biography examines her life and times, her achievements, and her strengths. An astounding survey of a young girl's early public awareness and social strengths.
Wendy McElroy makes me wish I had met Queen Silver.......2000-02-19
Wendy McElroy is one of this century's most brilliant women. She writes better than almost everybody else. More, what she writes about is so seldom dealt with intelligently or even rationally, and she does both beautifully. Her friendship with Queen Silver is worthy of a book itself, since the two disagreed about almost all the fundamentals: Queen was a socialist, Wendy is a libertarian. But both shared a love for an open society and freedom of speech, and a love for honor and honesty that seems almost absent from modern politics, among other things. Queen Silver was a major participant in a turbulent era, and Wendy McElroy has done her proud, and has done us, her readers, a major service with this fascinating and very personal history.
Customer Reviews:
Refreshing view of ethics.......2004-12-22
Holloway is a recently retired Anglican bishop, which makes the title of his book even more interesting than it would be otherwise. He takes a very refreshing view of ethics, arguing that in a society where the Bible is no longer regarded as the fount of all knowledge, attempting to appeal to it as the support for a system of ethics is futile. The most impressive feature of his argument is his appeal to the pastoral harm inflicted by such an approach, with multiple examples.
Provacative!.......2002-04-12
Bishop Holloway provides us with a provacative, compassionate, occasionally humorous and always well reasoned argument to develop a non-theocentric ethic for the twenty-first century. Not since Joseph Fletcher has the world seen such a strong argument for a coherent situational ethic.
Fundamentalists of all stripes will undoubtably object to Bishop Holloway's efforts to outline a moral system requiring the consent of those who live within it. Such a system would potentially undermine the absolute authority that Church, State, Synagogue, Mosque and Temple have too often claimed for themselves.
Despite the inevitable objections of the ethical establishment, Bishop Holloway's intellectually sophisticated argument offers the possibility of a new morality that will appeal to the millions who have opted out of older, absolute, authoritarian systems.
Choosing between competing moral values:.......2002-03-25
Holloway starts right out giving us a challenge: "What many people have clearly departed from is any sense that the moral life, lived intentionally and consciously, is consistent with blind obedience to any authority, including what is alleged to be divine authority." And things get better from there! This tightly argued book puts into words what many of us seem to struggle with in our discussions of good and evil, sin, and meaning in life.
Holloway has recently stepped down as Bishop of Edinburgh. He is "one of the most outspoken and best-loved figures in the modern church." And I had the privilege of hearing him speak recently at a seminar on the future of faith. It is perhaps because I heard him expound upon his views that I learned so much by going back to read his book. Yet I find the writing to be clear and convincing on its own. I was shocked and pleased to read this from the good Bishop's pen: "Paradoxically, it is scripture itself that calls us to overturn scripture; it is the witness of the living word of Jesus that challenges us to follow the logic that scripture was made for humanity and not humanity for scripture." These are courageous words indeed for a Bishop to write and preach. He deserves praise and support for this stand.
Richard Holloway challenges us on many levels of our daily lives. He changes our concept of how to choose between competing moral values (often good values, not straight good versus straight evil). He makes us think about our institutions of marriage, church, and government as the recipient of our moral judgments and challenges us to live up to the responsibility with a Godless Morality. Excellent book.
Breaks new ground in disentangling morality from theism.......2001-07-06
Bishop Holloway has done us as real service by writing this brilliant and courageous book. By helping us to separate religion and morals, he allows us all to move beyond theistic assumptions about morality to a new liberation. He does so in an engaging way that American readers in particular will appreciate. His clarity and skillful writing will also be a tonic for anyone who enjoys good writing. For those of us in the Church who are are becoming increasingly concerned about the growing dysfunction of conventional Christianity, this book leads us into fresh air.
Another tragic attack from a liberal Bishop.......2000-07-29
Richard Holloway attacks fundamental theology with a series of personal attacks that are unfounded. Many Christians with fundamental beliefs do question their beliefs and think them through and discuss them, and to say that our views of sexuality are from the Gnostic Church defies the writings of many New Testament scholars who say otherwise. It is sad and tragic about the state of the Church today that yet another Bishop can come out with such a piece of work. Thankfully these are in the minority but are very vocal.
Book Description
The religion clauses of the First Amendment, which seem simple and clear, have been and continue to be controversial in their application. Church-state issues have never been more complex, controversial, and divisive than they are today. Issues such as religious freedom, government aid to church-related schools, and religion in public schools capture the attention of both the political right and left.
In this helpful and instructive book, now updated to include discussions of the Supreme Court's decisions through the Fall 2004 term, Ronald B. Flowers explains clearly and concisely the intricacies and implications of Supreme Court decisions in the volatile area of church-state relations. This is an ideal primer for those Americans who have listened to the debates about what the Supreme Court has and has not said about the relationship between church and state, and where the boundaries between the two have been eroded. It is also ideal for use in the classroom, specifically in undergraduate courses in religion and the court, introductions to U.S. constitutional law, constitutional law and politics, and the Supreme Court. The book is also a helpful tool for pastors, clarifying contemporary church-state issues that impact their churches and parishioners directly and indirectly.
Customer Reviews:
Entheogens: Professional Listing.......1999-05-03
"That Godless Court?" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy
Average customer rating:
- Brillant! Highly Recommended!
- powerful, but disturbing
- Brutal and Beautiful
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GODLESS
DREW STEPEK
Manufacturer: ALPHAR PUBLISHING
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ASIN: 0978602498 |
Product Description
Eating disorders are a choice, not a disease! Doing everything but providing the reader his finger to purge, first time novelist, athesist and 17-year bulimic Drew Stepek proves his controversial theory in his new novel titled GODLESS. A combative, heart-wrenching novel, the psychological and physically distressing drama played out in GODLESS leads the reader through a surprising and shocking path that could only be told by someone who has lived the experience and the pain first-hand. D, the primary character in GODLESS is obviously a tormented soul. Underneath the torment, we discover a secret, a secret so horrific that D doesnt even remember it, until the day his father makes known what is at the root of Ds suffering. Mr. Stepek shares a provocative tale that zeros in on the trauma of male bulimia and addiction that is both compelling and forceful. And while there are many books, both fiction and non-fiction that are superbly written and which address the subject of bulimia and addiction, none genuinely tap into the heart and soul of the subject quite the same way as GODLESS.
Customer Reviews:
Brillant! Highly Recommended!.......2007-06-05
Drew Stepek is one of the most talented writers of his generation. Godless is a masterpiece and gives a rare view into topics plaguing our society including bulemia, alcoholism, rape, drugs, etc. Although this is a work of fiction that is loosely based upon real events, only someone who has experienced the angst, self-loathing, and fear that "D" has in the novel could write such a raw and honest look at life. Bravo Drew! I can't wait to read the sequels.
powerful, but disturbing.......2007-05-05
This book definitely proves that you never really know the people you go to school with. Drew is a brilliant author - the kind that writes so well, you get sucked into the book and can't put it down until you are finished. However, I firmly believe that he is a much better actor. I doubt anyone that we went to school with knew his "secret" and most of the people I can recall had this image of a fun-loving, but sweet, good-looking guy (and most of the girls spent WAY too much time daydreaming about him!). I wonder what they would think if they read this book. I'm not slamming Drew or the book...not really. We are each entitled to our opinions about everythinng under the sun. However, if you are NOT a person that agrees with him that eating disorders are a choice, this book will make you extremely angry. If you do agree with him, you will probably find some bits of yourself in the pages.
I'm not sure just how much of this story falls into "the following story is completely true, only the names have been changed" category, but having identified one scene completely, including the actual name of the real person involved, and the exact place that it happened, I'm willing to bet that most of this story is only slightly coated in fiction. Having said that, my heart aches for the child that "D" was, the mulitple levels of crap that he had to go through, and the self issues that developed as a result. However, I'm glad to see that, for once, someone I know isn't wasting their talent doing piddly work and is instead using it to it's full potential.
Brutal and Beautiful.......2006-06-21
Godless by Drew Stepek is the most honest portrayal of bulimia, depression, and chaos that I have ever read. I cried over the intimate details Stepek shares through his characters because I could so vividly empathize with their pain and identify with the techniques they use to destroy, deceive, and heal themselves. This personal novel reads with all the sting of ripping duct tape off of the mouth of a hostage yet carries a poetic rhythm throughout the main character's struggle to escape from his deteriorating hometown and from himself.
Book Description
Suppose there is no God. This supposition implies that human life is meaningless, that there are no moral obligations and hence people can do whatever they want, and that the notions of virtue and vice, right and wrong, and good and evil have no place in the universe. Erik J. Wielenberg believes this view to be utterly erroneous and, in this thought-provoking book, he explains the reasons why. He argues that, even if God does not exist, human life can still have meaning, humans do have moral obligations, and human virtue is still possible. Wielenberg offers readers a cognent explanation of the ethical implications of naturalism--a view that denies the existence of the supernatural in human life. In his view virtue exists in a godless universe but it is significantly different from virtue in a Christian universe, and he develops naturalistic accounts of humility, charity, and hope. The overarching theme of Virtue and Value in a Godless Universe is what ethics might look like without God. Erik Wielenberg takes readers on an extraordinary tour of some of the central landmarks of this under-explored territory.
Download Description
Suppose there is no God. This might imply that human life is meaningless, that there are no moral obligations and hence people can do whatever they want, and that the notions of virtue and vice and good and evil have no place. Erik J. Wielenberg believes this view to be mistaken and in this book he explains why. He argues that even if God does not exist, human life can have meaning, we do have moral obligations, and virtue is possible. Naturally, the author sees virtue in a Godless universe as different from virtue in a Christian universe, and he develops naturalistic accounts of humility, charity, and hope. The moral landscape in a Godless universe is different from the moral landscape in a Christian universe, but it does indeed exist. Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe is a tour of some of the central landmarks of this under-explored territory.
Customer Reviews:
Waffles a key issue.......2007-03-29
This book is a professor's expanded lecture notes for lectures that are probably both challenging and interesting (I'd enjoy auditing those courses). Previous reviews by Robin Friedman and David Sewell describe the overall form of this book well. I want to deal with one particular failing that I found critical.
I read this book in the course of a project to really understand the secular basis for morality. Wielenberg seems to make a good, although overly-cautious and tentative, argument for a secular meaning of life. And he gives an effective critique of the theistic positions of God as the creator of ethics and God as the guarantor of ultimate justice. With this out of the way I turned to Chapter Four, "Ethical Character in a Godless Universe," with high anticipation.
This chapter begins with a digression on how strongly heirarchical the Christian system is, with God at the top, then angels, humans, animals, obligation flowing down and obedience up. This illuminates some aspects of theistic morality but might better be part of a preceding, critical chapter, rather than this, supposedly constructive chapter.
At this point Wieland introduces the idea of "naturalistic humility": that the naturalist has every bit as good a reason to be humble in the face of a risky and contingent universe, as the believer has to be before the throne of God. This section also is original, convincing, and illuminating, and I was excited to see the next heading was "From Humility to Charity."
Alas, here I was disappointed. Wieland claims to bridge the gap from humility to charity: from a solid logical conclusion that we are each of us supremely lucky simply to be alive, even luckier in whatever wealth we may have, he claims to reach an equally solid conclusion that we are obligated to share that wealth with those less fortunate. But he does not! Here are the key sentences (p115):
"This obligation is grounded not in any divine command but instead in the particulars of the situation. Among the more salient features of the situation is the _lack of control_ the two [a hypothetical rich man and poor man] have over their respective fates. If the winds had blown slightly differently, their situations could have been reversed. Is it not clear that it is not morally permissible to refuse entirely to offer any help to the less fortunate who find themselves in difficult circumstances through no fault of their own and who will probably suffer and even perish if we do not help them?"
That's it; the entirety of the logical hookup he makes between humility and charity is in the phrase "Is it not clear that it is not morally permissible..." There is no further exposition of this absolutely crucial point; from here onward in the book he writes as if the point was proven. As near as I can tell, he is making an appeal to empathy (he does not use the word). And the claim is simply not convincing (I don't understand how his students have let him off the hook for this, either).
I can fully imagine a decent naturalist who replies "It is not at all clear to me. Yes, I fully agree the position of those unfortunate people is distressing to them and to me. But I have good reasons to conserve everything I have, indeed to look for more; after all, in the face of this humbling and hostile universe, how can I be sure I won't be in dire straits myself at any minute? In any case, there are so very many of the needy, and so various their needs, how much time and effort (that my family needs to survive) am I supposed to devote to studying their needs and selecting whom I should help and by how much?"
While Wieland discusses the views of virtue espoused by theists, by Aristotle, by Plato, and by Kant, he also gives only a weak and confusing (to me) exposition of how a naturalist should view virtue and why pursue it.
In short, this book is a good critique of "value and virtue in a theistic universe" but only a weak and unhelpful display of the title subject.
Great Title ... little content.......2007-02-11
I was disappointed. The book title, and chapter titles, promise a very interesting subject matter, but the book delivers mostly logical syllogisms about the existence of God and morality.
The book looks back in time rehashing old arguments, without managing to peer creatively into a future world without a moral code derived from a divine will.
What happens to value and virtue when the gods are gone? It is an excellent question, which remains unanswered by the author, who only tangentially addresses the issue.
Dare I call it--inspiring?.......2006-06-27
This is a gem of a book. Rigorous but not rigid, brief but not incomplete, well-argued but not shrill or dismissive. Rather than constructing straw men to attack, Prof. Wielenberg respectfully quotes and exposits some of the most interesting ideas of Christian apologists such as C.S. Lewis, Plantenga, and Craig, then demonstrates with clear prose, accessible formal logic, and examples from literature how those ideas are or could be mistaken. In place of the theistic view, he constructs a cogent case that a godless life can be moral and meaningful--and not in some second-class, grudging way, but in a way that could bring real joy and satisfaction. This book is not perfect, but it's probably "best in class." As useful as some of the more strictly academic books have been to me, I have long wished there was a more popular treatment of morality and meaning from an atheist perspective, and of the current crop of such books, this is the best I've encountered. It is the hallmark of a useful book that it is quoteable--which this book is. Highly recommended.
Naturalistic Ethics.......2005-11-04
In Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov" one of the characters offers the famous observation that "if God does not exist, all things are possible." One of the goals of Erik Wielenberg's study "Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe" (2005) is to rebut this claim. Professor Wielenberg is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at DePauw University.
Professor Wielenberg tries to do two things: first he wants to rebut claims that, without a supernatural basis, life has no meaning or purpose and that notions of right and wrong, good and bad, are untenable. The opponents he tries to rebut are for the most part contemporary Christian philosophers and theologians. Second, Professor Wielenberg tries to develop a basis and a content for a naturalistic ethics.
Professor Wielenberg adopts an analytical approach. Appropriate allusions to philosophers such as Bertrand Russell, Plato, Aristotle, and Hume,to writers such as Conrad, and to modern movies and video games help enliven his text. I was reminded at various places of Spinoza and the Buddha in reading Wielenberg's study, and his work would benefit by explicit consideration of these great figures.
In successive chapters, Professor Wielenberg tries to argue that human life may have an internal meaning based on intrinsically good activities (such as falling in love, study, helping others, creativity, or -- an activity dear to my heart -- playing the piano) even if it doesn't have theological, supernatural meaning -- such as conforming one's life to a divine plan. Similarly, he argues that a theological warrant is not required for ethical behavior or to answer Plato's question "why be good". Interestingly, he argues that the answer to that question "because it is good" or "because it is the right thing to do" requires no further justification -- just as the statement "I am doing x because it is in my interest" reuires, in its proper context, no further justification. Professor Wielenberg proceeds to develop some naturalistic standards for behavior drawing largely on the work of another contemporary philosopher, John Kekes. Kekes and Wielenberg identify three basic features of the human condition: contingency, the indifference of the order of nature to human effort, and the presence of destructiveness in human motivation" that are basic to the development of a human ethics. Professor Wielenberg recommends meditation, among other things, and increased attention to the teachings of science as useful to the development of a naturalistic ethics.
Professor Wielenberg doesn't fully develop what he understands by "naturalism" and I think this detracts from his study. His concept of naturalism excludes God, Cartesian immaterial souls, and miracles. But his concept is broader than mere bodies interacting in space under scientific, physical laws. He relies, as is apparent from my above short discussion, on an ontology broad enough to include intrinsic meaning and intrinsic goodness. I happen to agree, but I think he needs to show how and why he rejects a naturalism based upon scientism. Professor Wielenberg's naturalism, in other words, is so broad that it does some of the work otherwise done by religion (and for all his criticism of it, Professor Wielenberg seems to me deeply influenced by religion) and he needs to explain how. That is why I find Spinoza a relevant figure in his analysis. Spinoza to me is the naturalistic philosopher par excellence, but he packs a great deal of content into his naturalism that more hard-headed thinkers will, perhaps, resist and reject. Similarly, it would be interesting to know what Professor Wielenberg makes of a non-theistic religion such as Buddhism. I find his account close to Buddhism on many points, different from it on others.
Professor Wielenberg has written a challenging book that helped rekindle my love of thought and of the philosophic life.
Robin Friedman
Good exploration of a moral nontheistic universe.......2005-04-15
Religious believers are understandably annoyed by patronizing nontheists who ask, "How can anyone intelligent believe in God?" Likewise, nonbelievers get thoroughly tired of hearing that "if you don't believe in God, you must live in a meaningless universe" and "in a world without God, there's no distinction between good and evil". Erik Wielenberg's book could be called "secular apologetics" in the sense that he takes direct aim at those two statements, in both their simplistic form and as elaborated by profound religious thinkers like Dostoevsky and C. S. Lewis.
Wielenberg doesn't argue against the existence of God. His procedure instead is to ask what would follow *if* God did not exist. The inquiry in the first half of the book is rigorously logical. He establishes the possibility for meaning in a godless universe largely by appeal to universal human experience; the demonstration that morality does not require an omnipotent creator or commander relies on syllogistic demonstrations of the self-contradictions that ensue from making God the source of all moral judgements.
The last couple of chapters move away from defensive argumentation to exploration of the positive underpinnings of moral life available to nonbelievers. A naturalistic worldview, Wielenberg believes, is as amenable to valuing the traditional virtues of humility, charity, and bravery as a theistic one. "Naturalist and theist alike should acknowledge that one of the greatest challenges we face is the dark heart within ourselves", he concludes, and we are all on the same side in the "ethical revolution" required to confront it.
Although the primary audience for this book is academic philosophers (it's a first book by an assistant professor, ergo part of a tenure case), it's entirely accessible to an educated general reader; in fact one hears the speaking voice of an engaging classroom lecturer behind the prose.
I suspect I'm not the only agnostic, atheist, or deist who has lately been prodded out of "apatheism" (Jonathan Rauch's term for not caring strongly about one's religous beliefs) into earnest reconsideration of his or her fundamental values by debate and discussion about the Terry Schiavo case, the death of the Pope and the direction of world Christianity, and whether the United States is grounded on secular principles or is a "Christian nation". For anyone doing such rethinking--or for believers serious about understanding what nonbelief may entail--this book is a good starting place.
Book Description
"I spent the most of the first half of my life believing in Christianity and regarding belief in God as an essential component of human existence," George Ricker says. "I've spent the last 30 years trying to understand why I ever thought that way. This book is about how and why that process occurred. It's also about the danger posed to our democratic society by fundamentalist religion."
Godless in America is a testimonial about the advantages of life without gods and religions. It's also a no-holds-barred look at some of the problems with both concepts. Written in a style that is conversational, yet provocative, it is a candid assessment of the real culture war being fought in America today: the attack being waged by the Religious Right on the values of personal freedom, democratic government, and the necessity for all Americans to be treated as equals before the law and by their government.
At times humorous, at times outrageous, Godless in America treats religion and religious concepts as ideas that should be evaluated with the same standards used to evaluate all other ideas and concepts, not from the privileged position claimed by so many of a religious persuasion.
Customer Reviews:
a great read.......2007-10-19
Articulate, insightful, engaging, and refreshingly rational. "Godless in America" belongs in every atheist's library -- John Bice, author of "A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America."
Thought Provoking.......2007-05-15
Well thought out by George even though as a practicing Christian I have to disagree with my old classmate. As I told him, "We will have to agree to disagree." Gives some good insights into atheists, not that I ever thought atheists are evil but simply people with a different belief system than mine. Excellent comments about separation of church and government in which I am in total agreement...to the annoyance of some family members. Isn't this what this country was based on?
An excellent test of faith (David A. Kearns author "Where Hell Freezes Over".......2006-08-10
I went to George Ricker's book as an excercise to test my own faith in a higher power. Ricker provides that in an excellent, non-judgmental forum of questions and answers with himself, and with the reader.
He uses logic and wit, without becoming cynical or demeaning to the believer, as he examines the existence/non of a "cosmic super critter." I recently read "The Fabric of the Cosmos" by Brian Greene and I was reminded of Greene's style in Ricker's take on the issue of God.
Just as I can disagree with Greene when he concludes there will never be a mechanism for time-travel, I can also disagree with Ricker's conclusions about the evidence of God, while conceding some major points Ricker brings up in his work.
In my mind, Ricker's case for the need to separate church and state, is never more timely than today as war erupts in the mid-east.
Elegantly, Ricker takes the reader on a walk toward enlightenment in this issue. One can agree that the mind of humanity is freed as it looks to itself for answers, more than help from an entity from without. One can agree that the mind of humanity is freed from strife when it liberates itself of the need to convert others to a rigid belief system.
Just as one can also agree that religious freedom is one of the founding cornerstones of our society, that we need to preserve at all costs.
Truly an excellent work.
Spending time in an atheist's head.......2006-05-25
Here is another valuable addition to the atheist's library. Ricker's dialogue is honest, and often hard-hitting in a refreshing way. His insights into life as an atheist will resonate with other nonbelievers, and should add to their arsenal of responses for those situations in which they are confronted with ignorance.
But Ricker's dialogue will also engage religionists who are curious about what "the big deal" is with atheists and atheism. Ricker lays it out for them by responding to their own comments and attitudes, touching on current events, patiently explaining why many atheists think and feel the way they do.
This one is highly recommended.
GOD. . . or NO GOD?.......2006-05-04
You won't see 26 models wearing matching outfits. You won't get to touch knuckles with Howie Mandel. George does let you see what's in the "other briefcases." He also lets you decide whether to keep the one you have or trade it for something else. This is a test in how much you believe what you're holding onto is right for you.
We're not talking about cash amounts here. The subject is religion, and you don't have to agree with the author's views to gain from this book. It's not a speech or declaration or a ploy to sway anyone from one religion to another, or to none at all. Instead, it is a candid discussion about atheism and why it has become the choice of many.
It's funny, it's informative, it poses a challenge to everyone who reads it.
George is quick to dispel myths about atheists. He clears the air for those who feel atheists must be - among other things - evil, immoral, self-centered, corrupted or devil-worshippers. As he puts it, "What makes atheists atheists is that they have no belief in a cosmic critter of any description."
George was an active church member before he chose to question the beliefs he'd been raised with, beliefs that perhaps never seemed to fit quite right. Whereas so many spend a lifetime searching for "life's answers," George has not only dared to seek these answers, but to accept them, even when they're controversial. There's a certain inner peace when one begins living one's own "truth." He phrases it, "I felt like someone who finally has been restored to health after a long, lingering illness."
He discovered that it was "better to be 'whole' than 'holy.'"
This book touches everyone. Everyone seeking their own true belief should read it, and that includes the politically interested/involved; religious; non-religious; mystics; women's rights activists; stem cells and pink elephants. (Read the book to know what I mean)
George allows us a glimpse into his personal life (see Chapters 6 and 10) and he addresses the debate over Sunday mail (bet you never thought about how that started, did you?). The book reads like a conversation - I read it in one sitting, and those who know me know that's rare.
He challenges the reader throughout the book with "mind experiments" by asking the same compelling questions of every reader, whether you believe in the widely-accepted Christian God; some other god/goddess; multiple gods/goddesses; or no gods/goddesses at all.
So read it cover to cover before you ask yourself what you truly believe. Be ready, because your answer could surprise you.
Books:
- Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King's Last Campaign
- Hard Ball On Holy Ground
- His Princess: Love Letters from Your King (His Princess)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- How We Became the Little Einsteins
Books Index
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If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans
