50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
Guy P. Harrison (Prometheus: Jun 5, 2008), 354 pages.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. Guy P. Harrison argues that this is an ineffective way of trying to encourage people to develop critical thinking about religion. In this unique approach, Harrison concisely presents fifty commonly heard reasons that people often give for believing in a god. Then he raises legitimate questions regarding these reasons, showing in each case that there is much room for doubt. From religion as the foundation of morality to the authority of sacred books, the compelling religious testimony of influential people, near-death experiences, theories 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. He also offers something in return — a hopeful and optimistic view of science, the universe, and humanity without the divisiveness, prejudice, and hatred caused by conflicting religious doctrines. Drawing on his experiences as a nonbeliever and his extensive travels around the world, Harrison makes poignant arguments that are sure to inspire thought-provoking discussions. Whether you’re a believer, a complete skeptic, or somewhere in between, you’ll find his review of traditional and more recent arguments for the existence of gods refreshing, approachable, and enlightening. ~ Product Description
Endorsements
"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
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
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments 7
- Introduction 13
- My god is obvious 17
- Almost everybody on Earth is religious 23
- Faith is a good thing 27
- Archaeological discoveries prove that my god exists 37
- Only my god can make me feel significant 45
- Atheism is just another religion 49
- Evolution is bad 57
- Our world is too beautiful to be an accident 65
- My god created the universe 71
- Believing in my god makes me happy 77
- Better safe than sorry 85
- A sacred book proves my god is real 91
- Divine justice proves my god is real 101
- My god answers prayers 107
- I would rather worship my god than the devil 117
- My god heals sick people 123
- Anything is better than being an atheist 131
- My god made the human body 139
- My god sacrificed his only son for me 147
- Atheists are jerks who think they know everything 153
- I don’t lose anything by believing in my god 161
- I didn’t come from a monkey 169
- I don’t want to go to hell 175
- I feel my god when Ipray 179
- I need my god to protect me 183
- I want eternal life 191
- Without my god we would have no sense of right and wrong 197
- My god makes me feel like I am part of something bigger than myself 207
- My religion makes more sense than all the others 213
- My god changes lives 221
- Intelligent design proves my god is real 225
- Millions of people can’t be wrong about my religion 231
- Miracles prove my god is real 235
- Religion is beautiful 241
- Some very smart people believe in my god 247
- Ancient prophecies prove my god exists 251
- No one has ever disproved the existence of my god 263
- People have gone to heaven and returned 267
- Religion brings people together 273
- My god inspires people 281
- Science can’t explain everything 287
- Society would fall apart without religion 295
- My religion is so old, it must be true 303
- Someone I trust told me that my god is real 309
- Atheism is a negative and empty philosophy 315
- Believing in a god doesn’t hurt anyone 325
- The earth is perfectly tuned to support life 331
- Believing is natural so my god must be real 337
- The end is near 343
- I am afraid of not believing 349