Before You Say "I don't believe"

by Roger Carswell

It has become fashionable to believe that Christians are deluded, naive, following myths; and that science has debunked the need for God in society today.
But Christian faith is not a leap in the dark. It is founded on so much evidence that the non-believer is the one who has questions to answer.
In 'Before you say "I don't believe"'Christian speaker and writer, Roger Carswell, asks 34 questions to those who don't believe. These are not questions usually aired in the media. They are posed not to cause an argument, but to bring readers to the point where they put their trust in Jesus.
Be warned: It will take courage to openly read this book, but if you do, it may change your life!

Genres: Christianity

207 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

From Library of Congress Authorities:
"Isleham.com WWW site, viewed January 6, 2022 (Roger Carswell was born in Leeds [England] ; lives in Horsforth ; a Christian ; worked as a teacher for several years ; now a full-time travelling evangelist)"

Reviews

[Lee Osborne · Rating 1 out of 5]

In exploring the loss of my faith after 20 years as an evangelical Christian, I've read books like this to try and understand how I got caught up in it all in the first place. I became a Christian at the age of fifteen, and arguments like the ones used in this book convinced me it was all true. I got involved in some pretty extreme churches, and spent a year doing a Pioneer TIE Team when I was 18/19. Only many years later did I realise, with some horror, just how much damage this had done to me. It ripped my self-esteem to pieces, made me struggle under the weight of guilt, shame and fear, and absolutely destroyed any trust I had in my own abilities and strengths. Eventually, setting foot in a church led to a trauma response - I can't go near churches now without feeling extremely anxious. They are absolutely not safe spaces, and I regret many of the things my faith led me to do and say. I suffered real, lasting and serious harm as a result of my time in evangelical Christianity.

Books like this are an extremely unsubtle attempt to convert people by trying to "prove" Christianity is true. Having read through this, it's absolutely shocking how low the intellectual bar is set. Very typically, the strongest argument the author can come up with for anything is "the Bible says..." - demonstrating the classic circular logic of a source's claims about itself. The Bible must be true, because the Bible says so! All through the book, the arguments represent one particular school of thought in interpreting the Bible, and that's the very narrow, socially-conservative view of those able to sign up to the Evangelical Alliance's statement of faith. If you're any other sort of Christian, forget it - you're not good enough. The book does the typical thing of laying on how evil and corrupt we are with a trowel, and refusing to accept there's anything good about anyone who doesn't follow that particular strand of Christianity. The really foul and obnoxious doctrine of original sin is really hammered home. Supposedly we have a loving God, who is willing to torment the vast majority of people who ever lived in Hell forever.

The author, of course, fails to mention that hardcore evangelical Christianity is racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist, extremely socially conservative, and absolutely paranoid in its views of other philosophies and ideas, although the author does give quite a lot away in his bizarre rants about the BBC. Dig a little deeper, and you'll find a desperate need to defend "family values", shorthand for some extremely intolerant views.

I realised recently I want no part of this any more, and if you have any sense, you'll run a mile if anyone tries to convert you to this ghastly belief system.

[Josh Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the content and the format! Thirty-four common questions answered (simply with both scriptural & anecdotal answers) put forth by the author. Questions like "Can you explain how the Bible's prophecies could be accurately so fulfilled?" and "Other than through Jesus, do you have an answer to death?" are answered throughout the book.

I recommend both reading this and passing it along to an unbelieving friend who might be thinking about the claims of Christianity.

[Chloe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was paid $50 to read this book. I would not recommend this to anyone

[Mary Casas · Rating 4 out of 5]

ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ʀᴇʟɪɢɪᴏɴ ᴏʀ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ɪɴ ɢɪᴠᴇs ᴜs ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ɪɴᴅɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪs ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ. ᴀʟsᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘs ᴇxᴘᴏsᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠɪʟɴᴇss ɪɴ sᴏᴄɪᴇᴛʏ. ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ʟᴏsᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴏᴜʟ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢᴀɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ, ᴍɪɴᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏᴅʏ ɪs ᴊᴜsᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ʟɪғᴇᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴏᴜʟ ɪs ғᴏʀ ᴇᴛᴇʀɴɪᴛʏ, ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ɴᴇɢʟᴇᴄᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴏᴜʟ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪɴᴅ.

[bex 🌱 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to see if it would be a good read to recommend to a friend. For the first half of this book i wasn't sold. Not necessarily because there was anything wrong with it but just because it was only one side throughout. However, during the second half of this book i was far more engaged as it's primary focus was the gospel and the points for me felt stronger. Although this book was just one side, i still think it may be helpful for non christians as it covers a range of topics and compels you to think of things you might not have before.

[Bailie]

DNF @ page 104