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God Needs To Go: Why Christian Beliefs Fail
To many, Christianity is the answer. It brings comfort, purpose, and sense of pride. These feelings mean so much to the Christian. But are these feelings justified? Do Christians have good reason to trust the truth of their beliefs? Author J. D. Brucker brings forth a short collection of arguments against Christian beliefs, exposing the falsehoods of the faith so many all around the world cherish.
97 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 21, 2012
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About the author
J.D. Brucker
5 books3 followersJ. D. Brucker is an atheist author and blogger, a secular humanist, and an outspoken anti-theist. He is the author of 'Improbable: Issues with the God Hypothesis' and 'God Needs To Go: Why Christian Beliefs Fail'. Currently, Brucker writes for the Atheist Republic and Patheos websites. Other works can be found on various secular websites, including The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science and The Natural Skeptic.
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April 13, 2017
As you know one of the things I used to do from time to time was read a book by a Christian theologian desperately trying to explain Christianity and then write a review demonstrating how the explanation completely falls to pieces under the merest, teeniest application of normal logic. Gave up that hobby, with some regret, because you can only read so many of those books.
But being a very fairminded person I thought I would do the same to an atheist book that I used to do to the Christians and I kind of picked this one at random.
That was a mistake.
I think I picked it because I liked the ambiguity of the title. Is J D Brucker saying that God, having created the Universe, has been hanging around observing the slow motion planetcrash that is the Sad Fate of Humanity, and now, finally, he has figured he can’t stand the sight of us anymore and really needs to go – destination anywhere but here? Or is there a word missing from the title – maybe it should read God Needs to Go Shopping?
But no. JD really means that the concept of God needs to be got rid of. So his title ought to read “God” Needs to Go because as an atheist he doesn’t believe God actually exists, so, of course, God couldn’t go or do anything.
In these wild west days of the interweb, we now get books produced which have never had the benefit of a professional editor, that is to say, of a person who is not the author and who has some knowledge of the English language passing their eyes across the text to find those things which spellcheck and grammarcheck will not find. And this is one of those books! Straight from the brain of JD Brucker to us readers! Alas, I had not realized.
So we get
Individuals are told that their existence on Earth bares a single purpose
And
Our everyday lives bare all the evidence of how a world without God would appear
Well, maybe I should be charitable and overlook the old bear/bare confusion. But then my brain encountered a series of sentences from which it is still trying to recover. Er, uhh, what was that again?
The majestic nature of our existence has birthed a consciousness capable of self-creating this ancestral thirst for the truth. There is nothing wrong with attaching motive for life to your presence, but it is when an individual settles with this flawed idea that they are stifling themselves from what it genuinely means to know the truth
Or try this one
Today in America, Christianity has caused an anti-advancing movement that will only produce a single outcome : a complete demurral in the direction that we ought to be heading in.
I think there’s already a word for “anti-advancing” – maybe “backward” or “reverse”?
1 TO 2 PRAYERS PER DAY
Mostly JD wants to lay waste to some of the main components of religion, such as belief in the afterlife. And overlooking his weird, slipshod English, what he says is fairly sensible. I agree that it’s all a little grabbing you by the collar and hollering in your face “don’t you realise??” and pounding you over the head with the crazy stuff some Christians believe like weeping statues and miraculous recoveries and mental bits from the Pentateuch (The priest is also to be murdered if he consumes an alcoholic beverage). So yes, like all atheist books, you wished the author would dial it down a lot before he gives you a great headache.
However, when he gets to the subject of prayer, he’s even quite amusing :
Throughout this world, prayer is conducted on an exponential level, from every type of theist. One would imagine that a sudden level of recovery would be demonstrated and that prayer would ultimately be proven to work as a remedy. Yet, we don’t see doctors writing a prescription for “1 to 2 prayers per day distributed orally”.
And he then turns vicious – when a terminal cancer patient miraculously recovers, believers believe that it was their prayers and the grace of God which effected the cure.
My issue with this is that it removes one from owing the proper gratitude to the correct individual. Instead of thanking the doctors and his team* for the healing of their loved one, they thank a god for the hard work done. At the same time, they have forgotten they are thanking the very god that allowed that person to receive the terminal cancer in the first place.
I might also throw in that the very idea of asking the Lord High Creator of the Entire Universe for a medical favour strikes me as somewhat presumptuous, and then the very idea that some prayers are answered and some not as more than a little revolting. What is this, a cosmic fruit machine we’re playing?
Well, I wanted to find a reasonable atheist book – you know, not Dawkins, not Hitchins – and this wasn’t it. (Any suggestions gratefully received.) But JD Brucker – you’re an okay guy but you need to not put all your faith in spellcheck…
*yes, he does say "the doctors and his team"
But being a very fairminded person I thought I would do the same to an atheist book that I used to do to the Christians and I kind of picked this one at random.
That was a mistake.
I think I picked it because I liked the ambiguity of the title. Is J D Brucker saying that God, having created the Universe, has been hanging around observing the slow motion planetcrash that is the Sad Fate of Humanity, and now, finally, he has figured he can’t stand the sight of us anymore and really needs to go – destination anywhere but here? Or is there a word missing from the title – maybe it should read God Needs to Go Shopping?
But no. JD really means that the concept of God needs to be got rid of. So his title ought to read “God” Needs to Go because as an atheist he doesn’t believe God actually exists, so, of course, God couldn’t go or do anything.
In these wild west days of the interweb, we now get books produced which have never had the benefit of a professional editor, that is to say, of a person who is not the author and who has some knowledge of the English language passing their eyes across the text to find those things which spellcheck and grammarcheck will not find. And this is one of those books! Straight from the brain of JD Brucker to us readers! Alas, I had not realized.
So we get
Individuals are told that their existence on Earth bares a single purpose
And
Our everyday lives bare all the evidence of how a world without God would appear
Well, maybe I should be charitable and overlook the old bear/bare confusion. But then my brain encountered a series of sentences from which it is still trying to recover. Er, uhh, what was that again?
The majestic nature of our existence has birthed a consciousness capable of self-creating this ancestral thirst for the truth. There is nothing wrong with attaching motive for life to your presence, but it is when an individual settles with this flawed idea that they are stifling themselves from what it genuinely means to know the truth
Or try this one
Today in America, Christianity has caused an anti-advancing movement that will only produce a single outcome : a complete demurral in the direction that we ought to be heading in.
I think there’s already a word for “anti-advancing” – maybe “backward” or “reverse”?
1 TO 2 PRAYERS PER DAY
Mostly JD wants to lay waste to some of the main components of religion, such as belief in the afterlife. And overlooking his weird, slipshod English, what he says is fairly sensible. I agree that it’s all a little grabbing you by the collar and hollering in your face “don’t you realise??” and pounding you over the head with the crazy stuff some Christians believe like weeping statues and miraculous recoveries and mental bits from the Pentateuch (The priest is also to be murdered if he consumes an alcoholic beverage). So yes, like all atheist books, you wished the author would dial it down a lot before he gives you a great headache.
However, when he gets to the subject of prayer, he’s even quite amusing :
Throughout this world, prayer is conducted on an exponential level, from every type of theist. One would imagine that a sudden level of recovery would be demonstrated and that prayer would ultimately be proven to work as a remedy. Yet, we don’t see doctors writing a prescription for “1 to 2 prayers per day distributed orally”.
And he then turns vicious – when a terminal cancer patient miraculously recovers, believers believe that it was their prayers and the grace of God which effected the cure.
My issue with this is that it removes one from owing the proper gratitude to the correct individual. Instead of thanking the doctors and his team* for the healing of their loved one, they thank a god for the hard work done. At the same time, they have forgotten they are thanking the very god that allowed that person to receive the terminal cancer in the first place.
I might also throw in that the very idea of asking the Lord High Creator of the Entire Universe for a medical favour strikes me as somewhat presumptuous, and then the very idea that some prayers are answered and some not as more than a little revolting. What is this, a cosmic fruit machine we’re playing?
Well, I wanted to find a reasonable atheist book – you know, not Dawkins, not Hitchins – and this wasn’t it. (Any suggestions gratefully received.) But JD Brucker – you’re an okay guy but you need to not put all your faith in spellcheck…
*yes, he does say "the doctors and his team"
June 13, 2013
God Needs To Go: A Collection of Arguments against Christianity by J.D. Brucker
"God Needs To Go" is a concise collection of arguments against Christianity. Aspiring author J.D. Brucker provides the readers with standard fair atheism. Some good stuff here but nothing that most atheists haven't seen better before. That being said, it's very encouraging to see more atheists come out and share their experiences. This brief 66-page book is composed of the following seven chapters: 1. The Absence of Eternity, 2. The Birth of Ignorance, 3. The Flawed Logic in Modern Miracles, 4. The Error in Faith-Based Morality, 5. The Myth of Intelligent Design, 6. The Imaginary End, and 7. My Fall from "Grace".
Positives:
1. Straightforward prose. The author clearly states his positions.
2. Cool...a summary of content. I wished more authors would do this.
3. Excellent format. Each chapter begins with a chapter-related quote.
4. The most interesting topic...religion.
5. Great value!
6. A good collection of arguments. Sound conclusions.
7. A good list of scripture that supports his conclusions.
8. Good examples that debunk "Intelligent" Design.
9. The teaching of creationism in schools is an affront against science and our country.
10. The chapter of "My Fall from 'Grace" cap
11. References offered.
12. Great value!
Negatives:
1. Low production value. Needed better editing.
2. Doesn't make use of Kindle links.
3. Weak science. I agreed with the authors conclusions but the supporting arguments would have benefitted from stronger science.
4. Nothing really new offered here.
5. No formal bibliography.
In summary, an average book as atheist books go. The book doesn't provide anything new or provocative. The conclusions are sound but the arguments could have been stronger. At less than a dollar, I'm always willing to support a fellow freethinker. Low risk here.
Further suggestions: "Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity" and "The End of Christianity" by John Loftus, "Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism" and "Why I'm Not a Christian" by Richard Carrier, "Natural Atheism" and "Atheism Advanced: Further Thoughts of a Freethinker" by Dr. David Eller, "Man Made God: A Collection of Essays" by Barbara G. Walker, "The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values" by Sam Harris, "The World Is Not as We Think It Is" by Dennis Littrell, "Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever and How It Drives Civilization" by Stephen Cave, , "God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist" by Victor J. Stenger, "Godless" by Dan Barker, "Christian No More: On Leaving Christianity, Debunking Christianity, And Embracing Atheism And Freethinking" by Jeffrey Mark, and "The Invention of God: The Natural Origins of Mythology and Religion" by Bill Lauritzen.
"God Needs To Go" is a concise collection of arguments against Christianity. Aspiring author J.D. Brucker provides the readers with standard fair atheism. Some good stuff here but nothing that most atheists haven't seen better before. That being said, it's very encouraging to see more atheists come out and share their experiences. This brief 66-page book is composed of the following seven chapters: 1. The Absence of Eternity, 2. The Birth of Ignorance, 3. The Flawed Logic in Modern Miracles, 4. The Error in Faith-Based Morality, 5. The Myth of Intelligent Design, 6. The Imaginary End, and 7. My Fall from "Grace".
Positives:
1. Straightforward prose. The author clearly states his positions.
2. Cool...a summary of content. I wished more authors would do this.
3. Excellent format. Each chapter begins with a chapter-related quote.
4. The most interesting topic...religion.
5. Great value!
6. A good collection of arguments. Sound conclusions.
7. A good list of scripture that supports his conclusions.
8. Good examples that debunk "Intelligent" Design.
9. The teaching of creationism in schools is an affront against science and our country.
10. The chapter of "My Fall from 'Grace" cap
11. References offered.
12. Great value!
Negatives:
1. Low production value. Needed better editing.
2. Doesn't make use of Kindle links.
3. Weak science. I agreed with the authors conclusions but the supporting arguments would have benefitted from stronger science.
4. Nothing really new offered here.
5. No formal bibliography.
In summary, an average book as atheist books go. The book doesn't provide anything new or provocative. The conclusions are sound but the arguments could have been stronger. At less than a dollar, I'm always willing to support a fellow freethinker. Low risk here.
Further suggestions: "Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity" and "The End of Christianity" by John Loftus, "Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism" and "Why I'm Not a Christian" by Richard Carrier, "Natural Atheism" and "Atheism Advanced: Further Thoughts of a Freethinker" by Dr. David Eller, "Man Made God: A Collection of Essays" by Barbara G. Walker, "The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values" by Sam Harris, "The World Is Not as We Think It Is" by Dennis Littrell, "Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever and How It Drives Civilization" by Stephen Cave, , "God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist" by Victor J. Stenger, "Godless" by Dan Barker, "Christian No More: On Leaving Christianity, Debunking Christianity, And Embracing Atheism And Freethinking" by Jeffrey Mark, and "The Invention of God: The Natural Origins of Mythology and Religion" by Bill Lauritzen.
June 28, 2015
Why do some still believe in the supernatural?
We've answered many of the questions that have perplexed us since it our earliest days. But then, there was no way to explain it but "divine intervention". With what we learn everyday, we come to understand the true world around us. Why sustain the old beliefs we know to be untrue?
We've answered many of the questions that have perplexed us since it our earliest days. But then, there was no way to explain it but "divine intervention". With what we learn everyday, we come to understand the true world around us. Why sustain the old beliefs we know to be untrue?
September 1, 2016
I needed this!
Very eye opening and an interesting read. I too was raised a Christian and questioned all of it from a very young age. For many years I've pretended to go along with all if it and I now feel equipped to "come out" and be honest about my beliefs.
Very eye opening and an interesting read. I too was raised a Christian and questioned all of it from a very young age. For many years I've pretended to go along with all if it and I now feel equipped to "come out" and be honest about my beliefs.
May 27, 2024
A FIRM REJECTION OF GOD AND RELIGION
J.D. Brucker explains in this 2015 book, “I remember being only 16 years old… I was pandering to the beliefs of my girlfriend, a real big fan of Jesus. To please her, I attended a small Christian summer camp … the leading pastor … explained to us that … the tremendous amount of stress and anguish, was Hell in recreation. That moment forever changed my outlook It was no longer about the love of God or his relationship with us that I once thought so appealing; it was the fear of tormenting punishment in Hell the kept most Christians on their toes… I thought, how ridiculous and patty does one have to be in resorting to tactics such as these?... I left the establishment in a different state of mind,.. it certainly didn’t reinforce my ‘relationship’ with God. I left with a tremendous question weighing down on me. It had nothing to do with my personal faith. It had everything to do with the actions and motivations of those inspired by their faith… I reflected on my life with fear and animosity. Religion … [was] quite often the root of most of my anguish as a child… [Now] My only wish is to aid in ridding this world of bigotry, oppression, and as much violence as I can; and the best way to do this is to deny religion the respect so many believe it deserves.” (Pg. ix-xiii)
He says of Near-Death Experiences, “to scientists it has only demonstrated the actual capabilities of our own brain… Neuroscientists have dedicated much of their time to studying the validity of this mystifying claim, with some not-so-shocking results… our brains work as a massive electrical system. As we approach death, scientists have observed that our brains display neurons that fire at an incredible level. We can consciously absorb information or recall certain events after our heart stops for a short time with such vividness that one can confuse a natural experience for a spiritual one… this can only be experienced after the heart stops pumping but not after brain damage had set in… the patient isn’t actually considered clinically dead…” (Pg. 2-3)
About prayer for sick patients, he observes, “Sometimes, however, patients do suddenly recover. At the same time, they were also receiving some sort of medical care… This biased understanding within the Christian may see this in a completely different way. An example of this would be a terminal cancer patient with an expected life of 3 to 6 months beating the cancer successfully. Someone praying for this individual would see this as confirmation… My issue with this is that it removes one from owing the proper gratitude to the … doctors and his team for the healing of their loved one… they have forgotten that that are thanking the very god that allowed the person to receive the terminal cancer in the first place.” (Pg. 17)
He recalls, “I remember sitting in my first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting a number of years ago feeling miserable, sick, and alone… I was 21 then. I heavily drank for much of the previous year. 2010 was nothing but a litany of heartache, academic failures, lost friendships, and social deprivation… it was my fault… I watched as other members took turns, sharing their stories… one central theme brought them together… They all thanked God for their sobriety… I continued with the program for 6 months, which was all I could stand… it was their internal struggle I could not bear to watch… why their God had yet to remove the addiction… I was incapable of drinking responsibly, so my best bet was to abstain. I’m proud to say that I’ve gone over 3 years without even a sip.” (Pg. 63-65)
He concludes, “God has never been a viable answer how this world was created, why we are here, what purpose we serve, and what happens after death. He has only been used as a subconscious alternative to the fear that absolute truth may present. Those answers you seek may be unobtainable by science as of today, and Christianity can provide that internal comfort that is so sought after. Remember though, they are only self-satisfying, and when it becomes that type of element within your internal consciousness, it exits from the confines of truth. Once you finally accept that fact, a free intelligence and the clarity of reality is yours to be had. God certainly needs to go, so that which a much more fruitful life can be enjoyed.” (Pg. 67-68)
This book will be of interest to Atheists and other freethinkers.
J.D. Brucker explains in this 2015 book, “I remember being only 16 years old… I was pandering to the beliefs of my girlfriend, a real big fan of Jesus. To please her, I attended a small Christian summer camp … the leading pastor … explained to us that … the tremendous amount of stress and anguish, was Hell in recreation. That moment forever changed my outlook It was no longer about the love of God or his relationship with us that I once thought so appealing; it was the fear of tormenting punishment in Hell the kept most Christians on their toes… I thought, how ridiculous and patty does one have to be in resorting to tactics such as these?... I left the establishment in a different state of mind,.. it certainly didn’t reinforce my ‘relationship’ with God. I left with a tremendous question weighing down on me. It had nothing to do with my personal faith. It had everything to do with the actions and motivations of those inspired by their faith… I reflected on my life with fear and animosity. Religion … [was] quite often the root of most of my anguish as a child… [Now] My only wish is to aid in ridding this world of bigotry, oppression, and as much violence as I can; and the best way to do this is to deny religion the respect so many believe it deserves.” (Pg. ix-xiii)
He says of Near-Death Experiences, “to scientists it has only demonstrated the actual capabilities of our own brain… Neuroscientists have dedicated much of their time to studying the validity of this mystifying claim, with some not-so-shocking results… our brains work as a massive electrical system. As we approach death, scientists have observed that our brains display neurons that fire at an incredible level. We can consciously absorb information or recall certain events after our heart stops for a short time with such vividness that one can confuse a natural experience for a spiritual one… this can only be experienced after the heart stops pumping but not after brain damage had set in… the patient isn’t actually considered clinically dead…” (Pg. 2-3)
About prayer for sick patients, he observes, “Sometimes, however, patients do suddenly recover. At the same time, they were also receiving some sort of medical care… This biased understanding within the Christian may see this in a completely different way. An example of this would be a terminal cancer patient with an expected life of 3 to 6 months beating the cancer successfully. Someone praying for this individual would see this as confirmation… My issue with this is that it removes one from owing the proper gratitude to the … doctors and his team for the healing of their loved one… they have forgotten that that are thanking the very god that allowed the person to receive the terminal cancer in the first place.” (Pg. 17)
He recalls, “I remember sitting in my first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting a number of years ago feeling miserable, sick, and alone… I was 21 then. I heavily drank for much of the previous year. 2010 was nothing but a litany of heartache, academic failures, lost friendships, and social deprivation… it was my fault… I watched as other members took turns, sharing their stories… one central theme brought them together… They all thanked God for their sobriety… I continued with the program for 6 months, which was all I could stand… it was their internal struggle I could not bear to watch… why their God had yet to remove the addiction… I was incapable of drinking responsibly, so my best bet was to abstain. I’m proud to say that I’ve gone over 3 years without even a sip.” (Pg. 63-65)
He concludes, “God has never been a viable answer how this world was created, why we are here, what purpose we serve, and what happens after death. He has only been used as a subconscious alternative to the fear that absolute truth may present. Those answers you seek may be unobtainable by science as of today, and Christianity can provide that internal comfort that is so sought after. Remember though, they are only self-satisfying, and when it becomes that type of element within your internal consciousness, it exits from the confines of truth. Once you finally accept that fact, a free intelligence and the clarity of reality is yours to be had. God certainly needs to go, so that which a much more fruitful life can be enjoyed.” (Pg. 67-68)
This book will be of interest to Atheists and other freethinkers.
May 24, 2016
God Needs to Go (J. D. Brucker, 2015, Kindle Edition, 2nd Edition, Atheist Republic)
This is a short e-book, much in the same lines of thought as the late Christopher Hitchens. Clearly, the author is no fan of supernatural explanations, divine beings, or ascribing events to a supernatural source. He is refreshingly no-nonsense in how he makes his case, and one which does not pretend to try to protect the feelings of anyone holding any spiritual belief. He writes from a Christian worldview, but many of his ideas apply just as well to anyone relinquishing any belief in any religion.
Much of the early part of the book involve a brief religious history of the author, and how and what he perceived as weaknesses in the religious assertions. He gives his first account of a more-than-casual interaction with religion happening as a result of his youthful romance, and how the religion capitalized on that. Then, he talks of how religion is not about us improving our lives, but rather a fear-based reaction to what we are threatened with if we “fail” in the religion. He talks briefly that holding onto these positions in preference to constantly-advancing scientific explanations of the world around us will cause our entire technologically-based civilization to unravel. Indeed, many religious beliefs stop people from actually doing what is required to effect the desired result, or to take a self-centered approach. For instance, someone may thank God for protecting them from a tornado, but they do not shake their fist at God for the hundreds or thousands who lost their lives in that disaster, or even at God for sending or permitting the tornado in the first place. The same can be said of any other miracle – someone recovered from cancer, but they thank God rather than medicine, and do not question why there was cancer in the first place, and why many others who are also prayed for do not recover.
He asks why it is that otherwise rational, and intelligent people cast aside their knowledge and logic so easily. Evidence is that consciousness is tied to the brain. Although many near-death-experiences have occurred, there is a neuroscientific explanation for them. Still, the wishful thinking of a life after death, eternal happiness with loved ones exists – or its reverse, fantasizing of an eternal torment for some who we think are deserving of punishment.
Frequently, non-religious people are asked by the religious of where we get our morality. There is an entire chapter on morality. We get it because we are evolved to be social creatures – we share it with other primates, and it’s in our DNA and how our brains work. At the same time, he points out that the morality portrayed in the bible is hideous when read objectively – either the actions attributed to the god of the Bible or to the Israelites acting at his direction. He gives examples, along with typical explanations from Christian apologists which are no more than the fallacy of Special Pleading. He gives many examples of Biblically-mandated cruelty which would put today’s mass murderers or evil governments to shame. How can millions of people hold this up to be true morality? Indeed, even the acts of charity and kindness are diminished when they are done for the end of getting a reward from God, rather than doing them out of kindness and generosity or a true desire to help another.
He has a chapter devoted to creationism and evolution, and just how it is that some people stubbornly hold onto the creationist ideas in the face of better, more complete explanations than the ones offered by religion. Holding these beliefs, and promoting them to others, and having lawsuits to attempt to institutionalize teaching of those beliefs through state-funded schools is, indeed problematic. However, the author falls down just a bit when questioning the morality of not only holding beliefs that hold them back intellectually, but in teaching it to their own or others’ children, in effect crippling their futures in making scientific discoveries.
Various Armageddon, Rapture, or end-of-the world prophecies have been made – and the book gives several examples over the past few years. He talks about the toll that it took on some of the believers in this. Again, it’s wishful thinking about a future paradise, taking no steps to improve the situation on this world, and smashed hopes – and sometimes fortunes and lives of those who believe in any of these promoted false hopes. Meanwhile, humanity has, indeed, created a world with naturalistic capabilities and interfered with natural cycles in such a way that it has a probability of ending, as never before. The author explains how a belief in a book touting these God-made end-of-the-world and salvation for the faithful remove the impetus to solve these man-made or human-caused situations that will likely make our world unlivable. That, is truly an immoral act done in the name of religion, along with actively preventing scientists from working on real solutions to the real threats
He has a chapter on chemical dependency and the faith-based programs to treat it. He says that he walked away after a few months, as many do. He could not deal with the religious aspects, yet realized that he cannot drink responsibly, so his best course is to abstain. It is not God that makes the choice in whether to continue a destructive path or not, but rather the person deciding for themselves. Instead, it’s a “God of Good Fortune” who is thanked for successes, and people blame themselves when good fortune does not follow.
All of these events are explained away by the faithful saying that God has a plan. A plan, which remains mysterious, but those who remain faithful to God of their understanding will someday understand. All the while, there are proven reasons why these events occur – everything from the formation to the planet itself to why someone did or did not recover from a serious illness, to why or how accidents happen and their results, to climate change. The author makes a good case that accepting a religious non-explanation of it being “god’s plan” makes us deliberately ignorant of that which is within our control, and keeps us from taking that control. In short, religion keeps us seeing ourselves as victims of circumstances rather than empowering us to take real control of the situation.
In short, I love the book and its message. However, it could do with some better copy editing – while I’m no grammarian, I notices some homonyms mis-used. It could use a summary at the end. Some of the science facts it mentioned have been shown to be erroneous in recent years or months. That’s one benefit of science-based outlooks over religious ones: Science can be proven to be wrong through more science. The new information is incorporated into theories and hypotheses, and allows new ones to be formed and tested. Religion is the opposite: It says what it says because God said it. If things look different to you based on observations and experiences, you must disregard your own experiences – even if objective. Many of religions claims are not testable, and remain without evidence. As Christopher Hitchens, quoted in the book said, “That which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.
This is a short e-book, much in the same lines of thought as the late Christopher Hitchens. Clearly, the author is no fan of supernatural explanations, divine beings, or ascribing events to a supernatural source. He is refreshingly no-nonsense in how he makes his case, and one which does not pretend to try to protect the feelings of anyone holding any spiritual belief. He writes from a Christian worldview, but many of his ideas apply just as well to anyone relinquishing any belief in any religion.
Much of the early part of the book involve a brief religious history of the author, and how and what he perceived as weaknesses in the religious assertions. He gives his first account of a more-than-casual interaction with religion happening as a result of his youthful romance, and how the religion capitalized on that. Then, he talks of how religion is not about us improving our lives, but rather a fear-based reaction to what we are threatened with if we “fail” in the religion. He talks briefly that holding onto these positions in preference to constantly-advancing scientific explanations of the world around us will cause our entire technologically-based civilization to unravel. Indeed, many religious beliefs stop people from actually doing what is required to effect the desired result, or to take a self-centered approach. For instance, someone may thank God for protecting them from a tornado, but they do not shake their fist at God for the hundreds or thousands who lost their lives in that disaster, or even at God for sending or permitting the tornado in the first place. The same can be said of any other miracle – someone recovered from cancer, but they thank God rather than medicine, and do not question why there was cancer in the first place, and why many others who are also prayed for do not recover.
He asks why it is that otherwise rational, and intelligent people cast aside their knowledge and logic so easily. Evidence is that consciousness is tied to the brain. Although many near-death-experiences have occurred, there is a neuroscientific explanation for them. Still, the wishful thinking of a life after death, eternal happiness with loved ones exists – or its reverse, fantasizing of an eternal torment for some who we think are deserving of punishment.
Frequently, non-religious people are asked by the religious of where we get our morality. There is an entire chapter on morality. We get it because we are evolved to be social creatures – we share it with other primates, and it’s in our DNA and how our brains work. At the same time, he points out that the morality portrayed in the bible is hideous when read objectively – either the actions attributed to the god of the Bible or to the Israelites acting at his direction. He gives examples, along with typical explanations from Christian apologists which are no more than the fallacy of Special Pleading. He gives many examples of Biblically-mandated cruelty which would put today’s mass murderers or evil governments to shame. How can millions of people hold this up to be true morality? Indeed, even the acts of charity and kindness are diminished when they are done for the end of getting a reward from God, rather than doing them out of kindness and generosity or a true desire to help another.
He has a chapter devoted to creationism and evolution, and just how it is that some people stubbornly hold onto the creationist ideas in the face of better, more complete explanations than the ones offered by religion. Holding these beliefs, and promoting them to others, and having lawsuits to attempt to institutionalize teaching of those beliefs through state-funded schools is, indeed problematic. However, the author falls down just a bit when questioning the morality of not only holding beliefs that hold them back intellectually, but in teaching it to their own or others’ children, in effect crippling their futures in making scientific discoveries.
Various Armageddon, Rapture, or end-of-the world prophecies have been made – and the book gives several examples over the past few years. He talks about the toll that it took on some of the believers in this. Again, it’s wishful thinking about a future paradise, taking no steps to improve the situation on this world, and smashed hopes – and sometimes fortunes and lives of those who believe in any of these promoted false hopes. Meanwhile, humanity has, indeed, created a world with naturalistic capabilities and interfered with natural cycles in such a way that it has a probability of ending, as never before. The author explains how a belief in a book touting these God-made end-of-the-world and salvation for the faithful remove the impetus to solve these man-made or human-caused situations that will likely make our world unlivable. That, is truly an immoral act done in the name of religion, along with actively preventing scientists from working on real solutions to the real threats
He has a chapter on chemical dependency and the faith-based programs to treat it. He says that he walked away after a few months, as many do. He could not deal with the religious aspects, yet realized that he cannot drink responsibly, so his best course is to abstain. It is not God that makes the choice in whether to continue a destructive path or not, but rather the person deciding for themselves. Instead, it’s a “God of Good Fortune” who is thanked for successes, and people blame themselves when good fortune does not follow.
All of these events are explained away by the faithful saying that God has a plan. A plan, which remains mysterious, but those who remain faithful to God of their understanding will someday understand. All the while, there are proven reasons why these events occur – everything from the formation to the planet itself to why someone did or did not recover from a serious illness, to why or how accidents happen and their results, to climate change. The author makes a good case that accepting a religious non-explanation of it being “god’s plan” makes us deliberately ignorant of that which is within our control, and keeps us from taking that control. In short, religion keeps us seeing ourselves as victims of circumstances rather than empowering us to take real control of the situation.
In short, I love the book and its message. However, it could do with some better copy editing – while I’m no grammarian, I notices some homonyms mis-used. It could use a summary at the end. Some of the science facts it mentioned have been shown to be erroneous in recent years or months. That’s one benefit of science-based outlooks over religious ones: Science can be proven to be wrong through more science. The new information is incorporated into theories and hypotheses, and allows new ones to be formed and tested. Religion is the opposite: It says what it says because God said it. If things look different to you based on observations and experiences, you must disregard your own experiences – even if objective. Many of religions claims are not testable, and remain without evidence. As Christopher Hitchens, quoted in the book said, “That which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.
May 5, 2019
Give Thoughts and Emotions Time
This book is a very good read. Yes there are some grammatical errors, but if you are someone that is truly confident in your own writing abilities then these errors can be overlooked in relation to the contents of this book. I thank J.D. Brucker for giving a voice to those who have the thoughts and the questions but do not have the resources to bring it forth. Many are standing by idly and letting humans take advantage of other humans by using fear. Many also know internally that what they are doing is considered manipulation, but as humans as long as something is profitable we will pursue. I personally feel that in the not too distance future we will not have to worry about the belief system of religion but the profitability. Whether we believe it or not our brains are more evolved and most of what religion has to offer is becomming absolute. Religion everywhere are having harder times at sustaining core belief. It's just a natural occurrence. More people are be comming attracted to the profitability, the social construct and in some cases, as you mentioned the false hope. But as time progresses all this will fade. It took time to get us here and it will take time to correct. We are evolving as humans, and nothing can stop that...NOT EVEN GOD. For many this is fearful and we have to give the religious time to sit with this thought. They will fight, it's the human thing to do. An important point this book postulate is once a seed of religion is planted from childhood it becomes difficult to redirect the profound thoughts and emotions that religion can evoke. Thank you for bringing that to the attention. For those critical thinkers you have pushed enough thoughts for one to ponder. Again THANKS for a book well done!
This book is a very good read. Yes there are some grammatical errors, but if you are someone that is truly confident in your own writing abilities then these errors can be overlooked in relation to the contents of this book. I thank J.D. Brucker for giving a voice to those who have the thoughts and the questions but do not have the resources to bring it forth. Many are standing by idly and letting humans take advantage of other humans by using fear. Many also know internally that what they are doing is considered manipulation, but as humans as long as something is profitable we will pursue. I personally feel that in the not too distance future we will not have to worry about the belief system of religion but the profitability. Whether we believe it or not our brains are more evolved and most of what religion has to offer is becomming absolute. Religion everywhere are having harder times at sustaining core belief. It's just a natural occurrence. More people are be comming attracted to the profitability, the social construct and in some cases, as you mentioned the false hope. But as time progresses all this will fade. It took time to get us here and it will take time to correct. We are evolving as humans, and nothing can stop that...NOT EVEN GOD. For many this is fearful and we have to give the religious time to sit with this thought. They will fight, it's the human thing to do. An important point this book postulate is once a seed of religion is planted from childhood it becomes difficult to redirect the profound thoughts and emotions that religion can evoke. Thank you for bringing that to the attention. For those critical thinkers you have pushed enough thoughts for one to ponder. Again THANKS for a book well done!
November 25, 2018
This short book is decent, not bad, and makes good and legitimate points. The author's sections include 1. The Absence of Eternity, 2. The Birth of Ignorance, 3. The Flawed Logic in Modern Miracles, 4. The Error in Faith-Based Morality, 5. The Myth of Intelligent Design, 6. The Imaginary End, and 7. My Fall from "Grace.”
While I enjoyed reading it, however, I couldn’t help but think that these are largely issues that have already been addressed, mostly in more detail, depth, and intellectual mastery, by other authors out there, so aside from my feeling good about seeing another (reader-friendly) atheistic book on the market, I don’t feel like it truly contributes too much, certainly little new. Thus, while again I enjoyed it, I can’t help but view it as an average book, and am thus giving it three stars. If you have not yet read Barker, Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, and some of the others, this may be a good intro, but I would quickly move on to the meatier resources out there. Cautiously recommended.
While I enjoyed reading it, however, I couldn’t help but think that these are largely issues that have already been addressed, mostly in more detail, depth, and intellectual mastery, by other authors out there, so aside from my feeling good about seeing another (reader-friendly) atheistic book on the market, I don’t feel like it truly contributes too much, certainly little new. Thus, while again I enjoyed it, I can’t help but view it as an average book, and am thus giving it three stars. If you have not yet read Barker, Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, and some of the others, this may be a good intro, but I would quickly move on to the meatier resources out there. Cautiously recommended.
July 6, 2019
Having read "The secret history of the world", I must admit I did find this book somewhat lacking and subjective. The author for instance is of the opinion that all Christian's believe in spiritualism as proof of eternal life. Unfortunately not so. What saddens me as a Christian, is how much knowledge was lost during the dark ages, which again is explained so much the better in the above book. Paganism always held awful connotations, but now I understand the reasoning behind their plight, am much more cautious to judge. Remain a Christian, did enjoy this book and do respect the author's opinions. Jim
August 15, 2018
A Good Read
I wish there was a better rating system than 5 stars. I enjoyed this book. It's not a long book and it flowed quite well, however, the grammatical errors were distracting. There were some areas that were longer than they needed to be to make the point, but all-in-all a good effort and solid arguments. I would recommend this book to others.
I wish there was a better rating system than 5 stars. I enjoyed this book. It's not a long book and it flowed quite well, however, the grammatical errors were distracting. There were some areas that were longer than they needed to be to make the point, but all-in-all a good effort and solid arguments. I would recommend this book to others.
December 4, 2019
Affirmative
Being an atheist and a former Christian I could relate to the author's struggle. Having read a great number of books on this subject I found this an easy read. This book is perhaps entry level for those seeking knowledge on the subject.
Being an atheist and a former Christian I could relate to the author's struggle. Having read a great number of books on this subject I found this an easy read. This book is perhaps entry level for those seeking knowledge on the subject.
July 22, 2021
What a short book of atheism with lack of arguments I missed deeply while reading like meat missing to the bone. Sure you'll finish this book fast, in few ours or so but it won't leave you speechless.
July 20, 2017
The section on evolution vs intelligent design was interesting but the book was a bit short.
July 23, 2017
Thanks again for a great insight into the of fake Religion
Good honest look into the issue of the absurd truths we have been force feed from our childhood a must read.
Good honest look into the issue of the absurd truths we have been force feed from our childhood a must read.
July 29, 2019
A face paced, easy to read book. An excellent general warm-up to some of the more complicated and longer pieces done by the Four Horsemen.
December 10, 2019
Great read!
It provides great reasoning as to why we should get rid of the nonsense of religion. Definitely will recommend this book.
It provides great reasoning as to why we should get rid of the nonsense of religion. Definitely will recommend this book.
February 9, 2020
A little more passionate than convincing. But enjoyable for the base elements.
October 5, 2021
Great book
Very easy to read book which conveys how I believe & feel. If only I could articulate as well. Many topics are discussed & covered. I thought it was well written.
Very easy to read book which conveys how I believe & feel. If only I could articulate as well. Many topics are discussed & covered. I thought it was well written.
May 12, 2016
It's hard to get into one of these books when it starts out with a straw-man argument; which this book does. In fact, this book is one straw-man after another -- falsely representing Christianity and then attacking that false representation.
He makes a couple good points against prayer (or, what I would call the misuse of prayer).
Atheists often argue that morality is based on the evolved sense of the common good. While that might be true for economy, it is not true for morality. Morality is not the same across the world. A westerner being accepting of a transgender person is doing so because he believes it is loving to do so. That belief of loving acceptance stems directly from Christian morality. A Buddhist in Thailand who is accepting of a transgender person is not doing so out of love; his acceptance and noninterference is based on karmic justice. A Buddhist would be less inclined to help the poor for that very same reason, whereas a westerner would be more inclined to help the poor based on Christian morality.
The author states: "Except for certain religiously based societies, many of the secular nations display a sense of right and wrong that has allowed them advance in a positive way." (page 23) "Certain religiously based societies" -- every society is a religiously based society, including the 'post-Christian' west. A society's morality is tied to its predominant religion. This is not hard to see. Western morality is based on Christianity, absolutely. If you don't see that, you just need to do some travelling. A Buddhist nation's morality is based on Buddhism. The same is true for Hindu and Muslim nations. If a person born and raised in a Buddhist nation becomes an atheist, his morality will still be based on Buddhism. (Although, Buddhism as a religion lacks the conditions to create atheists -- which is a whole other interesting topic. Western atheism would not exist if it weren't for Christianity.)
Then there are the usual arguments about slavery and God's wrath and so forth. If you want to understand those issues in the Bible you have to understand two very important things: covenant and holiness. If you don't get those two things, you won't get the Bible.
And there are the attacks on biblical prophesy. Jesus said certain things about His return that supposedly didn't happen. Well, there are plenty of books on eschatology to explain that. But if you're not willing to study it out, then there's nothing more to say. Reading Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13-14 will get you well on your way to understanding what Jesus said when prophesying about Himself.
He makes a couple good points against prayer (or, what I would call the misuse of prayer).
Atheists often argue that morality is based on the evolved sense of the common good. While that might be true for economy, it is not true for morality. Morality is not the same across the world. A westerner being accepting of a transgender person is doing so because he believes it is loving to do so. That belief of loving acceptance stems directly from Christian morality. A Buddhist in Thailand who is accepting of a transgender person is not doing so out of love; his acceptance and noninterference is based on karmic justice. A Buddhist would be less inclined to help the poor for that very same reason, whereas a westerner would be more inclined to help the poor based on Christian morality.
The author states: "Except for certain religiously based societies, many of the secular nations display a sense of right and wrong that has allowed them advance in a positive way." (page 23) "Certain religiously based societies" -- every society is a religiously based society, including the 'post-Christian' west. A society's morality is tied to its predominant religion. This is not hard to see. Western morality is based on Christianity, absolutely. If you don't see that, you just need to do some travelling. A Buddhist nation's morality is based on Buddhism. The same is true for Hindu and Muslim nations. If a person born and raised in a Buddhist nation becomes an atheist, his morality will still be based on Buddhism. (Although, Buddhism as a religion lacks the conditions to create atheists -- which is a whole other interesting topic. Western atheism would not exist if it weren't for Christianity.)
Then there are the usual arguments about slavery and God's wrath and so forth. If you want to understand those issues in the Bible you have to understand two very important things: covenant and holiness. If you don't get those two things, you won't get the Bible.
And there are the attacks on biblical prophesy. Jesus said certain things about His return that supposedly didn't happen. Well, there are plenty of books on eschatology to explain that. But if you're not willing to study it out, then there's nothing more to say. Reading Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13-14 will get you well on your way to understanding what Jesus said when prophesying about Himself.
July 14, 2016
The Goodreads app asked me what I thought of this book. Not much! Previously I thought that Fifty Shades of Grey was the worst written book ever, well this one has surpassed that, seriously you need to find yourself a better editor.
I belong to a Christian bookclub and we have read several books on how and why some people have converted to Christianity so I though it would be interesting to read how a Christian turned to atheism. I thought it would be a book about the authors original Christian faith and how and why he turned to atheism. This book was only 69 pages long and in that time the author spent a lot of time not saying very much at all and most of it was pretty baseless.
Jesus was crucified and was resurrected three days later and he appeared to many people over the next 40 days before he ascended into heaven. This is an historical event that was witnessed by many people. Christianity to me isn't about religion it's about what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.
The book talks about Armageddon and how 200 or so people have claimed that they know or knew the day The Messiah was coming. This is true, I've heard it myself on the news but hey we're still here. The Bible clearly states that no-one knows except for God but to be ready.
I was an atheist, then agnostic and for the past three years I have been a Christian. I had issues with many things the Bible said and still do but I did my research, I talked to my Minister and the Elders and other members of the church I attend and they have answered all of my questions after doing research themselves and they have answered them all to my satisfaction. I'm sure I will have many more questions in the future which will be answered because they have extensive knowledge.
This book is badly written, it's unclear, baseless and untrue. God does NOT need to go, he can't He is here, He is everywhere, He just "is" and always has been.
One thing I am 100% certain of, I am a sinner and my only salvation is through Jesus Christ.
I belong to a Christian bookclub and we have read several books on how and why some people have converted to Christianity so I though it would be interesting to read how a Christian turned to atheism. I thought it would be a book about the authors original Christian faith and how and why he turned to atheism. This book was only 69 pages long and in that time the author spent a lot of time not saying very much at all and most of it was pretty baseless.
Jesus was crucified and was resurrected three days later and he appeared to many people over the next 40 days before he ascended into heaven. This is an historical event that was witnessed by many people. Christianity to me isn't about religion it's about what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.
The book talks about Armageddon and how 200 or so people have claimed that they know or knew the day The Messiah was coming. This is true, I've heard it myself on the news but hey we're still here. The Bible clearly states that no-one knows except for God but to be ready.
I was an atheist, then agnostic and for the past three years I have been a Christian. I had issues with many things the Bible said and still do but I did my research, I talked to my Minister and the Elders and other members of the church I attend and they have answered all of my questions after doing research themselves and they have answered them all to my satisfaction. I'm sure I will have many more questions in the future which will be answered because they have extensive knowledge.
This book is badly written, it's unclear, baseless and untrue. God does NOT need to go, he can't He is here, He is everywhere, He just "is" and always has been.
One thing I am 100% certain of, I am a sinner and my only salvation is through Jesus Christ.
May 23, 2015
This is not per se a bad book. It's just that it's all been said before, and usually better. If you've never dipped into atheist writings, or critiques of religion, then this will almost certainly be a revelation; read it. If, however, you have read around the subject before, you'll notice that there's nothing new here. That wouldn't be a problem in itself, but if you're going to restate well-worn arguments, you need to find some way to make them fresh. This, unfortunately, has not happened in this book. All the same, there would have been a third star for this, if only there had been some proof-reading and editing happening. The quality of the language is at times dire, reading more like a pretentious A-level essay than a published author. The text is riddled with grammatical errors, and full of florid language which actually detracts from the text. Something of a missed opportunity, I fear.
April 5, 2013
Brucker discusses different aspects of religion from an atheist standpoint, and gives his personal "testimony" of disbelief. He touches on near death experiences and the scientific evidence that they are natural phenomenon, but I wish he had gone more into detail about the science of them. I was frustrated that he did not seem to understand that "would of" is not correct, and it should be "would have" - he seemed to make this mistake again and again in the book, and as an English major, it bothered me.
April 4, 2013
This was an interesting reads, the best part is probably the end where he describes his experience of going into a hell house; a house made to be hot, sweaty, and to bring the fear of God into young teenagers by showing them what hell would be like.
As another reviewer had stated this was more of a personal vent using a lot of the same material that can be found elsewhere, but as someone who was coming out of the closet with atheism it was encouraging to know that others have been down a similar path.
As another reviewer had stated this was more of a personal vent using a lot of the same material that can be found elsewhere, but as someone who was coming out of the closet with atheism it was encouraging to know that others have been down a similar path.
March 1, 2016
This book makes the argument versus creationism, The author makes a very valid argument as to the shortcomings of religion and belief. In this day and age it is very difficult to disprove evolution when Science has provided a great deal of proof. Whether one is a believer or an atheist , I would say read this book and give it a fair look at, the author does cite several sources, all in all not a bad book.
February 26, 2013
While I didn't disagree with any of the points he raised, it was a bit of a personal vent against religion. As such it didn't add much to my knowledge. He had obviously read all the same stuff that I have over the years. Despite that, it is always interesting to hear other people's views on this. I am so glad I don't have to deal with the Christian Taliban in the USA! I hope we never go that way.
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