Most recently leveled by the New Atheists, the question of the likelihood that God is a human invention was first asked in ancient Greece and has preoccupied religious believers for centuries ever since. Here, renowned scholar Robert Banks explores the history of this objection—from its earliest vocalization in the ancient world to its most famous advocates, including Freud, Marx, and others -- and offers compelling evidence that takes both sides of the argument into account. Ideal for those with a general interest in New Atheism or for those studying religion, this informative guide will offer readers the chance to sort out once and for all what -- if any -- elements of their idea of God are man-made.
Robert Banks includes a description of four leading modern approaches to the core origins of God:
God as the product of human wishes as promoted by Ludwig Feuerbach.
God as a substitute for oppressive conditions by Karl Marx
God as a projection of repressed desires by Sigmund Freud
God as a symbol of human potential by Erich Fromm
About the Author:
Robert Banks completed his doctorate in theology at Cambridge and recently retired as professor of the ministry of the laity and chair of the ministry division at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He has also been the recipient of the Book of the Year award from Christianity Today and is the author of Faith in Leadership, Faith Goes to Work, Going to Church in the First Century, Paul's Idea of Community, Reenvisioning Theological Education, and The Church Comes Home.
"Nick" writes: "Provides a thorough and scholarly rebuttal to arguments Evangelicals use against homosexuals and same-sex marriage. Highlights the deceiving arguments and misleading information used by the Religious Right. Includes the latest science on what causes homosexuality and if it can be changed, and cultural evidence of same-sex marriage and families around the world. Also puts an anthropological twist on what the Bible says about homosexuality. Overall, one of the best books on the current debate over homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Very timely given the marriage amendments and debates. A definite read for both gays (and their families) and Christians, and certainly gay Christians!"
"arbedweis" writes: "Very worthwhile book. My favorite part is actually the title, which really says it all. This book covers the science of sexual orientation, history and anthropology of same-sex relationships, and the evangelical worldview. It shows the fallacies and inconsistencies in the evangelical worldview, the impact of that worldview on gay people, and how religious people can reconcile reality and faith. It is written by an anthropologist and enlightened evangelical, who sees no conflict between true religious faith and support for gay rights. I hope this book will wake up some evangelicals to the harm they are causing gay people. I bought the book to give to my evangelical parents when I come out to them (I'm 53, they are in their 80s). The author quotes for a small number of evangelical leaders a bit too often for my taste, but overall the book is well-written and accessible."
"I learned an enormous amount from this splendid book." -- Richard Dawkins, Author of the New York Times bestseller The God Delusion
"Extremely tough and impressive...a great book...a huge addition to the arsenal of argument." -- Christopher Hitchens, Author of the New York Times bestseller God Is Not Great.
Marshalling converging arguments from physics, astronomy, biology, and philosophy, Stenger has delivered a masterful blow in defense of reason. God: The Failed Hypothesis is a potent, readable, and well-timed assault upon religious delusion. It should be widely read." -- Sam Harris, Author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation.
"As a former evangelical, who has studied almost every religion at least in a cursory manner, I am convinced that a personal, religiously affiliated, or intervening god does not exist and is a mere psychological projection. However, I had still remained somewhat agnostic toward the concept of a deistic god. Stenger shows that modern physics can indeed answer such seemingly hard questions as 'Why is there something rather than nothing?' rather convincingly. This book weakened my position of agnostic deism from 'maybe' to 'probably not' because complete naturalism seems to be the best and most likely explanation." Review by Thomas Adam L.
About the Author:
Victor Stenger (Lafayette, CO) is adjunct professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado and professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at the University of Hawaii. He is the author of Has Science Found God?, The Comprehensible Cosmos, Timeless Reality, The Unconscious Quantum, Physics and Psychics, Not by Design and The Fallacy of Fine-Tuning: Why the Universe Is Not Designed for Us.
About the book:
The title says it all. The author attempts to show the non-existence of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic concept of God. The review on Amazon.com shows that the book received only a mediocre rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. But a closer examination of the almost 200 reviews showed that almost equal numbers of readers gave a 4,3,2 and 1 rating. The book is obviously disliked by many theists, and loved by many agnostics and atheists.
This book deals with Islamism which, according to Wikipedia:
"... is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary. Leading Islamist thinkers emphasized the enforcement of Sharia (Islamic law); of pan-Islamic political unity; and of the elimination of non-Muslim, particularly Western military, economic, political, social, or cultural influences in the Muslim world, which they believe to be incompatible with [their version of] Islam."
Review by the National Review Online:
The book you must read to understand the Islamist crisis -- and the threat to us all. Robert R. Reilly’s eye-opening book masterfully explains the frightening behavior coming out of the Islamic world. Terrorism, he shows, is only one manifestation of the spiritual pathology of Islamism.
Reilly uncovers the root of our contemporary crisis: a pivotal struggle waged within the Muslim world nearly a millennium ago. In a heated battle over the role of reason, the side of irrationality won. The deformed theology that resulted, Reilly reveals, produced the spiritual pathology of Islamism, and a deeply dysfunctional culture.
The Closing of the Muslim Mind solves such puzzles as:
Why the Arab world stands near the bottom of every measure of human development.
Why scientific inquiry is nearly dead in the Islamic world.
Why Spain translates more books in a single year than the entire Arab world has in the past thousand years.
Why some people in Saudi Arabia still refuse to believe man has been to the moon.
Delving deeper than previous polemics and simplistic analyses, The Closing of the Muslim Mind provides the answers the West has so desperately needed in confronting the Islamist crisis.
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