50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God | 
 enlarge | Author: Guy P. Harrison
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 18937
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 354
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.8
ISBN: 1591025672
Dewey Decimal Number: 212
EAN: 9781591025672
ASIN: 1591025672
Publication Date: June 5, 2008
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Book Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Excellent and Well Written Book August 19, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God, by Guy P. Harrison, is one of the newest free thought books to come out on the market. Unlike many others, such as Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion and Christopher Hitchens' God Is Not Great, among others, this book takes a much milder tone. Harrison refrains from insulting, or talking down to believers, and instead tries to clearly explain why each of the fifty reasons for belief in god that he lays out are misguided. Instead of insults, Harrison tries to reason with his reader, and I found his arguments to be very persuasive. Depending on the person, I think this book might actually get through to some believers.
The book is exceptionally well written, in my opinion, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to a religious friend because of the milder tone. As it's been said before, many other atheistic books can be very insulting which can distract the reader from getting the core message. Harrison's book doesn't have this flaw.
A few of the reasons covered are the following: My god changes lives, Intelligent Design proves my god is real, some very smart people believe in my god, and many others. As I mentioned, each claim is responded to very eloquently and in an honest and sincere manner.
Unfortunately, as some reviews here have shown, no matter how kind someone is in explaining the irrationality of belief some people are just too closed minded to want to understand.
For a clear and reasonable response to many reasons people give for believing in god I highly recommend this book.
Better reasons exist for believing in Louis Vuitton August 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Harrison covers most of the standard reasons people give when asked why they believe in god. He is also right in saying that most people don't read or listen to Anselm or Augustine or Aquinas or (reason forbid) Michael Behe and his unintelligible design. People believe in god mainly for psychological reasons. There are some who make an attempt to argue that there are rational basis for belief in god, but they ultimately break down to an admission in the final analysis, that its "faith". Faith is not a rational basis. This is one of the points Harrison makes so clearly, effectively, and without offence. It is so difficult to say politely and sincerely that when a person abandons reason and proof in favour of the unproven and unprovable. This is because however it is said, it may create the impression that the speaker (or writer)was insulting the other person's intelligence. Reverting to the main force that drives people to such beliefs, it appears that when once we understand our psychological needs and find that we can overcome them we become more independent and secure, and release the safety blanket in the form of a supreme creator. Read 50 Reasons and think critically, that is to say, honestly, whether we would prefer a life of reason or a life of psychological dependence. In some cases, people are misled into a believing in a undefinable being out of ignorance and a resistance to critical analysis. Harrison's book prompts the first step - it implicitly asks a reader who holds a belief in god to ask which of the reasons prompted him to believe. Harrison very helpfully makes a list of reference books for further reading at the end of each of the 50 reasons.
Will appeal to believers, skeptics, and everyone in between August 11, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Many books challenge religious belief and alienate potential believers with a combative argument. "50 Reasons People Give for Believing in God" will appeal to believers, skeptics, and everyone in between with a selection of some fifty common reasons people give for believing in a God - and why some of these perceptions may be wrong. The focus is upon rationales for beliefs, and chapters survey these logical foundations and their impact.
 Give Just One Piece of Evidence for god! The Notion is incoherent! August 11, 2008
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
This polemic confirms the thesis of hard-nosed theoretical atheism. One merely has to demonstrate one compelling piece of evidence why the murky, nonsensical notion of deity should be taken seriously.
Are we really to belive that the probability calculus or Beysian theorem adduces sufficent quantity of information to confirm the conviction of deity? Must we fall victim to the ancient Stoic conception that First and Final Cause are to be found in metaphysics and theology, a sub-branch of Physics, whereas Science is merely a tool of descriptive phenomena fed by the technological capacity of Science herself?
Pay attention to the ancient philosophy of Posidonius, who drew a sharp distinction between description and explanation.
Only a fool would believe in deity. Why not know? We twin brothers pay attention to a universe running galaxies, and a galaxy running star(s) systems with their planetary rocks. The purpose of religion is to keep us ignorant and miserable; the purpose of government is to keep us poor.
Both enslave common, vulgar humanity.
Respectfully,
John E.D.P. Malin & James F.D.P. Malin
Cecilia, Louisiana 70521-0460
Contact: InformaticaMalin@gmail.com
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 A Standout for Tone and Content July 27, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
We are living in a golden age for books about freethought, atheism, agnosticism and the like. Guy Harrison's book stands out for a couple of reasons.
The minor characteristic that makes this book a standout is its organization. You can dip into it anywhere, no need to read it straight through. Each chapter deals with one of the fifty questions, but the content in #50 is not built on anything in #5. Each discussion is a discreet stand-alone.
The advantage of this may not be immediately apparent. Because it deals with some of our most deeply cherished beliefs, this is a book to be pondered and considered carefully. It's not a good idea to whip through it on the beach between naps. The ability to read a single chapter and digest it for a while, and consider the relative strength of the argument, is the way to get the most out of the book.
But the major characteristic upon which this book is recommended is its tone. Having had the opportunity to compare many such works on atheism and its related -isms, I find the absence of anger or impatience in the author refreshing. He is very kind to believers. One could certainly never say this about another atheist luminary like Christopher Hitchens or Richard Dawkins, both of whom I admire enormously, and both of whom probably have alienated more believers already than they can ever hope to persuade. %0 Reasons is a book that will engage both the freethinker and the theist, without boring the one or insulting the other.
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