50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God | 
 enlarge | Author: Guy P. Harrison
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Category: Book
List Price: $17.98
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Rating:  25 reviews
Sales Rank: 20852
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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Product 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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 One of the best books I've read on the subject January 8, 2009
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As a comparison, I've read "The God Delusion" and "Climbing Mount Improbable" by Dawkins, "Letter to a Christian Nation" and about a quarter of "The End of Faith" by Harris, "irreligion" by Paulos, "The Quotable Atheist" and a couple of other books that I can't think of at the moment.
This book is my favourite on the subject so far. I find the format very enjoyable, unlike many books, it is not a chore to get through. Each chapter is about 7 pages long, usually following the format of Harrison explains the reason, explains why believers might offer the reason, explains what he sees as the problems with the reason.
The first half of this book was exceptional, very enjoyable, Harrison has gone to so many places, and done so many things, this is one of the few books that I actually wanted to read an "about the author" when I finished. You can definitely tell he has degrees in history and anthropology, things I don't normally care about at all, but he has a way of writing that gets me interested in them as well.
The book is mostly respectful to believers, not as much in the second half, the second half isn't as good as the first.
The downsides to the book, I would say are that many of the reasons are very similar, and so many responses are very similar as well, I think the book would have been better as 40 reasons instead of 50, but I decided not to drop a star for this. One other downside is that his reasons are frequently the same argument of "other believers of other gods say this as well, so the god cited isn't the source of this reason" Which was interesting to read at first, because he weaves in so many interesting stories, but towards the end, it did get somewhat redundant.
But anyway, the logic is mostly sound, the reasons are well stated, the tone is light hearted and frequently fun, the organization is unique and works very well for this book.
So 5 stars, but if Harrison reads this, I think you should revise some of your later chapters, they did take on a critical tone, and I think one of the selling points of this book the respectful tone of the earlier chapters. And 50 is a nice integral number, but I don't think you should include some of these chapters just to hit 50.
A great book for believers and nonbelievers January 7, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've read several books about atheism, but my most enthusiastic recommendation to date goes to Guy Harrison's 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God. This book doesn't narrate the author's loss of faith like Dan Barker's books, nor is it a provocative and artful attack against Christian belief like The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, nor yet is it a scientific examination of religion as a natural phenomenon like Dan Dennett's Breaking the Spell. I recommend this book to believers and nonbelievers alike because it is a straightforward and respectful evaluation of the reasons that normal people (not theologians) give for believing in a god.
The book is organized into 50 stand-alone chapters that average about 7 pages each. I read the book cover to cover, but you could skip around to the chapters that interest you the most. If you believe in your god because he answers prayers, then jump right to chapter 14 and read the author's response to that reason. This organization makes the book very approachable.
One of the things that sets this book apart is that it does not focus on Christian belief exclusively. Very often, the debate is between belief in Yahweh and belief in no god at all. That makes the Christian's task seem easier than it really is. Harrison points out that the Christian God is only one of thousands of gods and goddesses. Throughout the book he spells "god" with a lowercase g and gives examples from several world religions. He doesn't attack any one religion, but shows that they make similar claims for many of the same reasons and all share a lack of evidence. The assertion that Yahweh has impacted a person's life loses most of its force when we're reminded that people say that their lives are impacted in the same ways by Allah, Ganesha, Isis and ancestral spirits.
The best thing about this book is its tone. Harrison is uncompromising in his skepticism, but he never stoops to mockery. He acknowledges the benefits of faith and religious community. He shares experiences of being moved by music and rituals from various traditions. He pays respect to the important role that religion has played in the history, culture and personal lives of believers. He simply points out that there's no evidence that any of these gods exist and there are often simpler explanations. Believers can read this book without being belittled or offended.
But why would a believer want to read what an atheist has to say about faith? I think it's good to understand both sides of important issues. That's why I've read several books by Christians since I've become an atheist. Perhaps I'll learn something I didn't know and reconvert. Or perhaps I'll better understand why people believe and that will help me to appreciate them (and debate with them). Believers should understand nonbelievers for the same reasons. It will help you understand that we have reasons for not believing. It will help you examine the roots of your own belief, which may strengthen your faith. You'll be more equipped for debating with atheists, too.
 How to talk to believers, if you must. December 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Religious belief is almost incomprehensible to those of us who do not believe. Guy Harrison has spent a lot of time talking to people around the world about their beliefs, and the reasons they give for those beliefs. The reasons are familiar: 'our holy book says god exists', 'god answers my prayers', 'I need something bigger than myself to make sense of the world', 'morality derives from god', and on and on.
Harrison is an atheist. He seems quite tolerant and understanding of religious belief, and thinks that atheists would do well to be less arrogant and condescending when talking to and about religious believers. Fair enough. He still manages to take it as given that skepticism is the correct approach, and suggests that simply asking hard questions of religious believers may be more effective than confronting them directly; perhaps some of the questions will stay in their minds for a while and make them actually think about the basis of their beliefs.
My own view is that religious belief is so irrational that there is almost no hope that an adult who 'has faith' will ever change. Religious belief seems impervious to reason. People who insist on evidence in every other part of their lives will leave reason at the door when it comes to their religion. Maybe it's genetic. Maybe it's cultural. Or, for some, maybe it's pure cynicism, since it is hard for non-believers to gain social acceptance in fundamentalist societies such as America.
No matter. This is an interesting and useful book. If you are a religious believer I think you will be able to read it without your feelings being hurt. Or not. Whatever.
Refreshing December 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Very refreshing view on the subject of belief. Guy Harrison knows how to approach this subject in a way that is not offensive to believers. I am an atheist, so I sympathize with the viewpoint, but I would not hesitate to recommend this book to friends who are believers.
50 silly reasons November 17, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book adds to our increasing our lack of belief to believers. It is excellent as a beginning book. One shoud read it with Peter A.Angeles "The Problem of God: a Short Introduction" from the same great publisher,who has more atheist books.
It is an easy read and answers those fifty notions well. May the writer write more such books!
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