Hellobee Boards

@lawbee11: Did he read it before you told him about it or is he just a super fast reader?

It's a book that I want to read, but not a priority since I have 90 thousand books that I've bought and haven't read, so I'm working on those right now. It's definitely on my list thought! I can't wait to read some of the responses here to give me a good idea as to what it's about.

@.twist.: Haha no, he read it about a year ago, I just didn't know until I brought it up with him last night.

@mrbee: I think it was (mostly) just unfortunate wording. The basic premise, from what I remember, is that religion can be, and has been, used as a way to control and coerce people. Female genital mutilation, control of who has sex with whom and when, who we can marry, who we should kill or fight. Personally, I would argue that this particular premise has a great deal more to do with the issues arising from being human versus those directly stemming from religion itself. I don't have enough information to say definitively that there is no god. I don't believe there is one, but many intelligent people throughout time have believed things that have later been found to be untrue. So I'm not closed off to the idea entirely. I just feel that for me right now, I don't believe.

Anyway, I think the idea presented by the book is more accurately represented by saying that religion can be a powerful tool used to control people, sometimes in hurtful ways, and it can be incredibly hard to argue with because it is based on principles that come from somewhere else (a god or gods who cannot be contacted directly (as such)) and so can be created and corrupted by people for personal or group motives and gains.

I've read it, years ago during an atheist phase between my religious lives...it's a predictable Dawkins read, arrogant and full of holes, but interesting regardless, and with some valid points. If you've ever heard him interviewed, it won't be anything novel. Would be happy to review it and join the discussion.

@mrbee: my memory of this point is less specific to Christianity and more a statement that "moderate/mainstream religion" is just as dangerous as radical/extremist. I found it to be one of the more thought provoking parts.

I haven't read it but I just bought it for my DH for Christmas. When I was deep in the search for what I believed, I read the book The Year of Living Biblically and it was both interesting and funny. It is about a secular man who tries to live the bible (mostly old testament, I think) as literally as possible. I definitely learned things I never knew about the bible.

@travellingbee: That sounds amazing. Adding that to my list.

I'm waiting for a copy to come available at my library; commenting to follow!