"God is not great" For those that read the book?

Question

I'v read God is not great and I want to know what you guys think about it. There is so many great points in it how can people counter some of his statements?
I have asked this earlier and I want people that have read the book to tell what they think. I don't want people telling me how great there god is.

Rachael H can you not read the That i don't care about your god...just about the book?

Answer 1

I concur with you that Christopher Hitchens book “God is Not Great” certainly is a superb book. He has such a witty writing style, that I am astonished by how easily and effortless he makes disproving religious claims to be. One usually expects books of this sort to be mired in esoteric rhetoric, and complex logical exercises. Normally books that approach the subject of God, from either a philosophical, social, or political aspect, generally sound quite academic, and therefore turn off the average reader. It’s a testament to Hitchens brilliance as a wordsmith, that he avoids this pitfall entirely, and instead has created a treatise that is at once trenchant and yet entertaining as well.

As far as coming up with counterpoints to Hitchens’ assertions, that would be pretty hard. Most of the rhetoric that I have seen religious people use against the arguments of men like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris, are pretty flimsy, and easily refutable.

I think the only shortcoming in Hitchens’ book, that maybe religious people can exploit, is that he doesn’t sufficiently address the fundamental philosophical flaw in the design argument, and instead concentrates on how evolution truly refutes the notion that God designed the universe. Here, the religious apologist, who isn’t a diehard creationist, can find a sort of argumentative recourse in the popular moderate religious notion that credits God with being he prime mover in the evolutionary process.

Outside of that, the other point of attack that I think a religious person can utilize against Hitchens’ “God is not Great” is enumerating the counterpoint of how religion has had a positive impact on society. Of course, the religious person must address Hitchens’ fundamental challenge, which lies at the heart of this book, and his lectures that he has had across the country about his book. That challenge is this (paraphrased): “Show me a positive act that has been committed by a religious person or group, which could not have been performed by someone who did not believe in God. In other words show me why the only reason a person would perform a good deed is because he or she had a belief in God”.

Again, I think both of these possible approaches, to attacking Hitchens, are facile and can be addressed easily, by amateurs and with devastating efficiency, by Hitchens himself. However, since you asked for the two points of rebuttal that religious people could have to Hitchens book, in my mind these two areas, concerning the gap left for God by Hitchens’ take on evolution, and the positive effects of religious influence, are the best that I can come up with.

Answer 2

I did not read the book but saw a debate between the
author and a Christian Author and Publisher, Olasky.

Olasky defeated him with numerous examples of
how religion DOES NOT poison everthing.
He simply talked about all the charities and self
sacrifice.

You just can not make blanket statements like
Hitchens does about anything! It is illogical
and called stereotyping.
ALL the examples he uses and the way he uses them
are so foolish and one-sided - saying anything he wants to say with them (like how some ppl use statistics) - a total abuse of information and all these books are are
propoganda - the very definition of it!

Answer 3

In the book, Hitchens contends that religion is "violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children." Hitchens' main arguments for his points include a combination of personal stories, documented historical anecdotes and critical analysis of religious texts. His commentary focuses mainly on the Abrahamic religions, although he discusses other religions (such as Hinduism and Buddhism) as well.

I really enjoyed the book. It was very intelligent and I like his style of writing. He was coherent and logical with facts to back up everything he said. It has been a while since I read it, so I might read it again.

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Answer 4

It's only a matter of time that this whole atheist thing becomes a religion. I wonder..? How many denominations it would have. Come on.. Lawyers and attorneys can make a good argument. It doesn't mean their client is innocent. Seek your own knowledge. Next thing you know atheist will be quoting that book. Sounds Similar? to something huh?

Answer 5

Great book.

I've read it and have met Christopher Hitchens a couple times. While I don't agree with his politics, he is spot on in his book on the ills of religion.

Answer 6

It's interesting because you think he's going to be hardcore like Dawkins but he doesn't go in that direction. It's a very sound book. I would recommend it to anyone.

Answer 7

But God cares about you.

2 Thumbs down. YYEESS!!! Any more?

Answer 8

why would i want to read a book with that title cause i happen to think that god is great

Answer 9

Then fine I won't tell you how great God is,,but he is.

Answer 10

I don't need to. He wears big boots and can do his own convincing..

Sometimes its called "putting a hook in your jaw" ..

or knocking you off your donkey...

or setting your fields on fire...

Well, you asked!!