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KIRKUS REVIEW for Why You Won't Go 'to'Hell |
"A personal attempt at crafting a comprehensive handbook of atheism.
In his nonfiction debut, Andrews embarks on a calm, systematic study of organized religion in human history, seeing faith as a psychological or even biological compensation rather than an indication of the divine. He establishes early on that although he respects some of the good that religion has done in the world, he is an atheist who views religion as self-serving delusion on the part of the faithful, and, as such, his book is addressed to fellow nonbelievers: “There is plenty of evidence now, that in spite of the pseudoscientists’ claims,” he writes, “the supernatural is just wishful thinking by people who desperately want an afterlife to exist, mostly because they cannot handle the idea that this is their only
chance to enjoy the majestic universe.” He asserts the superiority of secular action over religious faith (“Helping one child survive, without the promise of a reward in the afterlife, is a far greater deed than praying to a non-existing entity to cure a sick child”), and he spends the bulk of his book refuting popular arguments of Christians and other religious adherents, such as the creationist tactic of characterizing atheism as just another religion, the Christian assertion that the New Testament must be divine because it fulfills so many prophecies from the Old Testament, and the idea that the Quran predicted many modern scientific discoveries. He summarizes each of these arguments fairly and then dispels it with a combination of common sense and deductive reasoning.
A rational case for the need for humanity to move beyond faith.
In his nonfiction debut, Andrews embarks on a calm, systematic study of organized religion in human history, seeing faith as a psychological or even biological compensation rather than an indication of the divine. He establishes early on that although he respects some of the good that religion has done in the world, he is an atheist who views religion as self-serving delusion on the part of the faithful, and, as such, his book is addressed to fellow nonbelievers: “There is plenty of evidence now, that in spite of the pseudoscientists’ claims,” he writes, “the supernatural is just wishful thinking by people who desperately want an afterlife to exist, mostly because they cannot handle the idea that this is their only
chance to enjoy the majestic universe.” He asserts the superiority of secular action over religious faith (“Helping one child survive, without the promise of a reward in the afterlife, is a far greater deed than praying to a non-existing entity to cure a sick child”), and he spends the bulk of his book refuting popular arguments of Christians and other religious adherents, such as the creationist tactic of characterizing atheism as just another religion, the Christian assertion that the New Testament must be divine because it fulfills so many prophecies from the Old Testament, and the idea that the Quran predicted many modern scientific discoveries. He summarizes each of these arguments fairly and then dispels it with a combination of common sense and deductive reasoning.
A rational case for the need for humanity to move beyond faith.
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FOREWORD Clarion Review forWhy You Won't Go To Hell |
Reviewed by Rebecca Foster
December 7, 2015
"This spirited book that defends reason and rejects the supernatural stands to suit the audiences of Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens.
“We can be good without God,” Benjamin Vande Weerdhof Andrews declares in his first book, Why You Won’t Go to Hell. Andrews’s answer to the title’s implied question is that hell doesn’t exist, nor does heaven or any other supernatural realm. In his well-structured argument, Andrews prizes empirical thinking, rejects some central claims of Christianity and other religions, and affirms the possibility of godless morality.
Andrews moved from the Netherlands to Canada as a young man. He was raised in the Dutch Reformed Church but now considers himself a nonbeliever. A retired high school teacher, he started a website exploring issues of reason and religion to encourage “closet nonbelievers” to actively question received knowledge. Using Occam’s razor, he argues that we must reject the notion of the supernatural. All experience has a natural basis; religion arose at the start of human society as a means of explaining things we don’t understand, a role that science now fills.
Andrews’s central thesis is that religion doesn’t evolve to keep pace with society, and, in that sense—unlike science—it holds humanity back. However, he concedes that religion has accomplished some good things, such as establishing moral guidelines for sexuality. A few blanket statements do not reflect that sense of fairness, though, like “when was the last time that religion built an airplane or a church designed a cell phone?” Such instances employ shaky paradigms and seem to expect religions to answer inappropriate sets of questions. The book also fails to acknowledge the diversity of opinions even within religions.
Nevertheless, the author’s points are well worth considering. He suggests credible natural explanations for supposedly supernatural phenomena. Religious visions might be caused by epilepsy; answered prayers could simply be coincidence. However, there are also a few instances of inaccuracy, such as a reference to one of the Ten Commandments as a “prayer.” The text also includes occasional typos, odd wording, and repetition.
The book’s tone is too often defensive, often in response to included website comments. Although the comments and replies add an interesting back-and-forth element, these passages, along with quotes from Wikipedia and other authors, could be shortened. By contrast, two stand-out chapters set up theoretical debates between believer and atheist positions and natural and supernatural outlooks. Here, the dialogic format works much better.
Ultimately, this could be an inspirational book for atheists or believers, prompting both groups to question their assumptions and be willing to say “I don’t know.” Whether the author’s conclusion that “when the brain dies, awareness dies” is correct or not, his carpe-diem message is something anyone can benefit from. Readers of Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens will be particularly drawn to the book, but others should take a chance on it too."
December 7, 2015
"This spirited book that defends reason and rejects the supernatural stands to suit the audiences of Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens.
“We can be good without God,” Benjamin Vande Weerdhof Andrews declares in his first book, Why You Won’t Go to Hell. Andrews’s answer to the title’s implied question is that hell doesn’t exist, nor does heaven or any other supernatural realm. In his well-structured argument, Andrews prizes empirical thinking, rejects some central claims of Christianity and other religions, and affirms the possibility of godless morality.
Andrews moved from the Netherlands to Canada as a young man. He was raised in the Dutch Reformed Church but now considers himself a nonbeliever. A retired high school teacher, he started a website exploring issues of reason and religion to encourage “closet nonbelievers” to actively question received knowledge. Using Occam’s razor, he argues that we must reject the notion of the supernatural. All experience has a natural basis; religion arose at the start of human society as a means of explaining things we don’t understand, a role that science now fills.
Andrews’s central thesis is that religion doesn’t evolve to keep pace with society, and, in that sense—unlike science—it holds humanity back. However, he concedes that religion has accomplished some good things, such as establishing moral guidelines for sexuality. A few blanket statements do not reflect that sense of fairness, though, like “when was the last time that religion built an airplane or a church designed a cell phone?” Such instances employ shaky paradigms and seem to expect religions to answer inappropriate sets of questions. The book also fails to acknowledge the diversity of opinions even within religions.
Nevertheless, the author’s points are well worth considering. He suggests credible natural explanations for supposedly supernatural phenomena. Religious visions might be caused by epilepsy; answered prayers could simply be coincidence. However, there are also a few instances of inaccuracy, such as a reference to one of the Ten Commandments as a “prayer.” The text also includes occasional typos, odd wording, and repetition.
The book’s tone is too often defensive, often in response to included website comments. Although the comments and replies add an interesting back-and-forth element, these passages, along with quotes from Wikipedia and other authors, could be shortened. By contrast, two stand-out chapters set up theoretical debates between believer and atheist positions and natural and supernatural outlooks. Here, the dialogic format works much better.
Ultimately, this could be an inspirational book for atheists or believers, prompting both groups to question their assumptions and be willing to say “I don’t know.” Whether the author’s conclusion that “when the brain dies, awareness dies” is correct or not, his carpe-diem message is something anyone can benefit from. Readers of Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens will be particularly drawn to the book, but others should take a chance on it too."
ONLINEBOOKCLUB.ORG Official Review: Why You Won't Go to Hell
Post Number:#1 by kimmyschemy06 » 03 Sep 2016, 23:59
Why You Won't Go to Hell is a book under non-fiction genre written by Benjamin Vande Weerdhof Andrews .
The book, divided into five parts with each part divided into topics, is an organized compilation of entries on the author’s website titled A new insight into THE ORIGIN OF RELIGION. The website, and now the book, explains how religion came about and by that, the author does not mean the various religions we have today but how early humans, in their attempt to explain the world around them and the phenomena beyond their understanding, developed into belief in the supernatural and evolved into the religions we now know.
Right from the beginning of the book, the author makes it clear that his objective is not to convince people that religion is wrong (pg. x), but to offer explanation, based on common sense, on how religion developed. Moreover, the book warns people against pseudoscientists who take advantage of gullible people, mediums who claim they can talk to dead people and faith healers who claim to cure sickness through prayers and various concoctions. The author dismisses these as charlatans who capitalize on people’s belief in the supernatural.
In addition to the development of religion, the book also offers explanation on controversial issues like near death experience, extra sensory perception and life after death. It cites factual evidence negating that the Earth (according to the Bible) is 10,000 years old and expounds the inconsistency of the book of Genesis. It brings up the surprising similarities between descriptions of historical leaders and mythical gods with those of the Biblical god, as well as the similarity between the sky god Horus born from the virgin Isis and Jesus born from the virgin Mary.
Ultimately, the book contests the existence of the Biblical god and deities and other form of supernatural and everything that has no scientific proof. The author is an atheist who prefers to be called a ‘non-believer’ or an ‘unbeliever’ because of the stigma and misconceptions surrounding the term atheism.
For open minded readers, this book is a treasure trove of knowledge and information that the author diligently and passionately compiled. The inclusion of the posts by his website commenters makes the book even more interesting and thought-provoking. However, religious fanatics may find this book outrageous, offensive and blasphemous.
I, for one, sincerely enjoyed the book especially the information it imparts. I also appreciated the author’s keeping the writing short and simple making the book understandable for everyone.
I, therefore, give this book the rate of 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to Christians as a book that may challenge their beliefs, and to non-believers who are searching for confirmation of their opinions. Keep in mind, though, that the author clearly stated that he was not trying to convert anyone (pg. 111).
Post Number:#1 by kimmyschemy06 » 03 Sep 2016, 23:59
Why You Won't Go to Hell is a book under non-fiction genre written by Benjamin Vande Weerdhof Andrews .
The book, divided into five parts with each part divided into topics, is an organized compilation of entries on the author’s website titled A new insight into THE ORIGIN OF RELIGION. The website, and now the book, explains how religion came about and by that, the author does not mean the various religions we have today but how early humans, in their attempt to explain the world around them and the phenomena beyond their understanding, developed into belief in the supernatural and evolved into the religions we now know.
Right from the beginning of the book, the author makes it clear that his objective is not to convince people that religion is wrong (pg. x), but to offer explanation, based on common sense, on how religion developed. Moreover, the book warns people against pseudoscientists who take advantage of gullible people, mediums who claim they can talk to dead people and faith healers who claim to cure sickness through prayers and various concoctions. The author dismisses these as charlatans who capitalize on people’s belief in the supernatural.
In addition to the development of religion, the book also offers explanation on controversial issues like near death experience, extra sensory perception and life after death. It cites factual evidence negating that the Earth (according to the Bible) is 10,000 years old and expounds the inconsistency of the book of Genesis. It brings up the surprising similarities between descriptions of historical leaders and mythical gods with those of the Biblical god, as well as the similarity between the sky god Horus born from the virgin Isis and Jesus born from the virgin Mary.
Ultimately, the book contests the existence of the Biblical god and deities and other form of supernatural and everything that has no scientific proof. The author is an atheist who prefers to be called a ‘non-believer’ or an ‘unbeliever’ because of the stigma and misconceptions surrounding the term atheism.
For open minded readers, this book is a treasure trove of knowledge and information that the author diligently and passionately compiled. The inclusion of the posts by his website commenters makes the book even more interesting and thought-provoking. However, religious fanatics may find this book outrageous, offensive and blasphemous.
I, for one, sincerely enjoyed the book especially the information it imparts. I also appreciated the author’s keeping the writing short and simple making the book understandable for everyone.
I, therefore, give this book the rate of 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to Christians as a book that may challenge their beliefs, and to non-believers who are searching for confirmation of their opinions. Keep in mind, though, that the author clearly stated that he was not trying to convert anyone (pg. 111).