A Friendly Letter to Skeptics and Atheists: Musings on Why God Is Good and Faith Isn't Evil

Overview

Praise for A Friendly Letter to Skeptics and Atheists

"David Myers is the perfect person to write this book because he is both a skeptic and a theist, a world-class debunker of all things nonsense, and yet a man of faith. How can these two traditions be reconciled? Read this book to find out."—Michael Shermer publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist for Scientific American, author of Why Darwin Matters, How We Believe, and The Science of Good and Evil

"With winsome humor and refreshing humility, David ...

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Overview

Praise for A Friendly Letter to Skeptics and Atheists

"David Myers is the perfect person to write this book because he is both a skeptic and a theist, a world-class debunker of all things nonsense, and yet a man of faith. How can these two traditions be reconciled? Read this book to find out."—Michael Shermer publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist for Scientific American, author of Why Darwin Matters, How We Believe, and The Science of Good and Evil

"With winsome humor and refreshing humility, David Myers offers a compelling case for skeptics and secularists that mature believers are a lot more like them than they realize—committed to reason and evidence, and offended by misuses of religion by dogmatists with personal or political agendas. Yet he also shows how life can be enriched by embracing a spiritual worldview that adds to rather than subtracts from the search for truth. This is the perfect book for your friend who is an open-minded atheist or agnostic."—Francis S. Collins M.D., Ph.D., director of the Human Genome Project and author, The Language of God

"Witty, disarming, engaging, informative, and above all, great fun to read. The best response to the 'New Atheism' to date."—Alister McGrathOxford University, biophysicist-theologian and author, The Dawkins Delusion? Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine

"Is religion evil? Psychologist Dave Myers concedes that evil acts have been done in the name of religion, but he challenges skeptics who condemn all religion to do their homework more carefully. I highly recommend this nonpolemical treatment for thoughtful readers of all persuasions."
—Owen Gingerich professor of Astronomy & History of Science Emeritus, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and author, God's Universe

"With humility, erudition, and a profound commitment to scientific truth, Myers has given us the book we must all read before we jump to conclusions about the nature and value of religion."—Jonathan Haidt University of Virginia psychologist and author, The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Social psychologist Myers adds to the numerous apologetic texts that have emerged since the neoatheist movement began. But this quick jaunt into potentially dangerous waters is head and shoulders above the rest. The author admits that many people throughout history who have claimed to believe in God have caused much evil in the world. He is respectful of his atheist interlocutors, like Richard Dawkins, preferring to discuss how "Surely, in some ways I'm wrong, you're wrong, we're all wrong." Believers and skeptics could learn much from each other, and the author's willingness to build a bridge between two sometimes hostile territories is what makes his work so welcome. Myers's psychological training enables him to grasp the human person in a unique way, and he is able to introduce an intellectual element into the God debate. While never attempting to prove that God exists, Myers works to show that religious people can be faithful and psychologically healthy. (Sept.)

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780470290279
  • Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
  • Publication date: 9/2/2008
  • Edition number: 1
  • Pages: 160
  • Sales rank: 987,822
  • Product dimensions: 5.70 (w) x 8.30 (h) x 0.80 (d)

Meet the Author

David G. Myers is a communicator of psychological science to college students and the general public. His writings, supported by National Science Foundation fellowships and grants and recognized by the Gordon Allport Prize, have appeared in three dozen scientific periodicals, from Science to Psychological Science, and in dozens of magazines and newspapers. His seventeen books include best-selling texts and general audience books on happiness, intuition, and hearing loss.

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Table of Contents

False and Dangerous? 1

My Assumptions 4

Mea Culpa 8

The Dance of Fanatics and Infidels 11

Simplistic Stereotypes 14

The Heart of Science and Religion 17

The Skeptics' Boys Club 22

Inseparable Body and Soul 26

Does Prayer "Work"? 33

The Benevolent, Fine-Tuned Universe 44

Big Ideas and Biblical Wisdom 54

Secularism and Civility 64

God and Gays 74

(Nominal) Religion Feeds Prejudice 82

Godliness and Goodliness 87

Happy Faith-Heads 107

Healthy Faith-Heads 116

Does Explaining Religion Explain It Away? 121

The Leap of Faith 128

Appendix International Society for Science and Religion Statement on Intelligent Design 133

Notes 137

Acknowledgments 150

The Author 152

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