Rating: Summary: Ok, but not great Review: It had a vew good points, but nothing new and nothing that hasn't been debunked by the atheists/freethinkers out there. To read this book and think that it closes the door on atheism shows a lack of proper research.
Rating: Summary: Ok, but not great Review: It had a vew good points, but nothing new and nothing that hasn't been debunked by the atheists/freethinkers out there. To read this book and think that it closes the door on atheism shows a lack of proper research.
Rating: Summary: Buy this book right now! Review: John Blanchard does an excellent job refuting the logical fallacies of evolution and athiesm. He provides overwhelming evidence for special creation and the reliability and inspiration of the Bible. He also correctly points out the absolute uniqueness of the Christian God. Anyone who reads this book and does not abandon athiesm does so not because the case against their position is weak but because they simply refuse to admit that they are wrong. Christians: buy this book to strengthen your faith and to learn that there really are credible evidences for the "the way, the truth, and the life". Unbelievers: buy this book and read it with an OPEN MIND and get both sides of the story.
Rating: Summary: Thought provoking indeed Review: My thirty-something old son gave me this book because he "believes" considerably more enthusiastically than I do. In fact, as a scientist (Fellow of the American Physical Society) I had come to a view very much characterized as "athiest" by Mr. Blanchard. I found the book, while tedius at times, to be the most thoroughly well reasoned arguments I have ever encountered on behalf of theism. His discussion of cosmology, which I know a bit about as a result of my profesion, convinced me that Blanchard does very good homework. His attack on Darwin has me looking for other books to read. Yes it is true that Blanchard is not a pluralist and treats many other religions unsympathetically, but he does it with the basically logical position that "you either have trust in, and a personal relationship with, an omnipotent God or you don't." Although I attend church with my wife, I haven't been provoked into thinking about these profoundly personal issues so thoroughly since I was in college. I am buying the book for a younger friend of mine presently threatened seriously by cancer. One of Blanchard's quotes hit home. He tells of an athiest who was asked by a family member to join in a visit to someone dying. "The athiest had nothing to say." Its a point.
Rating: Summary: Not since the Wizard of Oz. . . Review: Not since the Wizard of Oz has the ruling and dominant Western mindset been so thoroughly revealed for what it really is...a sham. Blanchard researched this book so thoroughly that it can be said that no stone has been left unturned. The scope and comprehensive nature of the book make it sufficient in itself to address any number of atheistic arguments...a must have for the Christian student in a seculart university who finds himself besieged with antisupernatural arguments which are, in fact weak and without basis. Get it, read it and be enlightened.
Rating: Summary: Valuable, but not quite as thorough as it tries to be Review: This book was helpful to me during a time of questioning in sort of reminding me, a lifelong Christian, why I believe what I believe: for reasons philosophical, ethical, and scientific, and furthermore, the alternatives are all philosophical dead ends if not also simply demonstrably false. The author does a good job in surveying various philosophical outlooks and how they deal with (or simply dismiss _a priori_ by fiat) the question of God. The conclusions he comes to seem quite clear and natural, although of course there is no arguing with the person who simply decides not to believe in God.In the section where he discusses other religions, his tone turns unfortunately dismissive and belittling. I agree with his conclusions, but it may be that this book is a bit too ambitious for its own good; dealing seriously and thoroughly with the beliefs of various religions takes more space than is allotted for it in this already wordy volume, and the brevity of his treatment of the subject is a bit glaring. Although I seriously call into question another reviewer's contention that Blanchard's definition of God would leave most "mainstream Christians" out of the loop (does mainstream now mean "too conventional to care what the Bible says"? If so, then paint me "fundamentalist", and I'll let you follow the crowd), I think Blanchard's tack of fixing the label "atheist" on everyone who disagrees with him is a bit harsh, and not a good way to win people over to your point of view. Overall, though, Blanchard does a very commendable job of bringing discussions of various topics to bear upon the strong and diverse evidence of the reality of the God of the Bible. A funny thing about this book is that sizable swathes of it could simply be titled "John Blanchard vs. Richard Dawkins," as the latter is quoted very liberally here. A debate between the two might be interesting, although it might be said that Dawkins wouldn't even be willing to take seriously the ideas discussed in this book. Does kind of tell you who is *really* small minded after all. By the way, if you'd prefer the point of view of someone who hasn't actually read the book, please proceed to the review below this one... tell a little lie indeed...
Rating: Summary: At least you can see an atheist... Review: Unlike God who no one has seen (at least in 2,000 plus years or so and then only in the collection of stories called the Bible), you can at least see, talk to, and hopefully touch an atheist. This book reminds me of the pitiful attempts by fundies that I grew up with to look intellectual. They set up a straw man (by dumbing down, incorrectly stating and generally taking out of context the philosophical positions of any one who is not born-again) and then proceed to knock it down. An atheist just believes in one less god than the fundies, after all they also don't believe in Zeus, Odin or any one of the 2,000 plus gods mankind has invented in it's history either.
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