Rating: 
Summary: absoluetly essential
Review: mr. smith's book is insightful, concise, accurate, witty, clever and thought-provoking. he uses logic and reason to demonstrate his point, and never makes cheap shots or resorts to childish arguments."the case against god" delves into some pretty complex philsophical territory, but i never felt lost, thanks to the authors clear definitions and examples. and, not only does mr. smith explain why and how the belief in God or gods is irrational and unnecissary, but he talks at length on the perils and problems of the Christian faith, and of religion in general. if you are doubtful about your beliefs, or simply want an intelligent, well-researched beginner's guide to atheism and what it stands for, i recommend this book very highly.
Rating: 
Summary: No Real Problem, Except the Insults
Review: Ok, now I have nothing againts Atheists (I am a Christian), but as I looked into religious books in a bookstore, I saw this and was curious so read a few pages. Quickly I learned that many of George's points are insulting God-believers, saying Christians are irrational for believing something so absurd? Being Christian, yeah I shouldn't have looked at it in the first place, but not only is this man trying to prove points about Atheism (and even though he says he is not, he is trying to turn people into Atheists) but he insults God-believers on many levels. This is a Christian-cruel man who may or may not realize what he is saying. I could write my own book on proving points in Christianity, but he shouldn't talk the way he does. I'm not giving it one star because he does have some good points for you Atheists out there.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This is book is great.There seriously should be more books out there about the facts of atheism and what it truly means.George H. Smith is outstanding.
Rating: 
Summary: The case against Christianity
Review: That is how I would describe this book. While it does give one a good working introduction and defense of atheism, the book is really a polemic against Christianity. I'm not saying this is in any way bad, or that the book doesn't succeed to some degree in that regard, but I am saying that it is probably a mistake to overstate the book's scope, and therefore its accomplishments. After introducing the reader to atheism, and clearing up some misconceptions about it often promulgated by theists (i.e., Christians), the author begins his attack on arguments for God. Here he is mostly successful. But again, it must be kept in mind that consideration is only given to arguments put forth by Christian apologists, many of which are somewhat dated now and not considered terribly sophisticated. The author of course does not address the many profound complications (and possible 'gotchas' for the theist to counter with) that arise as it becomes more and more evident that information, cognition, and 'reality' are far more interconnected than had been previously thought possible; e.g., see John Wheeler's "Participatory Principle," or Christopher Michael Langan's "Cognitive-Theoretic Model of the Universe," among many others. The latter part of the book deals with ethics in general, and specifically the ethical problems inherent to Christianity. Again, the author is very effective here, especially so as he demonstrates the serious (and very real) deficiencies in Christian moral doctrine. While he also introduces us to his preferred alternative, a rational system of ethics where happiness acts as a terminal value, this is too brief an introduction for the reader to be convinced. And the breadth of the discussion is too narrow as well since, as other reviewers have pointed out, almost all of author's ideas are based on Ayn Rand's philosophy. Unlike some though, I do not have a problem with Ayn Rand per se; it's just that diversity in the discussion would have been helpful, and probably more convincing -- i.e., we suspect Ayn Rand is not the only non-Christian philosopher to have considered the problems of ethics and morality. Finally, while it's not perfect and probably doesn't live up to all of the claims made about it, I can see why this book remains so popular. It really is something that everyone should read, no matter what their background or current beliefs. This book can only further one's understanding of the complex issues that we all must wrestle with!
Rating:
Summary: A bit slow at the beginning, but a good read.
Review: The beginning is a bit slow and tedious. But for a good reason. In order to intelligently discuss the topic of the book terms must be well defined, and that is what the beginning does. I was an Atheist, a deconverted Christian, before I read the book. The book has just convinced me even more. By providing even more sound arguments than those that lead me to this more moral philosophy from the corrupt concept of Christianity. Like many of the great authors of Atheistic literature George Smith is a converted leader of religion. He was a Jesuit Priest who discovered problems with his religion and rather than ignore these problems (like many Theists) he decided to pursue the truth. As the bible says, "The Truth will set you free". This book lays down a path to the truth. It is also said, Religion must be examined thoroughly. Because if it is true our lives should be devoted to it alone, and if false it is the greatest travesty in all of human-kind. Before any thinking person commits their life to a dogma, the concepts of the dogma should be thoroughly examined. This book does that, at least for Christianity. Another thing this book does, that I am very grateful for, is introduce the concept of "Rational Ethics". When the good person realizes that their Ethics have been based on a lie, they of course abandon those Ethics. But, what Ethics do you install in their place? The answer is provided in this book. Rational Ethics are the only ethics that made sense in the world today, and (as the books shows) are superior to Christian ethics. Thank you George Smith, for having the courage to write this wonderful piece of literature!
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating, but didn't convince me
Review: Don't get me wrong, George Smith raises some interesting points about why there might not be a God. Most importantly, I think, is the question of, if there is a God, who created him? But I believe that humans, being above animals, have a God-hunger, and all of us have a Higher Power of some kind that we believe in, and Smith, whether he realizes it or not, is no exception. His "God" is reason. If he cannot make it fit into reason, then he does not believe in it. That is fine for him, and more power to him. But the reality is, he is no more of an atheist than I am, as a Christian.
The biggest flaw in the book was that it focused too much on refuting the Christian God over refuting other gods. It seemed to me that Smith had an ax to grind. Maybe he has a point. Too many atrocities have been committed in the name of the Christian God, but is it the fault of God, or those who have chosen to warp God's message? Finally, his final chapters on ethics is disturbing. It seems that his "reasonable" take on ethics is that we should do what ought to make us happy, as opposed to what we are guilted into by Christian ethics. But Christian ethics are about everyone putting the welfare of others first; if we all did that, then we all would be truly joyous, which is deeper than a mere superficial happiness, and we would live in peace. As usual, I am being somewhat utopian, but I believe that if we believed in God's kingdom here on earth, we could achieve that state.
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Summary: Until I read this book, I was an Atheist . . .
Review: . . . and I still am, and according to George H. Smith, so are you, and so is everyone. By one definition that Mr. Smith presents, an atheist, or someone who is without a deity, is someone who exists in the absence of a supernatural deity. Thus, if there is no god, all the people who say they believe are merely self-deluded atheists. A lovely definition, that counters the popular Judeo-Christian definition of an atheist as someone who knows there is a god but chooses to hate him and turn against him. By the atheist definition, we are all atheists. By the theist definition, we are all theists. How wonderfully egocentric of both groups! By the way, have you ever considered the fact that atheists exist is irrefutable proof that, if a god should happen to exist, he is either not all-powerful, or, worse, is a self-doubting atheist who chose to create atheists on earth in his image as his Chosen People. What if atheists are the only ones who are even close to having it right, we are the only ones going to heaven, and all the non-atheists are doomed? Ever think of that?
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Summary: I was a Christian before I read this book....
Review: ...and I still am. But read on, this is a review. I believe in a God who allows us to honestly and openly search and question truth. Why? Well, if, as I believe, he's the embodiment of truth and of honesty, then what does he have to fear? Anyway, the book, the book...Smith writes well and his arguments flow sensibly. His points are clear and he does not tend to hang on a point too long once he's made it. It was a good mental workout to read because he raises issues that I'd never considered before. However, I only give it 3 stars because I'm 19 and am not wise with age, yet I could easily defeat every anti-god and anti-God argument Smith brought to the table (foundationally and at each point) with quotes directly from the Bible and occasionally from the worldview I derive directly from it. I recommend reading this book, critically as anyone thinking person should, and I would also recommend C.S. Lewis's shorter books, Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain. The books are written on about the same level as The Case Against God and will give you two sides of a debate so you can do something many Christians and atheists seem to fail at: weigh evidence and truly make your own decision. We all owe it to ourselves to make the best decision we can. Did you meet every "Christian" and "atheist" alive and learn their motives? Have you read every book written? Did you stand by as the galaxies began their spins? No, so do not judge before you discover at least a little. Don't count God out yet. Neither count him in. This book puts up a well-written fight against him, so read it if you haven't already.
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Summary: This says it all
Review: Smith says that he is not trying to convert anyone to atheism, but ultimately that doesn't matter, because anyone who isn't converted by this book is intentionally shutting his eyes, plugging his ears, and saying, "I don't care! I don't care! I believe in God because...well...because I do...and because I always have." Smith's is a comprehensive, systematic, meticulous, thorough, objective, logical, and irrefutable account. As reviewers below have said, Smith doesn't actually need to prove that there is no God in order to logically defend atheism--merely to show that theism has not proven its case sufficiently. But in fact, Smith essentially does prove that the idea of God is untenable. Briefly, there are a few points Smith makes that really stick with me (though all of his points are powerful and powerfully argued). One, that the "ace-in-the-hole" arguments of theism are irrational: one of them being that "faith" is a valid procedure for explaining the universe, another being the First Cause and design arguments for creation. Two, that one of the main reasons people are so reluctant to reject theism is that, as a method of intellectual intimidation, given their lack of rational support, theists have always equated atheism with immorality. Well, as Smith points out, if this is the case, then by being born into the world we should condemn children as immoral, since they have not yet been exposed to theism and thus by definition are atheists. All that theists have been able to resort to is this sort of intimidation--not to mention threats of eternal hellfire--in order to browbeat people into their beliefs. Finally, Smith shows that our faculties of reason are all we need to live a passionate and moral life, and that those same faculties of reason demonstrate theism to be nonsense, by definition. Perhaps his most poignant statement is that, despite the claims that Christianity makes the world a better place, there is nothing inherently good about a delusion. By rejecting delusion--that is REAL inner peace, not inventing or accepting an unknowable phantom. This book is a must read for anyone with the intellectual honesty to question his or her own beliefs.
Rating:
Summary: George is Thoroughly Good, also read SB 1 or God
Review: What I like about the book is that the language flows so well in definition of its premise. This premise has always been very difficult to convey convincingly. George demonstrates the natural process of advancing life which seems to come from a God in the eyes of most humans. Many arguments yes I agree, but this book is one of the best out right now which stresses its point very intelligently. I suggest a very good book which has a surprising premise on this same subject, SB: 1 or God by Karl Mark Maddox.
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