Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality

Rating:
Summary: Sheer brilliance.
Review: I don't think anyone could read this book and not come to the conclusion that Steve Allen was one of the most all-around intelligent and talented public figures of the 20th century. He was truly a worldly scholar. What's more amazing to me is Allen's methodology, relying largely on his own readings and observations from Gideon's Bibles in hotel rooms while on the road.

Allen has long been a man of clear social, moral, and political conscience. He goes to great lengths in this book to keep from confusing the separate aspects of his thought except where it is applicable, and does so to a wonderful effect. His explanations of Biblical persons, places and passages, their history and deeper meanings are written in the truest glory of a rational spirituality the world has yet to realize. Furthermore, his analysis of social issues supposedly stemming from the Bible shows his ability to handle controversial topics carefully while not pulling punches with adversarial positions.

Never once did I feel like I was not dealing with a scholar on these subjects. The decades of work Allen has put into clarifying his own thoughts in these matters shines like a light tower over a dark, foggy sea. This, to my eyes, is the greatest book of its type since Thomas Paine's "The Age of Reason," and in many ways it's better. It not only illuminates what a genius he really was, but also how simple and necessary critical thought is to every one of us.

And to the reviewer who gave this book one star, it is sadly obvious that you did *not* read this book at all. The foreword and introduction alone state that Allen was raised in a strict Irish-Catholic household, was a Catholic until his early 30s when he was excommunicated for his second marriage, and thereafter attended Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles with his wife Jayne and their son. He even makes quite clear in the book that non-belief, to him, is more irrational than belief. But then again, 'twill always be the scholars first who are rooted out as heretics.

If you've ever had questions about the teachings and record of Christianity but still maintain your faith, this book comes to you as highly recommended as possible. It tears down walls and builds spirits.

Rating:
Summary: Decent book on the Bible's indecency
Review: In the introductory notes, Allen says that he hurried this book to press because the rise in fundamentalism had been especially active at the time of publication. I wish that he had spent a little more time on it, to clarify and reorganize his thoughts on some topics. Often, a paragraph seemingly unrelated to the surrounding matter seems to pop up for no reason.

The essays themselves are interesting, and at times thought-provoking. (Especially for anyone who has never put any serious thought into the Bible.) For readers already familiar with the errors and inconsistencies in the Bible, Allens book is interesting, but not particularly ground-breaking.

Overall, a good book, simply because it describes in clear language the insurmountable problems that face Biblical Literalism. Too bad that Allen didn't structure the book as an argument instead of as an encyclopedia -- by the end, the force of the subject matter gets somewhat muted by its repetitiveness and scattershot layout.

-- Marc.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: Simply put this is a great book. Steve Allen provides a very insightful analysis of the Bible and makes it clear (to me at least) that the Bible is in no way the "Word of God" but is instead nothing but a package of myths hodge-podged together. The purpose of this book isn't to say God doesn't exist, Steve Allen made it clear he believed God did exist. Instead the book tears down the literalist belief of the Bible as being dictated by God. Allen also does a great job of exposing the vile and disgusting behavior found throughout the Bible, much of it attributed to God himself. Interesting insights are provided on the origin of some material in the Bible such as the ten commandments as well as new thoughts on Jesus, Moses, abortion, Genesis and "the fall", hell and the Noah flood. This book should be read by everyone, so a more critical eye can be placed on the major religions of the west.

Rating:
Summary: good reading for open minds, critical for closed ones
Review: Steve Allen and Martin Gardner have done a marvleous job pointing out some of the more obvious and egregious examples of problems in the bible, the religious tome embraced by practitioners of the christian religion and viewed as unerring word of god by some particularly fundamentalist practitioners. It is strongly encouraged reading for anyone gullible enough to believe the word of Jerry Falwell and his ilk. One reviewer asked "why bother" writing such a book so critical of the bible? The answer is clear: one need only see the cost in human and environmental harm done by fundamentalists in the name of their religions. They harm not only themselves, their families, and their children. They harm us all, therefore it is critical that their unquestioning faith be doused with cold water such as this book from time to time. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: A brilliant book by a brilliant man!
Review: Steve Allen is America's own Man For All Seasons: There's very little that he has not done. Now, he enters some rather controversial territory by taking a scholarly look at what must be the most misunderstood group of documents of all time -- the Bible. Using logic (and a healthy dose of skepticism) rather than childish/unquestioning/dogmatic orthodoxy, he examines various aspects of Christian so-called "ethics" and "morals"; pointing out instances (in the entry "WAR", for example) where the ideals espoused by people who call themselves "Christians" tend to fall by the wayside when circumstances would seem to demand that they keep to those ideals even more.

He also gives detailed analyses of a number of individual books within the Bible, some of which are devastating in their criticism. (His look at the rape and murder of the Levite's concubine in Judges 19 is especially thought-provoking even in its harshness.)

This reader wishes that he would publish a third tome in this vein as soon as possible!