Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe |  | Author: Greg Epstein
Publisher: William Morrow
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Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 2051
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3
ISBN: 0061670111
Dewey Decimal Number: 171.2
EAN: 9780061670114
ASIN: 0061670111
Publication Date: November 1, 2009 (New: Last 30 Days)
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Product Description
An inspiring and provocative exploration of an alternative to traditional religion by the Humanist chaplain at Harvard University With the current state of the economy, the ongoing wars that rage across the globe, and the unsettling changes to the earth's climate, questions about the role of God and religion in world affairs have never been more relevant or felt more powerfully. Many of us are searching for a place where we can find not only facts and scientific reason but also hope and the moral courage needed to overcome such challenges. For some, answers to the most challenging questions are found in the divine. For others, including the New Atheists, religion has no place in the world and is, in fact, an "enemy." But in Good Without God, Greg Epstein presents another, more balanced and inclusive response: Humanism. With a focus on the positive, he highlights humanity's potential for goodness and the ways in which Humanists lead lives of purpose and compassion. Humanism can offer the sense of community we want and often need in good times and bad, as we celebrate marriages and the birth of our children, and as we care for those who are elderly or sick. In short, Humanism teaches us that we can lead good and moral lives without supernaturalism, without higher powers . . . without God. In this constructive response not only to his fellow atheists Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris but also to contemporary religious leaders such as Rick Warren and Jim Wallis, Epstein makes a bold claim for what nonbelievers do share and believe. At a time when the debate about morality rages more fiercely than ever—and when millions are searching for something they can put their faith in—Humanism offers a comfort and hope that affirms our ability to live ethical lives of personal fulfillment, aspiring together for the greater good of all.
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| Customer Reviews:
Agree With Oprah November 19, 2009
F. Miller
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Oprah, who has achieved the status of a multibillion-dollar cultural
phenomenon by offering a hopeful spirituality that can be hard to pin down
as either religious or secular, often encourages her audiences to "connect
yourself to the source, I call it God, you can call it whatever you want to, the
force, nature, Allah, the power
I read the first chapter Pdf file. The book is inspiring and balanced. Yes within all human systems religion, education, even science there is still darkness Yet whatever our particular belief systems god or no god, we humans are all struggling with finding meaning to our existence.
I find it interesting that Mr Murrow is the humanistic chaplain at Harvard.
Very cool. So even if there is no god ministers and chaplains will not be out of work.
Something else that fascinates me is that that many people who say they believe in god don't really know god or show any evidence that they work with him. So they really are atheists in actuality.
Also what interested me is that much of this discussion is about religion. All religion is simply made up. That is why it is all so confusing.
All conceptions of god are simply made up.
Now this is my experience. When I want to reach a goal I simply right it down on a piece of paper. I don't use my rational mind primarily. I just let the power take care of it. I use altered states of awareness (relaxation) (alpha-theta) gained by tapping on acupressure points (EFT) and relaxation tapes. I rely on intuition and reason. I usually reach my goal sooner or later. Is god helping me? Maybe-Maybe not!
Now I find one thing quite interesting is that atheists and agnostics have lower divorce rates the church people.
Scientific studies by Herbert Benson MD and Andrew Newberg MD are helping to lead us to greater understanding of the human brain and spirituality.
I am looking forward to a marriage of science and spirituality. I am looking forward to getting away from dogmatic fundamentalist belief whether it be religious, scientific, or atheistic.
A Book for Thinking People November 18, 2009
Terri
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
About 100 pages into this book. Clearly written, logical, intelligent and fair-minded. It should be read by theists as well as non-theists.
Pure goodness November 13, 2009
Hande Z (Singapore)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
Epstein espouses Humanistic judaism. He explains that Jewishness is a cultural thing and not necessarily a religious belief, hence, one can be a Jew without believing in god. He also explained that Humanism is about "Dignity" and the idea of living our lives well, in pure altruistic fashion, which is an end in itself; and more importantly, that we can do so without believing in gods of any kind. Non-religious people can and are good people. He pointed out that if they weren't good without god, why are they not out marauding and killing people. He also explained why we can and are good without god, and added a clear chapter on how this can be achieved. Humanism has a dash of existentialism in it, as he says, "like it or not, we are responsible for what we do about it all in this life". Referring to Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" he says that "it is the height of arrogance to be so openly prejudiced against those who agree with him about the need for purpose but prefer Islam, Judaism, or simply the Humanist faith in our ability and responsibility to build a healthier world for the sake of our loved ones and all humanity." Warren believed and wrote that Christianity is the only way to a higher purpose in life and detractors face tan eternity in hell. So much for Christian love. It appears clearly from this book that the popular Christian retort that atheism, Darwinism (and Humanism) are also religions is erroneous in that religion is only a semantic turn of phrase. The crucial issue is not whether one's beliefs are necessarily religious, but whether we believe that there is such a thing as god, and whether we can be good without believing in that being. This was a very lucid, enlightening book, written in the most humble, unprovocative language.
"Good Without God" is just plain good. November 4, 2009
David K. Chivers (Wilbraham, MA USA)
53 out of 55 found this review helpful
A lot of books have been written in the last few years exploring whether or not there is a God. This is not one of them.
Refreshingly, Greg Epstein starts a step further down along the line of debate. His premise, stated simply, is this; However they got there, there is now a significant portion of the population who simply do not believe in God. And yet most of them (including himself)live what would be thought of by most as perfectly "good" lives, raising their children, taking care of their parents, helping out in the community, and the like. They are people you would like to have as neighbors. So if they don't believe in God, why do they act in this way? Why aren't they all out marauding, looting and pillaging? If not God, what do they believe in?
Of course, there is no one answer. But in a straight-forward, learned, yet conversational style, Epstein takes us on a brief tour of the history of non-religious based thought and ethics (which extends back as far as religious history.) He then turns to explaining a simple, rational, functional basis for exploring morality and ethics in society, and how one can do this by synthesizing the lessons of history and human experience, aided by science and research. But Epstein's emphasis is on the story of the human experience. He recognizes there are needs beyond cold rationalism to find out what is important in life. There is a place for a sense of awe, for humility, for art and nature. But he finds it in places other than a belief in God.
Epstein knows that atheism is a negative statement, that is to say, a statement of what is not believed rather than what is believed. This leads him to spend the later chapters in an explanation of Humanism, a "lifestance" (his word, which I like immensely) rather than a religion, encompassing a view of life in which compassion, joy, service and human interaction is lived and celebrated for its own sake. One of the strengths of the book is that this Lifestance is not presented in a confrontational mode. He does not shape this explanation in terms of "this is better than religion" although it is clear it makes more sense to him. Rather, it is presented as a "here is what I believe, and more importantly, why it makes sense to me" fashion. He is quick, and even eager, to point out that many of the ideas that shape Humanism are recognizble in religious traditions as well. These lessons are not to be tossed out just because one doesn't believe in God. Some still make sense, some do not. His emphasis throughout is that the important thing is what people do and how they behave to each other.
The books of Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Christopher Hitchens argue that belief in God makes no sense. If your question is whether there is a god, then read those authors (and their religious counterparts.) But if you are now at a place where that question is settled, the question that then presents itself is- how do I live my life? Greg Epstein provides an answer in this excellent book, which is sure to be a work that will resonate for years to come.
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