Shouldn't this book be unbiased?

Use this forum to discuss the December 2020 Book of the month, "Wilderness Cry: A Scientific and Philosophical Approach to Understanding God and the Universe" by Hilary L Hunt M.D.
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Lucille27
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Re: Shouldn't this book be unbiased?

Post by Lucille27 »

I would prefer the book not to be biased, yes. However, I do believe that an author has free to explore his or her point of view freely. This book to me seems particularly straight forward in its message. So no, I think you can disagree with the author's bias, but we, as readers, shouldn't demand for a fake objectivity. I think that would be limiting the experience, rather I think we should enrich the discussion and propose why we agree or disagree.
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Post by ReaderAisha2020 »

It should be unbiased, but I guess the author wants to explain his viewpoint and most books in the end are biased to something, even if they provide a lot of evidence. I guess it is for the reader to agree or disagree with the writer
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Post by Tarilan »

The contradictions are so many which makes the writing so biased. It feels like he is ranting rather than speaking his mind. He seems to believe in God although his research proves otherwise.
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Post by hlhunt33 »

I'll try to clear the confusion. We have to define terms. Each religion is a cultist practice based of a set of beliefs (faith) in a mythical god who is presumed to be real. I am mandated to say 'mythical' because, prior to me, no one has ever defined the essence of their god. Absent an essential definition, nothing has meaning. With the aid of knowledge of Quantum Mechanics (particle physics), I was able to philosophically define the essence of God. If there is God, and particle physics makes it more reasonable than not for me, it would be defined thus---God is a Perfect Rational Being. I believe that definition is complete and irrefutable. It has nothing to do with religions except to universally discredit all that have ever existed to date. Faith in God is not synonymous with religion. However, even faith, should have some foundation in fact in order to be rational---the purpose of my book. Hilary Hunt
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Post by Bisqwik »

Religion itself isn't a definitive subject that can have an objective point of view. By definition it is a belief held. You could say that history, or current events and standings could be objectively argued. There is no unbiased view in good and evil, or in balancing morals. It's impossible to profess one's own beliefs in such in an unbiased way. Humans have biases unless its known and proven fact. If an unbiased book on this type is possible it would be bare bones history.
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Post by CGO »

The author is allowed to be biased, as this is just his opinion. It is almost not possible to be unbiased when it concerns religion.
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Post by Laura Britos »

Kaye_Bo2020 wrote: 02 Dec 2020, 20:13 I feel that being unbiased in this case would be hard as he came to these conclusions by not only life experiences, but also by what he has learned. To come to a conclusion by ones experiences instead of a scientific experiment or study that you are not involved in makes bias almost certain.
I agree with you, there is no way that you can be absolutely impartial when it comes to conclusions that you have drawn yourself. However, I think that sometimes being biases does not allow you to see things from another perspective and that imperils your understanding of situations.
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Post by Mariana Figueira »

I think it´s very difficult to have an impartial point of view when it comes to faith and religion, whether science is included in the mix or not. Or maybe it´s just that I don´t see myself ever being unprejudiced in this subject
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Post by Sithmi »

The religion is approached through science and philosophy in this book. Therefore, I think the author has tried stay unbiased.
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Post by Wy_Bertram »

I think it would be difficult to walk the middle. Religion, for the most part, is a thing of personal interpretation, and this book could be considered to be the author's own opinions, which would be naturally biased.
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Post by Iva Stoyanova »

CGO wrote: 09 Jan 2021, 18:26 The author is allowed to be biased, as this is just his opinion. It is almost not possible to be unbiased when it concerns religion.
I agree with you. When it comes to religion it's totally normal for a person to be biased. Also, it's absolutely the author's right to be biased. It's his own book after all, and he has the freedom to share his own opinion on the matter.
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Post by Adanna Inya »

When it comes to faith and religion, we can't honestly be unbiased. Moreso, these are totally the author's opinion, so yes, there'd be a truckload of bias.
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Post by Bigwig1973 »

I think that you are right in saying that it shouldn't be as biased. I was really looking forward to reading a positive, or at least a neutral viewpoint of how he viewed God. I studied philosophy and so, I was a little bummed that he spent a lot of time arguing against the church. Not that his arguments against the church are incorrect from his perspective, but at one point he writes (can't think of where in the book it was) that such-and-such is perfect for what it is, yet he cannot grant the church this leeway - that the church is trying to do the best it can given the circumstances at hand. Almost as if his experience with people indicates that he has run into a lot of folks who aren't even trying at all, and he then displaces this apathy towards the church. I could be wrong, but that seems to be a possibility. The overall theories are interesting, and although I don't personally think them very practical or realistic, that doesn't make his arguments wrong, but that also wouldn't make my own counterarguments wrong.
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Post by dianaterrado »

gabrielletiemi wrote: 01 Dec 2020, 11:34 The author has a biased point of view since he clearly states that religion is a hoax and he claims that the Church has been wrong for a long time. Do you think that being biased in a book that seeks to prove God's essence with scientifical arguments is valid? In my opinion, the author should be impartial, bringing points against and in favor of religion, but that's not what we see in this book.
It did seem like the author was unbiased toward one side. I don't blame him though. Sometimes authors present ideas that are fully from their own perspective. The author came across as biased because this is her beliefs but could not possibly be every readers'.
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Post by Goral »

I agree with you...the opinions that the author has expressed about Christianity, the church and the bible are undoubtedly biased and may hurt the sentiments of people who are associated with it. I think the author could have presented his points in a more impartial way and the book could have been better
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