Official Review: God Versus The Idea of God

[T_Elizabeth]

Based off of your review, I will definitely be looking into this book more. I love reading about the concept of religion, so this sounds right up my alley. Thanks!

[Excitedreads]

I myself find this one highly controversial... I don't think I possess an open enough mind to entertain the idea of God being created as a "yearning to mankind". I may get too emotional and want to pelt my device away. That being said, I throroughly enjoyed your review. It sounded sophisticated, and well thought out. I especially love your use of quotes from the novel. So thank you, and well done.

[Cloe101]

I love your review though i don't think i would read the book because i don't question religion. It is nice to know that the author is lenient in his arguments. Thanks for the review.

I also liked that about the book.

[geoffrey ngoima]

Thanks so much, guys, for finding the time to post...

@ Cloe101, thanks, am your fan too,...

@Marylynn, I also liked that about this book ...

@T_Elizabeth, let me know what you think when you read it...

@Excitedreads, hahaha, that was funny, & I'm humbled, & like I told you, you're still up there over me so It was really impossible not to use the quotes in this one and basically religious genres. I feel a lot can be learnt from their inclusion than exclusion. It's good to learn what people are thinking/cooking up out there if you have the stomach for it. ...

[MsTri]

I saw this one to do, myself, but thought it might piss me off and after reading your review, I see I was right. I'm glad you managed to get through it and give your thoughts on it, though.

[geoffrey ngoima]

I saw this one to do, myself, but thought it might piss me off and after reading your review, I see I was right. I'm glad you managed to get through it and give your thoughts on it, though.

Haha, that was funny... thank you, MsTri,

[Nthabeleng]

Thanks for the insightful review, I love reading religious books.

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

Interesting book. I must admit, I also disagree with most teaching of most churches. After reading the bible as a whole a came to realize there are a lot of inconsistencies between what churches teach and what the bible teaches. Did you know that the Council of Nicaea, during Emperor Constantine's time, decided to include the teaching of the Trinity into Christianity to attract the masses? I wonder what ideas the author presents. I am interested in this book.

[geoffrey ngoima]

Thanks for the insightful review, I love reading religious books.

Thank you, Nthabeleng, let me know what you think when you read it...

@Kelebogile... I didn't know that, ...though I've always thought that we (humans) are three in one, i.e., body, soul and Spirit; & seeing as we're created in God's image, God's also 3 in 1; Body (Jesus), Soul (The Father), and Spirit (The Holy Ghost); 1 and the same, just as you are one and the same. Just my thoughts, I'd like to know your thoughts...

[eelavahs-jay]

Excellent review. I definitely think that with the evolution of science it's becoming more difficult people for to believe in anything they can't see. I'm not quite sure this book is for me because I'm still trying to connect with my Christian faith and this sounds like it'll make me more objective than I already am There are some things I don't think I'll ever understand and you brought it up in your review. How can we be evil if we're made in the image of God? And if Jesus and God aren't the same why do we worship Jesus?

You know what, I just might read this book. It seems I'm not the only one questioning these things.

Why would God not destroy the devil instead of leaving him to run a rampage on Earth? I mean, if we're to take Revelations and the story of Noah's arc into consideration then the almighty obviously has no qualms about destroying the wicked

I'm rambling...forgive me. Okay, maybe it isn't such a good idea to read this book. I'm indecisive.

[geoffrey ngoima]

Excellent review. I definitely think that with the evolution of science it's becoming more difficult people for to believe in anything they can't see. I'm not quite sure this book is for me because I'm still trying to connect with my Christian faith and this sounds like it'll make me more objective than I already am There are some things I don't think I'll ever understand and you brought it up in your review. How can we be evil if we're made in the image of God? And if Jesus and God aren't the same why do we worship Jesus?

You know what, I just might read this book. It seems I'm not the only one questioning these things.

Why would God not destroy the devil instead of leaving him to run a rampage on Earth? I mean, if we're to take Revelations and the story of Noah's arc into consideration then the almighty obviously has no qualms about destroying the wicked

I'm rambling...forgive me. Okay, maybe it isn't such a good idea to read this book. I'm indecisive.

Actually it's admirable, it's good to question, I've done it, still do, but your heart must be in the right place.

My two cents on this? You have to seek tHe truth and not just some principle that would make one's way of living convenient for one. Look, evil had to be there because Choice was there. For you to choose there must be options, bad or good; otherwise, we would have been robots. Evil is just a tool used by God to perpetuate choice, and it is us that perpetuate evil (money/power is the root of all evil). If evil is too much it has to be destroyed, obviously, otherwise, the world would be too corrupt to be salvaged (but with God nothing's impossible, so.) About Jesus, this is what I told someone in this very thread "@Kelebogile... I didn't know that, ...though I've always thought that we (humans) are three in one, i.e., body, soul and Spirit; & seeing as we're created in God's image, God's also 3 in 1; Body (Jesus), Soul (The Father), and Spirit (The Holy Ghost); 1 and the same, just as you are one and the same. Just my thoughts, I'd like to know your thoughts... ' "

My only doubt about the Bible is the hell phenomenon. I don't see the need to subject people to eternal damnation for things they did in 10 or 20 or 50 or even 150 years in this cruel world. The word eternal mixed with damnation is just a little too cruel for any reason and for whoever is administering the judgment, even God. I always felt that tidbits about the Bible were just altered/added by the Roman or whoever was powerful enough to do it. Even the Bible itself says it can be altered and pronounces judgment on anyone who would. & what is the age limit of going to hell, anyway? 12? 15? 18? I just find it hard to see kids burning in hell. Forever!

-- 02 Oct 2017, 11:57 --

The hell scriptures are just interpreted wrongly, you'd have to have a bigger picture of the Bible message to get it...
When you really think about it (and from the evidence of countless scripture verses like Romans 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death [not eternal damnation], but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord." that discount eternal damnation. There's hell and it's eternal fires but no eternal damnation, well, at least for humans, according to my (and I believe the correct) Bible interpretation.

[mumoscar]

People who campaign for change are simply daring; writing on such a controversial subject ain't easy for someone not ready to receive critique positively. Your review is analytically impressive.

[Gifty Naa Akushia]

Good work am very much interested in books with religious implications especially of the Christian religion. Will pick it up too.

[Alicnim]

Interesting book. I must admit, I also disagree with most teaching of most churches. After reading the bible as a whole a came to realize there are a lot of inconsistencies between what churches teach and what the bible teaches. Did you know that the Council of Nicaea, during Emperor Constantine's time, decided to include the teaching of the Trinity into Christianity to attract the masses? I wonder what ideas the author presents. I am interested in this book.

This concept of the holy trinity was actually adopted from the Egyptians and Hinduism. Religion really is not an easy subject for most people, changing thousands of years of indoctrination doesn't change overnight. Great review Geoffrey.

[sj_robert]

Excellent review. I definitely think that with the evolution of science it's becoming more difficult people for to believe in anything they can't see. I'm not quite sure this book is for me because I'm still trying to connect with my Christian faith and this sounds like it'll make me more objective than I already am There are some things I don't think I'll ever understand and you brought it up in your review. How can we be evil if we're made in the image of God? And if Jesus and God aren't the same why do we worship Jesus?

You know what, I just might read this book. It seems I'm not the only one questioning these things.

Why would God not destroy the devil instead of leaving him to run a rampage on Earth? I mean, if we're to take Revelations and the story of Noah's arc into consideration then the almighty obviously has no qualms about destroying the wicked

I'm rambling...forgive me. Okay, maybe it isn't such a good idea to read this book. I'm indecisive.

Actually it's admirable, it's good to question, I've done it, still do, but your heart must be in the right place.

My two cents on this? You have to seek tHe truth and not just some principle that would make one's way of living convenient for one. Look, evil had to be there because Choice was there. For you to choose there must be options, bad or good; otherwise, we would have been robots. Evil is just a tool used by God to perpetuate choice, and it is us that perpetuate evil (money/power is the root of all evil). If evil is too much it has to be destroyed, obviously, otherwise, the world would be too corrupt to be salvaged (but with God nothing's impossible, so.) About Jesus, this is what I told someone in this very thread "@Kelebogile... I didn't know that, ...though I've always thought that we (humans) are three in one, i.e., body, soul and Spirit; & seeing as we're created in God's image, God's also 3 in 1; Body (Jesus), Soul (The Father), and Spirit (The Holy Ghost); 1 and the same, just as you are one and the same. Just my thoughts, I'd like to know your thoughts... ' "

My only doubt about the Bible is the hell phenomenon. I don't see the need to subject people to eternal damnation for things they did in 10 or 20 or 50 or even 150 years in this cruel world. The word eternal mixed with damnation is just a little too cruel for any reason and for whoever is administering the judgment, even God. I always felt that tidbits about the Bible were just altered/added by the Roman or whoever was powerful enough to do it. Even the Bible itself says it can be altered and pronounces judgment on anyone who would. & what is the age limit of going to hell, anyway? 12? 15? 18? I just find it hard to see kids burning in hell. Forever!

-- 02 Oct 2017, 11:57 --

The hell scriptures are just interpreted wrongly, you'd have to have a bigger picture of the Bible message to get it...
When you really think about it (and from the evidence of countless scripture verses like Romans 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death [not eternal damnation], but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord." that discount eternal damnation. There's hell and it's eternal fires but no eternal damnation, well, at least for humans, according to my (and I believe the correct) Bible interpretation.

Are you by any chance a Jehovah's Witness? I had a close friend once who introduced me to an alternative concept of Hell which is quite similar to what you've stated. I strongly believe that religion is a political tool and that Hell was an actual Sulphur mine located in medieval Palestine (the burning sulphur and brimstone bit). Nice review Geoffrey.