Dan Peterson's Recommendation of Four Books For Faith

[_Philo Sofee]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterso ... faith.html

Dan Peterson lists 4 books here that can build faith he says. This list is interesting because I have read these books and enjoyed them as well. But as a counter balance I also have 4 books that call faith into question. In the interest of honest inspection I think all sides ought to be looked at. In that spirit I offer 4 books that quite frankly gives me grave concern about faith. Here is my list. I have no doubts Peterson will not read these as they don't serve his nor the church's interest. So be it. But for those who are willing to see all sides, these 4 books offer a window into a new view. I found them to be 4 of the more powerful books against faith that have found their way into print.

1. George D. Smith, "Nauvoo Polygamy." This one was the most devastating against polygamy I have ever read. The pattern of Joseph Smith with young girls is quite disturbing.

2. Charles Harrell, "This is My Doctrine, The Development of Mormon Theology" writtern by an LDS author, this one is one of the most damaging to what I was taught as a Mormon in my youth. It is so full of contradictions and problematic theology that it blew me away he didn't get fired from BYU for authoring it. Truly an eye opening read showing how there are literally no unique Mormon doctrines that are biblical. Breath taking in its scope.

3. Matthew S. McCormick, "Atheism and the Case Against Christ." This book decimates any kind of faith in God or Jesus that someone might think they have. It is so quite comprehensive and rigorously argued that it bowls you over. Utterly powerful.

4. Dan Barker, "God, the Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction." Taking off on Richard Dawkins morbidly insulting description of God in the Bible, Barker shows systematic Bible verses demonstrating this annihilating truth about God in the Bible. Eye opening horror of the reality of the kind of God the Bible describes. This is the atomic bomb of arguments. There simply is no valid apologetic of any religious stripe in Western Christianity that can refute this, at least not so far as I have seen.

So, in the interest of fullness of disclosure, and a more full, honest, and real analysis, this is the tail side of a coin which apologists only ever show the heads side and try to convince us that is all there is to the coin. It's not. For every book of faith promoting put out by apologists, there are other books refuting their faith promoting. Somewhere there is truth for us to grasp, but it is never only in what apologists will promote. Of that I can honestly truly testify.

[_Jesse Pinkman]

I just downloaded Nauvoo Polygamy. Thanks for the recommendation.

[_Philo Sofee]

I just downloaded Nauvoo Polygamy. Thanks for the recommendation.

That book spooked me and horrified more so than any atheist book I have read...

[_Polygamy-Porter]

Crazy to think about just a few years ago, you were attending the FAIR conferences trying to shmooze with Danny and his Mo'posse.

Now you are critical of him.


You have come a long way!

[_Philo Sofee]

Well I see how one-sided apologetics is. And I couldn't see that before. There is always much more to any issue than from any one particular point of view. That is what I have discovered and I continue to discover and that is why I am so critical of apologists. To pick on Evangelical Christians is to pick on little three year olds and take candy from babies. Anybody can do that but that doesn't mean anything. Take on the real arguments and show me if you got what it takes has become my attitude. Now I'm not all that intelligent so I can't refute these guys, but apologists love to say they are that intelligent but I see them ignoring these guys. It's one of those things that make you go hmmmmm.

[_TrashcanMan79]

Crazy to think about just a few years ago, you were attending the FAIR conferences trying to shmooze with Danny and his Mo'posse.

Now you are critical of him.


You have come a long way!

Fo real!

Philo, are you and DCP still on friendly terms in real life or nah? Not to get all up in your stuff -- just curious.

[_Philo Sofee]

I think he personally took offence against me arguing against him personally. I don't think we're enemies I just don't see it as being buddies that's all. That's too bad in a way because I have nothing against him personally, it's just his arguments that don't hold water. And I suspect he feels like if you refute his arguments you're being hard against him as a person. That's not true I like them as a person I just don't think his apologetics are good answers. I think the same of all apologists but they certainly don't see things that way.

[_Jesse Pinkman]

I think he personally took offence against me arguing against him personally. I don't think we're enemies I just don't see it as being buddies that's all. That's too bad in a way because I have nothing against him personally, it's just his arguments that don't hold water. And I suspect he feels like if you refute his arguments you're being hard against him as a person. That's not true I like them as a person I just don't think his apologetics are good answers. I think the same of all apologists but they certainly don't see things that way.

Hopefully, you and Dan can find a way to still be friends. Dan and I have managed to stay friends over the past 13 years even though we have just agreed to disagree on some issues. He is a good person and has always been supportive to me.

[_Philo Sofee]

I see us as friends, and like you we disagree on a lot. But that has nothing to do with friends or liking or not liking someone. I think a lot of the apologists began attacking me because they take their arguments as personal and if you disagree with them they feel you are attacking them. That is simply not the case. I used a bit of sarcasm in one response and he immediately unfriended me from Facebook when I was on it. I felt bad about it, but well, that's sometimes how it goes. I think Peterson is one of the more productive authors out there, even if largely misguided by so much unsupportable and evidenceless ideology.

[_Polygamy-Porter]

Hopefully, you and Dan can find a way to still be friends. Dan and I have managed to stay friends over the past 13 years even though we have just agreed to disagree on some issues. He is a good person and has always been supportive to me.

F*** Dan and his arrogant BS.

Does he still support you as a fornicating, coffee and alcohol drinking exmormon?

I doubt it.

Not that there is ANYTHING wrong with being a fornicating, coffee and alcohol drinking exmormon