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Old 05-14-2003, 10:53 AM   #1
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Thumbs up Letters from a Skeptic

This is a really good book so far (I'm about 70 pages in). It is a recording of a correspondance between a young theologian and his athiest/agnostic father about the problems with the Christian faith. The father asks a lot of the same questions that I have been asked a million times on this message board, but the author, Dr. Boyd (being a P.h.d and all) gives much better answers than I could have. It is the paradigm of a civil discussion about Christian beliefs with a skeptic. I'm really enjoying it and would reccomend it.


Edited to add Amazon/IIDB link - liv
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Old 05-17-2003, 03:27 PM   #2
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I finished it.

Seriously, it's good.
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Old 05-17-2003, 03:44 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally posted by luvluv
I finished it.

Seriously, it's good.
You just spoilt the ending for me.

Chris
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Old 05-17-2003, 03:50 PM   #4
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I took a look over at amazon to see if this might really be of interest. The reviews written by readers were far more entertaining than the excerpts from the book. They wane from either being in the choir or they stand ready to stone the guy for heresy. Christians are a funny lot for sure.
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Old 05-17-2003, 06:05 PM   #5
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<chuckle> I loved James Scott's review.

Quote:
. . . The problems stem from the author's first book, Trinity & Process, with its distinctively Liberal Processistic Philosophy approach to understanding Jesus and the Bible. These neo-liberal, non-evangelical presuppositions (interpretive filters) permeate the author's worldview and cast many doubts about crucial matters like an Inerrant Bible without mistakes, the Nature and Attributes of God, how to interpret key Bible passages, the afterlife, the nature of the Future and God's knowledge of it, and how evil plays itself out in a Good God's world. The author gets these critical areas almost 100% wrong, heterodox, aberrant.

. . .

When you read an apologetics book by D.James Kennedy, Josh McDowell, Chuck Smith, Bill Bright, Chuck Swindoll, Hank Hanegraaff, Chuck Colson, Norm Geisler, there is zero concern about whether fundamental doctrines of Christianity will be upended, however subtly or flagrantly. No Holy Ghost alarm bells go off.

But with Boyd's book, red flags and klaxons go off almost every other chapter (except Ch.26-29 which are actually quite good).
The book claims to defend the faith. But which 'faith'?

Like week-old brownies laced with harmful substances, so is this book with enough Gospel to be nourishing, but too much foreign matter (novel ingredients, egg-shells, bacteria) to be passed over for fresher, healthier, safer 'soul food'.
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Old 05-17-2003, 07:18 PM   #6
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From what I've read of the book, the guy treats his dad like an idiot. He constantly keeps bringing up the fact that he has a degree in this crap, using it to beat his dad into submission. It's quite pathetic actually.
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Old 05-18-2003, 07:46 PM   #7
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Cretinist, how far into the book have you gotten?
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Old 05-18-2003, 08:21 PM   #8
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Incidentially, how did this thread get over here? I thought I posted it on the General Religious Discussions board? Can we move it back?
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Old 05-18-2003, 09:30 PM   #9
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I've just read a few sections here and there while sitting in a Christian bookstore.
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Old 05-18-2003, 09:50 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally posted by Cretinist
From what I've read of the book, the guy treats his dad like an idiot. He constantly keeps bringing up the fact that he has a degree in this crap, using it to beat his dad into submission. It's quite pathetic actually.
I have this book (my sunday school teacher gave it to me along with the case for christ and a couple of other books - I think he was trying to save me ).

it's even worse than that, the dad even treats himself as an idiot. He gives up without even defending himself! I tried to read the book for the humor value, but I just couldn't stand it

here's an excerpt from the first letter:

"I find your idea of dialoguing about the subject of Christianity very interesting, and I'd be happy to do it. I've got enough time on my hands. I think you're giving me too much credit though, Greg. [...] I'm not at all firm on what I personally believe - at least not on religious matters. I really don't have a "faith" or "worldview" of any sort. I only know for sure what I don't believe. Also, unlike you, I'm not a trained philosopher, so if you write to me like you wrote in your dissertation, forget it! I won't be able to follow you. So you'll have to keep it simple."

This is basically where I stopped reading.
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