Friendly Letter Skeptics & Ath

by David G. Myers

Book Overview

A Friendly Letter to Skeptics and Atheists helps readers--both secular and religious--appreciate their common ground. For those whose thinking has moved from the religious thesis to the skeptical antithesis (or vice versa), Myers offers pointers to a science-respecting Christian synthesis. He shows how skeptics and people of faith can share a commitment to reason, evidence, and critical thinking, while also embracing a faith that supports human...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470290277
• ISBN13: 9780470290279
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A very friendly letter

This is a very pleasant and gentle book. It offers the dogmatic atheists a chance to consider that, "there may be more than this" and "there may be a different way of seeing these issues." It's well written and covers a large number of topics that can divide atheists from Christians. This book is a warm hand stretched out across these divides, inviting atheists to come and see how things look from the other side. It's not asking them to convert, just to reconsider their views, or to acknowledge that there are other valid viewpoints. There's an element that you may be able to lead a horse to water, but not be able to get them to drink, even if the peanuts are well salted and the horse thirsty. This book is a gentle invitation, but I suspect some reactions to it may not be as gentle and considered. I recommend this book to atheists as a generous invitation to explore other ways of viewing things, and to see that there may be more in theism than you realise.

Civil, Intelligent Reply to the New Atheist Wave

The author, a psychologist, responds briefly but well to the "new atheist" wave of Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins et al. At first I thought his approach was, frankly too "friendly," to the point of seeming timid and insubstantial, but as this brief book goes on it gets more impressive. What's really neat is the way Meyers seems to address just about every controversial subject imaginable--evolution, intelligent design, gays, the mind-body connection--without being dishonestly reductive. None of the sections are meant to be thorough explorations of the particular topic: they only offer more inclusive ways to think about each topic so as to allow for faith.

Walking the tightrope

Myers respectfully defends his faith to skeptical scientists as only a fellow empiricist could. Through a series of short chapters Myers takes up the critical points of the neoatheists with an engaging "Yes, but have you thought about this?" approach. Faithheads will welcome the clarity with which Myers comes to their rescue. However, they too will find themselves challenged, reexamining their beliefs, assumptions and even their practices.

perfect timing: the necessary bridge between seemingly disparate worlds

I just finished David Myers' latest book in his never ending quest to write enough to fill a book shelf in my basement. I think this is his 17th book. He has earned the trust of readers with his careful scholarship and willingness to share his personal beliefs and biases so that we know where he stands on issues so that we can formulate our own interpretation. If only more authors did this. Its brief, extremely readable, and as only David can do, he burrows through the nuances between people who are religious and people who don't believe in a supernatural, higher power with gentleness and humility to uncover common ground. If read with a receptive, open mind by enough people, I suspect this book can make a real difference. From my reading, the goal is not to change anyone's belief system. Whether you believe that religious works were written by excellent human storytellers or whether you believe that freethinkers are missing out on the big picture, this book provides a case for why there is no reason for animosity and hatred to spillover between these groups. Sure, there are plenty of things I disagree with but as Myers points out, it is only from arguments between friends that hatred will dissipate. good stuff. if only this level of discourse could play out on the larger stage of politics and policy makers. If only people could say what they really think and be respectful and curious about the other side (resisting labels, categories, and preconceived notions). I am glad he has the courage to tackle the difficult, hot button issues. As long as we play it safe with our articles, books, and discussions, the impact of any writer, thinker, and public figure will be unnecessarily capped. Hearty skepticism, debate, arguments, and questioning have to be part of our toolbox. Still not enough of it. I hope people read this as a complement to the other excellent books out there by evolutionary psychologists (The Moral Animal) and philosophers (Dawkins, Harris, Dennett, Shermer, etc.).

A "Friendly" Approach to Bridging the Chasm Over Faith from a Noted Scholar in Psychology

Dr. David Myers easily could rest on his laurels as the author of the most widely studied psychology text on college campuses. In fact, much of his time is consumed, these days, researching the cutting edge of psychological research to prepare future editions of his textbooks. But, in his mid-60s, his lifetime as a scholar, a teacher and a man of deep faith has driven him toward another vocation: Building bridges that may help millions of us to cross over the social chasms of our age. This includes his work on improving conditions in public places for hearing-impaired people and encouraging a fresh discussion between gay and heterosexual people over faith. If you're interested in those themes, take a look at his earlier books, "A Quiet World: Living with Hearing Loss" and "What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage." Dr. Myers is an equal-opportunity bridge builder. His eye, his mind and his heart all are focused on the timeless promise of compassionate community that lies at the heart of nearly all of our faith traditions. What fuels his work, year after year, is his vision of what he calls "human flourishing by making sense of the universe, giving meaning to life, connecting us in supportive communities, mandating altruism and offering hope in the face of adversity and death." That's a pretty good summary of the purpose of faith, right? He's really preaching a message that's universal. Who could disagree with these goals? And yet -we do find so many issues around which we want to hunker down and dig deep trenches between "us" and "them." What's so fascinating in recent years is that people of faith suddenly discovered that an influential group of best-selling writers, commonly called "the new atheists," had completely outflanked the religious community. These elite writers are digging their own trenches to separate their new circle of voices from the religious community they seem to despise. One thing you must understand about Dr. Myers -- and I know this from talking with him and occasionally interviewing him in depth over the years -- is that he's got a boundless, constructive optimism in the way he approaches all questions. In short, think of Mister Rogers. About the same time as the release of Myers' book, Michael Novak released "No One Sees God: The Dark Night of Atheists and Believers," a book with a similar purpose -- a full-scale response to the new atheists. Novak's book also is a good read on these issues, raising fresh examples and arguments that are different in a number of ways from Myers' own approaches. But the central difference here, I think, is that Novak's book is more muscular, more strident, more the voice of a debater in a TV studio. Novak's book is more Catholic in its cultural references; Myers' is more mainline Protestant. Both books are good choices, if you're an individual reader wanting to weigh both sides in this fascinating debate. If you're looking for material to read in a small di