Is Religion Dangerous?

By Keith Ward

Book Overview

Many commentators today claim that religion is dangerous and harmful. In addressing this question, Keith Ward begins by defining what religion actually is and how most human harm has been caused. He then looks at why people say that religion is dangerous, focusing particularly on religious wars and conflicts and on specific attacks on religion, such as the claims that God is wrathful, that religion is intolerant, that religious morality is primitive and cruel. Keith Ward argues that religion produces great good - for example, in terms of hospitals, the abolition of slavery, great art and music, moral heroism, and philosophy and science. Religion, he concludes, is the best rational basis for morality.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0745955304
• ISBN13: 9780745955308
• Release Date: March 2011
• Publisher: Lion Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

A Concise and Intelligent Rebuttal of Atheist Arguments

Is religion dangerous? In recent books, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens argue that it is. Keith Ward disagrees. His new book rebuts four standard atheist arguments: First, religion causes violence, e.g., the Crusades and Islamic terrorism. But as Ward points out, "hatred of life, of others and of oneself" is the cause of violence. Anything human can be corrupted by such hatred, including religion and even atheism. How many millions did Communist regimes kill in the 20th Century, after all? Second, faith is irrational. Specifically, it's unscientific. Ward responds, "Many of the most important beliefs we have in life are not scientifically testable, but we still live our lives by them." Intelligent people believe in God, offer reasons for their beliefs, and practice their faith humanely. They are not irrational. Third, religion promotes immorality. There are many violent stories in the Old Testament that are hard for Christians to explain. But atheists fail to see that such hard cases make bad law. Jesus taught that love of God, neighbor, and self is our basic moral duty (Matthew 22:37-40). What is immoral about that? Fourth, religion is unhealthy. Freud famously called religious belief a neurosis. But citing numerous studies, Ward reaches the opposite conclusion: "the influence of religion on personal life...is overall and in general good." I disagree with Ward here and there. He occasionally defends Islam where I wouldn't. And he makes a few political remarks which I disagree with. But overall, I'm impressed by his concise and intelligent rebuttal of atheist arguments.

A fairly orthodox defense

Prof Ward provides a reasonable and readable rebuttal to the claims that religion itself is dangerous and that teaching about hell, etc. is bad. His perspective is fairly orthodox, though from a Reformed perspective, a bit wanting. Since his defense is slightly more generic, it might have a greater mass appeal. However, one sometimes wishes for a defense of religion from the revelation of Christianity itself (maybe even a la Barth). Suitable for nearly anyone who has a high school diploma.

An excellent and thought-provoking book

This excellently-written and very readable book has 200 pages dealing with this most modern of issues - is religion dangerous? Keith Ward explores how we define religion and the ways in which religions and groups can be seen to be `dangerous' where their intent might be quite the opposite. I liked the way that he drew examples from all aspects of life and history - Christianity, Islam, Nazi Germany, the Crusades, Iraq, Quakers, Buddhism and more. This wide-ranging look at the world and the religions that are part of it, their history and form today and ways in which their followers can be dangerous was excellently portrayed. His conclusion - that it's the human within the religion that is dangerous, not the religion itself - is perhaps not a surprise but his masterly arguments are well worth reading. A useful book to encourage thought and dialogue within Christianity and other religions.