Why I Am Not a Christian: Four Conclusive Reasons to Reject the Faith

This book is very easy reading and deliberately avoids going into unnecessary depth. It is short and to the point. Carrier lays out the four biggest reasons why Christianity is not plausible. He mostly avoids any tangents and unimportant digressions, even though there are a great many interesting side topics a much longer book on the subject could address. The book includes just one short digression, which pertains to the character and importance of the scientific method, but it's directly relevant to the point he makes about the lack of evidence for Christian belief.Carrier writes in the first chapter, "What follows is not meant to be a thorough exploration of every nuance and problem, not an exhaustive account of all the arguments and evidence. Rather, it's a mere summary of the four most important reasons I am not a Christian. This is only the beginning of the story, not the whole of it." With that in mind, this books sticks to just the four big philosophical problems with Christian theism. The foremost problem Carrier sees is that God is silent. We don't hear unambiguously from God himself any confirmation that he exists, that he loves man, or that there is any particular plan for salvation. Now a great many people attempt to speak or write for God on these points, but they lack credibility and consistency. If the message of salvation is as important as many make it out to be, it is inexplicable that God himself doesn't present that message in clear terms to every person. Carrier deals with some common rationalizations apologists make for God's silence, showing how they are a grasping at straws to save theist dogma and make no progress to actually resolve the severe philosophical problems God's silence entails. Carrier goes on to discuss the problem of God being inert. There is no clear evidence that God is active at all in the world. If the Christian God did exist, we should at least expect action on his part to resolve needless suffering. He goes on to point out the general lack of objective evidence supporting a Christian worldview. Finally, he discusses how the universe as a whole, as we best understand it, looks how we'd expect a godless universe to look.There are other highly relevant topics Carrier left outside the scope of this book, in spite his expert knowledge of them and his discussion of them in other publications. In particular in this book he does not discuss problems with the Bible: not its internal contradictions, nor how the traditionally ascribed identities of its authors are questionable, nor its conflicts with history and science, nor the problematic implications of Christian theology having evolved over time instead of all being revealed clearly by God at the outset. This isn't a book about those types of questions.Overall I find this to be an excellent book. Short enough to read in one sitting and inexpensive enough to buy in quantity to share with others. His sticking to general themes makes the book accessible to people who don't have a background in the specifics of the Bible or Christian theology. It also avoids the more messy apologetics that complicates other approaches to the subject. It's also great that he sticks with the four issues he does, because they truly are the big overwhelming issues meriting foremost consideration. They overshadow other considerations making a lot of other theist vs. atheist questions and debate to be of mere secondary relevance.For people who have read this book and would like read more from Richard Carrier, his book Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Philosophical Naturalism is excellent and highly recommended. It is an opposite book to this one in certain ways. Rather than stick to a narrow focus the way Why I Am Not A Christian does, Sense and Goodness aims quite wide and covers a diversity of topics of relevance to defending atheism and a wholly naturalistic worldview. I believe both books succeed brilliantly at their aims.

What This Book Is:It is meant to be a overview on why Dr. Carrier believes (or rather, doesn't believe) what he does about the idea of a Christian God. It is short and sweet; well argued but not excessively wordy.What this book is not:This is not a tome or anthology documenting every contradiction or falsehood in the Bible and Christian Theology. In fact, it rarely even breaches these topics. If that is what you are looking for, there are many other sources out there. This book uses common sense, simple logic, and reason to demonstrate the overarching difficulties in accepting and believing in a Christian God as a contemporary human.Overall Opinion:I really enjoyed it. I read it through in one day but plan to revisit it. The frirst two chapters are based more exclusively on rational arguments while the last 2 bring in more empirical objections. My favorite 2 chapters are the 2nd and 4th. I especially enjoyed his analogy of the "hero Savior". You'll have to read it to know what I'm talking about, and I recommend you do.

This is a great book generally, but I would especially recommend it to anybody who is having their own doubts and wants a brief and clear introduction to what the atheist position is all about. I'll talk about content shortly, but let me point out a few things about the book itself. First, it is very short - only 83 pages including the conclusion and a 1 page bibliography. At this length, do not expect it to be an exhaustive rebuttal of all Christian apologetics or an in depth philosophical, scientific, or historical justification of atheism. Dr. Carrier states in the opening chapter that a generous benefactor commissioned him to publish this book because he wanted "a simple but well-written explanation of why I am not a Christian." (p. 5) Think of this as an extended pamphlet, perfect for the person who is doubting, and open to reading about why one might reject the faith. Carrier even mentions the idea of something that could be handed to people willing to read it.Now on to the content. The core of the book is four chapters, each summarizing one reason for which Carrier rejects Christianity. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that these were very straight forward and obvious reasons that are very powerful and deserve more attention than they get. In fact, many times people ignore these areas altogether and they get into all sorts of "god of the gaps" nuances that attempt to leave some philosophical sliver of room for their retreating god(s). But what I think Carrier is saying is, wait a second - let's not pass over the obvious, because these are very big problems that, if they can't be overcome, render all the nuanced arguments moot anyway. And I have to agree. So many times I'll hear these in depth arguments, and I feel like saying, "that's all fine and good, but what about Matthew 17:20?" This verse clearly has Jesus himself saying "...if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Okay, so in all the billions of Christians, including all the monks and Saints and Popes and nuns and so on, not one single mountain has moved - ever! And if the mountain is metaphorical, then that's no better than simple human determination to rise to some challenge, which is possible without Christianity. So where is this supposed power to move mountains by the command of a faithful Christian? One single mountain moving, by a faithful command alone (not by dynamite or construction techniques) would go a long ways in convincing a lot of atheists that there could be something to this Christianity thing. Yet not one single mountain has ever moved, not one single amputated arm has grown back, not one single disease has been wiped out by the power of the faith even as small as a mustard seed. And are we to believe that in all the history of Christianity, not one single Christian had even the faith of a mustard seed? Dr. Carrier takes 4 very straight forward "gripes" like this (but substantially different than my example alone), and explains why they definitively demonstrate that the god of Christianity simply cannot exist. As another example of my own that I think goes along with this "wait a second" type of reasoning, one of my favorite verses is Matthew 12:32, because with all the argument about whether salvation requires works or faith or works and faith, people forget about this verse which states unequivocally that "Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Okay, so if you have ever spoken against the Holy Spirit, in a fit of despair or anger or whatever, you can't be forgiven, and I can only interpret this to mean you can't be saved, period! Some God of infinite kindness and mercy and forgiveness, right? Doesn't that give you pause, if you are beginning to doubt?Carrier's whole point is that the world would be much different than it is if Christianity were true, and there would NOT be such confusing and contradictory messages as one finds in the bible. He makes this point clearly, succinctly, and powerfully - and he addresses very obvious and straightforward areas. Some other reviews have mentioned his arrogance or condescending tone. Well, maybe, but I didn't read it that way. I read the tone as a confident atheist who is taking these issues straight to task and not dancing around to try and save anybody's feelings. Hey, if you're a Christian and having doubts, any atheist writings you decide to venture into are probably going to touch some nerves - so get ready for it. I think Carrier is simply saying what he thinks without regard for whether it may hurt feelings. If you don't like it, well, you've been warned. If you're struggling with your faith, careful what you will discover in this book, but I hope you do muster the courage to read it and confront your doubts.

Dr. Richard Carrier must have seen a need for a concise, brief exposition of atheism. He filled the need wonderfully in his "Why I am Not a Christian." The subtitle is "Four Conclusive Reasons to Reject the Faith" and the reasons are "God is Silent," "God is Inert," "Wrong Evidence," and "Wrong Universe." While reading his cogent writing, I thought of several people I know here in the Bible Belt buckle of Tulsa, Oklahoma who would benefit from reading this 82 page gem. Dr. Carrier is not argumentative or derisive of religion in the way of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Rather, his approach is to politely point out where Christian logic goes awry. As much as they may insist that their god "speaks" to them personally, Christians who are fair-minded would be forced to agree with Dr. Carrier that their god's message to civilizations is as garbled and confusing. Rather than make clear what he expects of people, the Christian god is silent about what he thinks and wants to have done, particularly about modern ethical and moral matters that were not around in Bible times. Because their god is silent, there is no real way, Dr. Carrier writes, to determine whether he is really good or "good" in the sense humans use the word. Certainly, there are numerous passages in the Bible where the Jewish Jehovah does not act in any way that could be construed good by any rational standard.One of Dr. Carrier's most interesting statements is that the universe is designed in a way that supports the atheist position. He writes, " . . . the nature of the word is clearly dispassionate and blind, exhibiting no value-laden behavior or message of any kind. The natural world is like an autistic idiot savant, a marvelous machine wholly uncomprehending of itself or others. This is exactly what we should expect if it was not created and governed by a benevolent deity. Yet it is hardly explicable on the theory that there is such a being."In a way, Dr. Carrier's methodology in the book is to bring to the reader's attention the sharp contrast between the way things are in the real world and how believers in the Christian god overlook or willfully ignore inconveniences in logic that do not accommodate their world view. Dr. Carrier's invitation in "Why I am Not a Christian" is, for atheists like myself, to become familiar with basic points to defend our non-belief. The book's invitation for Christian believers is to examine, maybe for the first time, ideas, ways of thinking, and dogma that are fragile, unsustainable, and really unworthy of their commitment.

Why I am Not a Christian by Richard CarrierWhy I am Not a Christian is a fantastic brief account of why Dr. Carrier rejects the Christian religion. His four main reasons are: God's silence, God's inaction, the lack of evidence, and the debunking of the fine tuning argument. This short book of less than 90 pages is composed of the following six chapters: Why This Book, God is Silent, God is Inert, Wrong Evidence, Wrong Universe and a Conclusion.Positives:1. It's a book by Dr. Carrier so you know it's well written and well thought out.2. A brief intellectual appetizer. I like that.3. A direct logical response to the question, "Why I am not a Christian."4. Great quotes. One thing that I admire most about Dr. Carrier is his ability to convey his thoughts in a lucid manner. Consider the following thought, "The fact that believers can't agree on the content of God's message or desires also refutes the theory that he wants us to be clear on these things." You see what I mean.5. Great defense of all his positions.6. I always learn something new from Dr. Carrier. Always thought-provoking.7. Priced right, an eloquent essay at a fair price. Worth it!Negatives:1. Having to wait for Dr. Carrier's next book, " On the Historicity of Jesus Christ."In summary, I enjoyed this short book. It should be placed at every hotel and motel room. I think people would get a lot more out of it. Dr. Carrier proposes four reasons why he is not a Christian and they all hit the mark. A short but satisfactory book as every great appetizer should be.Further suggestions: "Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism" by the same author is fantastic, "Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists..." by Dan Barker, "Decoding the Language of God: Can a Scientist Really Be a Believer?..." by George C. Cunningham, "Christian No More: On Leaving Christianity, Debunking Christianity, And Embracing Atheism And Freethinking..." by Jeffrey Mark, and "Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity..." by John Loftus.

Have you ever met one of those people who is extremely smart but who go on to such lengths when talking about something that they turn an interesting but simple idea into an onerous sermon that turns you off? That is what this book is like. The author has attempted to put 4 simple ideas into a pamphlet form. The four ideas are reasons why he is not a Christian. The ideas themselves are extremely poignant. They are: God is silent, God is inert, The evidence is wrong and the kind of universe we live in is wrong. In introducing these ideas, he gives four simple but devastating reasons why Christianity is basically preposterous. However, the explanation of these ideas become a rapid-fire barrage of attempted logical bravado. While many of his points may be valid, you get the impression that there may be some logical fallacies and personal opinions mixed in. The author admits at the beginning of the book that most true believers probably won't give his work the time of day. That's probably an honest admission. As I read the book, although I agreed with much or most of what he said, I also felt that true believers would easily find a lot of points they could dismiss or argue against. I have read a number of books arguing against religion or Christianity that are well-written. To me, this one is a bit too arrogant and enthusiastic in tone. I would love to see a more balanced and restrained coverage of the four points. This book is fairly short and easy to get through, so if you are interested in these sorts of things, you might find this one worth checking out.

I just received this book today, and finished reading it five minutes ago. So, first impressions first. Carrier's critique of Christianity is concise, potent, and devastating. An expert himself in philosophy as well as in the historico-theological "defenses" of the Faith, his arguments, in my opinion, are unassailable. The only reason, oddly enough, that I didn't give the anti-tract (to use Dan Barker's excellent term to describe a polemic against faith) a deserved five-star rating is owing to my own stubborn prejudices as a former fundamentalist/triumphalist Christian with an MA in NT Theology from ORU. Even now, as a long-since avowed atheist, I kept wanting to say, "Yeah, Richard, but..."His fourth chapter, "Wrong Universe" is reminiscent of the very best of Victor Stenger in his "God: The Failed Hypothesis," which I consider to be the best explication of the thesis that "this universe is exactly the one we would expect if there were no God."And still, my "Yeah, Richard, but" objections seem to ring hollow. Atheism appears to be the very best explanation possible for the universe in which we live. It would indeed be "nice" if we could believe in an omni-benevolent God who cares for us, hears our prayers, and relieves our suffering. But as Carrier amply demonstrates in chapter 2, "God is Inert," all of the available evidence indicates that God, at least in a Christian definition, does not exist.I agree with the publisher's back cover blurb: "Ideal for door-to-door missionaries." This tract is a near-perfect answer for all believers in a Bible-based, evangelical Christianity.Read it, absorb it, memorize it, and make it your own. Why? Because the good believers in this world deserve all of our love and compassion in pointing out that it is not we but they who are deceived. May we all see the light of reason!

This guy knows his Bible and history.

Para quien ya conoce la obra del mismo nombre de Bertrand Russell será una actualización y complemento. Me gustó mucho.

An honest book that touches on some common doubts and that uses common sense in a very simple and accessible way.

There will be some uncharitable readers who will find the answer they're looking for in the very first sentence and stop right there: "I'm cognitively defective." Apparently, this is what many Christians tell Richard Carrier when they meet him. As well as being monumentally rude, it's obviously not true (like so much else of what they say). Here, he answers insult with reason, and gives a short, pared-down account of the real reasons he is not a Christian. Whereas in his other books (also highly recommended) he does not stint on scholarly reference to back up his arguments, this is more personal, with only a short bibliography for further reading (including Jesus Interrupted and The Christian Delusion). The titles of the four main chapters capture the salient points: God Is Silent, God Is Inert, Wrong Evidence, Wrong Universe. Each alone is enough to reject Christianity. Taken together, the miracle is why anyone remains a Christian."It should be indisputably clear what God wants us to do, and what he doesn't want us to do." So why are the Gospels disputed? (Witness the endless wrangling over not only the meaning of the Bible but what the text actually is; see, for example, Misquoting Jesus.) Why does the New Testament contain forgeries? (See, for example, Forged.) The fact "that God hasn't spoken to us directly, and hasn't given us all the same, clear message, and the same, clear answers, is enough to prove Christianity false."A God who was "good" in the same sense that he expects us to be good would "necessarily desire and have the unimpeded means to do everything you and I can do, and therefore the Christian God would at least do everything you and I do. The fact that he doesn't proves he doesn't exist." If we stood around and let our children suffer when we could do something to prevent their suffering, it would be "felony criminal neglect God. Yet that is God: An absentee mom"."Christians can offer no evidence at all for their most important claim, that faith in Jesus Christ procures eternal life." The Gospels are "by unknown authors of unknown date using unknown sources and methods to document wildly unbelievable claims we wouldn't trust from any other religion" and even if these claims could be proved "it still would not follow that belief in Jesus saves us." And if we consider "all the evil, misery, and torment that has been caused by the Christian religion" it could be argued that the evidence actually supports Stephen Law's evil god hypothesis (Believing Bullshit).Finally, "if there is no God, then the universe we actually observe is exactly the sort of universe we would expect to observe." The kind of universe a Christian God would design would be very different to the one we're living in. "Nature would be governed by survival of the kindest," for example, "not survival of the fittest."Some people are not Christians because they believe in another god altogether, or they may never have thought about it or even have some very bad reasons. Richard Carrier is not such a person, and the four reasons for rejecting Christianity he's selected out of the many possible are ones we can all understand. Also important is his effective strategy of thinking in terms of the "Christian theory of the world" and then showing how a particular aspect of this theory is conclusively falsified by the evidence. Some Christians will of course prefer to retreat in the face of advancing reason and pop back into the black hole of faith. For the rest, for those content to merely profess their faith, they may still be within reach and worth trying to draw back into the fold of reason, using the arguments in this excellent little book.

I did not need any convincing as I gave up the crutch of Christianity many years ago. However, it was nice to read a respected biblical scholar give a learned opinion on this touchy topic. Many new discoveries make faith based belief a losing position to hold. Great reading for those who doubt the pulpit version of reality and are ready for some truth.

I am a Christian and still believe, but I am learning a lot from this book.Not bad, good points and not much beating around the bush... Thank you!