A Random Act of Sheer Brash Self-Promotion

As a random act of sheer brash self-promotion, my book is presently ranked in the top 7200 books at amazon.com (it fluctuates quite a bit). This isn't too bad for a self-published atheist book that doesn't have much of a potential market share. It's at an affordable price though, at $13.57 with free shipping (if you buy a total of $25 in books). I can't mail this book to you for a better price. I think it contains the best case against Christianity to be found in any single book presently on the market, but that's just me. It covers most all of the important issues in sufficient depth for the average college student, and it's written in a fairly easy to understand fashion.

Believe this or not, Dr. Norman Geisler is recommending this book of mine to his Seminary students. Dr. Geisler was Dr. William Lane Craig's professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and is the author of over 60 apologetics books. He disagrees with my book, of course, but he also thinks there are many things his students can learn from it. There is another Christian apologetics professor I know of who is considering having a seminar to discuss and to debate with my book.

If you have believing friends and relatives who would consider reading just one book about why you no longer believe, I suggest you hand them a copy of my book. I would. ;-)

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

:::YAWN!!!:::

Anonymous said...

anonymous, I recognize you from somewhere else. Do you have any other words in your vocabulary? ;-)

Cheers.

Romeo Morningwood said...

Thanks for reminding me of the reason that I started blogging...to examine why we as a species which is capable of such extrordinary achievements will self destruct by hanging on to myth and tradition.

Just because millions of people 'believe' something doesn't mean that it is true and even the simplest jaunt through history unwravels the entire matrix of each and every religious avenue.

Unfortunately I am torn between the moral governor that some require and fear that without it our genetic predilections for conquering strangers and acquiring their territories and mates just might make it's way to the forefront. One can argue that this is happening anyway through the guise of religion but atleast the raw avarice of some humans seems to be contained through the mandate of Peace, Love and Understanding that is supposed to dominate, and in some instances actually prevails, from living their faith.

I am at a loss. Having attempted a decade of Pente-accost/hostilism in an attempt to align the stars in my universe I failed miserably by studying Evolution and History and was rescued from the attempts to convince myself that Genesis had any relevence. C'est la vie.

Somedays I am so disapointed in myself for not being bolder but I know that people don't care how much you know..they want to know how much you care. I would add that Oscar Wilde was correct in saying that (most) people are not Good or Bad they are either charming or tedious.

There are Christians and Agnostics that I would entrust my Life to and just as many others who would throw me to the wolves. It all comes down to individuals and that is where I am stuck.

Thank You and your Circle for helping me dig my way through this.

David B. Ellis said...


but atleast the raw avarice of some humans seems to be contained through the mandate of Peace, Love and Understanding that is supposed to dominate, and in some instances actually prevails, from living their faith.


Its difficult to establish one way or the other but I suspect your premise here is false. I think it likely that the restraint of our worse impulses is due, in almost all cases, primarily by peoples natural empathy for others and social instincts. I think religious belief actually has very little restraining power on the "wolves" among us whose natural capacity for empathy is weak. These individuals manage to interpret their religious beliefs in ways consistent with their worst impulses and to compartmentalize their religious beliefs from their actual behavior.

All in all, I strongly suspect religion is pretty well irrelevent to moral behavior.

David B. Ellis said...

What utterly astounds me is the ability religion has to shortcircuit empathy in people who are otherwise pretty decent.....I can begin to count the number of basically decent christian friends, acquaintances and family members who are perfectly OK with the idea that most of humanity will spend eternity suffering unimaginable agonies in Hell......it seems to give a large percentage of them no moral qualms whatsoever.

Which is, for me, a most depressing and disturbing fact---how the most shockingly inhumane attitudes can sit so easily within the hearts of ordinary otherwise decent people---so long as they were told it was right from an early age.

This is why I consider skepticism fundamental to a truly decent and moral character. A mind that does not question inherited wisdom will all too easily accept the blatantly cruel and atrocious as right and good.

JumpingFromConclusions said...

**I can begin to count the number of basically decent christian friends, acquaintances and family members who are perfectly OK with the idea that most of humanity will spend eternity suffering unimaginable agonies in Hell......it seems to give a large percentage of them no moral qualms whatsoever.**

Yeah, I don't get this either, David. Throughout high school, I didn't think much about it- I just accepted it as part of the Truth, and figured that if God is behind it, it must be right. I am a freshman in college now, and at the beginning of this year, the thought of others going to eternal hell really started bothering me. I began by reading up on Christian Universalism, doubting eternal hell. Of course, once I started doubting some things that I held as fundamental truths my whole life, that led me to question my faith as a whole, which I am in the long process of doing. Anyway, I think most Christians just push it out of their mind and try not to think about the injustice of eternal suffering. Others have just been indoctrinated with a callousness to it. I don't understand either how that doesn't give them moral qualms.

Anonymous said...

Of course I worry about others eternal sufferings, but many I don't because justice isn't served here on earth but after death. How is eternal suffering unjustice?

Beautiful Feet said...

John, I wouldn't mind learning some of your brash self-promoting techniques - it looks like you're pretty wise in the ways of marketing your writings - both the book and your blog here. Any tips/notes would be appreciated...

Anonymous said...

Thanks beautiful feet.

You have to believe in your product, whatever it is. You have to be willing to take some heat for promoting it, from naysayers. You must do it in reasonable, not obnoxious ways. You have to realize that if you don't toot your own horn no one else will do it for you. But you also must know not to toot it too often.

I write an instructional column for a national billiard magazine. I like to play pool and I'm one of the best in our area. I started writing up flyers about how to play better pool and handed them out to others. They derided me, especially whenever I missed a shot. Then I wrote a book about it and they said the same things, that I wasn't good enough to write a book about pool. But I did it anyway. And I was picked up by that magazine and have been writing for them for two years now, with a good selling pool book.

Shut them up, I did.

But if I had listened to them I would never have attempted to do it for fear of what they said, and for fear of being embarrassed at failing to accomplish what I set out to do.

Same goes for this blog and book. When I first started this blog I was ridiculed for stating the fact that I was William Lane Craig's student. But I didn't care. You use what you have, whatever it is, if you believe you have something to say, and I do.

This is why I objected to those highminded atheists who condemned the Rational Response Squad's Blasphemy Challenge for not understanding the nature of the media. Exposure is what we need. Famous people know how to get the needed exposure. They do it whenever they need another acting job, and they know how to get it, even if it's negative.

Enough.

Beautiful Feet said...

Thanks, John! Even though we are on opposite sides of the fence regarding belief in Jesus, I really think you are great at writing and promoting your work and I admire your conviction.I used to play pool so could probably use your advice on that as well :-) Thanks, again, John!

Kevin Brown said...

My order for JL's book has been placed. I'm looking forward to the read. Hope all are feel well.