What words come to mind when we think of God? Merciful? Just? Compassionate? In fact, the Bible lays out God’s primary qualities clearly: jealous, petty, unforgiving, bloodthirsty, vindictive—and worse! Originally conceived as a joint presentation between influential thinker and bestselling author Richard Dawkins and former evangelical preacher Dan Barker, this unique book provides an investigation into what may be the most unpleasant character in all fiction. Barker combs through both the Old and New Testament (as well as 13 different editions of the “Good Book”), presenting powerful evidence for why the Scripture shouldn’t govern our everyday lives. This witty, well-researched book suggests that we should move past the Bible and clear a path to a kinder and more thoughtful world.

About The Author

Dan Barker

Product Details

Publisher: Prometheus (May 15, 2023)
Length: 370 pages
ISBN13: 9781633888760

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Raves and Reviews

“With a twinkle that belies the canard that atheists are ‘strident’ and ‘militant,’ Dan Barker cheerfully refutes the common claim that morality comes from the God of the bible.”—Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works and The Better Angels of Our Nature

“If you thought Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion was hard on religion, gird your loins for Dan Barker’s book on God because he makes the New Atheists sound like diplomatic accommodationists in his unrelenting deconstruction of the Bible, a book he knows better than the Four Horsemen combined since he used to preach from it. You will never read the Good Book the same way again.”
—Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist for Scientific American, and the author of The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Bend Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom

“Dawkins and Barker have both written books encouraging readers to become atheists. Who knew all they had to do was direct everyone to the Bible?”—Hemant Mehta, Editor of FriendlyAtheist.com