http://tinyurl.com/5aq5f
The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained, Third Edition
by Jason, Dr Gastrich
Edition: CD-ROM
Price: $22.09
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
Not a good resource, October 8, 2004
I enjoy reading christian apologetics and works of comparative religion
and I was loaned a copy of this electronic, CD-based book to see what I
thought of it. I am afraid that my critical views align with some of
the others on the Amazon site. This is a poor effort at apologetics,
the intellectual value is on a par with an albeit lengthy pre-secondary
school report. There is always some risk when presuming to take a list
of errors while presuming to correct them. One of those risks is that
errors are not always errors. Another risk is that the errors are
legitimate but those things presumed to be "answers," "corrections" or
"explanations" fall well short of the mark by either failing to provide
a reasonable, intelligent explanation or by misdirecting from the
subject of the supposed error. These things occur frequently in this
volume.
Also, there have been some attempts to demonize critics of this work as
"atheists" both in reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. This strikes me as
unfortunate, because it avoids the legitimate criticisms by
perpetuating a division among intelligent, thinking people with
differing world views through means that are not legitimate. Even if it
were true that some reviewers are atheists (though it is not true in
any case of which I am aware, including reviews on Amazon), it makes no
difference when considering the intellectual value of the review. An
atheist can write an intelligent review of an apologetic work as
readily as a christian can presume to "correct" or "explain" a
presumably atheist work such as the "Skeptic's Annotated Bible." If
there is substance to an unflattering review, that is what should be
addressed, not the religious beliefs -- real, manufactured, or imagined
-- that might be held by the reviewer. Having said that, I feel that I
cannot recommend this electronic book, mostly because it fails to do
what it claims to do.
Other reviewers have noted that it does little more than provide
superficial coverage of topics that are addressed. "Answers" and
"explanations" that are provided make unwarranted assumptions and are
intellectually deficient, as well as lacking in documentary evidence.
Very little in this volume would be of value as an evangelistic tool.
It might best serve as a "faith-affirming" tool for those whom do not
give much critical thought to their beliefs and whom already believe as
the author does. It certainly will not be convincing to thoughtful
skeptics of the faith or the Scriptures. As a christian, I have
disagreements with some of what appears in the Skeptic's Annotated
Bible, but this volume is not a satisfactory rebuttal.
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