An Atheist Defends Religion: Why Humanity Is Better Off with Religion Than Without
Book Reviewed
by John Scott, Dallas, TX
An Atheist Defends Religion: Why Humanity Is Better Off With Religion Than Without It
by Bruce Sheiman
Alpha Books, 2009.
Arguments in best-selling books by militant atheists Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris recite and exaggerate negative things done in the name of religion. (cf. Christian Ethics Today, Summer 2007). This book by atheist Bruce Sheiman smashes all those arguments. And it is based on verified facts, not visceral feelings. I began reading books on both sides of the God debate over 50 years ago. This is the first by an atheist that I can recommend–enthusiastically.
However, strictly speaking, it is not on the ”God” debate because Sheiman makes no arguments to defend his atheism. And he candidly acknowledges he wants to believe in God ”because, on balance, religion provides a combination of psychological, emotional, moral, communal, existential, and even physical-health benefits that no other institution can replicate.” He says his book ”is a first” as ”there has not been a mainstream book defending religion as a cultural institution, irrespective of the God question.”
Sheiman has been a student of philosophy and theology for thirty years, but his writing is clear and concise. He supports his conclusions with findings from thousands of published studies.
He shows that religious people are far more likely to abide by the Golden Rule than atheists and agnostics. He exposes a major flaw in a well-known survey conducted by Marc Hauser of Harvard that concluded, erroneously, that atheists and agnostics are just as moral as religious people.
Sheiman draws from the highly acclaimed work on charity (Who Really Cares by Arthur Brooks).He cities historical evidence that a vast majority of violence attributed to religion was actually caused by political, psychological, and other influences. And he points out that atheistic cultures in the twentieth century (represented by Stalin, Mao and others) were responsible for many times more victims than religious extremists throughout all of history.
In a section headed ”Empirical Evidence Atheists Cannot Deny,” Sheiman cites hundreds of studies showing that religion is associated with positive mental and physical health factors such as: altruism and generosity, consolation and coping, optimism and hope, gratitude and forgiveness, marital satisfaction and family commitment, et. al.
Two suggestions if you read this book: First, in the Introduction notice the interesting distinction Sheiman draws between what ”consumers” of religion experience (meaning, values, purpose) and what ”producers” of religion offer (organization, doctrine, scripture). Almost all critics of religion emphasize the latter to the exclusion of the former. Second, don’t get bogged down in Chapter 1–it is a good but esoteric discussion about the meaning of life and the purposes of myths and rituals. Subsequent chapters focus on concrete evidence that proves ”the world is a better place because people believe God exists.”
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