magzad's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Life-Driven Purpose is undoubtedly a fascinating and entertaining read. The book is a minister-turned- atheist’s refute to Rick Warren’s bestselling Christian book entitled The Purpose-Driven Life. Dan Barker argues that real purpose and meaning in life come not from the outside but from within ourselves. He argues that morality is defined as “using instinct, law, and reason as guides, try to act with the intention of minimizing harm” (pp. 46) and that while charity work is nice, it is not necessary to morality. Then he talks about how “truth” is not black and white (as he says many Christians believe) but includes shades of grey as well as all the colors of the rainbow…and Christians themselves are blind to it all. He follows with a creation/evolution argument (how can something come from nothing?) and closes with a talk about the meaning of life coming from inside the mind (rather than from a higher source outside the mind). He says the meaning and purpose in your life is that which you give it...and that none of it has anything to do with God.
Dan Barker is an articulate writer, an eloquent philosopher, and a master debater and his arguments are thorough, forceful, passionate, and provocative. It is clear that he fully and wholeheartedly believes the assertions presented in this book….and he wants the reader to believe them too. However, let me be clear that the book has not convinced me to abandon my Christian faith. (Barker claims at the beginning of the book that his aim is not to persuade readers of the “reality” of atheism but to explain how God and religion are unnecessary for leading a life of purpose and meaning. Nevertheless, I personally found that much of the text seems to be a written decimation of Christianity (and other religions) in general along with a sales pitch for atheism itself.) Still, I found that the book inspired me to some deep thinking and introspection about the subjects he brought up – why I feel the way I do and what my responses to the author’s philosophical assertions might be. (Though I am not particularly good at thinking on my feet, I would love to put my husband in the same room with Dan Barker and watch them go at it...lol.) I am very interested in reading the author’s other books to learn more about his journey from faith to nonbelief.
Life-Driven Purpose is undoubtedly a fascinating and entertaining read. The book is a minister-turned- atheist’s refute to Rick Warren’s bestselling Christian book entitled The Purpose-Driven Life. Dan Barker argues that real purpose and meaning in life come not from the outside but from within ourselves. He argues that morality is defined as “using instinct, law, and reason as guides, try to act with the intention of minimizing harm” (pp. 46) and that while charity work is nice, it is not necessary to morality. Then he talks about how “truth” is not black and white (as he says many Christians believe) but includes shades of grey as well as all the colors of the rainbow…and Christians themselves are blind to it all. He follows with a creation/evolution argument (how can something come from nothing?) and closes with a talk about the meaning of life coming from inside the mind (rather than from a higher source outside the mind). He says the meaning and purpose in your life is that which you give it...and that none of it has anything to do with God.
Dan Barker is an articulate writer, an eloquent philosopher, and a master debater and his arguments are thorough, forceful, passionate, and provocative. It is clear that he fully and wholeheartedly believes the assertions presented in this book….and he wants the reader to believe them too. However, let me be clear that the book has not convinced me to abandon my Christian faith. (Barker claims at the beginning of the book that his aim is not to persuade readers of the “reality” of atheism but to explain how God and religion are unnecessary for leading a life of purpose and meaning. Nevertheless, I personally found that much of the text seems to be a written decimation of Christianity (and other religions) in general along with a sales pitch for atheism itself.) Still, I found that the book inspired me to some deep thinking and introspection about the subjects he brought up – why I feel the way I do and what my responses to the author’s philosophical assertions might be. (Though I am not particularly good at thinking on my feet, I would love to put my husband in the same room with Dan Barker and watch them go at it...lol.) I am very interested in reading the author’s other books to learn more about his journey from faith to nonbelief.
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