It's a for people who are religious.
344759
Perhaps I did not read a description well enough before purchasing this book, but I received this book and found out is was a book to help with body image using god to help you. I am not a religious person, and if you are not a religious person I suggest you move on and find a book that would better fit you. For a religious person this may help you.
4691900
Religious people, or theists, depend on faith. They believe in a God whose existence cannot be scientifically proven. In other words, there is no evidence that God exists. Atheists also depend on faith. They believe that God does not exist since there is no scientific evidence of His existence. But there is also no scientific evidence that He does not exist. Both theists and atheists therefore depend on faith. We all live our lives based on faith.

According to the author, both theists and atheists are organized groups. Theists have religions, such as Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Atheists also have organized groups, such as Nazis, communists, fascists, and liberals who base their faith in science and science alone. Atheism is a system with beliefs and an ideology. It is a system based on faith.

There have been many atrocities committed throughout history in the name of religion. There have also been many atrocities committed by non-theists groups, such as Nazis and communists. Scientific progress brings both peace and destruction. The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people, the majority of them women and children.

What message is Hedges giving us? Basically, both theists and atheists are organized groups, and both have their flaws. Religion has not been able to deliver a utopian world, nor have atheistic groups. The Nazis tried to create utopia, but they failed. Similarly, communist doctrine promised a utopia. It too failed.

The message I understood from this book is that as much as theists don't believe in atheists, atheists don't believe in theists just as much! Why? Because both doctrines have flaws; because man is imperfect.

The author goes on to say that because most people cannot recognize the ideology of atheism is exactly why it is so dangerous. Atheists want to create a world free of religion, and based entirely on logic, reason, and science. They believe that religion is the cause of evil, and that the world will be a better place without it. Yet, millions died under the philosophies of communism and Nazism, both atheistic groups. The author rejects the ideas that people would be better off if they stopped believing in God, as the atheists Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins suggest.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and it gave me a better understanding on how atheists think.
4203286
The members have been instructed to write good reviews to sell the religion. It's all a lie. A little research on the internet will tell you that, or if your just all ready educated you will see pretty quickly.
2979609
My gods," writes the Atheist Camel," have only two commandments,
1. "Ask questions and seek answers grounded in reality."
2. "Education is a sacrament.  Read, live, learn."

Sounds like a plan to me.

He is also, in defiance of all the adherents of religion who insist that atheism is another word for immoral, a pretty moral guy, ah, I mean camel, someone you'd definitely want on your side.

Although he does get hot under the collar, his non-clerical collar that is, Dromedary Hump's ire is saved for the hypocrisy of those who use religion for profit, egoistic moral superiority, or to demonize those not in total lockstep with their particular religious beliefs.  You know, the kind of people who are thrilled to condemn most of humanity to hell after the destruction of earth that they so eagerly await, to the point of wanting to "bring it on."

He's otherwise quite tolerant, admits that some of his best friends are believers, especially since he's been married to a woman he describes as his much-put-upon Episcopal wife of thirty nine years.  Whether she agrees with him or not, I'm sure she finds his sense of humor and sharp, biting wit a major plus, nobody wants to go thirty nine years without a laugh. I  haven't laughed as long and hard at an atheist's take on religion since the late, great George Carlin, beloved by atheists and believers alike.  In fact, believers should read this book, at the very least to make fun of other sects beliefs, since they'll never see the fallacy of their own.

For an atheist, he's certainly put in a lot of time studying religion, Christianity in particular, and since I haven't, I'm sure he won't mind if I use his material the next time a Christian, bless his or her heart,  tries to save my soul.  Like the woman who wanted to tell my kids about Jesus, which I agreed was fine, but she wouldn't give me reciprocal permission to tell her children that God and Jesus didn't exist. My kids turned out just fine, a teacher of inner city kids, a history major getting her masters who will be spending the summer working for Heifer International, and the third about to graduate college. Her sons, bless their hearts, knifed two men, killing one, then stomped them for looking at them the wrong way in a movie theatre, ON CHRISTMAS EVE.  Maybe I could have saved them if I've read The Atheist Camel Chronicles back then, it certainly would have sharpened my arguments and hardened my resolve to, for lack of a better word, preach atheism before they went so wrong, but alas, Dromedary Hump had yet to write his fabulous book.

It's a book for everyone afraid of religion's moral authority even when it's devoid of morality, and doesn't know what to say when confronted by holier-than-though proponents.  I particularly loved the argument that no matter how many times people claim to be healed by God, no one has ever prayed so hard they've been able to regrown a limb, something that scientists are working on, and may very well accomplish.

When I was growing up, throwing off the yolk of religion was considered liberating, freeing minds and lives and bringing on the future.  Then religion fought back.  The Atheist Camel Chronicles are striking a blow for human liberation and the cause of reason, and it's a hell of a lot of fun.  I've already bought two copies of the book, one to lend, and one to keep.
822935
A reminder that religion wasn't meant to be complicated. A study of salvation by faith. A gift we keep rejecting.
3135539
Not everyone is the religious kind and this book assumes everyone is a believer.

Not a good book.
2027988
This book is about coming out of the closet in regards to being a Christian, how so many of us don't let it be known that we believe in Jesus. And what she has been doing with her hands is lifting them up in prayer for her family in particular her children. It tells of the struggles they have gone through in life that has caused her to fall on her knees in prayer, praying to an awesome God to move on behalf of her children and grandchildren. In our society we immediate think of coming out of the closet is associated with being gay, or a lesbian which my sister is neither one.  If you take the time to read it you would understand, so maybe the title is confusing and this is my sister's first book and hopefully she will come out with an edition to it. God has been so good that there is another story to tell.
4711774
Almost halfway through and no pug yet but plenty of praying and Jesus talk. I should have read the author bio first. I'm not religious and don't care to read such an overtly religious book. Good book for religious people, not so much for pug people.
4389425
It's Christian religious propaganda wrapped around a story. Nothing wrong with that, but it should labeled as such.
170566
It is interesting and actual in times of religious fanaticism. Interesting characters formed and transformed by the religion of their parents.
277232
I bought this book for my children and there's a prayer and mention of God in the middle of the book. We had no idea i t would be religious, and think it's worth mentioning either on the back of the book or the description. It was very unexpected and we are not a Christian family. I'm only glad I read it before buying it as a gift for others. I will be sure to read the reviews of every book on Amazon now to avoid this awkward situation. We ended up donating the book as it's better fitted for another family.
2444544
Mettey describes the humans and their actions that make a church function . These people are human not saints as some would want to project.
3392441
The author thinks so.  It is written for academics as a proposal of how religious experiences and indeed religions can be investigated scientifically and systematically.  The underlying concept is that certain "experiences" are deemed "special". E.g. the sense of awe, altrerd conscious states during deep meditation, etc.  But how such "experiences" are interpreted depend deeply on the social and cultural context.  They can at times be deemed "religious" and be the basis of one's religious beliefs - only under the right circumstances.  Such a process can be, according to author and quite rightly so, studied.

Perhaps, I guess - but only to a certain extent.  My personal view is that at times certain religious beliefs can be so integrated to a person's psyche that they are no longer "special" and become an integral part of that person's everyday reality.  In other words, some forms of religions are beyond the author's proposed approach of investigation.  They nevertheless can be studied but in an etic and not emic way.

Saying that, the book overall is very insightful and should be read by those who are interested in religious experiences.
4307045
I am a Lay Pastor and was looking for a book for someone struggling with their faith. This book was not what I thought it was going to be. It is alright, but I would not recommend it to someone struggling with their faith. I think it would just confuse them more.
3893246
This book is not for the average Christian, or at least not for the average Christian who wishes to remain average. Rather it is for the one who is unsatisfied with the status quo and who wishes to truly know God.
2733196
This book is much more than an erotic novel (although there are some detailed sex scenes in it). It tells the story about a married couple with a very strong and untraditional sex life. Unfortunately,  they are members of a strict religious group that maintains a strong control over its members.  It's hard to believe that there are people who allow themselves to be controlled with religious groups such as the Jehovas Witnesses(the religion this couple are members of) but sadly that is the case and the control that these religious groups have over there followers is all too real. Personally, I've known of people who have been subjected to this manipulation and have seen the damage it has done to them. Again, there are several detailed sex scenes in this book but the story sends a very strong message about not allowing yourself to be controlled by anyone especially in the name of religion.
114197
I'm not religious in ANY WAY. I wish the description would have let me in on the fact that this author quotes bible scripture throughout the book. I had thought this may be a good gift for a friend of mine who has trouble saying 'no', and needs to take time for himself. He happens to be gay and also  (due to religious rhetoric) would probably not want to get this as a gift. I ended up giving it away to my mom, who still goes to church, but doesn't really need this advice.