Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism by David Mills Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism
Book Review: Wow, A True Eye Opener!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
My head is still buzzing after turning the last few pages of this book. As a Jew I've found myself questioning the Old Testament for most of my life. I found a link to God The Movie and after watching it eventually was led to this book. David Mills is not only an excellent writer but he provides sound reasoning and scientific documentation about the Old and New Testaments. Not only is this a good book for Atheists to read but is an excellent book for anyone who seeks the truth. During my reading of this book I found myself questioning Judaism and was luckily led to Humanistic Judaism, which allows Jews who wish to continue the culture and history of Judaism without a false God. Thank you David Mills. My life's journey has changed all the better because of you and my friends are still trying to figure out why I'm so excited. Little do they realize it's because I know more than most of them about the entire bible and that wouldn't have been possible without this awesome book that you have written.Book Review: mostly good and fairly easy to read
Summary: 3 Stars
I have only one gripe with this book. Mills says the only difference between an atheist and an agnostic is guts. That cliched opinion never fails to piss me off. I am an atheist now, but I was agnostic for many years before I was ready to say no to all gods. I had to read and think a lot before making a final decision. There is nothing cowardly or wishy-washy about saying, "I don't know." According to ignorant fanatics, agnostics go to hell, too, so please people, show some respect for deep thinkers who are willing to admit that they just don't know.Book Review: Great Book, But a Little Harsh
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me start by saying that I am an atheist, and have been since I was 16 years old. This book is an excellent source of counter-arguments against Christian Fundamentalism, as the title states. My only problem is that the tone of the text is a little harsh. Most of my friends are Christian, and I've had a few interesting discussions with them as they try to convert me, but I always treat their views with respect, even if they don't return the courtesy. "Atheist Universe" is not so subtle, punching holes in Christian theory with a sledgehammer, instead of surgically dissecting it with a scalpel as I would have preferred. Still, if you need ammunition to debate a right-wing fundamentalist, this is a good place to start. Book Review: Mixed
Summary: 3 Stars
This book has some excellent qualities, but also some fatal flaws.
Mills presents clear, detailed explanations of the scientific consensus behind such things as the origins of the universe, and points out how common fundamentalist attacks on those theories typically misrepresent them, then argue against the false straw men.
If Mills had been satisfied with this, I'd have given the book five stars. Unfortunately, he seems to have an axe to grind. He repeatedly lumps all Christianity in with the Biblical literalists, and calls them hypocrites and worse when their theories disagree with the literal Bible. This is as unfair on his part as the fundamentalist attacks on science that he spends the other half of the book dismantling so well.
Still, if you discount that part, there's a lot of good information in this book.
Book Review: ATHEIST UNIVERSE by David Mills
Summary: 1 Stars
Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism is a 2006 nonfiction anti-religion, pro-atheism book by David Mills. Ostensibly, this book points out why God is unnecessary to explain the existence and origin of the universe, and rebuts arguments in support of God's existence.
David Mills is not a scientist. What he seems to be, if anything, is a professional atheist. Atheist Universe's "About the Author" section begins, "David Mills has been an atheist for thirty years..." Not surprisingly, then, this book fundamentally isn't about science - it's about atheism as an ideology versus religion as an ideology. Mills is not a historian, either. He's on record that Jesus never lived at all, which shows a profound ignorance of the kind of accepted historical standard we have for that era.
Mills' biggest hang-up with Christianity seems to be the hypocrisy of many Christians and the un-Christian behavior of the Church throughout history. Other problems with God that Mills has include God's punishment of evil, the fact that bad things happen, and God's failure to solve all the world's problems immediately. On the whole, Mills shows himself to have a very juvenile and simple concept of what God should be, and what humanity by implication would be.
Mills does point out some legitimate problems with Christian fundamentalism. Yes, you run into problems when you try to make everything in the Bible completely literal. Yes, you run into problems when you throw doctors and modern medicine away completely. But Mills irresponsibly bases almost his entire argument against all religion on these problems. Mills takes his arguments against those on the fringe and applies them to the whole. Similarly, he takes a few poor arguments that some proponents of intelligent design have made and applies them with broad strokes to the whole of creationism. In Mills' mind, God and science are never compatible at all for any reason.
Mills claims to understand the Bible, but the way he quotes it and uses it shows that he doesn't, on any fundamental level. This is not to criticize him for not believing the Bible; rather, many of his attempts to use the Bible against itself (here's a Bible verse - look how silly that is) are poor, silly, baseless, and stupid. And he's often completely wrong about what the Bible says, period. He frequently attacks those whose pro-Bible arguments boil down to "The Bible is true because it's the Bible", but his criticisms of the Bible often boil down to "The Bible is untrue because it's the Bible."
The fundamental problem with Atheist Universe is that Mills makes little in the way of meaningful arguments to support his positions. He mostly draws from the old "Here's the religious/Bible/Christian position - see how ridiculous it is?" well. Those arguments would carry a little more weight if he had any clue what he was talking about. Either way, debunking something else doesn't prove the point you're trying to make (not that Mills does a good job of debunking anything other than his credibility). On the whole, Mills comes across as petty, juvenile, and not much of a thinker.
Atheists who evangelize are always remarkable. If nothing has eternal bearing, than what's the point converting other people to atheism? It's one thing to say, "God doesn't exist." It's quite another to say, "God doesn't exist, and I hate him." Mills carries on at length about "injustice" and "evil" in the world - Mills, you're an atheist - injustice is relative, and it doesn't matter anyway. Mills doesn't want God judging him, so he judges God and finds him profoundly lacking.
Atheist Universe is poorly reasoned and poorly argued. David Mills is, on the whole, quite content to throw the spiritual baby out with the religious bathwater and grind his axe against God and religion. Calling this book "The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism" is an insult to thinking people everywhere.