The god virus book review

Where to start. Let's begin with the writing. It's really bad. I mean atrocious, at least when compared with the vast majority of professional authors out there. This reads like a poorly written fan-fic, with the main character standing in for the author. Which is, frankly, exactly what I suspect this is. I find it interesting that the book is set in the same area of the country he lives in same states, even.

The main character is a Marine Corp vet, just like the author! Seeing the Gary Stu self-insert yet? I sure am. The characterization is every bit as poor as the writing. There's no depth to them, at all. Cardboard cutouts. The editing leaves something to be desired. He needs a good editor. Let's leave it at that. The story isn't original. I am a HUGE fan of the apocalyptic genre, which makes the story being dull even that much more puzzling. How do you manage to make a story about the US falling into chaos dull?

He manages it. I think it's a combination of the poor writing and the not-so-subtly hidden agenda of the author. That's the final nail in the coffin for this book.

The author is pushing a painfully obvious political and philosophical agenda. I don't have an issue with that, but he does it with the subtlety of a 2x4. I don't want to be preached at in my fiction. I got curious about the author after attempting to read this book. Turns out the publishing company is owned by him. He's written a handful of other books, about half and half fiction and non-fiction. I think I understand the agenda quite a bit more clearly after looking at his website, and safe to say his stuff isn't for me.

Author 5 books. What if the lights suddenly went out all over the world as if God just flipped the switch. That is a question "The God Virus" makes you ask. What would you do once the panic set it and it was "every man for himself? Dan Branch is a man at a crossroads in his life living in Wisconsin when the chaos strikes. Before the lights go out he receives a coded text from his Uncle Rodney in Michigan. Uncle Rodney is a survivalist who has spent his entire life preparing for the worst and had hoped to do the same for his nephew he took in at the death of his brother.

Having grown up in that environment, Dan has a few tricks up his sleeve. Rodney's text is a code for Dan to drop everything and come home to Michigan. Of course for Dan this is not nearly that simple. There is the matter of Dan's philandering wife and his step son to whom Dan is the only father he has ever known.

What would you do if the modern world we have all come to depend on was suddenly plunged into a brand new dark age? How would you make do when the trucks quit running and the supermarkets all shut down. Even more important, what would you do when others equally unprepared decide that your provisions are fair game?

This book is a compelling read and Coryell's best effort to date. It will leave you hungry for the next installment. Reviewed by J. I thought the concept of this book was great. Take power away from the people and see what happens. It's too bad this book didn't live up to the great idea of it. I was intrigued in the beginning by the blind man. I still have no idea what his real motive was aside from having power over others. After the "collapse" this story just took a nosedive.

I found the amount of brand naming excessive and pointless. It co-opted old religious ideas and put them into sectarian clothing. Idealistic thought was mid-way between traditional Christian doctrine and the creeping secularization of the modern era, according to Andrew Bowie, another historian. Still another historian, M.

Abrams, called the Idealists and Romantics quest a pursuit of natural supernaturalism. What about Romanticism? Eagleton observes that Romanticism is a darker, more troubled affair than Idealism, even if, in some of its moods, it shares its zest and buoyancy.

Why the omission? Most them are also ardent opponents of prejudice. He says that in fact it is a modest notion that many shy away from. Instead, you must introduce a ritual tentativeness into your speech, in a kind of perpetual semantic slurring. About religion: If it were released from the burden of furnishing social orders with sets of rationales for their existence, he writes, it might be free to rediscover its true purpose as a critique of all politics.

He notes that the New Testament has little or nothing to say of responsible citizenship. After all, the New Testament, echoing Exodus, set up rules for living that outline harmonious living among women and men. In any case, the Almighty appears not to be safely nailed down in his coffin…, Eagleton comments. And his fan club is steadily swelling.

Well, this framework provides a simple answer that I never really understood before: there have been many many religions, each of them tuned in different ways almost at random by the people who created them, but most of them have died out, leaving only the "fittest" religions around in the modern day. Thinking of religions as memetic organisms struggling to survive in the environment of culture clears this question up entirely, and provided me with a great deal of insight.

The rest of the book, which assumes you've seen the usefulness of this model, explains how to use this understanding to influence how you interact with the world around you, particularly with religious people in your life. This advice is absolutely indispensable, both explaining surprising things I've seen from the religious, as well as giving me useful tips for future interactions. As someone who is nonreligious but has extremely religious in-laws, I cannot express how incredibly useful this advice is, and how it's fundamentally altered my approach for dealing with this delicate subject matter.

The incendiary title is unfortunate, but frankly given what it describes, I think it's unavoidable. But I don't think the title is meant to anger believers, in fact the book isn't even for them. Ray specifically advises AGAINST giving this book to religious relatives or friends, knowing how they'd react by being informed by his framework. Instead, this book is for nonreligious people, particularly with those who struggle understanding or relating to religious people in their lives, such as family or friends.

For those people, I literally cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is an absolutely essential read. View 1 comment. Dec 08, Dan rated it it was amazing. This is probably the best book on the subject of religion that I have ever read. The book explains how religion does what it does. The book uses the term "god virus" as an extended analogy for what happens when a person becomes infected by religion.

There are many parallels between viruses and religion. Ray uses terms such as vectors, binding, and uncoupling from culture to describe what happens to the individual who falls prey to a god virus.

A god virus is able to disable the critical thinkin This is probably the best book on the subject of religion that I have ever read. A god virus is able to disable the critical thinking skills of its host so that one's own religion appears to be without error, while at the same time errors in other approaches to religion are obvious to the host.

Just as when a body weakens it becomes more susceptible to infection, the same thing happens with regard to a god virus. Emotional turmoil and distress may bring out the vectors for infection. Whenever there is a tragedy, it seems to bring out the religious because they see the opportunity to be had to spread the virus.

Ray gives advice on living a virus-free life. Comparing science to religion, Ray notes that "Science has a built-in error correction mechanism that does not exist in religion. The progress of religion is non-existent.

I strongly recommend this book to those with an interest in religion. View all 3 comments. May 21, Debbie "DJ" rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction , religious. This book relates religion to a virus. The author is very through in his analysis of all religions and how they have played a negative role throughout history. I wanted to read this to get some insight into my fundamentalist family.

I now have a deeper understanding as to how intrenched religious beliefs are, how they are promoted, and a history of religion itself. While this book may not be for everyone, it certainly is an eye-opener. Jan 31, Susi Bocks rated it it was amazing. Once I started, I could not put it down. The material covers every aspect of why religion is literally like a virus.

The comparisons made to how real viruses work illuminate how easy it is to become infected. It details why they remain infected and, in a common sense, easy to understand fashion, make the statements plausible and, furthermore, accurate.

I would also recommend this Once I started, I could not put it down. I would also recommend this to those who identify as believers. Or if you have any close family or friends who are religious and would be open to reading it, pick up a copy for them! They just might have some light bulb moments to understand why THEY are infected. Excellent read! Dec 27, Jane rated it it was amazing.

This is a really good book. I have an interest in psychology, so really appreciated the insights that Dr. Ray brought using his psychology background. His discussions on how guilt and fear are such a strong motivation for the infected to stay infected was particularly illuminating.

The book is not written in complicated, technical terms, which makes it an easy and accessbile read to everyone. The virus analogy is sometimes, a little over done, but mostly perfect. I was extremely impressed with t This is a really good book. I was extremely impressed with this book!

Dec 26, Jim rated it really liked it. At first I was wondering where the author was going with this. Sure, I understood the concept of memetic "infections" etc. I think of "Social Darwinism" for example of where adherents don;t really "get it" and of quantum mechanics as some way to explain "new age" bullshit think De At first I was wondering where the author was going with this.

I think of "Social Darwinism" for example of where adherents don;t really "get it" and of quantum mechanics as some way to explain "new age" bullshit think Deepak Chopra here. However, the author Ray does start to gain the traction I was hoping for once I got about pages into the book and I could see where he was going.

Ray's examples were solid and he questioned his own suppositions and claims. The fact that he is of the "religiosity reformed" type -- my phrase for people who finally see that religion is basically a bunch of superstitious ideas created by our Iron Age and Bronze Age ancestors and then start to "convert" others which is another avenue of exploration altogether -- actually serves him well here, plus the fact that he is a psychologist and practicing psychotherapist lends some weight.

I recommend the book to anyone who was raised in a religious way and is not really come to realize that maybe all of that stuff that was literally "stuffed" into their heads as a child and young adult was maybe so much crap, but they still can't quite shake the fear and doubt and the potential "loss" that they still find themselves bargaining with "god", praying, and reverting to old ways when under stress or around "the faithful" and then afterwards feeling foolish again.

This is the book for you. I think it will open your eyes and let you see that actually you're "infected" with an idea and that you've been conditioned and had that conditioning reinforced over the years both subtly or overtly.

Just be sure to give it at least 75 pages. One nice feature to me of the book is the lots of footnotes and great quotes about religion, etc. It also one of the few books in recent years in which I highlighted a lot of lines, passages, etc.

Mar 14, Nina rated it liked it. Mind blown. The author relates being religious as being infected with the virus of religion. While the idea made me uncomfortable and I thought it was blasphemous, it was an interesting argument. It suggests being infected with one religion inoculates you from another. For example, a Catholic would never decide to become a Muslim. It also had interesting religion history lessons to back up arguments. For example, as the U. My hubby found it interesting that a study showed the non-religious had the lowest divorce rate while the highest was smack in the middle of the Bible Belt.

The author suggests even if you are not religious, religion infects culture and politics which can also have influence over people's lives. Was a very interesting read. Jun 18, Faye rated it it was amazing. The author delves into the mind of the fundamentalists and the religionists, exploring the various psychological mechanisms that make them behave the way they do for their religion. Dr Ray likens religion to a virus that disables rational thought and, in some cases, produces extremist behaviors in an infected person.

It is a very chilling read. The book was written many years ago, and the things the author predicted are happening in the world right now. Sep 09, Debora Williams rated it it was amazing. Wow great book. Feb 11, Eric Moyer rated it it was ok. I was disappointed in this book, it could have been so much more.

However, it is marred by two great failings: the author's negative tone and his habit of stating without proof. First, the author is so full of bitterness and vitriol that he cannot give a balanced account. For example, virus could have been just a metaphor to help us understand the ways in which religion is like a reproducing organism and subject to selective forces. Instead the word virus is used as a pejorative. He repeats it en I was disappointed in this book, it could have been so much more.

He repeats it endlessly underlining his hatred and opposition. People don't believe, they are "infected. It appears that Mr.

Ray was an active believer himself. So, I can sympathize with his feelings of betrayal. However, bitterness and anger are not constructive in this context. Are they in any? Second, the author frequently makes assertions with very little evidence. For example, he states that religions control sexuality so that they can control human propagation and thus have a better chance of infecting the next generation. To me, this is a possibility, but it is not at all obvious. Maybe religions control sexuality because in the times when they developed, sexual control controlled financial flows and ensured more income for the gods and their workers.

Maybe they control sexuality because people are constantly confused about sexuality and thus were more accepting of a religion that offered rules that made it seem less confusing. To my memory, he cites no studies and references no textbooks to back up his claim. Ray denigrates Dr. However, I remember Dr. Dobson citing scientific research in his books many more times than Mr. Ray cited serious study in his. The only silver lining to Mr.

Ray's poorly-supported claims comes from a change in viewpoint. If I think of him as suggesting hypotheses to test, rather than asserting them as fact, the book becomes very interesting. It proposes many ways in which religions might be shaped by their need to propagate and their need for physical, mental, and temporal resources to do so. As such, this book could provide many social-science PhD students with their dissertations and with years of interesting research during their careers if they were interested in testing his claims.

Jul 22, Gary Beauregard Bottomley rated it really liked it. The book acts as an immunization against those who are infected with the religious virus. The author is never in your face and is mostly about giving the non-theist a way to think and understand the thinking behind the theist believers. They cover similar material, but I found better arguments through the metaphor of the virus in this book.

The author even has a section on how to talk with religious people if you The book acts as an immunization against those who are infected with the religious virus. The author even has a section on how to talk with religious people if you must okay, the author doesn't say 'must', that's not his style at all. For example, if a believer says he'll be praying about you, just reply and say 'thanks, I'll be thinking about you".

A non-confrontational approach which doesn't compromise your belief system is always preferable to pointless arguments. The author reads his own book. He does a good job. He's not a great reader, but by having the author read his own book, I the listener get a better interpretation of the book.

I completely forgot to write this review immediately after I read it so the best I can do is write about why it earns 5 stars and an unhesitating strongly-recommend: Darrel Ray, using the language of infectious disease and bacteriology, lays before the reader a clear explanation of how, even if you are a non-believer, religion affects your life. He addresses the "hot buttons" of sex, gender, politics, and family.

The strength of this book, as I remember it, is in the academic rigor of his work. He I completely forgot to write this review immediately after I read it so the best I can do is write about why it earns 5 stars and an unhesitating strongly-recommend: Darrel Ray, using the language of infectious disease and bacteriology, lays before the reader a clear explanation of how, even if you are a non-believer, religion affects your life.

He is not satisfied to give general explanations but goes deeper and maintains his conceit of religion as an infectious disease in need of treatment. Strongly recommend, and am considering a re-read myself. Jul 23, Milo rated it really liked it. There is valuable information on offer here, the only issue is you may have to sift through plenty of dubious narrative to find it. May 22, Winston Jen rated it it was amazing. Renowned psychologist Darrel Ray likens religion to a virus in this complex yet accessible tome.

One of his first examples is the Toxoplasma Gandii parasite, which will override a mouse's instinctive fear of all things feline and seek out their natural enemy the parasite can only reproduce inside cats. Likewise with the god virus, religion can cause humans to commit genetic suicide think terrorist bombers, priests and nuns in the service of their religion. The overreaching theme of the book Renowned psychologist Darrel Ray likens religion to a virus in this complex yet accessible tome.

The overreaching theme of the book is that religion and those most heavily infected with the virus do not care about their flock. All they care about is spreading their religion, and damn the consequences. As a fundamentalist Baptist for two decades, Ray is perfectly placed to examine and dissect the flawed arguments and effective tactics of religion. And, as a psychologist, he is able to give an objective, scientific illustration of why religions act in the way they do, how they have become so extravagantly successful, and what can be done to combat it.

Ask them to explain their theistic beliefs in detail. Then, a few days or weeks later, repeat their statement of faith to them after replacing Jesus with Mohammed.

The inescapable conclusion is that while religious individuals can see through the gimmicks and nonsensical arguments of every other religion and schisms within their own, such as Mormonism. These schisms and inconsistent beliefs are not only powerful evidence against the truth of any one religion, but have also led to countless intra-faith and inter-faith conflicts throughout human history.

Chapter One details the spread of viruses in the natural world and through cultures. Viruses are spread by vectors mosquitoes for malaria, priests, imams and rabbis for religion. Because of the enormous investment of time and money that training these individuals require, the virus will instinctively protect its vectors in the face of scandals.

The recent surfeit of child rape atrocities in the Catholic church is a contemporary case study here. Religions will frequently use meaningless rituals to reinforce their beliefs in the mind of their believers. Why would Islam require five daily prayers facing Mecca, no less if their deity was actually real? Why the cultural and social practice of weekly sermons and proscriptions against masturbation in many religions?

If it's good for the virus, it will spread and remain as long as it remains useful. They also tend to be very specific as to what constitutes "charity" the ACLU typically doesn't qualify.

Contradictions are rife, but the virus neuter's its host's capacity for critical thinking and reason except where "heathen" faiths are concerned. Martyrs can be profitable "fruit" for sects, as was the case of Joseph Smith and Mormonism. Chapter Two details religion's natural tendency for schisms and conflict. Sunnis and Shi'ites just can't seem to get along.

Al Qaeda seems to loathe both groups equally. As an example, Iran has tried to keep fundamentalist Islam contained, but it continues to flare up violently on occasion. Religions can be grouped into three categories - parasitic, symbiotic and a hybrid of the two. All religions have some tangible benefits for their societies; they would not have survived very long without them. Jehovah's Witnesses can be very parasitic at times, especially since their dogma forbids blood transfusions.

The harm that this can cause led to Russia clamping down on their religious practices to protect children and families from splitting apart. Chapter Three begins with a description of early tribal religions and how it is the goal of most religions at least in Europe and the US today to seize control of the state which will lead to further control as the two institutions become indistinguishable.