Rating: 
Summary: Catholic faith misunderstood and maligned again....
Review: Anyone who wants to know how the Catholic Church views the veneration of relics and other Catholic sacramentals must read any of the books by Kevin Orlin Johnson, Ph.D.. I am a contented Catholic and current custodian of 2nd class relic of St. Bernadette. Relics are a sign of the connection between heaven and earth and provide us hope. They are sacred and holy and need to be treated accordingly. I'd be the first to agree that abuses have occurred, but I am certain that the miraculous is there as well. I KNOW this to be true. We do not get our faith from the imperfect people who consitute the Catholic Church, but from the Church itself. Pax Tecum.
Rating:
Summary: Catholic faith misunderstood and maligned again....
Review: Anyone who wants to know how the Catholic Church views the veneration of relics and other Catholic sacramentals must read any of the books by Kevin Orlin Johnson, Ph.D.. I am a contented Catholic and current custodian of 2nd class relic of St. Bernadette. Relics are a sign of the connection between heaven and earth and provide us hope. They are sacred and holy and need to be treated accordingly. I'd be the first to agree that abuses have occurred, but I am certain that the miraculous is there as well. I KNOW this to be true. We do not get our faith from the imperfect people who consitute the Catholic Church, but from the Church itself. Pax Tecum.
Rating: 
Summary: A valuable, well-researched study of questionable claims..
Review: Depending on what side of the religious fence you're on, you can find this book to be either annoying and even offensive, or a great reference book about gullibility, to teach us how to think better. I have to confess I'm in the latter category.What's often befuddles many devout believers is why someone would even analyze miracles in the first place. After all, life without belief in miracles seems to be empty. What Nickell points out, simply, is that before we jump to conclusions, and impulsively accept a supernatural "explanation" for such phenomena, we should at least take a look at NATURAL reasons why they occur -- or look like they occur. He provides one or more natural, logical reason(s) for every "supernatural wonder" he describes. What he's telling the reader is "Examine and test extraordinary claims". Even religious ones, taught to us by people we admmire. If we don't do that, then we're liable to be suckered into swallowing whole any belief system. And in doing so, we can lose touch with reality. I don't get the sense that the author is singling out the Catholic Church as an evil entity, or that he's coming down hard, personally, on individuals in that organization. However, he uses Catholic claims of miracles as an illustration of the way in which beliefs, once they're given official sanction by authorities, are easily accepted. He might have used Hinduism, Christian Science, or UFO-ology, for that matter, to serve his same purpose. But traditional Catholicism is familiar to many Americans. For that reader, Nickell gives a different slant on a lot of beliefs they would be already acquainted with. He also aids the non-Catholic believers, and the non-religious, to understand Catholic (and some Pentecostal) miracle claims, in scientific terms. In other words, he scrutinizes them, to see if the claims actually have any common-sense or logical basis, and if there's really any proof to back up the claims. It's up to the reader to decide whether he's made a case against belief. I believe he has, based on his thorough research of these cases. Of course, you disagree. But I would invite you to read what he has to say, and make up your own mind. As Nickell implies, there might be deception in some of these astounding instances. But that's not always easy to prove. In my opinion, his research has uncovered cases of blant trickery. Other times, from what I can see, they're just deeply-held convictions, in spite of evidence which refute the claims. His arguments may never sway the most loyal religious folks. That's understandable. Faith is definitely a strong force in an individual's life. One thing is certain: faith in miracles is at least a matter of great sincerity. But one problem with that sincere exercise of faith, Nickell shows, is that it doesn't guarantee truth. Very well-intentioned believers retain ideas they've held since they were kids. But Nickell's point is that we have to be careful about what we continue to hold onto, and take things with a grain of salt, when we hear about things like weeping icons or healings. I think that the value of "Looking For A Miracle" is the lesson that faith in supernational powers, and magical thinking, isn't necessary for wholeness and happiness. From his many examples, it's obvious that such faith can instill a feeling of security and love. But Nickell says that isn't enough. He offers a different, more accepting view of life's varied experiences. His outlook, from what I gather, is that one can live in and appreciate the natural world, even with all of our limitations, like gravity, sickness and mortality. So it's a great book for helping us view life as thinking, realistic adults. If you read it with that thought in mind, with a desire to learn a different point of view, you should get a lot out of it. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: A Superb Book for "Debunking"
Review: Harsh criticisms of religion? Yes. Can mere "faith" be ascribed as a reason to believe in anything? Mr. Nickell examines many of the more "popular" religious farces throughout history and tears them down. If you're going to believe in something and lay claim to faith as the reasoning, fine. But don't expect it to stand up to science. An excellent book for skeptics and believers alike.
Rating:
Summary: A Superb Book for "Debunking"
Review: Harsh criticisms of religion? Yes. Can mere "faith" be ascribed as a reason to believe in anything? Mr. Nickell examines many of the more "popular" religious farces throughout history and tears them down. If you're going to believe in something and lay claim to faith as the reasoning, fine. But don't expect it to stand up to science. An excellent book for skeptics and believers alike.
Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: I am a Catholic, but I loved this book. I am so sick of hearing about Lourdes, Fatima, and other Catholic scams. This book shines the light of truth on these events and on many other odd things.
Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: I am a Catholic, but I loved this book. I am so sick of hearing about Lourdes, Fatima, and other Catholic scams. This book shines the light of truth on these events and on many other odd things.
Rating:
Summary: A valuable, well-researched study of questionable claims..
Review: I am always willing to look at the skeptical side of things, along with those who argue for a position. As I read through this book I got the impression that Nickells arguments simply did not make sense. He claims that religions fake the many miraculous things and events that happen within the religion. Why? For greed and power. Very unlikely for the most part. Why? These miraculous events have been occuring since the beginning of religions. He would have us believe that the miracles of Christ, the uniformity of the Bible, and all things miraculous are all faked. To believe this we would have to believe that all things miraculous are either illusions,lies,and the wholesale work of frauds. There may be something much deeper going on in religion, than Nickells fraud claims. Perhaps the Hindus are right; God appeared as Krishna, Buddha and Jesus among other incarnations. Nickells thesis doesnt add up. His book is only preaching to the choir, and I dont recommend it. This whole book claims to explain the miracles of St. Janarius among others in a way that doesnt conform to the evidence. He also ignores or trivializes evidence that contradicts his position. This in no way is a search for truth, no matter what this book claims. One reviewer wrote that ancedotal evidence is no evidence of anything. Actually no amount of evidence can convince someone who doesnt want to believe, no matter if he is a skeptic or believer. Things are what they are. There is no arguing against a fact as Aquinas wisely observes. Unless contradicting evidence can be brought up against a fact to show that a fact is not really a fact, one can go on preaching to the choir forever. This book does not present any credible contradicting evidence and Nickells arguments can be refuted.
Rating: 
Summary: a very poor critique
Review: I am always willing to look at the skeptical side of things, along with those who argue for a position. As I read through this book I got the impression that Nickells arguments simply did not make sense. He claims that religions fake the many miraculous things and events that happen within the religion. Why? For greed and power. Very unlikely for the most part. Why? These miraculous events have been occuring since the beginning of religions. He would have us believe that the miracles of Christ, the uniformity of the Bible, and all things miraculous are all faked. To believe this we would have to believe that all things miraculous are either illusions,lies,and the wholesale work of frauds. There may be something much deeper going on in religion, than Nickells fraud claims. Perhaps the Hindus are right; God appeared as Krishna, Buddha and Jesus among other incarnations. Nickells thesis doesnt add up. His book is only preaching to the choir, and I dont recommend it. This whole book claims to explain the miracles of St. Janarius among others in a way that doesnt conform to the evidence. He also ignores or trivializes evidence that contradicts his position. This in no way is a search for truth, no matter what this book claims. One reviewer wrote that ancedotal evidence is no evidence of anything. Actually no amount of evidence can convince someone who doesnt want to believe, no matter if he is a skeptic or believer. Things are what they are. There is no arguing against a fact as Aquinas wisely observes. Unless contradicting evidence can be brought up against a fact to show that a fact is not really a fact, one can go on preaching to the choir forever. This book does not present any credible contradicting evidence and Nickells arguments can be refuted.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book but...
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. I'm a catholic and this book has in no way altered my beliefs about God. On the other hand, it did change my beliefs concerning miracles. Joe Nickell seems to have done a good job by searching out all the info and he seems to know his subject very well. Some of his arguments are very convincing, and some are not convincing at all I have to admit. I don't know if the sources he uses are reliable, but some of them seem to be quite reliable and trustworthy. I didn't check his sources, so in that sense I have to have just about as much faith to believe in his stuff than to believe in the miracles!!! No, I'm exaggerating. His sources are probably credible, but what bothers me a little in this book is his attitude that NO MIRACLES EXIST. It might be true - I don't know, I've never seen one - but he is just looking for proofs that miracles don't exist and he stops there. It doesn't answer all the mysteries that are still around all those alleged "miracles". He does give explanations for some of the "proofs" for miracles, but I've noticed that they are mostly for old miracles and all the "new" miracles are not being delt with enough. That's my feeling. Like Padre Pio. He hardly mentions him. Fatima, Lourdes and all those events: I still can't understand how those kids would do that: to lie in front of thousands of people. I don't know. Plus, his explanations about the sun moving are not conving at all. What about Saint Bernadette? Her body is preserved and yet he doesn't give us any explanations about why. He just assumes that they might have injected her body with some stuff... Very good book nonetheless. Highly recommended.
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