The Happy Heretic

Rating:
Summary: Delightful and eye opening...
Review: (...)This book means more to me than any other I've ever read.(...) Judith Hayes, now my favorite author, makes this one of the easiest read due to it's wit, sharpness, and non-repetitiveness. This book can be read in a sitting quite easily, just because it's so hard to put down. I have never read a book that had me going through so many different emotions. I laughed (oh, did I laugh!), cried, and just inhaled fresher air with every page I read. (...) This book, in the most uproarious and effortless way, presents the facts without trying to coerce you into believing on thing or another. All she seems to ask is for you to think about. I really enjoyed the examples of a humanists reaction to pretty difficult (and joyous) situations that she has in one of the chapters. (...) This is an easy read that is well worth it, especially if you are in doubt about your viewpoint (from any background), or you are just feeling needless guilt that I've found faith-based religion often supplies. (...)

Rating:
Summary: Organized Religion = Bad, Secular Humanism = Good
Review: ...that's about the extent of what I learned from Judith Hayes "The Happy Heretic."

But, I have to admit that as a conservative Catholic I did have a fun time reading the book, and I think that that was partially Ms. Hayes' point.

However, in defending her main point, namely that secular humanism will deliver us from all of the trouble in the world and that organized religion (far from helping out) causes the lion's share of that trouble, I believe that she is less than successful. All of the favorite dead horses of the secular humanists are beaten yet again: the bad popes, ancient practices divorced from thier cultural context, the problem of evil, inquisitions and virtually everything the Southern Baptist Convention has said in the past couple of decades, etc. Since the author refuses to interact with any of the numerous works of apologetics that have defended the traditional Christian viewpoint on the matters she presents, the dialogue between atheists and theists really isn't resolved or even moved forward.

While the author does point out the great contributions that Humanism has given to our civilization, she is less-than-forthcoming with any of its faults. The way the author sells her philosophy, you would think that in addition to curing all of the world's ills, secular humanism would also make humanity smarter, taller, more attractive and stronger! A typical example of this is her response to critiques pointing out the possible pitfalls of euthanasia are basically: "It won't happen if we all follow humanism so butt out religious types!" This sounds suspiciously like the fundamentalism she claims to have chucked since she became enlightened. Moreover, none of the numerous atrocities commited in the name of atheism over the past century aren't even mentioned, let alone given at least a brief apologia.

Rating:
Summary: Very Funny But Naive - A Humorous Read
Review: I have to say this is a hilarious book. I also have to say, if you are a person who is not 100% confident in your faith, whatever it may be, it might not be a great idea to read it. You may do nothing more than stir an inner conflict and miss the utter hilarity of this work. The author is a former fundamentalist Christian who has embraced Secular Humanism as her new faith. She claims it is in no way a religion, but she is practicing it as one and trying to proselytize it just as she did her former faith many years ago. Irreverent, like it could be anything else, and charming at points, this book is a scream. Not from cover to cover, but some of the synopses and outlines are truly side splitting. The writing does not really attack Judaism. There are only a few references to that faith and others. It primarily rages against Christianity and Islam to a lesser extent. The critical analyses given of Biblical text is strict of a Christian nature and from the Christian Bible. There are a few references to the Koran but the thrust of this work is to rail against fundamentalist Christianity. Though humorous and not likely to offend anyone other than Christians, sadly, the author embraces her newly found faith, or lack thereof as she maintains, with the same fervor as her former one. Readers are now to believe mankind will be delivered from all social affliction and economic adversity if only Secular Humanism is accepted by all. Euthanasia, secularism, nihilism, all lauded as agents of deliverance from the yoke of organized religion, but no mention of the atrocities committed upon mankind by those same ideals. The author never goes on to rationalize her ideology to its logical conclusion. What will happen to the old and infirm if our society does not regard them as useful or productive? How will international disputes be settled with a humanistic morality? One wherein there is nothing but antipathy for religion and tradition and one wherein survival of the fittest reigns supreme? The world has already seen and felt the sad results of this thinking. I am not sure if the author knows who Nietzsche was, but her philosophy is quite the same, only driven by the same evangelical enthusiasm she claims she so loathes. Other than the naivete of the basic premise of the book, it's a great read and a lot of fun. Not to be taken too seriously and not to be taken as a basis of human endeavor, no matter hat the writer says.

Rating:
Summary: Pure Brilliance!
Review: I just finihsed this book and it was well worth the time I put into reading it. I've been a fan of Judith's website for about a year and for some reason I had missed the fact that she had also written books. Well, shame on me. This book is a wonderful, insightfull look at religion and it's blindness to logic, written law code and just plain compassion. If you are a Christain, Muslim, or follow any "faith" be warned this may offend but even if it does it is worth the read because it may expose you some opinions that you have never considered before. Test your faith by giving this a chance and you will come out a stronger person!

Rating:
Summary: The Happy Heretic
Review: On the dust jacket of this book an author named Elaine Morgan says, "Mark Twain would have enjoyed this book." I go farther and say that Mark Twain could have written this book! It's a gem.

Kiko Tanaka

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: There are some books that, despite being relatively short and show an economy of words, are still a trawl to read.  This is not one of those books.  On the jacket a quote says the writing is "simple without being simplistic", and this, I think, is the major strength of The Happy Heretic.   When offering perspectives from a humanistic, atheistic point of view, it can be easy to stray into pretentiousness and brain-numbing, nay, boring philosophy.  There are books like that if you want them, but they are a trawl to read as well.  They might be educational, but they are also usually a very dull experience indeed, their matter-of-factness coldly clinical, as if the reader is a robot whose operation depends on stolid philosophical input.  This brings me to another strength of The Happy Heretic: its refreshing humanity.  Judith Hayes says she wants to "nudge" people.  This is setting herself a difficult task, and it would take writing of clarity, empathy, poignancy and humour to have half a chance of successful "nudging".  In this case, I consider myself well and truly shoulder-barged.    I may be giving the impression this book is merely an extended essay of rose-tinted philanthropy.  This is not the case.  Far from it.  This is a book of skilfully-balanced contrasts.  There is satire which doesn't so much cut religion into pieces as slowly, cleanly and easily slice through - and it's frequently bloody funny.  Nestled alongside are heart-wrenching true stories that bring a lump to the throat, and deadly serious indictments of religious abuse; and it works, because everything is put clearly into context.   Of course, it is not flawless.  There are minor quibbles.  The first two chapters set off sprinting as soon as they touch the ground.  This is initially jarring, but once you're in amongst Hayes' easy prose you soon warm to her theme, and the book slips into gear.  These chapters, which see Hayes being critical, are where she occasionally threatens to come across as one of those over-zealous soap-box stampers you find at Speakers Corner in London's Hyde Park on Sunday afternoons.  The difference, though, is that she's always worth your attention.   I like this book alot.  This ironically brings me to my main criticism: it's all over so quickly!  It's quite easily read in one sitting.  I suppose I felt like I had just seen a great, polemic show, with laughter, tears, the works, and I was standing and applauding, expecting a protracted encore.  But saying I wanted more, of course, is really a compliment.  Dammit, I really can't find much wrong with this book!   I highly recommend this book for those who are having doubts about their faith, and especially for those who may feel guilt because of those doubts.  Judith Hayes' great talent is to use those "nudging" qualities I mentioned earlier to sweep away the stigma of apostasy.  She's an apostate herself, and her understanding shines throughout this book.  

In correspondence to Judith Hayes, (from memory) a writer states, "I write with a felt-tip pen, while you write with a stick of dynamite".  That observation is hereby endorsed, and I for one am certainly ready for more. We're fortunate, then, that Judith Hayes' excellent monthly articles can be found at [her web site]. Do yourself a favour, friend, and go there now.

Rating:
Summary: Insightful and very reader-friendly
Review: With this collection of essays, rants, and email responses sent to her website, "The Happy Heretic", Hayes has constructed a book on atheism/freethought/civil liberties that is by turns hysterically funny and appallingly tragic.

From tales of people seeing the Virgin Mary in a waffle to the Pope declaring that "Gravity Exists!" Hayes explores the lengths to which people will go to in order to satisfy their hunger for a "miracle". On the darker side, the author submits personal accounts of people in her own life that have sacrificed their freedoms, intellect, and even the safety of their own children in order to be a part of a religious system that offers to do the thinking for them.

One does not need to be an atheist to get something out of this book. Hayes' attack isn't on God; but rather on the crimes perpetuated by people who claim a form of "divine right" to force their beliefs on others.

Rating:
Summary: Insightful and very reader-friendly
Review: With this collection of essays, rants, and email responses sent to her website, "The Happy Heretic", Hayes has constructed a book on atheism/freethought/civil liberties that is by turns hysterically funny and appallingly tragic.

From tales of people seeing the Virgin Mary in a waffle to the Pope declaring that "Gravity Exists!" Hayes explores the lengths to which people will go to in order to satisfy their hunger for a "miracle". On the darker side, the author submits personal accounts of people in her own life that have sacrificed their freedoms, intellect, and even the safety of their own children in order to be a part of a religious system that offers to do the thinking for them.

One does not need to be an atheist to get something out of this book. Hayes' attack isn't on God; but rather on the crimes perpetuated by people who claim a form of "divine right" to force their beliefs on others.