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I wonder if Dr. Helen thought her post about a new book would generate so many comments at her blog. Whatever the case may be, the book she highlights will eventually find its way to my library, for at the very least having tweaked some anti-theists into knee jerk, shoot themselves in the foot entertainment for the rest of us.

The book is titled, Dissecting the Unholy Trinity of Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens and she has this to say about the author:

You might know Vox Day from his blog and interesting take on feminist issues--he always has something provocative to add to that particular conversation and his book proves to be just as stimulating in regards to religion and faith. (source)

Be sure to read the rest of her post and then take a trip through her comments. You may want to get some popcorn first, as a would be critic of the book displays his foolishness very quickly and Vox Day weighs in as well. A small taste of the ensuing entertainment:

Vox said:

There's little wonder William's student did such an incompetent job in attempting to critique a four-year old, 750-word op/ed column in lieu of a new, 320-page book, given a professor like William. William is an embarrassment to the academy, as the number of his factual and logical errors are nearly equal to the number of points he attempts to make in criticizing a book he admits he has not read.

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I doubt that critic's ignorance will be so subtle as to be missed, but to save everyone time, as the comments section is currently up to 118, William is the one to look for, as his student is dispatched rather quickly before Vox even makes the comment excerpted above. Just make sure you're not chewing or swallowing your popcorn and reading at the same time, William's work is rather LOL snort worthy, to say the least.

Now perhaps some will be tempted to dismiss Dr. Helen's positive take on the book, perhaps she's just a Christian might be the thought. As far as I know, she's agnostic, but needless to say some will be tempted to dismiss it on that ground as well. Unfortunately for that mind set, Vox Day has an atheist review of his book posted, here's an excerpt:

Suffice it to say that by the end of the chapters dealing with the individual authors, I was happy that it was over. It was a thorough, detailed, dispassionate (with a little snarky levity thrown into the footnotes for flavor), and completely disheartening take-down of some of the best arguments that the godless have put into print - on their own terms, without using the Bible (in the first part of the book, that is), or any other sacred text to do it with. Amazing. And depressing. It is not my place to defend their books. I truly hope that they do find time to defend and clarify their books, specifically to the counter-arguments and claims made by Vox Day in TIA, though, because they really need to. Trust me, it wasn't pretty....

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I strongly encourage Dr. Dawkins, Dr. Dennett, Hitch, Harris, and M'sieur Onfray to respond to TIA. It is not your run-of-the-mill "flea" book looking to make a quick buck riding on the coattails of The Amber Heard Fan Club*. It's the real deal, it's substantive, meticulously researched, it brings up real problems, and it addresses these problems without falling into the trap that other fleas have fallen into in the past. (source)

It would seem this book is worth serious attention from those on both sides of the religion issue.

Serious being not addressing a much shorter op-ed in place of the actual book and its well referenced arguments. That being said, with the writer's strike still on I would like to thank those irrational atheists, William and his student, for the interlude of entertainment thus provided.

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Filed under: Culture -- Religion -- Christianity

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