The God virus
Subtitle: how religion infects our lives and culture
By: Darrel W. Ray
Publisher: IPC Press
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Bonner Springs, Kan
Language: eng
Number of pages: 241
ISBN-13: 9780970950512
Subjects: Controversial literature; Religious Psychology; Sociobiology; Religion; Religion and science; Religious aspects
Description: Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris and Dennett opened the door to a hard nosed look at religion in our society but no one seemed to be using their concepts to explain the psychology of religion and its practical effects on people. Dr. Darrel Ray, psychologist and lifelong student of religion stepped into this gap to discuss religious infection from the inside out. How does guilt play into religious infection? Why is sexual control so important to so many religions? What causes the anxiety and neuroticism around death and dying? How does religion inject itself into so many areas of life, culture and politics? Dr. Ray explores this and much more in his book, The God Virus: How religion infects our lives and culture. This second generation book takes the reader several steps beyond Dawkins, et al. into the realm of the personal and emotional mechanisms that affect anyone who lives in a culture steeped in religion. He uses examples that anyone can relate to and gives real world guidance in how to deal with and respond to people who are religious among our families, friends and coworkers.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Religion as a virus; title: How religions survive and dominate; title: American civil religion; title: God loves you : the guilt that binds; title: Sex and the god virus; title: The myth of unchanging morality; title: Jesus my personal savior : the roots of American Evangelism; title: Intelligence, personality, and the god virus; title: Understanding and living with the god virus; title: The journey : living a virus-free life; title: The god virus and science; title: The future of an illusion.