The Answer to Bad Religion Is Not No Religion: A Guide to Good Religion for Seekers, Skeptics, and Believers by Martin Thielen

I think the title of this book is a misnomer. It should be "If you were turned off by fundamental Christianity, try mainstream Christianity instead." The author does not talk about all religions - and there is bad religion and good religion in all religions - not just Christianity - instead, the author only explains that many mainline, mainstream Christian groups are "better" in his opinion than fundamental, conservative Christianity. I think that many of the concepts that the author considers to be indicative of "good religion" are indeed, good things, but I don't think that they can only be found in Christianity. I also agree that the things that the author deems "bad religion" - like rejecting scientific facts and being gender oppressive and exclusive, legalistic, manipulative etc... are indeed bad things to have in a religion. However, those things are not found merely in fundamental Christianity. They can be found in fundamental Islam and some highly Orthodox or Hassidic Jewish groups and probably in other religions as well. The author quotes Mark 12:30 as the "Great Commandment" but fails to reveal that it is merely a quote of Deuteronomy 6:5. Many of the beliefs and attitudes and actions that the author tells us are so wonderful about the Christian religion are actually Jewish. The author even includes some Jewish stories about how to behave and states how like Christianity they are, but, he never says that there is anything good about the Jewish religion. His only "religion" that he considers to be "good religion" is what he calls mainline/mainstream Christianity and he suggests United Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopal, Disciples of Christ, United Church of Christ and American Baptist. I guess that all other Christian groups and all other religions that are not Christian, must fall into his "bad religion" category even if they don't hold the "bad religion" viewpoints that he shares. So, I think that this book probably will resonate with people who have been in "bad" Christian religion and are unhappy with it and it may encourage them to visit some of the mainstream churches that the author suggests. It also may resonate with people who meet with those mainstream churches both to pat themselves on the back and to help them to focus on having more "good" things in their church and eliminating any "bad" things they may have. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.