A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America: Essays on Religion, Science, Morality, and the Bush Administration [Hardcover]

John Bice (Author), Mike Ramsey (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2007

What if a fed-up American atheist and "godless liberal" became a newspaper opinion columnist? This unique compilation answers that question, and demonstrates how an unapologetically secular perspective can go mainstream, reminding non-believers they're not alone, while simultaneously reaching a largely Christian audience. Exploring the power of "preaching to the converted," this motivating collection challenges other atheists, secularists, agnostics, and freethinkers to become vocal and involved in their own local media, adding a rational voice to the daily dialogue taking place in newspapers across the country. "A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America" is a collection of newspaper opinion columns, and other essays, written between 2002 and 2006. The subject matter includes: American politics, the media, religion, atheism, evolution and creationism, the Bush administration, science education, free will, gay marriage, religious conservatives, the Bible, morality, and the Iraq war.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... concentrated nuggets of wisdom and good sense -- easy to digest, but hard to dismiss." -- Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, UK

"... easily one of the most enjoyable, thought-provoking, and quotable books I have read in years." -- Atheist Revolution, February 25, 2007

"A delight to read, a cornucopia of distilled facts and concise arguments..." -- Dan Barker, Co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Author of "Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist."

"This will provide you with many arguing points, and I recommend it for that purpose." -- James `The Amazing' Randi, investigator and demystifier of paranormal, supernatural and pseudoscientific claims.

"A perfect `bedside reader.' John has written pithy and sharp commentaries." -- Paul Geisert, Ph.D., Co-Director of "The-Brights.Net"

From the Publisher

A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America offers a disturbing commentary on the backward religious mindset that grips much of the U.S. population, and serves as a rallying cry for other atheists, secularists and rationalists to speak out and be heard. Through the publication of these essays, most of which are newspaper opinion columns, John Bice demonstrates that it's possible for secular and atheist points of view to appear in mainstream media outlets on a regular bases, even in the United States. This book serves as one example of how atheist writers can become active locally and spread a much-needed message of rationalism.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 220 pages
• Publisher: Chelydra Bay Press (February 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097936521X
• ISBN-13: 978-0979365218
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,016,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bice brings clarity and passion to national conversation, April 7, 2007

By 

George Ricker "Author: 'Godless in America' a... (Palm Bay, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America: Essays on Religion, Science, Morality, and the Bush Administration (Paperback)

Good writing needs clarity and passion. These essays by John Bice have both in abundance. Whether he is discussing religions in general---"In reality, mainstream unsupported beliefs (such as Christianity) are in no way objectively superior to the equally unsupported beliefs of fringe groups."---or the role of religious ideology in American government--- "Imagine how disturbing it would be if our own government habitually pushed dogmatic ideology over scientific facts. Well, prepare to be disturbed."---he brings a voice to our national conversation about religions and their role in public life that is authentic and refreshing.

A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America is a collection of opinion pieces written by Bice for The State News, which serves Michigan State University and the community of East Lansing, Michigan, along with a few guest columns he contributed to the Lansing State Journal. The columns were written between 2002 and 2006 and cover a variety of subjects including religion, science, morality and politics, approaching them all from a perspective that is rational and liberal.

An unapologetic atheist, Bice writes that he had been convinced of the waning influence of religions. However, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and a presentation on the impact of fundamentalist religion on science education at around the same time, galvanized him to an awareness of the dangers posed by fundamentalist religions. That awareness, in turn, prompted him to begin writing the opinion columns that make up the body of this work.

Following a preface in which he lays out the circumstances that led to the creation of the book and an introduction in which he sets the stage for what follows, Bice has organized the material thematically into sections containing from three to ten essays. He begins with a chapter on "Weird Beliefs" and concludes with one titled "Iraq War, Media & Patriotism." Each chapter begins with a selection of related quotations from a variety of sources and an illustration by Mike Ramsey, who also created a very attractive cover for the book.

Here, readers will find a front row seat from which to view the culture wars and an arsenal of arguments for those who want to be more actively engaged in the fray. Bice documents his opinions with fact and cites his sources. He writes with energy and candor, pulling no punches and sparing no sacred cows. While endorsing the "rights of conscience" of all, he does not hesitate to identify nonsense as nonsense and treat it accordingly.

One of the charms of a collection like this is that the reader gets to witness the by-play between columnist and audience. Bice frequently cites letters to the editor or emails that are reactions to previous columns and uses them as springboards for a further exploration. This gives the pieces a conversational quality that is most welcome in an age of jargon and hype. Since each essay is relatively short, it's easy to stop and think about what you've read or pause before going on to the next. This is a book that can be read in one sitting or a little bit at a time, depending upon the reader's schedule and inclination.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should note that, although I haven't met the author, I was given the opportunity to read an electronic version of this book and to write a blurb, which you'll find on the inside, before it went to press. I was enthusiastic about the book then. Now that I've bought a copy and read it again, I recommend it without reservation. A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America is a good read and a worthwhile addition to any library.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Refresing and Valuable Read, June 14, 2007

By 

John R. Guthrie "John R. Guthrie" (Simi Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America: Essays on Religion, Science, Morality, and the Bush Administration (Paperback)

On John Bice's A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval American: Essays on Religion, Science, Morality and the Bush Administration. Langsburg, Michigan: Chelydra Bay Press, 2007. 215 pp.



Bice's writing is clear and well reasoned and the general tone is engaging. Bice's takedown of religious fatuousness can be downright funny. Consider his description of a "faith-based anti-missile system" or "prayer-assisted air traffic control" not to mention "Prayer -Powered Sewage Treatment," all dependant for function solely on the supplications of the faithful.

In developing his thesis of a medieval mindset in contemporary society, Bice notes that we live in a time of when "faith-based" initiatives take a wrecking ball to Mr. Jefferson's constitutional wall of separation between church and state, when a born-again president terms his misbegotten war a "crusade" and in communities where half the citizens affirm that God created humans 10,000 years ago. Further examples include pharmacists refusing to dispense medicines that offend their religious scruples, e.g. the Wisconsin Christian pharmacist who refused to either fill a woman's birth control prescription or to transfer it to another pharmacy. Then there is the case of the "Several Imax theaters, including some in science museums, are refusing to show movies that mention evolution--or the Big Bang or the geology of the earth--fearing protests from people who object to films that contradict Biblical descriptions of the origin of the Earth and its creatures. This reader particularly appreciated the careful sourcing and footnoting which adds authority and substance to the author's perspective.

The series of essays that make up this work originally appeared as newspaper columns in The State News. In them he comments on topics to include Biblical inerrancy, Intelligent Design to Raelian beliefs and Scientology to Bush administration's "Faith-Based" policies and such religiopolitical wedge issues as gay marriage.

Mr. Bice's work, written primarily for "a mainstream, largely Christian readership" is a valuable work in both creating a sense of community among rationalists and in counterbalancing the irrational affirmations in which U.S. society is immersed. Bice self-describes his writing as confrontational, acerbic and blunt. It could just as well be termed refreshing, accessible, worthwhile, and achingly honest.

Free lance journalist John Bice is a graduate of Michigan State University.







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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cuts Right to the Quick, July 10, 2008

By 

Michael Kranitz "www.kranitz.com" (Lone Tree, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America: Essays on Religion, Science, Morality, and the Bush Administration (Paperback)

Bice is masterful. In my career as a lawyer and writer, I have come to loath many written works in this arena because they are simply to convoluted to endure. Bice's writing style is clean, witty, incisive and to the point. He also makes so much sense I found it hard to drop his book, even at 2am!