Customer Reviews

The God Hater: A Novel

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For the longest time ever, Bill Myers was never at the top of my list. I mean, let's admit it, and come right out and say it. If you were to compare Bill Myers to the likes of Frank Peretti, Ted DeKker, or even Steven James, he probably doesn't match up. But he's been out there, and he's made waves every time he emerges. And this times, he really puts everything out there, and "The God Hater" is what we have waiting for us this time! Number one, what kind of title is that? It does kind of grab your attention, doesn't it? With praise from greats such as Jerry Jenkins and James Scott Bell, it is obvious that Myers didn't bother holding back. And by not holding back, gives us something unforgettable!

Dr. Nicholas Mackensie is an atheist of the worst kind, with a cruel word for everything daring to prove there is a God. Yet it is he who is chosen and challenged to come up with something that just might make sense for a computer programmed world. So how exactly would a man like Nicholas go about something like that? By becoming a Law-Giver, of course, which Nicholas despises the very thought of. But how exactly do you get through THAT world while living in THIS world? By becoming one of THEM! Is this exactly ideal? Never. And when a virus is introduced, things get more complicated, and somebody will pay! Is a man like Nicholas really ready to embrace such a thing?

Is this going to be a story that brings about the perfect theology everybody expects? That's never going to happen, until you know what God's Word says and you read your Bible. Yet Bill Myers has the right idea, just like Lewis had the right idea with Narnia. This isn't even close to Narnia, and was never supposed to be. But it will be met with a vengeance by some, while some will just love it, and others will think it is plain nuts. But so what? Whether you consider Bill Myers a genius, idiot, or just an altogether lunatic is irrelevant. Because he's done his work once again. And whether you like it or not, "The God Hater" will stick with people and have people thinking long after that final page. I loved it!

I enjoy being transported to a different time and place when I read a novel. I was transported to a real and a `virtual' place in `The God Hater' by Bill Myers.

Here is the synopsis of this riveting novel:

A cranky, atheistic philosophy professor loves to shred the faith of incoming freshmen. He is chosen by a group of scientists to create a philosophy for a computer-generated world exactly like ours. Much to his frustration every model he introduces--from Darwinism, to Existentialism, to Relativism, to Buddhism--fails. The only way to preserve the computer world is to introduce laws from outside their system through a Law Giver. Of course this goes against everything he's ever believed, and he hates it. But even that doesn't completely work because the citizens of that world become legalists and completely miss the spirit behind the Law. The only way to save them is to create a computer character like himself to personally live and explain it. He does. So now there are two of him--the one in our world and the one in the computer world. Unfortunately a rival has introduced a virus into the computer world. Things grow worse until our computer-world professor sees the only way to save his world is to personally absorb the virus and the penalty for breaking the Law. Of course, it's clear to all, including our real-world professor, that this act of selfless love has become a reenactment of the Gospel. It is the only possible choice to save their computer world and, as he finally understands, our own.

Here is the biography of this author:

Bill Myers ([...]) holds a degree in Theater Arts from the University of Washington and an honorary doctorate from the Theological Institute of Nimes, France, where he taught. As author/screenwriter/director his work has won over 50 national and international awards, including the C.S. Lewis Honor Award. His DVDs and books have sold 8 million copies. His children's DVD and book series, McGee and Me, has sold 4.5 million copies, has won 40 Gold and Platinum awards, and has been aired on ABC as well as in 80 countries. His My Life As... series has sold 2.1 million copies. He has written, directed, and done voice work for Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey radio series and is the voice of Jesus in Zondervan's NIV Audio Bible. As an author, nearly all of his children's series have made the bestseller list, as well as 7 of his adult novels. He has been interviewed for Good Morning America and ABC Nightly News. Several of his novels are currently under option for motion pictures, including Blood of Heaven, Threshold, Eli, Fire of Heaven, When the Last Leaf Falls, and Forbidden Doors. The motion picture, The Wager, starring Randy Travis and based on Myers's novel by the same name, was released in 2009.

The Author's Note prepares his readers for this story:

The following is fiction.

I've tried to make the science and theology reasonably accurate. But just as I'm sure I've made scientific blunders in the writing, I'm equally positive I've stepped on theological land mines. Then there's that whole pesky issue of allegories. They only capture pieces of truth, and are way too slippery to do much more. So, just as I would encourage you not to base your science upon this science, the same should go for your theology. As I said in my novel Eli, which in many ways is the flip side of this project, if something doesn't sound right or sticks in your throat, don't waste your time reading this. Go to the original Source and see what it says. (p. IX)

The main characters in this interesting novel are Dr. Nicholas Mackenzie, a philosophy professor at The University of California - Santa Barbara, and his colleague, Dr. Annie Brooks. Another main character is Dr. Mackenzie's brother, Travis, who is a genius in the field of Computer Science.

Annie is a woman of faith; she has difficulty with the strident atheism of her colleague. Here are her thoughts on a debate that Dr. Mackenzie engaged in on a TV program called God Talk:

He'd done it again. Her colleague and friend - if Dr. Nicholas Mackenzie could be said to have any friends - had shredded another person of faith. This time a Christian, some megachurch pastor hawking his latest book. Next time it could just as easily be a Jew or Muslim or Buddhist. The point was that Nicholas hated religion. And heaven help anyone who tried to defend it. (p. 6)

That sounds like the description of many professors in our public universities.

Dr. Mackenzie shares the reason why he likes to appear on that program:

...Nicholas was a frequent guest on God Talk. Despite his reclusive lifestyle, not to mention his general disdain for people, he always accepted the producer's invitation. Few things gave him more pleasure than exposing toxic nature of religion. Besides, these outings provided a nice change of pace. Instead of the usual stripping away of naïve college students' faith in his classroom, the TV guests occasionally provided a challenge.

Occasionally. (p. 7)

We also get a glimpse into his world view:

He had abandoned society long ago. Or rather, it had abandoned him. Not that there was any love lost. Today's culture was an intellectual wasteland - a world of prechewed ideas, politically correct causes, sound-bite news coverage, and novels that were nothing more than comic books. (He'd given up on movies and television long ago.) Why waste his time on such pabulum when he could surround himself with Sartre, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche - men whose work would provide more meaningful companionship in one evening than most people could in a lifetime? (p. 8)

Dr. Brooks, a biology professor, shared a revelation with her Molecular Biology 201 students that surprised them:

"Now, for nearly fifty years, origin-of-life experts have pretty much rejected the concept of life forming in our planet by random chance."

She turned back to the class. Those who were awake frowned as if they'd misheard. Good, she'd finally gotten their attention. In fact, a young Asian near the center of the auditorium actually raised her hand.

"Yes?" Annie nodded.

"Is that true?"

"Absolutely. And it's been true since the 1960s. Every origin-of-life expert worth his or her salt has rejected the concept that life formed by random chance."

The girl's frown deepened and Annie answered the unasked question.

"You didn't learn this in your high school biology class because it's an inconvenient truth." With a smile she added, "One of our dirty little secrets. But if you plan to pursue biology and want to play with the big kids, it's a paradox you'll have to accept." (p.22)

She then went on to share scientific evidence to explain and support her assertions.

Annie had a precocious young son named Russell, nicknamed Rusty. We learn what brought her and Dr. Mackenzie together. We learn she became pregnant outside of marriage, and was abandoned by most:

And who helped her through those next months? Certainly not her friends, not from either side of the moral aisle. After all, she was a college professor, an advocate of the faith, a role model to young women. So, while her nonreligious friends secretly gloated, her religious ones subtly evaporated. It was only Dr. Nicholas Mackenzie, the curmudgeon she publicly debated on campus, who stayed at her side. Never once did he point out her hypocrisy. Never once did he do anything but offer help. A surprising paradox, for the crank that both faculty and students went out of their way to avoid. (p. 29)

This book is full of interesting computing and scientific data - but nothing that is too hard for the amateur to understand. Here is a fascinating section on how they created the virtual community that is based on our society:

"What's in here?" she [Annie] asked.

"Nanobots."

"Miniature robots," Annie said, looking at the cylinder. "People have been hypothesizing about their use for years."

"Yes. Each is the size of a single human blood cell. When injected into the circulatory system, they perform whatever task we design them for. They can track down and destroy disease, repair tissue---"

"But in the future," Annie corrected. "Sometime in the future."

Agapoff shook her head. "As early as 2003 a researcher from the University of Illinois designed a batch he injected into rats to cure their type one diabetes." (p. 107)

They used that technology to create a virtual person in their new computer community.

In the virtual community, the individuals - who had free will, just as we do - fell victim to the same temptations found in our world, included unlimited knowledge for any and all takers, aka the Internet:

Nicholas turned to Travis. "The rest of the community was drawn to this?"

"Like moths to a flame."

He pushed up his glasses and scowled. "Our instructions weren't good enough for them."

Travis shook his head. "Now everybody wants to know why. Why they have to follow authority, why they have to treat each other as sacred, why not this way, why not that way. Now they all want to experiment on their own, to do it their own way."

Annie softly quoted, "Each doing whatever is right in their own eyes."

"Regardless of the long-term consequences?" Nicholas asked.

"That's right."

"So, we've come full circle."

"Short-term gratification equals selfish ambition equals self-destruction," Travis said. "Just like old times." (pp. 136-137)

This book uses the life of Jesus Christ and many of its elements in an allegorical fashion. Included in different variations are the Sermon on the Mount, the woman caught in adultery, the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin, spiritual warfare, sacrificial death and resurrection, etc...

To be honest, when I first read the title of this novel - `The God Hater' - I was taken aback. How can a title like that be considered a Christian novel? After reading it, my opinion is that `you can't judge a book by its title'! I think this presents the Gospel of Jesus Christ in an amazingly interesting way. It will reach believers and non-believers alike; it puts a spin on the Good News that will resonate with the scientifically/technically inclined. I was pleasantly surprised! This is the first novel I have read from Bill Myers, and it makes me want to read more from his creative and prolific mind. I give this book my highest recommendation.

This book was published by Howard Book and provided by the CSFF Blog Tour; I am happy to be participating with these other bloggers ([...]).

The God Hater paints a picture within a picture and spins a fascinating story.

Professor Nicholas MacKenzie, a famously arrogant atheist, finds himself sucked into a cyberworld drama by his techie brother, Travis.

Travis has discovered the secret to Artificial Intelligence and cut throat spies will do what it takes to steal that secret. And there is another problem in Travis's newly created world. Seems the people have a tendency to kill each other off. Nicholas is the only one with the philosophical expertise to provide the missing piece of the puzzle. Surely, his knowledge will give the programmers the key to the human psyche.

Reality, created and otherwise, do not follow carefully crafted plans and Nicholas finds his whole world and belief system twisting and turning madly as he tries to keep the computer world alive and flourishing.

This is a whip-fast read and one that is both enlightening and challenging. There are a couple of rough patches that paused the pace a bit, but overall this is a keeper. Fascinating look at the human mind, spirituality and faith.

Sexagenarian philosophy Professor Nicholas Mackenzie is a brilliant thinker who has no use for the human race and is a recluse. His only exception is his meetings with Professor Annie Banks; who gives him arguments defending her position that matches his opposite stance. The subject is God and when a tragedy occurred in his life he became an atheist.

His brother Travis is a genius at programming. He uses cloak and dagger techniques to draw Nicholas to his lab where he and other computer scientists formed an A.I. population that thinks and feels as much as its creators do. Every philosophical theory they bring to the computer society results in the death of that civilization. Nicholas the ultimate philosophical thinker is asked to determine if he can prevent society from self destructing. Using micro-technology he downloads his personality into the sentient computer world where his actions end up imitating those of Christ though he is unaware of what he is doing. He just hopes his actions will teach people how live a better life within a caring nurturing society.

As always with a Bill Myers' novel, readers know they will receive a terrific pulse-pounding storyline with underlying strong Christian principles. Nicholas is a fascinating person as he and his virtual doppelganger come to love their "sim" people especially those based on his family. The "sim" Nicholas embrace the emotions the flesh Nicholas buried many years ago. In a sort of bringing King Solomon into the virtual age, wisdom (including science and art) without caring passion is amoral.

Harriet Klausner

I almost wished I didn't know the story of Christ's redemptive sacrifice when I read Bill Myers' excellent new novel, The God Hater. If you know that story, in some ways you know where this allegory has to go in order to be a true parallel. But Myers still manages to infuse his tale of atheist Nicholas Mackenzie with intensity, intrigue, surprise, and emotion. If you've ever struggled to explain why Christ did what He did for us, or how Christ and God could be separate but one, or how Jesus relates to Old Testament law, use this book to do it. A fresh, imaginative, entertaining take on the greatest story ever told.

Technology has grown in leaps and bounds over the past 20 years. Who would have guessed the effect virtual online gaming and social networking would have had on the culture? Games like the Sims give gamers control over virtual people whose lives play out in the virtual world. But now picture an accurate simulation of life - one that could predict everything from whether or not a product would sell to what tactics would help a politician win an election. Then insert cranky philosopher Nicholas Mackenzie, The God Hater.

Nicholas likes nothing better to tear down religious faith. Christian, Buddhist, Muslim - Nicholas is an equal opportunity offender, using his vast knowledge, acerbic wit, and obnoxious attitude to completely blindside any who dare suggest that there is a God. When it comes to philosophies and worldviews, he is one of the most brilliant people in the world, so when his brother - a computer hacker/genius - strong arms him into recommending a worldview for this virtual world, Nicholas sets to the task.

Enter Alpha. He's just a virtual character from a virtual world, but for Nicholas he conjures up images of his past - images he'd rather not think of. Alpha's world is in ruin. Survival of the Fittest has created a society filled with terror and death. Other systems have been tested as well: Existentialism, Relativism, any number of non-theistic philosophies. But all lead to ruin.

Nicholas reaches the painful conclusion that in order to save the virtual world he's become so connected to, he must introduce a new belief system - one that posits the very God Nicholas hates. But that's not the only problem. A rival corporation is gunning to take over the project, realizing its vast importance in predicting the future of real life. Guns will blaze; viruses will be released; and sacrifices will have to be made.

Bill Myers is a well-known name in Christian fiction, author of many, many novels. So when he calls The God Hater one of his most important novels, I sit up and listen. Even more so when the advance copy I received had already been endorsed by NYT bestselling author Jerry Jenkins, who said the novel "will be talked about for a long time." Because of that, my expectations were pretty high going into the novel - and the novel is everything it claims and more.

Myers combines a solid thriller with a mind-engaging, philosophical core that presents mankind's redemptive story in a powerful and compelling way. As a student of Christianity, Philosophy, and Story I found that The God Hater engaged me on all three levels. Christian but not preachy and philosophical but not academic, Myers has weaved a novel that paints man's ancient redemptive history with a futuristic flair.

Quite honestly, this book could have been dry and boring. A computer simulation predicts the results of the implementation of a worldview. But Myers infuses it with life, bringing his virtual characters to life in the story-within-the-story. Alpha's story, and his adaptability as his very worldview changes, is compelling and astounding, really drawing in the reader. And it all drives toward the climax where the two worlds collide.

Whether you're looking for a book to leave you thinking or a book to purely enjoy, you'll find that you'll enjoy The God Hater because it does both flawlessly. Not since Ted Dekker's Circle Series or C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia has redemptive history come so alive. It's outstanding. Read it.

Dr. Nicholas MacKenzine is a brilliant professor of philosophy, one of the last hold-outs against the onslaught of modern technology, and a man whose greatest sport is to demolish the faith of the young students who entrust their minds to him. Oddly enough, his best and perhaps only friend is Annie Brooks: professor of biological sciences, single mother, and wounded yet still faithful believer. In spite of their differences the two have a common denominator in Annie's five-year-old son. That and the fact Annie is the only person who is not intimidated by the philosophical bullying of the man who could rightfully be nicknamed The God Hater.

When Nicholas is contacted by his computer hacker brother who has spent much of his adult life in trouble with the law, everything he has taught as philosophical theory finds a venue to become alarmingly close to reality. Bankrolled by a mega-corporation the Professor's brother and his team of researchers have discovered a way to create an artificially intelligent community in a computer simulation. But they need help. Every scenario they run eventually finds the digital characters in their computer model coming to a tragic end. Though Nicholas is appalled at his brother's use of technology a startling revelation about the subjects of the computer program leaves him no choice but to help. And, no matter what atheistic philosophy the Professor introduces into the program, things eventually fail. It is then when Dr. MacKenzie hits on the idea of introducing a set of guiding principles or Laws to the characters in their computer simulation. Though this runs against everything he believes, or doesn't believe, it seems to be the only answer.

The story that follows takes place in two worlds: the real world of Nicholas MacKenzie and Annie Brooks and the cyber-world of the beings created by the Programmer of the real word. From there, reality and simulation grow increasingly blurred as Nicholas allows himself to become immersed in the computer simulation. Since I hesitate to tell any more of the story, here is part of the synopsis from Bill Myers' web site:

"The only way to save them is to create a computer character like himself to personally explain it. He does. So now there are two of him -- the one in our world and the one in the computer world...(sound familiar?). Unfortunately, a rival has introduced a virus into the computer world. Things grow worse until the professor in that computer world sees the only way to save his world is to personally absorb the virus and the penalty for breaking the Law. Of course it's clear to all, including our real world professor, that this act of selfless love has become a complete reenactment of the Gospel. It is the only possible choice to save the computer world and, as he finally understands, our own."

I can imagine some who read this saying, "How on earth can this be Christian fiction?" My question to them is, "How could it not be?" The God Hater stands on even ground in the strong tradition of C.S. Lewis by finding an inventive way to speak to the modern world about a timeless reality. And perhaps no one has come closer to Ted Dekker's "Circle" in weaving a modern parable of sin, the Incarnation, and redemption than Bill Myers in his latest novel. This story works on almost every level. Sure, you have to suspend belief a bit but not much. And don't worry; there is some necessary tech-speak at places but it takes back seat to realities that are all too familiar. This is a story filled with suspense, action, introspection, and hope. Perhaps it will remind us to go back and re-read The Story of redemption with fresh eyes and tender hearts.

The God Hater is about Nicholas Mackenzi, a philosopher professor who hates religion. He is contacted by his brother Travis who has created possibly the greatest AI community in the world. Travis needs the help of a brilliant mind in order to make his community function for the corporates and who better than Nicholas.

Happening with the brother's story, is the tale of those who desire to steal the invention for their own money-making purposes.

Bill Myers has always been a favorite author of mine. He has a way with storytelling that quickly pulls you close to the characters and shoots you on a roller coaster ride.

You won't know who to trust in this tale of suspense and heart.

The latest Myers offering will open your eyes to Jesus in a fresh way.

This would be the perfect book to give your friends who consider themselves to be intellectual and opposed to the belief in God. It isn't preachy but rather familiar in tone.

This book was provided for review by Howard Books.

The God Hater has been one of the strangest book I have ever read. That said.....I liked it.

Video games are a common place, there are millions of people who play them daily. What if you could create an alternative community, a place where you could study human social interaction and know how people will act in certain situations. The characters in this program can think and feel like humans do. This would be huge in the area of consumerism. A program could tell you how people would react to a new product or study human interaction in certain situations. There is just one problem, how would these "free will" thinking characters exist in this online community. What "world view" would they chose to live by? How long would they last without help from their "creator"?

Dr. Nicholas Mackenzie is a cranky professor who loves to shred the faith of incoming students. He lives to debate anyone who believes in God. It does not matter if they are Muslim, Buddhist or Christian he hated religion period. He was selected by a group of scientists to create a philosophy for this computer generated alternative community. Much to the frustration of the scientists every model they chose--Darwinism, to Existentialism, to Buddhism--failed. The only way, Dr. Nicholas Mackenzie figured the community could be saved was introducing laws from outside their system through a "Law Giver."

Going against everything he ever taught, the professor realizes the only way to save the computer generated society was to create a character like himself and personally explain the rules that will help govern their society. So now there are two of him, one in real life and one in the generated community. Unfortunately there was a crooked scientist who released a virus into this virtual community and the professor realizes the only way to save their world was to sacrifice himself. Through this sacrifice he finally understands our own life here on earth.

Like I said at the beginning this is a strange book. But this would be a great book to give to non-Christians or a book to debate with an atheist. Myers does a great job in explaining exactly what God did for us and his sacrifice on the cross. The God Hater is a book that is one of kind, but it will grab your heart and leave you thinking about it long after the last page is turned. I highly recommend this book.

You've met Nicholas Mackenzie before. His words are those of the argumentative atheist. Banking on his intellectual ability, he prides himself in relentlessly engaging Christians in theological debates.

It is his vitamin of choice, his adrenaline rush. In truth, it is his defense mechanism.

When you learn of his history, you understand why. His son is dead and he was to blame. It was a plane crash. Nicholas was the pilot. It is true that suffering tragedy and trials will either make us bitter or better.

In Nicholas' case, he became bitter.

When I began this book, I thought I had the plotline down. I thought it would be a good read that parallels the greatest story ever told. But, as I read through it, I was engaged, then enlightened, and finally amazed me. Bill Myers has written a classic here.

The story centers on an AI (artificial intelligence) community created by Nicholas' brother, Travis. The AI community reacts to its world just as mankind reacts and continues to react to ours. Travis is stumped. As the AI community progresses, chaos is always its end.

Nicholas is pulled in because of his intellect and his history of debating and debunking religion. He advises Travis to introduce several `beliefs systems' into the program. Each one fails.

As Nicholas watches this story unfold, he sees his own logic dissolve. He realizes the only way this group will survive is to engage in the deeper logic which is the story of the Gospel.

Hate is not the opposite of Love, apathy is. I've never known, heard, or read of an atheist that, after thoroughly researching the bible, did not agree with the beautiful logic in it.

This is truly one of the best books I've ever read. You will not be able to put it down. I finished it in one day. It is an incredible read. I explored The God Hater website [...]and found several great resources for my bible study.

If you have questions about the logic of the bible, pick this one up. Buy it for yourself, for someone else, or, as I plan to do, buy it to use in my weekly Ladies Bible Study class.

Reviewed by: Keiki Hendrix

Reviewed for: The Vessel Project