The Savvy Convert's Guide to Choosing a Religion [Paperback]

Knock Knock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2008

Are you a searcher? Disappointed with your religion of birth? This innovative consumer's guide will help you identify the best religion for you. By reviewing apples-to-apples breakdowns of 99 world religions, you'll use proven techniques of comparison shopping to base your decision on things that really matter: what you'll wear, whether you can have sex, where you'll go when you die. Spirituality is a significant aspect of the contemporary lifestyle, but if you haven't shopped around, you'll never be certain you made the right choice!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Americans are serious about religion, yet willing to have fun with the world of faith.

A prime example is The Savvy Convert's Guide to Choosing a Religion, a humorous new nonfiction book that treats finding the right religion as the ultimate purchase.

It's a "Consumer Reports"-like assessment of 99 faiths with a Saturday Night Live spin, because there's never been a better time to be in the market for meaning. --The Delaware News Journal --The Delaware News Journal

Since Al Gore invented the Internet (Or maybe it was Consumer Reports?) we've been hooked on comparison shopping. Hours of research go into committing to your next car, so why not your next holy conversion? Whether you're faith is in the dark or you're just in the mood for a good chuckle, The Savvy Convert's Guide To Choosing A Religion is the answah to yo' prayahs, delivered by the faithfully irreverent publishing company Knock Knock. No more embarrassing afternoons spent alone in the wrong place of worship for you, because the perks, drawbacks, and dress codes of 99 religions have been compiled for your convenience. They've even listed the activities and paraphernalia you and your new religion can look forward to. --Desert Living --Desert Living

This hilarious consumer guide compares 99 religions and cults, enabling you to choose the faith that fits your lifestyle. --Ok! Weekly --OK! Weekly

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Knock Knock Books (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601060343
• ISBN-13: 978-1601060341
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #477,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly well-researched, August 29, 2008

By 

awyeeah - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Savvy Convert's Guide to Choosing a Religion (Paperback)

I saw this book in the humor section at a local bookstore and was surprised at what I found when I looked inside. The book presents itself as a "Consumer's Guide" for those shopping around for a religion, much like one might read a Consumer Report when purchasing an automobile. They put the style to great use, even including a comparison fold-out chart that ranks different aspects of the religions (sexual restrictions, ease of conversion, etc.) side-by-side. It profiles 99 religions, some of which are legitimate, some of which are cults or new religious movements, and some of which aren't actually religions at all. Despite the lighthearted tone that won't offend anyone (or at least offend everyone equally), it's surprisingly well-researched. A fun book for anyone looking to gain cursory knowledge on a wide variety of belief systems.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Religion by Spreadsheet, October 7, 2008

By 

Alexis Jane (Manhattan Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Savvy Convert's Guide to Choosing a Religion (Paperback)

Thank goodness for the fold out spreadsheet so that I can easily choose my religion based on cost. As a 20 something cost is always an issue. Thanks to this chart I can immediately rule out Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Scientology.

The sidebars on each page also offer invaluable information that is quick to absorb.

I can't wait to start my own religion with the easy to follow instructions in the back of the book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent primer for religious choice, April 5, 2010

By 

Jeff2468 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Savvy Convert's Guide to Choosing a Religion (Paperback)

This is a fun book for people curious about options in religions, as well as a reality check for followers of any of the 99 belief systems in this book that are certain that they have the only "true" religion. As mentioned in this book, people spend more time choosing a car, TV or purse than they spend choosing which god(s) to worship. Anyone who inherited a religion from their parents or by accident of geography could benefit from a review of their choice of religion. In this day and age, you are not forced to choose only among off the shelf religions and god(s) created millennia ago, there are also many more recent designer religions that might better meet your preferred belief systems. Since all religions that believe in supernatural god(s) are unprovable and based on "faith," you may certainly choose the "truth" that suits your preferences, or you may choose no religion.

Your decisions include:

* Do you want to believe in one God, multiple gods, spirits (inanimate, animal, vegetable or mineral), cosmic forces, or no gods?

* What kind of afterlife promises do you want to believe? Do you prefer a heaven and hell, a purgatory, reincarnation, a return to the great cosmic energy, or just expect you will return to the nothingness whence you came?

* How much praying do you want to do, once a week, daily, several times a day? Do you want to pray on your knees or do you like more active praying like wild dancing, yoga or Tai Chi? Do you want to sing, chant or speak in tongues?

* Do you wish an intermediary between you and your god(s) like a priest, minister, or imam, or do you wish to commune with your god(s)/nature/universe directly? Maybe you would prefer to meditate or not pray at all?

* Do you prefer to have god(s) to blame when bad things happen, or do you accept that humans have a personal responsibility and choice, and that nature is impersonal and follows its own laws? Do you want to be told what you can and cannot eat, when and in what positions you can have sex, when you have to perform ceremonies, or would you rather make choices by your own preferences and schedule?

* Do you want a social religion with a lot of holidays and group activities or are you a more private self seeker?

* How much of your income do you wish to contribute to these institutions for the support of your intermediaries?

* If you prefer a religion that makes women subject to men, all of the classical and many of the modern religions will serve your purpose. If you have children, you have to consider their safety when placing them in the trust of a religious institution.

* Do you want to believe in a revealed religion with inviolate "holy" texts, or prefer a belief system understood through personal experience? If you are intolerant of people who believe in different/wrong religions, there are many religions that will encourage your feelings.

These are only a few of the many choices you have when updating your beliefs. And if none of the belief systems summarized in these "Cliffsnotes" suits your proclivities, feel free to mix and match and found your own designer religion, people have been creating religions for thousands of years and still do so today. Remember, where "faith" is concerned, your personal "truth" is yours to decide.

Although the authors occasionally make you smile with a little tongue in cheek, like when they make the point that if you choose a religion that promotes polygamy, a downside is that you will have as many mother-in-laws as wives, The Savvy Converts Guide to Choosing a Religion is primarily a factual summary of the benefits and disadvantages of various belief systems/religions. Whether you are religious, spiritual, agnostic or atheist, I highly recommend this book to all seekers of the "truth."