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10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Faith

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We all struggle at times with our faith and we sometimes have problems explaining our faith to others. Jason's book covers some of the biggest problem areas we face as a Christian. No matter if it is faith, heaven, hell or 7 other areas, Jason goes over each and why it is hard for him believing in these areas.

Jason is very transparent in his writing and in his life on why these are important for us. Jason talks about friends he has lost to his relationship with his dad and his wife. This is Jason's first book but it is well written.

The thing I liked is that these are also many areas I struggle with. Sometimes I don't think of how my struggles in these areas effect people around me but after reading this book I see how they do. I need to go back and study this book now so I realize how much my actions impact those around me. Christians or not.

This book really needs to go on your list to read and soon.

I struggle with certain aspects of Christianity. If you want to know what I'm talking about, read this book (though I reserve the right to change my mind at anytime).

This book systematically verbalized what I believe. I found myself talking out loud while I read this book. "Yes!" "Exactly." And then I would laugh at a comment he would make about, say, country music, or something. As each chapter went on I would wonder if I could really agree with more of what this guy has to say? And I did - on the big things anyways.

The name is a bit of a misnomer, as it seems like this book is going to take a negative approach to things. Instead, it is an honest look at some of our shortcomings and some of the most difficult questions relating to this religion. It does not claim to have all the answers, but it does have some good ones nonetheless.

This is an easy book to read. With three kids running around the house, I had to put the book down often, but was able to pick up right where I left off. It held my interest (which I struggle with these days with nonfiction books). It is applicable. It is quotable.

So, if you have questions relating to this religion. Or are a seasoned Christian looking for something good to read. Or are curious at all about this book. Or are looking for something that's - for once - not all touchy feely or claiming to have ALL the answers, I would highly recommend this book.

The book title sounds a little scary, but after reading it I discovered that Jason, the author, and I are almost cut from the same cloth. Quite frankly I enjoyed it. Very much. It was kind of like Jason read my mind and put some of my thoughts on paper. I liked his writing style, pretty good for a first attempt at writing his own book. I found it humorous and genuine. It was refreshing to hear some of his struggles are common with mine and my peers. I am not a Christian. Doubt I ever will be. But there are a lot of "Christian" values that happen to be shared by the rest of the world that I do hold dear. Not sure I should refer to them as "Christian" values since they don't own them, although many act like they do. It does an excellent job expressing the frustration that comes with belonging to a group with many misguided members. Anyway, thought I would pass along a compliment because I think the book deserves one.

While I appreciate the author's approach, I didn't find his personal resolutions to be any different from what I've heard from others. If you are reading this from a standpoint of being a person who is having a hard time finding the Christian perspective to be something you can accept, I think you will be disappointed if you are hoping to find a kindred spirit. If you are intent on remaining a Christian and want to find ways to be ok with some things you struggle with, you will probably be able to relate more to the author.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I picked up this book, but I absolutely loved it and couldn't put the book down, once I got started. Jason Berggren goes into just about every complaint you've ever heard about Christianity, whether or not you're a believer in Jesus: the trouble with faith, the "fantasy" aspect of the Jesus story, how people interpret the meaning of heaven and hell (and how we end up in either), the hypocrisy of Christians, the answers we can't necessarily find in the Bible, the way some people pick and choose rules to enforce and then tell us we'll go to hell if we don't obey, how sometimes just being in the wrong church makes us feel uncomfortable.

I'm sure a lot of Christians have felt these frustrations, as have people looking in from the outside -- maybe thinking about joining a church or just observing things like the fact that folks with the fish symbol are as bad about cutting them off in traffic as anyone else or wondering why it is that those Jesus freaks use such weird expressions. He does talk about the catch words used by Christians. I loved that because there are some expressions that really bug me, which I won't even repeat in church when everyone else is using them.

I really loved the fact that this book was so reassuring. I didn't agree with absolutely everything the author had to say, but a good portion of it rang true to me and I often thought, "Yes! Exactly!"

My favorite part is the bit during which the author talks about answers and one of the questions he says we can actually answer is, "Speaking of the flood, how could all those animals fit in Noah's ark?" He says it's actually pretty easy to answer this one and goes into the math. The closing sentence: "So all the animals and supplies could feasibly (and easily) fit in the ark. Now, the smell is another subject altogether."

I love this author's sense of humor. He has a relaxed writing style and rambles a bit, but still does an excellent job of hitting a lot of salient complaints about Christianity. He has done a lot of thinking and talking, pondering and questioning and the book is filled with his thoughts. Highly recommended, whether you're a Christian or just someone who is curious about what could possibly irritate a Christian about his own religion.

I was happily surprized by this book. Finally someone else has been able to articulate some of my struggles with my faith and offer some well thought out insights. I highly reccomend this.

10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Faith by Jason T. Berggren is not quite the book you'd expect on first glance. Its provocative title suggests that you're about to get one man's rant about dealing with the current state of the Christian church and culture. And in a way, you are to some degree. But it's written from the perspective of a practicing Christian, dealing openly and truthfully about the struggles he has in trying to live out his life as a follower of Jesus and what that means in today's society. An eye-opener for those who are having a hard time dealing with the stereotypes and expectations that so often abound...

Berggren approaches his topics from the view of someone who is human, who has questions, and who struggles with tough concepts that don't have clear answers. For instance, he has a chapter called "Answers" (it's #8 on his list) where he takes on some of those age-old questions like "why would a loving God let bad things happen to good people" and "is Christianity the only way". There are certain pat answers that are often used to address these questions, but you wonder if the person giving them has really struggled or thought about it. Berggren has, and he's not afraid to say he doesn't have a solution book to everything. But he explains how his questioning has led him to the answer he gives, readily admitting that others may come up with other answers based on different perspectives. For him, these are the answers that work, and that explain how following God plays out in his life. Whether you agree or not, you're not just arguing semantics or tradition. That's what makes the writing interesting and fresh...

This is a book that works for both those who believe and those who don't . Believers will be challenged to put away the pat answers and admit they've also struggled, while those who don't will see that stereotypes don't always fit. Either way, it's a good read.

No...this is not a negative look at all things "Christian," as the title most definitely implies. Though quite wary when I picked it up, being a devoted follower of our Lord, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but it was actually quite enjoyable...and quite far from what I was thinking I would be finding on each page.

10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Faith, is written by Jason T. Berggren and focuses on the issues a lot of us have with being those faithful followers and does so in a manner that makes us feel part of the norm, rather than a sinner for questioning certain aspects of our Christianity.

We see such subjects as the Bible, the Church, Christians in general, and seven others that the author "hates" and describes why he hates them so much in the beginning of each chapter. As the chapters go on, the author comes to respect and honor the subject he's talking about, giving us all a glimpse into our own lives. Sometimes we don't like something at all, but overtime can understand that God puts those things in our lives for a reason, to challenge us.

I definitely don't agree with everything the author said, but it was an enjoyable read and one that I would recommend to believers. I think the title may deter some though...maybe if the subtitle and title were switched around it might appeal to a wider range.

Book title: Ten Things I Hate About Christianity
Author: Jason T. Berggren
Publishing information: USA, X-Media, 2009
Number of pages: 236


In Ten Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Christianity, author Jason Berggren gives full vent to his angst.

Christianity is not easy. Christians are difficult to deal with. Jesus I like; it's his followers I have a hard time with. These are all statements describing the book's theme. Usually it's the non-believer, the atheist, the jaded that writes a book like this one. But this is an honest description from the inside looking in.

I enjoyed Berggren's book. He makes my complaints and criticisms feel a little more normal; a little less sinful. I looked forward to picking the book back up every time I had to set it down to go do something else (like work or family stuff).

The ten things covered are faith, prayer, the Bible, sin, rules, love, hell, answers, church, and Christians. Each of these topics are filled with frustration, we usually just fake it and pretend like we have 'em handled. Especially when in a group of other believers. Talk about peer pressure. You don't want to come off as faithless...

Pick this book up. It's a quick, easy read.

Whether you agree with the author or not, this book gets into your face...challenging you to question your thoughts about faith. His writing style was immediatly engaging and introspective read. As a Christian, I wasn't sure about all of his ideas but my faith is strong enough to welcome a man who is blatantly transparent about his love of God but disappointment with some established ideas