Review of The Conscience of An Agnostic

[Saint Bruno]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Conscience of An Agnostic" by Robert K Cooper.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an agnostic as "a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable." In The Conscience of An Agnostic, Robert K. Cooper, the author, explains why he is skeptical that there is a God somewhere who is responsible for our existence. He adds that he would much rather be a devout Christian but feels he cannot go against his conscience by lying to himself.

Mr. Cooper begins by explaining the different types of agnosticism and gives the meaning of religious faith. He informs readers that just as Christians have faith in the Resurrection, Communists also have faith in Marx's Theory of Value and that they are both substituting emotions for evidence. Giving references to some Bible verses and the random cruelty of life, the author argues that there's no rational basis for religious faith and God's existence.

Firstly, I must commend Mr. Cooper for his insights into the meaning of agnosticism and its different types. It makes the whole book and the author's stance easy to appreciate. I like how I can now differentiate between an atheist and an agnostic. More so, I find the Bible verses the author gives to corroborate his arguments thought-provoking. I think reading the book would be worth it if you have ever questioned the morality of some passages in the Bible.

What I like most about this book is its message for us to be objective. Most of us inherited our religious beliefs from our parents. While I am not opposing whatever we believe in that works for us, my take is that we should open our eyes and avoid being victims of religious manipulations. Through many of the author's points, readers would begin to ask questions about their religion and learn not to judge others who have different beliefs. One quote from the author that touched me is, "Someone who knew that I'm an agnostic once said to me: "How can you look at a smiling baby and not believe in God?" I responded: "How can you look at a baby that's dying of cancer and believe in God?" The conversation came to a rapid conclusion." Isn't that thought-provoking?

Nevertheless, I have mixed feelings about the long list of natural disasters, mass shootings, and murderous dictators featured in the book. While I enjoyed the history lessons and could understand the author's point, I found them to be too many and overwhelming. I think the list didn't need to be that long for readers to understand the author. Also, the author included assorted quotes and humorous tidbits from many individuals in the book, and some of them didn't fit the book's premise. One such example is, "The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is: "What does a woman want?" ⁠— Sigmund Freud." I don't understand how it relates to the subject in question.

I commend the author for using simple language throughout the title, as it makes his discussions easy to follow and understand. I also found only a few errors in the publication, showing that it was well edited. The positives I have discussed make the book an insightful piece. However, I am awarding it three out of four stars, considering the issues I noted above. Regardless, I still highly recommend this book to open-minded readers interested in getting intriguing answers to their questions about God's existence from an agnostic.

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The Conscience of An Agnostic
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[Pearl Thomas]

Seems like a book I'd thoroughly enjoy. The question of God is something that I've been puzzling out ever since I was a kid. Great review.

[Mirah alali]

An agnostic, according to Merriam-Webster, is "a person who believes that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and presumably unknowable." The author, Robert K. Cooper, discusses why he is doubtful that there is a God someplace who is responsible for our existence in his book The Conscience of An Agnostic.

He goes on to say that he would prefer to be a devoted Christian, but that he cannot defy his conscience by lying to himself.

Mr. Cooper begins by delineating the many forms of agnosticism and clarifying what religious faith entails. He reminds readers that, just as Christians believe in the Resurrection, so do Muslims.

It makes the book and the author's point of view much easier to appreciate. I appreciate being able to tell the difference between an atheist and an agnostic now. More so, I found the author's use of Bible scriptures to support his points to be thought-provoking.


Despite this, I have conflicting thoughts regarding the book's extensive litany of natural disasters, mass massacres, and homicidal tyrants. While I appreciated the historical lectures and could see the author's point of view, I found them to be excessive and overpowering. I think the list didn't need to be that long for readers to understand the author.

I applaud the author for utilizing straightforward language throughout the book, as it makes his arguments easier to follow and comprehend. I also discovered only a few mistakes in the paper, indicating that it had been well edited. The book is an informative article because of the qualities I've mentioned. However, I am awarding it three out of four stars, considering the issues I noted above.

[Chinaza Nnabuenyi]

Religion means different things to different people. It was a great book anyway for those in the faith and agnostic circle.

[Recee Ann]

This book is one of a kind. This is the first time I'm reading a book about agnotisim, usually I don't get myself involved into reading anything religious. I just stick to my normal self-help books but I'll admit this book really helped me navigate into an agnostic's mind.

[Edit_or]

At first,didn’t seem like I’ll be interested in the book but I actually love it. Nice review

[Luchris_michael]

Agnosticism is a matter that's very delicate. Every agnostic person would never believe in the reality of a supreme being because of what their conscience experience. Thanks for the review.

[Gabriella1997]

I am a strong believer that God exists, I find this book highly useful and beneficial, thanks for the honest review.