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2 out of 4 stars
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God and Free Will: True Stories of Sins, Faith & Redemption is a part memoir part commentary that addresses various themes, ranging from suffering to the essentiality of peace, love, forgiveness, and truth in the world. The author, John L. Fontana, walks down memory lane to reminisce about his childhood years, the journey towards his career, and his adult life. He describes traumatizing events from his childhood and his successes, dogged determination, failures, battle with depression, and path towards healing. Are you ready to witness the rebuilding of a masterpiece from broken pieces?
Most people, if not all, have asked why a good God would allow suffering and evil to exist in the world. Is it a matter of impotence or malevolence? John does not only show that everyone asks this question, he also attempts to provide some answers premised on biblical facts and free will. Most importantly, he agrees that our finite understanding and limited point of view may not allow us to find a conclusive response, at least on this side of life. I liked this admission, as the author candidly acknowledges his limitation. However, he reminds us that God is always good even in the midst of suffering.
I immensely enjoyed the short stories the author employed. It demonstrated there is already a cloud of witnesses to be or not be emulated based on the specific issues he was addressing. Readers will appreciate the need and importance of developing solid principles and standing by them in life. It is a critical lesson when the winds of change are blowing and political correctness, the new norm, is preferred to objectivism. Consequently, John presents a solid, precise case for the truth; he posits that truth does not change.
I found a few negative aspects to this remarkable book. First, the huge number of errors, comprising typos and punctuation errors, was annoying. Additionally, I discovered a few instances of unnecessary repetitions; another round of editing is required. Secondly, whereas I enjoyed the use of quotations from other authors, they were excessively used. Other readers could have a different opinion on the latter, but I would have preferred sparing use of quotes; they were relevant and led to a better understanding of numerous issues, but too many.
I rate the book two out of four stars based on the issues above. It is captivating, enlightening, resourceful, and thought-provoking. The discussion questions included at the end of every chapter are appropriate for personal reflections and group discussions. By partly employing a satirical tone, the author points out several shortcomings in our world and shows the best way forward, a way guided by love and forgiveness. I recommend the book to those who are beginning to explore free will. It will also appeal to anyone seeking answers on the existence of sin and suffering. Besides, if you are looking for a story of healing and resilience, this is one of them. As the book handles issues from a Christian perspective and uses the Bible as the primary reference, non-Christians many not enjoy it as such.
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God & Free-Will
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