Review of St Augustine's Sin
4 posts
[Following is a volunteer review of "St Augustine's Sin" by Joe Baker.]
Christianity is the largest religion in the world which speaks to one-third of the global population. And based on statistics, Catholic Church is the largest Christian Church. The book, St Augustine's Sin: Why Child Abuse Bedevils Christianity by Joseph Baker, talks about the dark side of this religion. With over 13 chapters, the book consists of major topics like the indoctrination of the Catholic Church, Systems of the Church of England, Statistics on Child Abuse, and sub-topic such as sex, sin, guilt, lust, and shame. Joseph Baker openly discussed his opinion about Christianity, especially in the UK.
Growing up as a Christian, Joseph knows all the teachings of the Catholic Church; observed how it is run by the clergy; and how it is being influenced by the government, especially in the UK. The author shares the systems of faith schools in the UK, and how the government supports them. I noticed in the author's tone that indoctrination in the UK is more mandatory than voluntary. And in his case, it takes a toll on him. Though it changed his perspective, I do believe that we should respect each other's beliefs and opinions, and the author deserved it.
There are some aspects that I like about the book. I like the book's simple format, and I like that the title chapters are clear and concise. I like that the author honestly expresses his thoughts and opinions about Christianity. I felt sorry that he was a victim of clerical child sexual abuse, and I think this is one of the reasons why he changed the way he sees Christianity. Writing a book that a wider audience might dislike, insult or oppose the content needs great effort and bravery, and I appreciate what the author did. In the book, I agree with some of the author's writing. For example, the Catholic Church promotes anti-family planning agenda and inculcates generations of children with the view that same-sex relationships and women who control their reproduction are shameful and wrong (page 197). Even these days, these beliefs are still practiced by some people. One of them is my family. Some statistics were jaw-dropping. For instance, chapter 11 talks about the reports of clerical child sexual abuse, and the numbers were shocking.
On the other hand, some of the author's opinion doesn't sit well with me, but that is only on a personal level. Even if I disagree with some opinions, I do respect the author's discussion about the topic. He has a point for all he discussed. Moreover, the book has some pictures which add to the book's originality.
However, there were a few drawbacks to my reading experience. I observed that the book contains some difficult words which distract my reading comprehension because I need to check their meaning before I can fully understand the whole point. Words like proselytisation, concupiscence, casuistry, and pedantry. It appears many times in the book which affects my reading enjoyment. I appreciate it if the author wrote the book more simply.
Furthermore, the book was exceptionally well-edited, as I found no spelling or grammar errors. The book deserved 4 out of 5 stars . I deducted one star because of the issues I previously mentioned.
I recommend St Augustine's Sin: Why Child Abuse Bedevils Christianity to open-minded people. I would aware that some content might sound insulting to some Christians. But, this is an informative book that needs to be read by many.
******
St Augustine's Sin
View: on Bookshelves
Christianity is the largest religion in the world which speaks to one-third of the global population. And based on statistics, Catholic Church is the largest Christian Church. The book, St Augustine's Sin: Why Child Abuse Bedevils Christianity by Joseph Baker, talks about the dark side of this religion. With over 13 chapters, the book consists of major topics like the indoctrination of the Catholic Church, Systems of the Church of England, Statistics on Child Abuse, and sub-topic such as sex, sin, guilt, lust, and shame. Joseph Baker openly discussed his opinion about Christianity, especially in the UK.
Growing up as a Christian, Joseph knows all the teachings of the Catholic Church; observed how it is run by the clergy; and how it is being influenced by the government, especially in the UK. The author shares the systems of faith schools in the UK, and how the government supports them. I noticed in the author's tone that indoctrination in the UK is more mandatory than voluntary. And in his case, it takes a toll on him. Though it changed his perspective, I do believe that we should respect each other's beliefs and opinions, and the author deserved it.
There are some aspects that I like about the book. I like the book's simple format, and I like that the title chapters are clear and concise. I like that the author honestly expresses his thoughts and opinions about Christianity. I felt sorry that he was a victim of clerical child sexual abuse, and I think this is one of the reasons why he changed the way he sees Christianity. Writing a book that a wider audience might dislike, insult or oppose the content needs great effort and bravery, and I appreciate what the author did. In the book, I agree with some of the author's writing. For example, the Catholic Church promotes anti-family planning agenda and inculcates generations of children with the view that same-sex relationships and women who control their reproduction are shameful and wrong (page 197). Even these days, these beliefs are still practiced by some people. One of them is my family. Some statistics were jaw-dropping. For instance, chapter 11 talks about the reports of clerical child sexual abuse, and the numbers were shocking.
On the other hand, some of the author's opinion doesn't sit well with me, but that is only on a personal level. Even if I disagree with some opinions, I do respect the author's discussion about the topic. He has a point for all he discussed. Moreover, the book has some pictures which add to the book's originality.
However, there were a few drawbacks to my reading experience. I observed that the book contains some difficult words which distract my reading comprehension because I need to check their meaning before I can fully understand the whole point. Words like proselytisation, concupiscence, casuistry, and pedantry. It appears many times in the book which affects my reading enjoyment. I appreciate it if the author wrote the book more simply.
Furthermore, the book was exceptionally well-edited, as I found no spelling or grammar errors. The book deserved 4 out of 5 stars . I deducted one star because of the issues I previously mentioned.
I recommend St Augustine's Sin: Why Child Abuse Bedevils Christianity to open-minded people. I would aware that some content might sound insulting to some Christians. But, this is an informative book that needs to be read by many.
******
St Augustine's Sin
View: on Bookshelves
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