ebooks God Human Beings: First English Translation by Voltaire in History

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34 of 35 people found the following review helpful. God and Humans By VoltaireBy LeumasA fantastic review of all religions that Voltaire knew about. However his critique of Christianity and its parent religion Judaism is SUBLIME.This translation into English of the original French is superb.The book was originally published under the pretence that an Englishman (forgot the name) wrote it. This makes it amusing to read some of the parts of the book.EVERY paragraph; is full of amazing stuff. Voltaire is just wonderful and his sarcasm is hilarious.Wonderful translation; wonderful content and EDUCATIONAL in every paragraph..... do yourself a favor that you will cherish for ever....READ this book.12 of 13 people found the following review helpful. Voltaire ApologeticsBy PhilosophuckerInteresting book from Voltaire. Haven't read much before him; but I assume a lot of what's in the book was fairly new to his time/era; if not for the sole reason that the ideas he publishes oould not have been published too much before his time; at least not if you wanted to remain alive or at least in one piece..!Although the title is simply 'God' and doesn't indicate any particular religion; Gods and Human Beings is written with a bent towards an explication and criticism of the Jewish and Christian religion. Other religions are discussed; but always with an eye to Jewish/Christian comparison.Much of what Voltaire discusses sets the groundwork for what many might consider a neutered religion or perhaps more euphemistically put; a personal religion. One which satisifies the worshiper but doesn't diffuse into society or have socio-political power over people's lives. Although he was very much religious; his writing sets to release people from any particular dogma; freeing them to worship a Supreme Being through either the personage of a prophet or through a direct communion with the Creator. Volatire also seems to think that what he considers true religion is tied to morality and that all people are bound by this universal morality and as long as that morality is met; anything else (i.e. dogma) is secondary and superfluous.Discussed with wit and what I would call a righteous indignation; Voltaire skims the bible; giving short incisive reviews of the histories of the Hebrews; Jews and Christians; plucking out from the Bible what he considers are inevitable contradictions; inevitable because the ideas; phenomenon and histories are written by falible and interested; biased people. These contradictions include "facts" such as geneologies of the same person differing from book to book. Other examples are a bit more subtle such as the claim of a loving God commanding love from His people and yet asking those same people to commit what are; in Voltaire's view; some of the worst atrocities commited by humans.Voltaire also includes reviews of other religions; comparing them to the Jewish and Christian religions; noting the similarities in styles of worship and morality and how many of these religions predated both Christianity and Judaism and that Christianity and Judaism have elements; if not plain plagarisms of these older religions. Egyptian; Far East and Persian religions are cited; but he also discusses the influences of non religious thinking such as the that of Platonic philosophy on Christianity.I think Voltaire hits the nail on the head of much of his discussion about Judaism and Chritianity; however; I can see how his diabtribes can come across a bit anti-semitic. It was not only the Jews that committed attrocities and could be considered a roving band of thieves; a point which he appears to admit; but might be lost in his excoriations of Jewish history. Also; I'm not convinced of the existence of a Supreme Being nor of the universality of morality.Granted Voltaire was more deist in his approach to religion; but I think he cannot convince himself to take the next step of taking out what amounts to nonsense. Not nonsense in the sense that there is no Supreme Being; but when you take out the "human qualities" of a God; you are essentially left with nothing with which to ground your definition. God becomes something only described by ambiguous terminology subject to subjective interpretation and necessarily incomplete and effectively useless.For example; we cannot describe eternity. We can only describe it by reference to its opposite: time. Therefore the concept is not only useless to us in acertaining any kind of certainty in philosophic (or scientific) ideas but it contains contradictions inherent in whatever structures of understanding we are limited to in our human bodies (that doesn't keep us from trying though - its fun and makes interesting movies!).The issue of the universality of morality is a little more complex; but Voltaire does not have the luxury of anthropological; biological and psychological studies available to us today. Perhaps if he did; he still may not believe that morals are relative (even today; the issue is far from decided); but I believe he would be more apt to believe that it is difficult to know.All in all; a great book. A great read. Funny witty. Essential for anyone considering apologetics against religions..0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Cutting and Honest Opinion on Religion.By AnnieVoltaire cuts through the established Judeo-Christian myths and fables like an enraged academic with a scythe.None of the ideas are new to today's debate of course but in 1769; when the book was written it must have caused a stir within the various religious circles.He was obviously a passionate and educated man who had no qualms about upsetting the status quo.Claiming to be a deist he nonetheless has little time for religion as espoused by the scribes who brought us our Christian beliefs that still hang on right up to the present day.An easy and fascinating read if you are interested in religion and all that it meant and still means for mankind.