Reviews for How Good Do We Have to Be?

The average rating for How Good Do We Have to Be? based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-04-15 00:00:00 Thomas Bradach Objectively reviewing a book is hard at the best of times. Typically one finds it hard to tone back scathe, or worship. Oddly I've found one harder in How Good to We Have to Be? Let me explain. I agree with the basic thesis of this piece - high standards are OK, but don't forget we are fallible imperfect humans who should forgive ourselves and each other. My problem is where this comes from. Its driving philosophy directly from the Bible is controversial than interpreting the Bible metaphorically is surely more dire. After all while Kushner believes the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is symbolic of understanding our own imminent mortality (amongst other things,) there are surely infinite analogies to be made. Kushner relies on personal stories, literature, and psychotherapy to back up his point. Not the worst makings of a non-fiction piece, however Kushner is trying to argue here 'how good we have to be' - to put my criticism bluntly: What if he's wrong? Perhaps I'm being mildly unfair, I suspect it is in fact impossible to truly answer such a question spiritually, only logically. Anyways, babbles aside. This is short in stature, surprising in its tolerance, treatise on religious morality, and while things get a little weird towards the end when Kushner discussing familial relationships, his philosophy is agreeable if only essentially his opinion on the matter.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-01-11 00:00:00 Bengt Sundberg This book has done me good. As soon as I finished the last page I wanted to begin it again. A redefinition of the creation story, and a re-envisioning of the meaning behind the concept of Original Sin, the author's reinterpretation frees one to let go of the unattainable aim for perfection, forgive and accept imperfection in ourselves and each other, and realize that "...God loves us in our aspiring and in our stumbling." Regarding Original Sin, he says, "the Original Sin that affects virtually every one of us and leads to other, worse sins is the belief that there is not enough love to go around..." Knowing that we do not need to try to earn God's love by being perfect allows us to identify with those around us and treat them equally and fairly. I think that the reason this resonates so well with me is that as a mother I know what unconditional love for my children feels like, and the notion that this is a small example of God's love sounds to me like a fitting definition of the God who is Love. "To be whole before God means to stand before Him with all of our faults as well as all of our virtues, and to hear the message of our acceptability."