Review - Finding Faith in a Skeptical World by Chet Galaska

Finding Faith in a Skeptical World
by: Chet Galaska

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Triad LLC (October 21, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0981676707
ISBN-13: 978-0981676708
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches

Finding Faith in a Skeptical World is an enjoyable, interesting and entertaining look at religion in today's society. With so many negative things taking place all around us, it is often difficult to know where to put one's faith. With short and simple chapters, the reader can easily and quickly engross themselves for as long or as little as time allows.

One of the features of Finding Faith that I really enjoyed was the fact that each chapter begins with a sort of "question of faith" Some examples are "People generally agree that Jesus was a "wise Man." But it's a huge leap from "wise man" to being the Son of God, and the idea is farfetched. Why should anyone believe it?", "There seems to be a different kind of church on every street corner. They all claim to be Christian, but they often disagree. How can one faith produce such an assortment of views and still be credible?" and " The Bible was written thousands of years ago by people who couldn't have had a clue about what life today would be like. On top of this, it's difficult to read and understand. How could it possibly be relevant to me?" I think the reason that I enjoyed this take on religion and beliefs is because it isn't written in a "preachy" sort of way and takes into account those hard to answer questions that may cross people's minds.

Author Chet Galaska has a wonderful and talented way to take the reader on his journey of self and spiritual discovery. This is a very enjoyable read that can easily be reread and shared with family and friends. Mr. Galaska's journey is told in a friendly way that will engage the reader and help to answer questions of their own faith, that they may have. As a Catholic, I enjoyed each and every aspect of the writing. It was quite interesting, when in the beginning, Mr. Galaska speaks of the fact that after excepting God into his life, he found his temper to be very mellow and the outbursts nearly non-existent. Our family has a good friend who this exact experience happened to. Once he opened himself to God and began attending Church, his entire outlook on life and personality completely changed and his life became much calmer and more mellow.

Anyone experiencing upset, dissatisfaction with their life, or just wanting an enjoyable read, pertaining to faith, will greatly enjoy Finding Faith in a Skeptical World. I enjoyed Finding Faith and commend the author on an excellent job expressing both himself and his talent.

*overall rating 4/5

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About Finding Faith:

The book is written by a former atheist who became a Christian after several years of questioning our society's common perceptions regarding Christianity. Some chapters deal with matters of faith such as prayer, redemption, salvation and sin. Others address issues like Christian hypocrisy, why bad things happen, miracles, and the Christian view of war. Some are about the seemingly contradictory relationship between science and religion that are discussed in chapters on scientific perception, creation and evolution. Other subjects, like the sometimes cruel and violent history of Christianity, "Born Agains" and the Christian view of the Jewish people don't fit neatly into any category. The common denominator is that each addresses an issue that can be misunderstood and create a distorted, unfair and negative view of the faith. "Finding Faith in a Skeptical World" is written in an understandable, interesting and down to earth way in brief chapters.

Finding Faith in a Skeptical World covers subjects that once stood between Chet and faith. As he searched, he found that his skepticism was based on shallow perceptions he’d accepted at face value. One by one, troublesome issues were explained and they became reasons for belief instead of doubt.

It was as though he had a scale, with reasons for skepticism on one side and reasons for belief on the other. When he started, there was far more weight on the “skeptical” side, but it gradually shifted and became counterweight on the “belief” side. Eventually, the evidence for faith far outweighed the arguments for disbelief, and the case for faith became overwhelming.

The book was written with the intent of providing brief shortcuts for curious unbelievers, those seeking faith, those new to it, and for Christians who may not be familiar with some of the ideas covered. The author realized that a book like this would have been valuable in helping him come to faith. Since none was available, he wrote Finding Faith in a Skeptical World to share the things he learned in a reader-friendly, direct and concise way.

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Excerpt:

Chapter One

Jesus Is the Answer

What's the Question?

Pastor Bob Riedy approached a lecturn that was surrounded by rocks of various sizes,configurations and colors. He was dressed in a suit and tie but carried a large burlap bag, the kind farmers use for potatoes or grain.

As he spoke of the burdens people carry, he put one stone after another into the sack. For each episode a new stone was thrown in. Some were small, others larger, and still others large enough to significantly increase the weight of the bag.

"When you were six, your best friend deserted you."

"In junior high school classmates made fun of the way you
dressed."

"You wanted to be a cheerleader in the worst way but got cut
from the team."

"The girl you were going steady with broke up with you."

The sack became burdensome.

"Your marriage foundered over constant arguments about
money."

"You said something you wished you could take back, but it was
too late."

"You had a miscarriage."

"The workload at your job is overwhelming."

The bag got heavier.

"You have a mortgage, a car payment, two kids and a layoff
notice."

"You got divorced."

"Your Mom died."

"Your child has a serious illness."

"Drugs and alcohol took over your life."

The weight was overwhelming and the sack just sat there, draining the strength out of anyone who tried to budge it.

We all have burdens that weigh us down. Some people try to deal with them on their own and become self-absorbed, unhappy, depressed, and maybe even suicidal. Others attend support groups. Television, radio and self-help books offer quick fix advice. Those who can afford it may go to psychiatrists or psychologists. But in the end people are still left with their burdens.

And on top of all this, we're afraid of death. People can have personal ideas about it that may make them comfortable, but deep down they know their musings are just wishful thinking. The uncertainties, apprehensions and fears about the one inevitable fact of life remain untouched.

Christ offers forgiveness, support and eternal life. These are the keys to dealing with our troubles. When we do something we regret, we can come to Jesus, obtain forgiveness and overcome our guilt. This removes stones from the sack. The wisdom that comes with prayerful consideration of issues before we act helps us to make correct decisions that keep burdens from occurring in the first place. This prevents stones from being put in the sack. The promise of eternal life puts our problems into perspective: they're just part of a short life on earth that is merely a prelude to a peaceful everlasting life. This reduces the weight of the remaining stones and removes the sting of death. Altogether, the stresses that are an inescapable part of life become manageable.

Here's the catch. In order for this to work a person must truly believe in Jesus Christ. As products of the 20th and 21st centuries, surrounded by skepticism, this can be hard for us to do. But if we open our minds and overcome our doubts, the peace that comes with faith is ours.

The question is: How can I effectively deal with the pressure, guilt, uncertainty, unhappiness, turmoil, fear, tragedy and other burdens that weigh me down?

The answer is: Jesus Christ.

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About Chet Galaska:

C. William "Chet" Galaska was born in 1951. He began his college career at Drew University in Madison, NJ and graduated from the University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. In 1979 he co-founded a company that casts stainless steel for use in corrosive industrial applications that grew into a multi-million dollar enterprise and was its president for 24 years before changing careers and becoming a real estate investor.

His credentials are defined by what he is not. He isn't a theologian, pastor, Ph.D. or a philosopher but is a typical person who was an unbeliever, influenced by the same things as other skeptics, who became a Christian after several years of investigating the faith with an open mind.

He served as Chairman of the New England Chapter of the American Foundry Society, played rugby, earned a Private Pilot's License, is a Certified Scuba Diver, has skydived, is a roller coaster aficionado, likes traveling and enjoys having new experiences. He lives with his wife, Lisa, in Massachusetts. They have two grown sons, Jon and Drew.

You can visit Chet online at www.triadpress.us

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WIN PRIZES!!

THE FINDING FAITH IN A SKEPTICAL WORLD VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '09 will officially begin on April 1 and end on May 29. You can visit Chet's blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in April and May to find out more about this talented author!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.