A Backslider's Guide to Getting Over God: Journey of an Evangelical Apostate Paperback – 9 July 2022

This title is relatable, inspirational and insightful. I purchased for my cousin to assist in his own deconstruction, but couldn't help giving it a read myself first. The author's journey is awe-inspiring and emotional, and Cassandra shows great vulnerability and character throughout.I HIGHLY recommend this book to those struggling with generational religious trauma or those just beginning to explore life outside of inherited dogma.

A great account of a woman who's lived both sides of religion, and the reason she chose one over the other. Excellent book. Excellent and relative rhetoric. Definitely a great read. Don't listen to the churchies who say otherwise.

"To give (children) the idea of Hell is the most damaging of dogma, but it is also a grave injustice to tell them that they are so sinful a good man had to die a horrific death so they don't go there.""A Backslider's Guide to Getting Over God: Journey of an Evangelical Apostate" is a deep and at times suffocating dive into the experience of evangelical Christianity, told by someone who has succeeded in escaping the clutches of fundamentalism. This escape cost the author her "closest friend" and the judgement of her peers but the cost of staying would have been considerably more expensive: the annihilation of her self-esteem, the overwhelming feeling of worthlessness, the hatred of even the gentler and most innocent of her impulses and the eradication of her own identity, in favour of the worship of an unseen toxic "closest friend".Written concisely, with humour and journalistic flair, it is partly a memoir, partly a cautionary tale about the dangers of American fundamentalism and its devastating impact on the minds of children, teenagers and adults alike. Profoundly researched, boasting a sturdy bibliography (which I had not expected) and employing an interesting variety of inspiring citations, this almost 300-pages long book by Cassandra Brandt opened my eyes to a reality that I had never imagined could still exist in the 21st century.This "Guide to getting over God" is, of course, thoroughly informative and accurate in its descriptions of the history of Christianity, its descriptions of arguments for and against the existence of God, its detailing of life in the Assembly of God and much, much more. But if there is one lesson that I learned, it has to be that I, the reader, a middle-aged man born in the 1970s, in a mostly secular country in Western Europe, have led an extraordinarily sheltered life, filled with freedoms and privilege that many people in the world have not been granted. I cannot imagine "shedding a tear about Hell". I cannot imagine having to "shut myself in a closet and beg not to be hurt". I cannot conceive of having to "feel shame for my own desires or unworthy of love because I had doubts about things that just didn't make sense". I have never "had to reconcile in my mind the atrocities committed by someone who I was supposed to love even more than I loved me". It is this new awareness of my "secular privilege", that I have enjoyed my entire life, which strikes me as the greatest lesson I have come to learn from Miss Brandt's honest portrayal of her youth. This book has given me an additional boost of sympathy for people who, like Miss Brandt, have succeeded in escaping the clutches of fundamentalism, have begun deconstructing the damage caused by their time in the Church, the Religious Trauma that they endured from often well-meaning Christians, as well as the amount of introspection and research they have to conduct in order to find "meaning" in a godless life in which their fellow brethren brainwashed them into believing was meaningless, dangerous and, yes, evil.An encouraging, mind-opening and deeply honest memoir. And one that I heartily recommend.

This book is an amazing journey recounting one person's deconversion from evangelical Christianity. Growing up being constantly taught that an invisible mind reading god was watching her every move and reading her every thought had to have been worse then any imaginary Hell.Her story growing up is unfortunatley very common. Her decoversion is very uncommon. One of the things I absolutley love about her story is how she effortlessly weaves researched facts about religion into the story. I highly recommend this book especially to Christians who have their own doubts or just want to understand why someone would walk away from religion.

Oh, this beautifully written, simple and truthful book ought to be required reading for every high school student before they are allowed to graduate and make major life decisions for themselvesThis is well researched and has complete and real references. The author has described her own journey from being caught up in an Evangelical religion to freeing herself from the chains of emotional slavery. Her difficult journey is sometimes hard to read, but it is important to read through it with with an honest and open mind.This is a very precious and important book. If religious people are afraid to read it, it is because the simple truth might challenge their beliefs.But truth will set you free.