If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk: Finding a Faith That Makes Us Better Humans

Written by John Pavlovitz

Narrated by John Pavlovitz

Thou Shalt Not Be Horrible.

Imagine for a moment what the world might look like if we as people of faith, morality, and conscience actually aspired to this mantra.

What if we were fully burdened to create a world that was more loving and equitable than when we arrived?

What if we invited one another to share in wide-open, fearless, spiritual communities truly marked by compassion and interdependence?

What if we daily challenged ourselves to live a faith that simply made us better humans?

John Pavlovitz explores how we can embody this kinder kind of spirituality where we humbly examine our belief system to understand how it might compel us to act in less-than-loving ways toward others.

In If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk, John Pavlovitz examines the bedrock ideas of our religion: the existence of hell, the utility of prayer, the way we treat LGBTQ people, the value of anger, and other doctrines to help all of us take a good, honest look at how the beliefs we hold can shape our relationships with God and our fellow humans-and to make sure that love has the last, loudest word.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ChristianAudio.com
• Release date: Nov 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781545919125

John Pavlovitz

John Pavlovitz is a pastor and blogger from Wake Forest, North Carolina. In the past two years his blog, Stuff That Needs To Be Said, has reached a diverse audience of millions of people throughout the world, with an average monthly readership of over a million people. His home church, North Raleigh Community Church, is a growing, nontraditional Christian community dedicated to radical hospitality, mutual respect, and diversity of doctrine. John is a regular contributor to Huffington Post, Relevant Magazine, Scary Mommy, ChurchLeaders.com, and The Good Men Project.

Reviews for If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk

[Pat Mowery · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Author is a great writer and communicator. I wish everyone would read this gem from a much needed voice in this time of rampant white Christian nationalism in the U.S. I much appreciated his references to a social justice Jesus, audaciously loving vs. hateful religiosity.

[Rickey Beauchamp · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. I was confronted with my own jerkiness while fighting on social media! I knew I was handling things wrong even though I too claim to be a Christian. Since reading this book, I am thinking about how to fight back with a love focus instead. I have been fighting in anger and frustration but that never led me to Christ. Christ love led me to Him. So how do I become love with someone I have disagreement with? This book has some suggestions. The book also makes me think about why exactly am I angered? It opened my eyes. I follow JP on Facebook, have read his well written commentaries and have agreed with everyone of these writings, however through them all as he confronted the frustration of our current dilemma in America I felt his frustrations with how Christians were behaving. Now I realized I joined them but from the opposite direction. Read this book, more views can't hurt you, it may even enlighten your love of Christ or humanity.

[davidgisela · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everyone should read this phenomenal book. It states nothing but the truth.

[jeffreymarks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Much like his articles, which I very much enjoy, the book takes a look at current day religions and their disconnect from love empathy for others. I enjoyed it very much.

[bryanwilson-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Being a non-religious person, I was not looking forward to reading this book. What a surprise! It was eye opening, in the sense that it illuminates what Christianity could be, should be, and isn't. If religious people and religious institutions were anything like John Pavlovitz's vision then the world would truly be better for it. His defense of abortion rights was incredible, something I had never thought of before. I wish this could be made required reading before you could enter a church. If you are a Christian, or any other kind of believer, you should read this, I believe it would help your faith. If you are a non-believer, reading this will probably lessen your disdain for religion, and give you hope.

[buildalife · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've been a fan of John's blog for several years and have read some of his other books. I was fortunate to get an advance copy of this new book--and I loved it.For most of my life, I've never felt that what I felt and believed fit into a particular denominational box of religion--particularly the one labeled "Christian." When I look out at the world, I often think, "If THAT is 'Christian,' for sure I don't want anything to do with it." The hypocrisy I observed in the church of my youth turned me away from any formal structure.This book really helped me frame my spiritual journey and put so much into words that were beyond my grasp. I would love to buy this book for many of the people I know and say, "This!"If you have felt some dissonance, observing the void between what the "religious" people in your life, or on tv, say and do; if you wonder if there is anyone else who struggles with finding a place to fit; if you are even uncomfortable with the word 'God,' -- I encourage you to explore this book. (Available 9/28/21)There are too many passages I've underlined to share fully, but here are some of the initial thoughts that spoke to me:-"If God is love and if you're emulating that God, then you should be loving. If you claim a religious worldview or have spiritual aspirations, those should yield more compassion, not less; more decency, not less; more generosity, not less. If not, what's the point of having them?"-"Whenever people say, 'I'm spiritual but not religious' this is usually another way of saying, 'I've outgrown my God box and I am currently looking for a bigger one.'"-"Our initial faith traditions are all valid and meaningful. They can give us a working language in which to speak about the mysteries of this life, but whoever and whatever God is doesn't require them. . . .I've grown to feel really sorry for people whose religion seems settled and finished, those who've so systematized and shrunken their spirituality down that they no longer question or dream or imagine more.""It's almost impossible to love your neighbor as yourself if you believe that your neighbor is in some unrepentant sin that disqualifies them from proximity to a God you have intimacy with."

[kustomambition · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The title of this book caught my attention and was fitting after reading; it sums up the author’s style throughout the book. While exploring some of the traditional beliefs and how they are playing out and morphing in modern society, Pavlovitz’s humor keeps the material lighter so that our minds remain open. He offered great reminders about our shared humanity and the lessons that have the potential to bring us together. Very timely, I took notes and plan to read again.

[philipjmac · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

John Pavlovitz new book is a very timely book that takes a deeper look into modern Christianity in the USA in the 21st century. He really holds a mirror up to the current evangelical culture in this country and isn’t afraid to call out hypocrisy or ask questions. He does so with humor and intellect that really amounts to asking the reader to open their mind a little more when it comes to thinking about God. Chapters examine how we have lost the basic ‘love thy neighbor’ command, and how it’s morphed into an ‘America first’ Jesus who would treat refugees, lgbt, other outcasts of society, as 2nd class to Evangelical Christians. Whatever your beliefs are, I think a lot of people would benefit from reading this author’s perspective and examining their own belief system. Also very interesting as an study into the mindset of a big swath of citizens in this country that’s moving further and further apart and divided. As congregations are fleeing and folding by the generation, this book gives some answers as to why that may be.

[kadia-722203 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In every chapter of this book, I found a message that caused me to think “oh yeah – I need to remember this”. Pavlovitz writes in a direct, accessible manner. His political position is clear, and he mourns the incivility and lack of understanding and empathy that seem to be endemic in the US today. But he does not simply tell us how bad things are; he tells us how our behavior and our spiritual journey are related, how a “love-less, Jesus-less Christianity will leave us fractured”, and what a loving Christianity would look like. The book is full of pointed examples of how if you believe in Christ, then your actions must reflect that belief – and what that means. Some chapters made me feel uncomfortable about my own behavior – there are other books to read for relaxation. I recommend this book for any Christian who is willing to be jiggled out of their comfort zone.

[drlord_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an amazing book both in the subject and its relevance to what's been happening historically. John Pavlovitz writes from the heart, sharing his life experience and asking the question that I started to ask "Is this it?". I started to take that journey early in life and as I embraced the message, I found myself in a box where my heart didn't reflect what I was hearing in my head. "Spiritual Claustrophobia" is something John Pavlovitz writes about and quite frankly for me, this was a dogma vs message battle that I continue to struggle with. If you feel that as well, pick up this book and read it. It could be a catalyst for you not to shut down but to reach out.

[mtbearded1_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An important book--but then I think that of everything I read of John Pavlovitz. Looking specifically at Christianity in the U.S., Pavlovitz asks why, if we profess to follow the teachings of Christ, do we so often fall short--indeed act in ways that seem antithetical to Jesus's teachings. As he asks at one point, "You had one job..." That one job was to love, and yet, we see very little love and a lot of condemnation coming from much of American Christianity. I was fortunate to get this book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer. The book is not scheduled for release until the end of September, 2021. If I have one quibble, it is that the book, as I read it, desperately needs a good editor, or at least proof-reader. I can only hope that the final, published edition, will not have such egregious errors as this, found on page 198, and I assure you, this is only one of numerous such errors. My copy reads "It has...honed my theology, informed by writing, and fueled my activism." Surely that "by" in the center should read "my" to make a parallel construction. Such typographical errors are rife throughout the book, and often had me stop to try and understand what the author meant. A good proof-reader would catch such errors I say that is a quibble, but for me, at least, it was a major stumbling block to finishing the book. That said, I kept the book on my reading table, and picked it up as a daily devotional. I would recommend that others do that as well.

[emr093 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is well worth your time! I fear that those who are already Christians will read it, but searchers may not. So give them a copy! Another subtitle might be: If God is love, don't be a Trump-Republican.

[amidnightsoul-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the book the U.S. needs right now. It’s very relevant to the current culture of dehumanizing those who are different or who have different views while using religion as the reasoning for doing so. If people can read this book with an open mind and an open heart, I believe it will make them better people. I was able to see areas in my life where I need to stop judgements and embrace differences more and I know this is what God expects of me. My only critique, and it’s not a critique of the book by any means, but of the masses, is that the people who have the most hate in their heart and who use religion as this rationale for it, are most likely not capable of internalizing this material, let alone reading it in the first place. I very much believe this book is one that you should leave out in plain view in your home so that people ask about it. I believe anyone that reads it and wants to induce change for the better should post about it, talk about it, recommend it, etc. get people excited about this book. The more people that read it, the more this way of thinking can start to take hold in our society, drowning out the hate and making us a better society.

[lynsey2-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If there is one book that I would recommend EVERYONE who calls themselves a Christian to read, it it this one. John Pavlovitz explains the exodus from christianity and organized religion and he might as well have been telling my story. The blatant hypocrisies and outright meanness from people who claim to be followers of Jesus are.....just not Christ like. Pavlovitz isn't asking you to leave your church. He's asking you to look in the mirror. "If God is love and Jesus is the perfect expression of that love and if I am supposedly trying to follow that Jesus - how can I be so love-impaired, so frequently." Unfortunately, the people who really need to read this book and reexamine what and who they are following, most likely won't.