'Me & Dog' Children's Book Written by Atheist in Response to 'Heaven Is for Real;' Author Alludes to 'Brainwashing' Kids to Doubt God's Existence
A well-known atheist has written a children's book in response to the wildly popular, Heaven Is for Real, focusing on the idea that there is no afterlife and that this life is all there is.
"Depending on how you choose to read it, 'Me & Dog' is either: 1. A sweet little book about a boy who goes on a walk with his dog, and accidentally steps on the dog's tail, and the dog apologizes because it has an adorable, fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of existence; or 2. An insidious, deviant little parable brainwashing vulnerable innocents into doubting the existence of God," author Gene Weingarten wrote for the Washington Post.
Weingarten, with the assistance of Eric Shansby, wrote Me & Dog to counter the immense popularity of Heaven Is for Real, which tells the story of a pastor's son who believes he died, went to Heaven, and lived to tell the tale. The Christian book, originally written for adults, was such a best-seller that it was adapted for all ages and even turned into a movie. It reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list in 2010 and stayed there for 10 weeks.
While Heaven is for Real was counted as a success by most, Weingarten called the book "a foul load of phony, credulous, opportunistic crap by a pastor named Todd Burpo, whose son almost died on the operating table and allegedly came back claiming to have met Jesus in heaven."
Me & Dog has become popular in its own right as the book has been featured on NPR and Slate. Me & Dog, as well as Heaven Is for Real, are both available online and in book stores.
