Review: Doomed Soul by Robert Boomsliter

A man without faith shares his views as the end of life approaches. The views are reflections on religion, morality and death. 

The deeply religious will find little of interest here and may find some of the material incomprehensible. 

Some moderates who have noticed twinges of doubt or discomfort in certain beliefs may find some explanations for those feelings. 

The faithless will probably understand it all. It is the author's hope that for them, it will be a pleasant read.

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Doomed Soul by Robert Boomsliter is a series of essays. He seems to write these essays as a form of self-actualization. Though he has submitted some of these essays to newspapers and even posts some of the back and forth dialogue he's had with readers, they sound at times as though he's trying to convince himself as well as his audience that he's right. One might suspect that like Anne Rice, he has deep-seeded conflict with some Catholic or other bureaucratic religious experience in his youth. But this is just speculation, and this book is worth a read whatever your beliefs as it will cause you to do just that, speculate.

Just as radical Muslims seem to blame the problems of world civilization on America's political bureaucracy, Boomsliter blames religious bureaucracy. There doesn't seem to be a differentiation between religion and individual faith in a higher being, which requires no religion at all. In fact, it is somewhat difficult to understand how an atheist can believe in hell, let alone that their soul will go there. For that matter, why does an atheist believe they have a soul? What would be the point?  Why would it matter? 


Love it or hate it, this book is short enough to read in one sitting, and interesting enough to make you shake your head, or your first. But whatever you think, you will not be bored.

I am a retired electrical engineer, my career of 41 years spent mostly in Silicon Valley, California. I was one of those extremely fortunate individuals who enjoyed their work so much that it seemed unfair that I should be paid to perform it.

My profession required some technical writing but I never aspired to author anything that would be interesting to the general reader. Doomed Soul is my first attempt to do so and I hope that its introduction is a clear explanation why I chose to do it.

I currently live in Florida with my wife Babs and two bichon frise dogs named Boomer and Gabby.

I can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] and would welcome any communication regarding my virgin effort.

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