Showing titles in Atheism

What is it like to be a preacher or rabbi who no longer believes in God? In this expanded and updated edition of their groundbreaking study, Daniel C. Dennett and Linda LaScola comprehensively and sensitively expose an inconvenient truth that religious institutions face in the new transparency of the information age - the phenomenon of clergy who no longer believe what they publicly preach.

What does "real" faith look like and how do you know it when you have it? And what allows anyone to be so sure their beliefs are based in reality? The Rise and Fall of Faith touches on these and other questions. While the aim of the audiobook is to initiate a much-needed conversation between Christians and atheists, it will be up to each of us to carry the discussion forward.

Do we have free will? And if we don’t, why do we feel as if we do? In a godless universe governed by impersonal laws of cause and effect, are you responsible for your actions? Former evangelical minister Dan Barker and author of God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction unveils a novel solution to the question that has baffled scientists and philosophers for millennia.

God and the State (called by its author "The Historical Sophisms of the Doctrinaire School of Communism") is an unfinished manuscript by the Russian anarchist philosopher Mikhail Bakunin, published posthumously in 1882. The work criticises Christianity and the then-burgeoning technocracy movement from a materialist, anarchist and individualist perspective. It has gone on to become Bakunin's most widely read and praised work.

"The Necessity of Atheism" is an essay on atheism by the English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, printed in 1811 when he was a student at University College, Oxford. He argues that an educated man ought to turn away from superstition and that education is essential because religion is really about power.

Life is short, and it can be sweet. Contemplating death is looking into a mirror that allows us to see these simple facts clearly, as if for the first time. We have every reason to believe that we have but one life to live - and no good reasons to believe otherwise - and death marks the termination of each life. Examining this reality opens doors to understanding ourselves, each other, connection, love, and life itself in an entirely new way.

By daring to question "sacred" religion, challenging your childhood beliefs, and risking eternal damnation, you will discover an appreciation for religion on a new level, as well as a renewed appreciation for the human race. Through a unique blend of science, philosophy, theology, and a touch of humor, you will see how you can trust your logic and reason, be true to yourself, and embrace God - not as a being, but as a concept - "The Concept".

A witty and devastating takedown of the "new" atheist position, Inside the Atheist Mind debunks the theories of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and others, revealing how inconsistent, illogical, and frankly ludicrous their conclusions truly are. Poking fun at atheists in a clever and intelligent way, Anthony DeStefano demonstrates just how full of holes the new atheism is and reveals that it is actually a "religion" of its own, complete with a creed, a set of commandments, a rigid moral code, and rewards and punishments.

In deconstructing 75 distasteful delights of biblical proportions, we will investigate the likelihood of not only the Apostle Paul’s claim of the divine origin of scripture, but the claim of the innumerable whom uphold the Bible as the true and infallible word of God.

The Necessity of Atheism was first published by Shelley in 1811. In 1813 he printed a revised and expanded version of it as one of the notes to his poem Queen Mab. Shelley evinced a searing contempt for organized religion but maintained a belief in a benevolent non-sectarian World Spirit.

From Orthodox Jewish child in postwar America to mild-mannered mathematician in academia to legendary atheist activist in the heart of today's Republican South, Herb Silverman has always been outside the mainstream of American culture, politics, and religion. From this unique vantage point, he writes about the most pressing issues of our day, including those related to war, peace, patriotism, race, gender, and church-state separation.

Provocative and daring, Spiritual Atheist challenges the views of many atheists and people of religions alike. The book suggests one possible truth that atheism and religion might just agree. The audacity of the book’s aim—finding a common ground rooted in spirituality—is only exceeded by its potential controversy.

In this first book of his Ten Tough Problems series, David Madison shares three critical problems in Christian belief. Problem One: God is invisible and silent. This fact forces humanity to rely on ineffective ways of knowing God — common knowledge, sacred books, visions, prayer, personal feelings, and theologians. But all these sources of God knowledge fall short as evidenced by a world of disagreement, not just between Christians and other religions, but within Christianity itself.

Embark on a transformative journey through this compelling narrative about giving up a belief in God and finding a new, wilder, and more authentic life. Sarah Henn Hayward spent over thirty years as a devoted believer, passionately immersed in her born-again faith. But her search for truth also led her to science, psychology, and social justice. She asked really hard questions and uncovered the hypocrisy around concepts like hell, evolution, and Christian exclusivity.

In this mini-audiobook collection of essays, prominent atheist author Greta Christina offers secular ways to handle your own mortality and the death of those you love. Blending intensely personal experience with compassionate, down-to-earth wisdom, Christina (Coming out Atheist and Why Are You Atheists So Angry?) explores a variety of natural philosophies of death.

«Esta es la cuestión acerca de mis ideas y de quienes piensan como yo. Nuestra creencia no es una creencia. Nuestros principios no son una fe. No sostenemos nuestras convicciones dogmáticamente. Creemos firmemente que se puede vivir una vida ética sin religión. Y de hecho sabemos que el reverso es cierto: que la religión ha hecho que muchas personas no solo no se comporten mejor que otras, sino que consideren aceptable comportarse en modos que harían que el gerente de un burdel o un genocida torcieran el gesto».

I Sold My Soul on eBay tells the story of how and why Hemant Mehta, the nonbeliever who auctioned off the opportunity to send him to church, became an atheist and went on to attend a wide variety of church services. It also features his insightful critiques and observations of the churches he visited, including accounts of his visits to some of the best-known churches in the country.

Great journeys often start with a single question. For D. K. Evans, a newly married professional in the Christian-dominated South, that question was, “Why Do I Believe in God?” That simple query led him on a years-long search to better understand the nature of religion and faith, particularly as it applies to the Black community. Evans took inspiration from John Henrik Clarke, Yosef-Ben Jochannan, Hubert Harrison, and John G. Jackson, champions of a rich Black tradition of challenging religious orthodoxy, and also from many others in his own community who had similarly come to question their core religious beliefs.

Throughout human history religions have been a staggeringly powerful force in the hearts and minds of their adherents and in society as a whole. They have moved men and women to inspiring acts of bravery and spurred the creation of some of the most sublime works of art, and arguably have been pivotal in the creation of stable societies and the social order we see today. At the same time, though, they have also been responsible for some of the most heinous atrocities ever committed.

What drives us to be good? How do we even know how to be good? Philosophers and theologians have dealt with such questions for millennia, but Dan Barker thinks the answers are not so complicated. In Mere Morality, he argues there's no need to appeal to supernatural commandments or the fear of some higher power when considering morality. Stripping “good" and "evil” down to the basics, he offers a simple compass for navigating life's most difficult moral and ethical dilemmas.