Best of
Atheism

2016

The Atheist Muslim: A Journey from Religion to Reason


Ali A. Rizvi - 2016
    The inextricable embedment of religion in Muslim culture has forced a new generation of non-believing Muslims to face the heavy costs of abandoning their parents’ religion: disowned by their families, marginalized from their communities, imprisoned, or even sentenced to death by their governments.Struggling to reconcile the Muslim society he was living in as a scientist and physician and the religion he was being raised in, Ali A. Rizvi eventually loses his faith. Discovering that he is not alone in his beliefs, he moves to North America and promises to use his new freedom of speech to represent the voices that are usually quashed before reaching the mainstream media―the Atheist Muslim.In The Atheist Muslim, we follow Rizvi as he finds himself caught between two narrative voices he cannot relate to: extreme Islam and anti-Muslim bigotry in a post-9/11 world. The Atheist Muslim recounts the journey that allows Rizvi to criticize Islam―as one should be able to criticize any set of ideas―without demonizing his entire people. Emotionally and intellectually compelling, his personal story outlines the challenges of modern Islam and the factors that could help lead it toward a substantive, progressive reformation.

Christianity Disproved: The conclusive proof that Christianity is false.


Sig Sawyer - 2016
    Christianity does all this but who has ever looked to see if it is true? This is a fundamental question and no one has yet set out to prove or disprove Christianity. Until now. From inconsistencies, absurdities, errors, contradictions and adult make-believe this books shows how the bible is false and thus that Christianity cannot possibly be true. This book examines claims in the bible against fact, and it asks deep questions of how the bible mandates that we should live. If you have ever wondered how you could know that the earth is older than 6000 years, or that Noah's flood could not possibly happen, or that the biblical creation story and ten commandments have critical flaws then this book is for you. If you are a Christian and you have questions about your faith then this book is for you. It will set your mind at ease that you will not face judgement day and it will help free your mind from the shackles of indoctrination. If you debate with Christian friends then this is your kryptonite for Christians. If you are a woman or from a lifestyle minority then this book is for you too. Especially for you. Voices of reason, logic and compassion are ever more important in today's complex political landscape. Read this book and understand why humanity should call time on Christianity and why we will all be the better for it.

Ten Tough Problems in Christian Thought and Belief: A Minister-Turned-Atheist Shows Why You Should Ditch the Faith


David Madison - 2016
    An inspired holy book that turns out to be full of archaic nonsense, moral failures, and contradictions. A world of disagreement not just between Christians and other religions, but within Christianity itself. Blood sacrifice and a tale of the walking dead as the very foundation of faith. These are just a few aspects of Ten very Tough Problems that David Madison describes in this wonderfully deep yet humorous dismantling of his former faith. Combining rigorous scholarship with engaging personal reflections and refreshing wit, he offers understanding and even some laughs while walking with readers past the gravestones of Christian thought and belief.

The Illusion of God's Presence: The Biological Origins of Spiritual Longing


John C. Wathey - 2016
    More than any rituals or doctrines, it is this experience that anchors religious faith, yet it has been largely ignored in the scientific literature on religion.Starting with a vivid narrative account of the life-threatening hike that triggered his own mystical experience, biologist John Wathey takes the reader on a scientific journey to find the sources of religious feeling and the illusion of God's presence. His book delves into the biological origins of this compelling feeling, attributing it to innate neural circuitry that evolved to promote the mother-child bond. Dr. Wathey, a veteran neuroscientist, argues that evolution has programmed the infant brain to expect the presence of a loving being who responds to the child's needs. As the infant grows into adulthood, this innate feeling is eventually transferred to the realm of religion, where it is reactivated through the symbols, imagery, and rituals of worship. The author interprets our various conceptions of God in biological terms as illusory supernormal stimuli that fill an emotional and cognitive vacuum left over from infancy. These insights shed new light on some of the most vexing puzzles of religion, like the popular belief in a god who is judgmental and punishing, yet also unconditionally loving; the extraordinary tenacity of faith; the greater religiosity of women relative to men; religious obsessions with sex; the mysterious compulsion to pray; the seemingly irrepressible feminine attributes of God, even in traditionally patriarchal religions; and the strange allure of cults. Finally, Dr. Wathey considers the hypothesis that religion evolved to foster reproductive success, arguing that, in an age of potentially ruinous overpopulation, magical thinking has become a luxury we can no longer afford, one that distracts us from urgent threats to our planet.Deeply researched yet elegantly written in a jargon-free and accessible style, this book presents a compelling interpretation of the evolutionary origins of spirituality and religion.From the Hardcover edition.

The Atheist Manifesto: A Declaration for Personal Liberty


Christopher Hitchens - 2016
    In The Atheist Manifesto, Christopher Hitchens presents his case against religion and for mental liberty. Hitchens argues that religion is not merely unnecessary for morality, but actually antithetical to it. In his unwaveringly logical analysis, Hitchens dismantles the moral high ground claimed by religion, and constructs a philosophical platform of rationality, morality, and liberty for all humankind.

Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism


Aron Ra - 2016
    Those with a sympathetic ear often fail to critically examine these creationist claims, leading to an ill-informed public and, perhaps more troubling, ill-advised public policy. As Aron Ra makes clear, however, every single argument deployed by creationists in their attacks on evolution is founded on fundamental scientific, religious, and historical falsehoods–all of them. Among their most popular claims is that evolution is a religion, that there are no transitional species, that there are no beneficial mutations, and that supposedly sacred scripture is the infallible word of God. Yet, as the evidence and data plainly show, each of these claims is demonstrably and unequivocally false. There is simply no truth to creationism whatsoever, and the entire enterprise rests on a foundation of falsehoods. This book explains and exposes the worst of these lies, and should be read by all who honestly care about following the evidence no matter where it might lead in pursuit of the truth.

Atheist Answers: Rational Responses to Religious Questions


David G. McAfee - 2016
    The book contains hundreds of questions frequently asked of atheists, as well as answers from an atheist author and seasoned heathen. Some of the questions David G. McAfee answers include: “Why did you decide to become an atheist?” “What is the attitude of atheists towards religious people?” “Do you have to dislike religion to be an atheist?” “Why don’t you believe in God?” “If there was a Heaven, would you want to go?” “Can you imagine how the world would be without religion?” “What if there is a God?” “What about my answered prayers? Aren’t those enough proof of God?” “Do you believe in reincarnation?” “Doesn’t it take faith to be an atheist?” … and many, many, more!

The Book of Gods


David G. McAfee - 2016
    McAfee, who studies religions and writes books, has teamed up with writer and cartoonist Chuck Harrison to help everyone learn about beliefs, gods, and religion! The first book in this series was The Belief Book, which is all about why people believe the things they do, and now they are taking the next step by bringing you The Book of Gods...It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you want to learn more about gods from around the globe, including where they came from and how belief in them has spread over time, this easy-to-read book is for you!The fully illustrated and interactive Book of Gods is for readers and thinkers of all ages, including kids and kids at heart.

Women Beyond Belief: Discovering Life Without Religion


Karen L. Garst - 2016
    But when considering the ongoing fight over reproductive rights and equal pay—and the prevalence of sexual violence and domestic abuse—it is clear that a significant gap still exists. With scripture often cited as justification for the marginalization of women, it is time to acknowledge that one of the final barriers to full equality for women is religion. Much has been written about the great strides humankind has made in knocking down many long-held religious beliefs, whether related to the age of the earth or the origin of the species. But religion’s negative impact on women has been less studied and discussed. This book is a step toward changing that. Twenty-two women from a variety of backgrounds and Judeo-Christian traditions share their personal stories about how they came to abandon organized religion, and how they discovered life after moving away from religious and supernatural beliefs. Their words serve both as a celebration of all who have taken similar steps under the weight of thousands of years of religious history—and as a source of inspiration for those individuals, especially women, who have deep doubts about their own belief traditions but who don’t yet know how to embrace life without falling back on religion.

Blaming Jesus for Jehovah: Rethinking the Righteousness of Christianity


Robert M. Price - 2016
    Disbelievers are objects of their suspicion, tarred with labels like "relativist" and "nihilist." But buried under the benign and placid surface of their own theology lies a ticking moral time bomb, and most of them have never realized the sinister implications of what they purport to believe. Having his loins girt with a lifelong regard for rational truth, wearing the breastplate of former fundamentalism and the helmet of biblical scholarship, Robert M. Price does some bomb squad investigation around the deadly and hidden charge lurking under the moral foundations of Christianity.

The Way of the Heathen: Practicing Atheism in Everyday Life


Greta Christina - 2016
    Now what? The way we deal with life — with love and sex, pleasure and death, reality and making stuff up —can change dramatically when we stop believing in gods, souls, and afterlives. When we leave religion — or if we never had it in the first place—where do we go? With her unique blend of compassion and humor, thoughtfulness and snark, Greta Christina most emphatically does not propose a single path to a good atheist life. She offers questions to think about, ideas that may be useful, and encouragement to choose your own way. She addresses complex issues in an accessible, down-to-earth style, including: Why we're here, Sexual transcendence, How humanism helps with depression — except when it doesn’t, Stealing stuff from religion, and much more. Aimed at new and not-so-new atheists, questioning and curious believers, Christina shines a warm, fresh light on the only life we have.

Tweetable Nietzsche: His Essential Ideas Revealed and Explained


C. Ivan Spencer - 2016
    Occupying a first-rank position as a thinker, his thought later inspired numerous movements that weave the tapestries of contemporary culture: existentialism, theology, nihilistic culture, Nazism, twentieth century film and art, atheism, ethical egoism, deconstruction, the hermeneutics of suspicion, and the postmodern age.Nietzsche’s incalculable sway on our culture persists to this day. Even his acerbic criticism of Christianity has affected the religion. But many people remain unaware of the pervasive attitudes Nietzsche disseminated, attitudes they echo. His stark prophecy that “God is dead, and we killed him” thrives in this accelerating secular age where postmodernists lionized him as a prophetic voice of a new era.Tweetable Nietzsche introduces and analyzes the worldview of Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche’s tweets, 140 characters or less, provide readers a distilled essence of every major aspect of his worldview. Each tweet illustrates some aspect of his worldview contributing toward a full-orbed understanding of Nietzsche’s thought.

Christianity in the Light of Science: Critically Examining the World's Largest Religion


John W. Loftus - 2016
    Where science specifically touches upon the claims of Christianity the authors seek to show those claims lack the required evidence. The result is that Christianity is not a sufficiently evidenced religion. In his New York Times bestseller, God: The Failed Hypothesis, physicist Victor Stenger argued that claims of religion should be subject to the same standards of scientific rigor as any other truth claim. Taking this approach, the contributors argue that Christianity fails every known scientific test for truth. Stenger himself wrote a chapter for this volume before he died. In it he presents a brief history of ideas about cosmology, showing that Christianity’s premodern understanding of the cosmos is incompatible with current scientific evidence regarding the origin and structure of the cosmos. Other contributors examine a wide variety of topics, including biblical archaeology, Intelligent Design, the Shroud of Turin, free will, the existence of the soul, the efficacy of petitionary prayer, and more.     This challenging work is indispensable reading for both skeptical readers and open-minded people of faith.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Filling The Void: A Selection Of Humanist And Atheist Poetry


Jonathan MS Pearce - 2016
    For many atheists, though, that void is amply filled with meaning and purpose, nobly and morally built up out of philosophy and living a fulfilled life. This volume helps to document that through a wide variety of verse, form, and content with poems from an interesting array of writers, detailing a range of emotions and thoughts.There has been a void, a lacking, of collections of atheistic artistry, and this selection hopes to remedy such a situation, and in doing so seeks to show how humanists can and do weave lives that are rich tapestries of morality, purpose, awe and wonder.“Jonathan Pearce has done us a great service in producing this anthology. Filling the Void is eclectic, witty, arresting, philosophical, and fun. It charts a course through the emotional landscape of atheism and fills a niche in humanist literature that’s been vacant for far too long.” David Warden, Chair of Dorset Humanists"Read this extraordinary book;feel the wonder and take delight in the fact that we are that singular facet of the universe able to contemplate itselfthrough science and artand to create poetry in the intersection of the two."David Fitzgerald, author of Nailed and The Complete Heretic’s Guide to Western Religion series“Divinity Pearced by worded structureWandering from blinding sands to southern birdsPoems for our secular timesThis anthology of freethinking poems, ranging from poignant to humorous, from ancient voices to modern songs, encapsulates the thoughts of many secular folks. See what a few meters of these works may do for you and inspire further reflection in a new way.”Dr Aaron Adair, author of The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View“In Filling the Void, Jonathan MS Pearce has put together an anthology of valuable literature for humanity. Verse speaks to us in ways that prose cannot, and here, for those lacking belief in God, we find people given an often-silent voice. Sometimes wry, sometimes struggling, sometimes defiant, poignant, or beautiful, the poetry in Filling the Void expresses the contemporary nonbeliever's experience in truly human terms.”James A. Lindsay, author of Dot, Dot, Dot: Infinity Plus God Equals Folly and Everybody Is Wrong About God"Many books about atheism focus on science or challenging religious dogma so it can be difficult to find literature on how nonbelievers find meaning in their lives. Filling the Void shares the perspectives of a diverse group of atheists who express how they grapple with reality and their emotions. Jonathan Pearce has provided a necessary addition to atheist and humanist literature with this beautiful anthology.”Matthew Facciani, sociologist and activist, blogger at According to Matthew"This collection vibrantly showcases the fact that having a naturalistic, scientific worldview in no way means one can't experience the grandeur and majesty of life and the universe...or have a wickedly keen sense of humor about that whole god idea. Filling the Void should do just that for most readers: plug a hole in their book collection nicely, showcasing the overlap of humanism and literature, of science and verse, of religious criticism and rhyming constants."Dr. Caleb Lack, Director of the Secular Therapist Project; author of Critical Thinking, Science, & Pseudoscience: Why We Can't Trust Our Brains

My Ordeal with the Qur'an and God in the Qur'an


Abbas Abdul Noor - 2016
    This book is important because it breaks that ground and removes that barrier. The book has been available in Arabic for about ten years in PDF form. The first page identifies the text as a draft copy, indicating that it was not finalised for printing. Comments on the internet indicate that the book was refused publication in Egypt and other Arab countries, which is not unexpected given the difficulty of publishing critical commentary on the Qur'an in such regions. Apart from the biographical details given by the book itself, little is known about its author. The text identifies the author by the name "Abbas Abdul Noor." It seems likely that this name is an alias used to conceal the author's identity due to fear of repercussions from publishing such a forthright analysis. The Arabic text demonstrates the author's deep knowledge of the Qur'an and the hadith, which is reflected by his use of numerous allusions and references that may be difficult for the non-Muslim to grasp. I have added many footnotes to explain and cite these references so that readers who may be less familiar with the Qur'an will nonetheless be able to follow the author's arguments and observations. The reader will immediately notice the book's distinctive style and language, which is complex and poetic. Arabic, like all languages, reflects the culture and mentality that is particular to the peoples who speak the language and their unique history. Translating any work is always a challenge, but it is particularly difficult to translate an Arabic book like this into English. The book is written in the classical Arabic style that crystallised during the flowering of Arabic literature. This style may appear somewhat over-elaborated and flowery for English, and so I was tempted to translate it into a less literal form. But I finally opted for a fairly straightforward translation that gives the reader a more faithful representation of the Arabic style. This helps convey the author's perspective on the Qur'an as an Arab Muslim, and communicates his personal journey and insights.

To The Victor Go The Myths and Monuments


Arthur R. Thompson - 2016
    The History of the First 100 Years of the War Against God and the Constitution, 1776 - 1876 and Its Modern Impact