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Atheism:
Atheism: A Reader edited by S.T. Joshi
This book is an excellent resource and introduction to many great thinkers of
history. Some of my favorites were Nietzsche ["Not every one may be a Christian:
one is not 'converted' to Christianity--one must first be sick enough for
it..."], Mencken ["The so-called religious organizations which now lead the war
against the teaching of evolution are nothing more at bottom, than conspiracies
of the inferior man against his betters. They mirror very accurately his
congenital hatred of knowledge, his bitter enmity to the man who knows more than
he does, and so gets more out of life."], Ingersoll ["Every effort to really
better the condition of mankind has been opposed by the worshipers of some
God."], and Clarence Darrow on The Lord's Day Alliance ["If any poor mortal is
caught enjoying life on Sunday its agents gleefully hie themselves to the
nearest legislature and urge a law to stop the fun."]. Highly recommended
reading.
Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
Atheist Universe: Why God Didn't Have a Thing to do With It
by
David Mills
A wonderful introduction to scientific explanations rebutting Creationist
propaganda. This book makes a handy reference for debaters.
The Atheist's Handbook to Modern Materialism by Philip A. Stahl
The End of Faith by Sam Harris
Fabulous book. I've heard some criticism that Harris is overly harsh in his
critique of faith; but that just proves his assertion that faith is granted an
untouchable space in discourse at our peril. Some of this book ought to scare
the bejesus out of you.
The God Delusion
by Richard Dawkins
Excellent book with one huge failing. At the end, Dawkins actually advocates
denying parents the right to teach their faith to their children, thereby
abrogating freedom of religion. Is he out of his mind? This point alone leaves a
very bad taste in the mouths of all freedom-loving people, believers and
nonbelievers alike. Run screaming from this book.
Godless in America: Conversations with an Atheist
by George Ricker
Another wonderful addition to the atheist's library. Ricker's dialogue is
honest, though often hard-hitting in a refreshing way. His insights into life as
an atheist will resonate with other nonbelievers, and should add to their
arsenal of responses for those situations in which they are confronted with
ignorance.
But Ricker's dialogue will also engage religionists who are curious about what
"the big deal" is with atheists and atheism. Ricker lays it out for them,
touching on current events and attitudes in the media and the general
population, patiently explaining why atheists think and feel the way they do.
This one is highly recommended.
Letter to a Christian Nation
by Sam Harris
I love Sam Harris. Naturally I love his books as well. The End of Faith
was great. This one is short and concise. I, personally, don't think he has much
experience talking with the average Christian American. If he had, he wouldn't
have written such a short book.
You've got to be patient with most Christians. You've got to lay out your
argument a few times, from a few different angles. And you've got to anticipate
their counter-arguments and preempt them. Otherwise, they spend your
entire book simply disregarding everything you say. And that is, I'm afraid,
what they will do with this book.
Manual of a Perfect Atheist by Rius
Available from American Atheists bookstore online at:
American Atheists and American Atheist
Press (see below).
Natural Atheism by David Eller
Eller packaged the whole shebang in one, fast-paced volume covering all aspects
of atheism. His clear-cut prose is littered with quotable bits and gives readers
those "Aha!" and "Absolutely!" moments throughout. From the basics of atheism,
through logical proofs, science and evolution, separation of religion from
government and the history of our founding, fundamentalism, and finally to the
future of atheism, Eller has presented atheism as the logical conclusion of
reason. I highly recommend this one.
Nonbelief and Evil: Two Arguments for the nonexistence of God by
Theodore M. Drange
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Religion:
The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong
A look at fundamentalism and its causes.
Bertrand Russell on God and Religion; Al Seckel, editor
Critiques of God: Making the Case Against Belief in God
edited by
Peter A. Angeles
A collection of essays on the subject.
Does God Exist: The Debate Between Theists and Atheists
J.P.
Moreland and Kai Nielsen
This book was okay, nothing to get excited about. The atheist, Kai
Nielsen, maintained a narrow focus, but did well with his argument. The
theist side was well represented, and I didn't feel that Mr. Nielsen adequately
addressed Moreland's points. The downfall of the book lay in its final
chapter in which Peter Kreeft advised us all on the methods we might use to
determine which side we will go with. Basically, emotionalism and Pascal's
Wager were his strongest recommendations. What feels right? And,
only belief will earn you "the infinite prize of eternal life." Yep, I'm
not kidding.
The Dogma of Christ and Other Essays on Religion, Psychology, and Culture
by Erich Fromm
This book helped me to understand why people believe the things they do--what
emotional and societal rewards belief has.
A History of God: The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
by Karen Armstrong
Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart
Ehrman
Ehrman's book is a valuable read and a great book to give to your moderate
Christian friends and family. It shouldn't offend their faith, unless they're
hard-line literalists. Ehrman suggests a few times that Jesus was an historical
figure (something that never ceases to amaze me about otherwise intelligent
historians), but not in an overtly stupid way. His basic premise, that we have
no originals, and what we do have has undoubtedly been changed for several
reasons, not least of which was to further the scribe's own viewpoint, is strong
throughout.
Moses and Monotheism by Sigmund Freud
A fascinating book outlining Freud's theory that Moses was an Egyptian and the
two gods in the Pentateuch are a combination of the Egyptian Moses' loving god
and Jahve, the Arabian volcano god. Freud briefly explains his theory of
primeval man, totemism, and their relationship to Judaism and Christianity.
Basically, primeval man lived in patriarchal family groups with the sons being
banished, murdered or emasculated by the father/leader. At some point, the
sons, together, murdered the father and ceremonially ate him. Thus arose
Totemism, a religious reenactment of their crime and remembrance of their guilt.
Judaism was a return of the father/leader/god. Christianity was an
admission that the sons killed the father (god) and the belief in the necessary
(spiritual) sacrifice and worship of the eldest son in his place. A great
read. Led me to put Totem and Taboo by Freud on my reading list.
The Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels
Secret Origins of the Bible by Tim Callahan
Well, if you were paying attention (which I assume you were not) you noticed the
seemingly interminable length of time I spent reading this book. It was so
thick, so jam-packed with information, and so academically refreshing that I
took my time absorbing it.
The pagan origins of the Bible are not secret because no one knew about them
until Callahan exposed the truth. They are secret because those well aware of
the Bible's origins are either in the business of God and not inclined to tell
the truth, or they are the rest of us--knowledgeable unbelievers to whom
apologists and believers refuse to listen and toward whom they direct their
vilest diatribes.
I highly recommend this book. I wish everyone would read it!
However, I do have one criticism. After his detailed and scholarly dissection of
both the Old Testament, the New Testament, the complete lack of historical
evidence for Jesus, and the overwhelming evidence of his mythological origin,
Callahan still claims, "I have no doubt that Jesus, having claimed to be the Son
of man, was put to death by crucifixion." He does admit to accepting that the
myths built up around him are just that: mythology. But how can he not doubt the
existence of an historical Jesus?
There is no reason to accept, and plenty of good reasons to dismiss, the
historicity of Jesus. To have "no doubt" about it sounds very much like someone
desperately clinging to the popular view. One is left only to wonder why
Callahan would do such a thing.
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Christianity:
Adam, Eve, and the Serpent by Elaine Pagels
A very interesting read! Fabulous insights on the early history of
Christianity.
The Bible and its Influence
by Cullen Schippe and Chuck Stetson
This book is intended as a textbook for high school students. Certain educators
believe that Biblical literacy will help students in their studies and
test-taking skills. The class would be an elective.
Overall, I think they've done a good job in writing a textbook that walks a fine
line between asserting the existence of God and the validity of Christianity,
and teaching about the Bible as a set of religious books. Once or twice they
crossed the line ever so slightly and affirmed God's existence or the
historicity of Jesus, but still not in a blatant way...which may be worse. For
instance, on page 51, in a discussion of Sodom and Gomorrah, the authors say,
"This is not the last time the Bible depicts God as being open to petition from
human beings." It's very subtle. Are they saying that the Bible is depicting its
main character "God" in this way? Or are they saying there is a god, and the
Bible is depicting it in certain ways?
More blatant an example is on page 331 in which the authors claim First John
"deals with a false teaching that seemed to deny Jesus' humanity."
Now...shouldn't they say that the author of First John claims the
teaching is false?
There are more problematic elements in this textbook. An excerpt from The
Screwtape Letters shows no influence of the Bible, but allows Lewis to
defame science and rationalism to students without any rebuttal. And a two-page
section at the end of the book is devoted to convincing the student that
religion is essential for morality and that Christianity is the foundation of
our national greatness.
Backgrounds of Early Christianity by Everett Ferguson
For anyone interested in the history of the time period, this is an excellent
resource. Ferguson outlines the political, philosophical and religious history
from about 300 BCE to about 300 CE. While I eagerly absorbed the information in
this book, I was several times struck by Ferguson's lack of historical
scholarship with respect to the Bible, both old and new Testaments, especially
the Gospels. Instead of viewing the Gospels as questionable sources, as they are
propaganda for a faith, he took them for history and even attempted, at times,
to apologize for their weaknesses and conflicts with real historical data. While
I understand that a large number of academics do not seriously question the
existence of the Gospel Jesus, time might be better applied reading a book by an
historian of the time period, rather than commentary by a Bible scholar.
The Bible Handbook; Revised Edition. 1986; American Atheist Press
This book lists thousands of contradictions, absurdities and atrocities in the
Bible. Available from American Atheists bookstore online at
American Atheists and American Atheists
Press (see below).
The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the
Origin of its Sacred Texts
by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher
Silberman.
This book was a real eye-opener!
The Born Again Skeptic's Guide to the Bible
by Ruth
Hurmence Green.
This book is an excellent resource on the Bible and Christian theology. The
author presents carefully reasoned arguments and wonderful insights even for the
well-read Biblical critic.
The Case Against Christianity by Michael Martin
Challenging the Verdict by Earl Doherty
Books by apologists frustrate me because as I read, counter-arguments enter my
head and the authors just ignore them! I could barely get through Lee Strobel's
The Case for Christ. He claimed he was being impartial but he never
challenged the "experts" he questioned; he just accepted all they had to say.
Doherty has written a comprehensive rebuttal to Strobel's book highlighting all
the arguments Strobel conveniently left out or glossed over.
The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold
by Acharya S
Acharya S's scholarship has been called into question by people I respect, so
don't take this book too seriously. But, I did find it fascinating. It's
a wild ride that will have you questioning everything you once thought true
about Christianity. The trick is to keep questioning; never take just one
person's word as truth until you've fully researched the idea yourself.
Christian Fundamentalism: A Journey into the Heart of Darkness by
David W. Hopewell
Available from American Atheists at American
Atheists or American Atheist Press (see below)
This book was scary!
Christianity Before Christ by John G. Jackson
The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy by C. Dennis McKinsey
An excellent, scholarly, well-organized explanation of the contradictions and
difficulties in the Bible.
An Evolutionist Deconstructs Creationism by Arndt Von Hippel
I bought this book because of its title; I admit it--I judged a book somewhat by
its cover. I was expecting to read a basic, point-by-point refutation of
Creationism in favor of evolutionary theory. Instead, this book is a
pretty good critique of Christianity in general.
The Fabrication of the Christ Myth by Harold Leidner
Leidner presents a well-researched and documented case that the gospels were
lifted from earlier sources and the Jews are innocent. Explosively brilliant!
Highly recommended. "Where is the moral authority of a religion that must resort
to forgery to establish its cause?" p. 306
Farewell to God: My Reasons for Rejecting the Christian Faith by
Charles Templeton
Forgery in Christianity by Joseph Wheless
An old book without enough good documentation to make it scholarly; but filled
with much excellent information about early Christianity.
God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible
by Adam Nicolson
This book offers insight into the people who translated the King James Version
of the Bible and the struggle for balance between divergence from the Papacy and
strict Puritanism (as exemplified by the Separatists). Nicolson fawns over the
language of the translation as rich and majestic whereas the skeptic might query
first as to its correctness. Good history, good anecdotes; worth a read.
The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man by Robert M. Price
This fascinating, scholarly book dissects the aspects of the Christ myth,
searching for an historical Jesus. Guiding us through the birth narratives,
early childhood fables, Jesus' time of teaching, his betrayal, death and
resurrection, Price finds that the evidence for validity is scant. The most
damning evidence against historicity, and taught to us in this book, is that
every part of the Jesus story is lifted from another source. The idea that Jesus
was god, born of a virgin, a miracle-worker, teacher, died on the cross and
resurrected is told to us, not in any original words, but by simply cutting and
pasting earlier testimonies of other gods and other events into the Jesus
narrative. If Jesus really did walk the earth and do all he is purported to do,
why did his chroniclers explain him only in borrowed words? Highly recommended
reading.
Is it God’s Word by Joseph Wheless
An old book without good documentation to make it scholarly; but filled with
valuable information on the Bible.
The Jesus Mysteries: Was the "Original Jesus" a Pagan God?
By
Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy.
Highly researched, scholarly book outlining the evidence for the theory that
Jesus originated as a Pagan deity. This is the book that finally put it
all in place for me--the theory that finally gave some sense to Christianity, in
my eyes.
The Jews in the Time of Jesus: An Introduction
by Stephen M. Wylen
This book is very helpful in understanding the nature of the gospels.
Leaving the Fold: Testimonies of Former Fundamentalists edited by
Edward T. Babinski
These former fundamentalists became liberal Christians, agnostics or atheists,
etc.
Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist by Dan Barker
This was the first book I read supporting atheism. Mr. Barker explains his
deconversion and offers many of his thoughts on religion as published in Freedom
From Religion Foundation's periodical Freethought Today.
The Mythmaker: Paul and the Invention of Christianity
by Hyam
Maccoby
Maccoby makes a strong case for his theories that Paul was not a Pharisee, but a
Jewish convert of Pagan parentage; Jesus was a Pharisee; Jesus' disciples in
Jerusalem remained distinctly Jewish; Jesus did not create a new religion; and
the Jerusalem church was seriously opposed to Paul's Pagan Christianity. With
knowledge of Judaism in the time of Jesus, the propaganda and lies of the
Gospels become clear.
Psycho Bible: Behavior, Religion and the Holy Book
by
Armando Favazza
Favazza is a professor of psychiatry; he discusses the Bible and Christians from
that perspective. His book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the
Bible, what it says, what people believe about it, historical backgrounds of its
subjects, and human nature with respect to its doctrines. I was frustrated
periodically in reading his book as it was often difficult to determine his
position with respect to Christianity. He either understands and appreciates
non-belief, or he is a non-Christian himself, or both; either way, his viewpoint
was refreshing. However, he does make a few statements that are rather
credulous. For example, he states, "Isaiah is an Old Testament prefiguration of
Jesus..." as if this is fact. He claims: "By becoming a man Christ entered into
human history and, therefore, could be depicted in images that documented
history." Assertions such as these, casually strewn throughout this work must be
forgiven, as Favazza is a student of psychiatry, not history.
Why I Am Not a Christian by Bertrand Russell
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Church/State and History:
1776 by David
McCullough
An excellent and easy read, 1776 would be enjoyable even for those who
find history tedious. This is the story of Washington and the military campaign
of that year, with wonderful insights into the characters of the people who
fought on both sides. Could have used better maps of the battles for the
uninitiated and confused.
Freethinkers by Susan Jacoby
This is a fabulous and comprehensive history of American secularism and a great
read, too. This book is worthy of deep study--highly recommended.
Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson by Gore Vidal
Poetic. If you don't know your early American history, you'll get lost from time
to time.
Our Endangered Values
by Jimmy Carter
I knew Carter's book would be heavily Christian, but as I expected, he is a
tolerant man and I never felt offended or disgusted by anything he said. This
book will anger and shock you as Carter highlights some of the abuses of our
government. Good reading.
The Separation of Church and State: Writings on a Fundamental Freedom by
America's Founders
edited by Forrest Church
Handy little reference to some of the writings of our founders with minimal
historical and biographical background.
Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of Church and State
by Robert Boston
Perfect book for those who want to counter the religious right claims that the
United States is a Christian nation. Boston highlights the arguments anti-separationists
make and gives you the history you need to understand the truth behind their
misquotes and lies. Highly recommended.
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Science and Skepticism:
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
by Carl
Sagan.
An excellent introduction to critical thinking. This book should be
required reading for every student.
Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: A Basic Guide to the Facts in the
Evolution Debate by Tim M. Berra
Fabulous book! A very helpful guide for the layman.
Flim-Flam!: Psychics, ESP, Unicorns and other Delusions
by James
Randi
I was very disappointed in this book. Mr. Randi could have used a good
editor, maybe even a ghost writer. His arguments against the most
important of the pseudosciences lacked strength. Often he seemed to assume
too much regarding the knowledge of his reader. I was hoping this book
would make a good gift for some of the astrologists in my family but Randi's
refutation of it left way too much to be desired.
Idiot Proof: Deluded Celebrities, Irrational powerbrokers, Media Morons, and
the Erosion of Common Sense
by Francis Wheen
While this book has a whole lot in it that doesn't have to do with religion, it
has a little--enough to keep me amused. I enjoyed it; laughed a lot; thought the
world had gone crazy a little. The only real objection I had with it was when
the author took a quote by Bill Gates and asserted that it meant that Gates had
decided that "unfettered capitalism" wasn't going to save the world. He did this
without any evidence that Gates ever had such an opinion about capitalism;
without evidence that the quote in question meant what he said it meant; and
without evidence that we have ever experienced "unfettered" capitalism through
which Gates could have made such an observation.
So, the author has a bit of a misunderstanding of capitalism, it did nothing to
change to beautiful truths in the book: that people can be really stupid.
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
I actually listened to most of this book while traveling to Asheville. While I
didn't get to hear all of it, what I heard was fascinating science! I plan to
purchase a copy of it and actually read it. Highly recommended.
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other
Confusions of Our Time
by Michael Shermer
One of the things I desired most when I realized I was atheist, was to
understand why people believed the things they do. This book lays it out for the
reader.
Back to Top
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Miscellaneous
Freakonomics by Levitt and
Dubner
This book is fascinating.
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Fiction with Attitude
Calling Bernadette's Bluff by Dale McGowan
Funny, touching, honest. A great read.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
This is an interesting book that blends history with legend and presents it with
a mystery. Engaging, written like most bestsellers. If nothing else, it may
inspire people to learn about church history and the Knights Templar. It no
doubt will have people looking for pictures of
Da Vinci's Last Supper.
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Apologetics (Yes, of course I
read them):
If you are looking for some kind comments, you might want to skip down a few.
A Shattered Visage: The Real Face of Atheism by Ravi Zacharias
This is a vitriolic attack on atheists. Never recommend this to any atheist for
whom you have any respect or kind feelings. It is designed for only two
purposes: encouraging other Christians in their hatred of atheists and
engendering discord between our two camps.
You can read other skeptic’s reviews of Zacharias on
The Secular Web.
The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith by Lee
Strobel
What can I say except that these were poor examples of unbiased reporting.
Strobel pretends to be out for the truth but he just gobbles up the Christian
story as it’s spoon fed to him. You can read other skeptics reviews of Strobel’s
apologetics on
The Secular Web.
Be sure to check out Earl Doherty's Challenging the Verdict with the
books on Christianity above.
The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell
When I first read these books, they were separate. Now they are contained in one
volume under their new title. They were the first apologetics books that I read after Mr. Zacharias’ abuse (see A Shattered Visage above). The evidence does indeed
demand a verdict and the verdict is: Christianity is false. McDowell’s
apologetics are full of half-truths, lies, misquotes and misrepresentations. My
first thought upon reading his books was, "Is this the best Christians can do?"
You can read other skeptics responses to McDowell on
The Secular Web.
How to Make an Atheist Backslide by Ray Comfort
I had the pleasure of witnessing Mr. Comfort debate Ron Barrier of American
Atheists at the 2001 convention of American Atheists in Orlando, Florida. Mr.
Comfort is a passionate, articulate speaker and I’m sure he is very persuasive
to his Christian audiences; but he would do best to stick to that venue. He
started out with an explanation of the banana (of which he presented a visual
aid) and how it is "designed" perfectly for the human animal to hold, peel and
eat. He was, for we atheists, a fabulous break from the serious nature of
the majority of the convention. The best part of Mr. Comfort’s appearance was
the free book! Unfortunately, it doesn’t work so I don’t recommend it to any
Christians looking to "make an atheist backslide."
Letters From A Skeptic by Gregory A. Boyd
Not a bad case for Christianity. But as usual, the case is spoon fed to the vict...er,
convert and he just laps it up with nary a rebuttal. It'll shore up your
faith, but it won't convince your atheist friends of anything.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Mr. Lewis is to be respected as an author and he does present a fair and
thoughtful case for Christianity and his reasons for belief. But he is
unconvincing--again, a good book for the Christian, but his lack of critical
thinking applied to his own beliefs is obvious.
You can read skeptic responses to this book on
The Secular Web.
That's Your Interpretation: Responding to Skeptics Who Challenge Your
Faith by Paul Copan
Not a bad apologetic–fraught with the errors in critical thinking that always
fail to convince rationalists, but presented thoughtfully and logically.
Mr. Copan is apparently associated with Ravi Zacharias and you can read about
his support for Mr. Zacharias' A Shattered Visage on
The Secular Web.
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