Atheism
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Atheism is the absence of belief, or a direct disbelief, in the existence of any deities, often rooted in a lack of empirical evidence and a preference for scientific, naturalistic explanations. Originating from the Greek atheos ("without god"), it covers a spectrum from passive non-belief to active denial of God.
In this classic treatise on atheism,George H. Smith sets out to demolish what he considers the most widespread and destructive of all the myths devised by human beings - the concept of a supreme being. With painstaking scholarship and rigorous arguments, Mr. Smith examines, dissects, and refutes the myriad "proofs" offered by theists.
What happens to American democracy if Christianity is no longer able, or no longer willing, to perform the functions on which our constitutional order depends? In this provocative book, the award-winning journalist Jonathan Rauch—a lifelong atheist—reckons candidly with both the shortcomings of secularism and the corrosion of Christianity.
In this seminal text on atheism and the contentious debate over science and religion, renowned scientist Richard Dawkins examines the irrationality of believing in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society. From the sex-obsessed tyrant in the Old Testament to the more benign Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers, Dawkins rigorously analyzes God in all his forms, eviscerating the major arguments for religion and demonstrating the supreme improbability of a supreme being.
Smith, George H. Atheism: The Case Against God (The Skeptic's Bookshelf) . Globe Pequot Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Introduction
Does a god exist? This question has undoubtedly been asked, in one form or another, since man has had the ability to communicate. Men have pondered the question, discussed it, argued it, and killed over it. It appears to be a simple question calling for a simple answer, but its simplicity is deceptive. Thousands of volumes have been written on the subject of a god, and the vast majority have answered the question with a resounding “Yes!” You are about to read a minority viewpoint. This book is a presentation and defense of atheism. This is not a sympathetic examination or interpretation of religious doctrines; it is a straightforward critique, philosophically and psychologically, of the belief in a god, especially as manifested in Christianity. The subtitle—The Case Against God—has a twofold meaning: first, it refers to the philosophical case against the concept of god; and, secondly, it refers to the psychological case against the belief in a god. As a philosopher, I am continually amazed by the credence given to religious claims in the intellectual community; and, as a human being, I am appalled by the psychological damage caused by religious teachings—damage that often takes years to counteract. Atheism, even in today’s “liberal” atmosphere, is still somewhat unacceptable. Simply being an atheist may be acceptable— if, that is, one keeps it to oneself. What is frequently considered inappropriate is to advertise this fact, or openly to attack religious doctrines.
Rauch, Jonathan. Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy (Politics and Culture) (p. 2). Yale University Press. Kindle Edition.
Introduction
The Dumbest Thing I Ever Wrote. Dear Mark— In hindsight, there should have been a Neil Simon play about us. Heck, maybe there was. What an odd couple we were! I, a scrawny Jew from Phoenix; you a tall, broad-shouldered Christian from Chicago. I, a lefty Naderite who railed against the evils of monopolistic corporate power; you, a National Review reader who thrilled to the presidential aspirations of George H. W. Bush. (To this day, you are the only person I have ever met in whom Bush Sr. evoked rapturous enthusiasm.) But we did have something in common. On our college housing forms that summer, we had both checked “classical” under “music preference.” That was enough to bring us together as freshman roommates. Even so, I found a way to be contentious. You rooted for your hometown team—the Chicago Symphony and its famous conductor, Sir Georg Solti. I was no fan of Maestro Solti, whom I nicknamed the Hungarian Butcher. Even worse, I complained that the vaunted Chicago brass played too loud. It’s a wonder we didn’t come to blows. Then there was that other difference. The Big Difference. You were what in those days certain students called, very unkindly, God Squad. (Prejudice against religion is nothing new, on campus or off.) You attended church services on Sundays while I slept in. You not only talked the talk, you walked the walk. I tried to be respectful of you as a person but didn’t hide my lack of respect for the Christian religion. Not yet out of my teens, I was what was known as a militant atheist, a confrontational unbeliever.
Dawkins, Richard. The God Delusion (p. 23). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Introduction
As a child, my wife hated her school and wished she could leave. Years later, when she was in her twenties, she disclosed this unhappy fact to her parents, and her mother was aghast: ‘But darling, why didn’t you come to us and tell us?’ Lalla’s reply is my text for today: ‘But I didn’t know I could.’ I didn’t know I could. I suspect—well, I am sure—that there are lots of people out there who have been brought up in some religion or other, are unhappy in it, don’t believe it, or are worried about the evils that are done in its name; people who feel vague yearnings to leave their parents’ religion and wish they could, but just don’t realize that leaving is an option. If you are one of them, this book is for you. It is intended to raise consciousness—raise consciousness to the fact that to be an atheist is a realistic aspiration, and a brave and splendid one. You can be an atheist who is happy, balanced, moral, and intellectually fulfilled. That is the first of my consciousness-raising messages. I also want to raise consciousness in three other ways, which I’ll come on to. In January 2006 I presented a two-part television documentary on British television (Channel Four) called Root of All Evil? From the start, I didn’t like the title and fought it hard. Religion is not the root of all evil, for no one thing is the root of all anything. But I was delighted with the advertisement that Channel Four put in the national newspapers. It was a picture of the Manhattan skyline with the caption ‘Imagine a world without religion.’ What was the connection?