Common Sense Atheism

Common Sense Atheism PDF Author: Barry Goldberg
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781549856990
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 267

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Book Description
For some atheists, it's enough to simply not believe in God. Some people believe, but you don't. And that's OK.Other atheists, however, find themselves constantly being asked to justify why they don't believe in God, to explain how they can possibly have morals without believing in God, to respond to various arguments that supposedly prove the existence of God, to acknowledge that America was founded as a "Christian" nation, etc. And if you don't have a background in philosophy, formal logic, comparative religions, ancient history, and various scientific fields, it can be a bit daunting to attempt to respond to questions and assertions like these.Well, fear not! "Common Sense Atheism" is a collection of original essays that address these issues and many others in clear and easy to understand language, with just a dollop of humor to make it all go down smoothly. These essays will help you understand and explain to others why a lack of belief in God really is the only rational choice.After all, you shouldn't need a PhD to defend your lack of belief.

Common Sense Atheism

Common Sense Atheism PDF Author: Barry Goldberg
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781549856990
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 267

Get Book

Book Description
For some atheists, it's enough to simply not believe in God. Some people believe, but you don't. And that's OK.Other atheists, however, find themselves constantly being asked to justify why they don't believe in God, to explain how they can possibly have morals without believing in God, to respond to various arguments that supposedly prove the existence of God, to acknowledge that America was founded as a "Christian" nation, etc. And if you don't have a background in philosophy, formal logic, comparative religions, ancient history, and various scientific fields, it can be a bit daunting to attempt to respond to questions and assertions like these.Well, fear not! "Common Sense Atheism" is a collection of original essays that address these issues and many others in clear and easy to understand language, with just a dollop of humor to make it all go down smoothly. These essays will help you understand and explain to others why a lack of belief in God really is the only rational choice.After all, you shouldn't need a PhD to defend your lack of belief.

Common Sense Recovery

Common Sense Recovery PDF Author: Adam N.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781082712203
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 110

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Book Description
Religion was once the primary way to understand human behavior. This was certainly true when the book Alcoholics Anonymous was written in 1939. But, we have learned much over the past 80 years. Common Sense Recovery began as the journal of a long-standing member of AA during a time in his life when he was struggling to reconcile the religious language of Alcoholics Anonymous with his new-found atheism and scientific understanding of addiction and the recovery process. The short chapters articulate a non-religious, practical understanding of the fundamental principles at work in the program, and examine the 12 Steps from a secular perspective. Now in its third edition, this work continues to be a valuable guide for many who struggle with the religious nature and language of AA and contains important insights for the future of the fellowship.

Theism and Explanation

Theism and Explanation PDF Author: Gregory W. Dawes
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1135841357
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
In this timely study, Dawes defends the methodological naturalism of the sciences. Though religions offer what appear to be explanations of various facts about the world, the scientist, as scientist, will not take such proposed explanations seriously. Even if no natural explanation were available, she will assume that one exists. Is this merely a sign of atheistic prejudice, as some critics suggest? Or are there good reasons to exclude from science explanations that invoke a supernatural agent? On the one hand, Dawes concedes the bare possibility that talk of divine action could constitute a potential explanation of some state of affairs, while noting that the conditions under which this would be true are unlikely ever to be fulfilled. On the other hand, he argues that a proposed explanation of this kind would rate poorly, when measured against our usual standards of explanatory virtue.

The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking

The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking PDF Author: Matthew Hutson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0452298903
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
A provocative and entertaining look at the psychology of superstition and religion, how they make us human—and how we can use them to our advantage What is so special about touching a piano John Lennon once owned? Why do we yell at our laptops? And why do people like to say, “Everything happens for a reason”? Drawing on cognitive science, anthropology, and neuroscience, Matthew Hutson shows us that magical thinking is not only hardwired into our brains—it’s been a factor in our evolutionary success. Magical thinking helps us believe that we have free will and an underlying purpose as it protects us from the paralyzing awareness of our own mortality. Interweaving entertaining stories, personal reflections, and sharp observations, The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking reveals just how this seemingly irrational process informs and improves the lives of even the most hardened skeptics.

Common Sense Apologetics

Common Sense Apologetics PDF Author: Dave Abell
Publisher: WestBow Press
ISBN: 1449704743
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
While atheists and religious liberals purport themselves to be enlightened intellectuals, what we find, upon deeper exploration, is that their intellectualism is simply a facade. Conversely, many believers are unable to defend their faith and shrink back when confronted with tough questions, particularly those concerning Jesus being the only way to Heaven. Whether out of fear, lack of knowledge, or a spirit of compromise, the ability to express the idea of one true Holy Book, and one true way to Heaven, seems to escape far too many Christians. Common Sense Apologetics will inspire Christians to drop this spirit of timidity, while gaining confidence and loving boldness when sharing the faith. Foundational, is the fact that God has not called Christians to believe what is not believable nor defend what is indefensible. The evidence for Gods existence and the truth of His Word is abundant and accessible. Christians have Biblical directives to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and lovingly contend for the faith when it is perverted from within and attacked from without. This book is uniquely constructed to present a practical approach to learning why the Christian faith is true, and a better method for defending that truth.

Making Sense of God

Making Sense of God PDF Author: Timothy Keller
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0525954155
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
We live in an age of skepticism. Our society places such faith in empirical reason, historical progress, and heartfelt emotion that it’s easy to wonder: Why should anyone believe in Christianity? What role can faith and religion play in our modern lives? In this thoughtful and inspiring new book, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller invites skeptics to consider that Christianity is more relevant now than ever. As human beings, we cannot live without meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, justice, and hope. Christianity provides us with unsurpassed resources to meet these needs. Written for both the ardent believer and the skeptic, Making Sense of God shines a light on the profound value and importance of Christianity in our lives.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt PDF Author: Larry Siekawitch
Publisher: Page Publishing Inc
ISBN: 1662424396
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 93

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Book Description
Have you ever wondered if there is anything to the concepts of God, religion, and miracles? Are you the kind of person that doesn’t just want to stick their head in the sand and be duped by someone who says “You just need to take a leap in the dark and believe”? I hear you. Or perhaps you are a Christian, but you have some doubts. I want to share the evidence for Christianity in a succinct, readable (with a slight touch of humor), and compelling way using the concept of American jurisprudence, which demands good reasoning but not necessarily one hundred percent proof to make its case. Average, commonsense people live this way all the time, and this book is for them. This book will benefit the average Christian, giving valuable information in a memorable way so that they can share their faith with confidence. It will also benefit those who don’t know Christ yet by its brevity, clarity, and persuasive nature. I begin talking about common sense using American jurisprudence and the concept of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. I then make a case using common sense to gradually move a person down the line from unbeliever to believer. I first help the atheist see why it is more reasonable to be an agnostic. Then I aid the agnostic in realizing it is more fitting to be a theist (a believer in a supreme being) than to stay agnostic. Next, I assist the theist into embracing Christianity. If there is a God, then it makes sense that He would reveal Himself in such a way that we don’t have to wander in the dark all our lives. Then I cover the thorny question of properly interpreting the Bible. I conclude with a satisfying answer to the legitimate question of why an all-powerful and all-loving God would allow so much evil and suffering in the world. Is there evidence for God and Jesus? I think you will be surprised.

Faitheist

Faitheist PDF Author: Chris Stedman
Publisher: Beacon Press
ISBN: 0807014397
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 209

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Book Description
The story of a former Evangelical Christian turned openly gay atheist who now works to bridge the divide between atheists and the religious The stunning popularity of the “New Atheist” movement—whose most famous spokesmen include Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and the late Christopher Hitchens—speaks to both the growing ranks of atheists and the widespread, vehement disdain for religion among many of them. In Faitheist, Chris Stedman tells his own story to challenge the orthodoxies of this movement and make a passionate argument that atheists should engage religious diversity respectfully. Becoming aware of injustice, and craving community, Stedman became a “born-again” Christian in late childhood. The idea of a community bound by God’s love—a love that was undeserved, unending, and guaranteed—captivated him. It was, he writes, a place to belong and a framework for making sense of suffering. But Stedman’s religious community did not embody this idea of God’s love: they were staunchly homophobic at a time when he was slowly coming to realize that he was gay. The great suffering this caused him might have turned Stedman into a life-long New Atheist. But over time he came to know more open-minded Christians, and his interest in service work brought him into contact with people from a wide variety of religious backgrounds. His own religious beliefs might have fallen away, but his desire to change the world for the better remained. Disdain and hostility toward religion was holding him back from engaging in meaningful work with people of faith. And it was keeping him from full relationships with them—the kinds of relationships that break down intolerance and improve the world. In Faitheist, Stedman draws on his work organizing interfaith and secular communities, his academic study of religion, and his own experiences to argue for the necessity of bridging the growing chasm between atheists and the religious. As someone who has stood on both sides of the divide, Stedman is uniquely positioned to present a way for atheists and the religious to find common ground and work together to make this world—the one world we can all agree on—a better place.

Superstition in All Ages

Superstition in All Ages PDF Author: Paul Henri Thiry Holbach (baron d')
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Atheism
Languages : en
Pages : 356

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Book Description


Religion for Atheists

Religion for Atheists PDF Author: Alain De Botton
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307907104
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
What if religions are neither all true nor all nonsense? The long-running and often boring debate between fundamentalist believers and non-believers is finally moved forward by Alain de Botton’s inspiring new book, which boldly argues that the supernatural claims of religion are entirely false—but that it still has some very important things to teach the secular world. Religion for Atheists suggests that rather than mocking religion, agnostics and atheists should instead steal from it—because the world’s religions are packed with good ideas on how we might live and arrange our societies. Blending deep respect with total impiety, de Botton (a non-believer himself) proposes that we look to religion for insights into how to, among other concerns, build a sense of community, make our relationships last, overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy, inspire travel and reconnect with the natural world. For too long non-believers have faced a stark choice between either swallowing some peculiar doctrines or doing away with a range of consoling and beautiful rituals and ideas. At last, in Religion for Atheists, Alain de Botton has fashioned a far more interesting and truly helpful alternative.