Atheist Literature

[naomi24]

Do any of the religious people here ever read books written by atheist authors such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris? If ‘yes’, what have you read and what are your thoughts - and if ‘no’ why not?

[RATTER15]

‘Letter to a Christian Nation’ by Sam Harris. Is great, I didnt actually read the book, He read it for me on youtube, I will buy the book though, excellent and interesting.

[keyplus90]

NAOMI - There was nothing wrong with that. At least none of what my birdie assumed. It just did not have anything new for me. All of the arguments he put forward had been around for years if not centuries.

As for keeping my end of the bargain, I can only say the same thing about you. Or perhaps I should digest your comments as a typical comment from an atheist. As they usually believe that they are the only ones with knowledge, reasoning and open mind. But I do know how far all that goes.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, //As for keeping my end of the bargain, I can only say the same thing about you.//

Oh dear. You haven’t read ‘The God Delusion’ have you? Thought not. ;0)

[sandyRoe]

A crisis of faith isn't the same thing as losing ones faith. I prefer to see it as a dark night of the soul. With the morrow I'll see a dawn of new hope and certainty.
I was musing on Matthew 4:19 and think that may be partly responsible for where I am now. I'm casting as efficiently as ever but not getting nearly as many rises as I once did.

[jomifl]

Perhaps a casting couch would get more rises Sandy..otherwise a new rod may be in order.

[sandyRoe]

You haven't bothered to look at Matthew 4:19, have you?

[jomifl]

Sandy, As in hookers?

[sandyRoe]

You're being deliberately obtuse now...

[birdie1971]

@Keyplus - “... It [The God Delusion] just did not have anything new for me. All of the arguments he [Dawkins] put forward had been around for years if not centuries...”

I don't believe for a minute that you've actually taken the time to read this book.

[naomi24]

Sandy, //A crisis of faith isn't the same thing as losing ones faith.//

I know, but why let a good opportunity slip through your fingers? Ever thought of swapping fishing with a less frustrating hobby? ;o)

[jomifl]

Sandy, I did look at Matthew 4:19 but as Keyplus said 'It just did not have anything new for me.' I did not find it a compelling argument, in fact not an argument at all.

[keyplus90]

Birdie & Naomi - You two keep on believing what you believe about whether or not I read that book (The God Delusion) by (Dawkins). I know I did and knowing you two very well, even if I sit there in front of you and read it once more for the sake of it, still you would never admit or accept that I did. And one (and only one) simple reason for that is because I said that I did not find anything in that book that I did not knew before or had not heard of.

[keyplus90]

"Did not know" I meant. Early morning, still half asleep. Where is my cup of coffee?

[Davethedog]

Keyplus "I did not find anything in that book that I did not knew before or had not heard of" Then you didn't understand it.

[Davethedog]

Sandy I have never had a crisis of faith

[naomi24]

Keyplus, if you claim you found nothing in that book that you weren't already aware of, I simply don't believe you've read it.

Dave, I’ve never had a crisis of faith either. Upon reading books that contradicted religious belief, and thoroughly checking out the claims they made, I had no alternative but to accept the indisputable evidence before me - but there was no crisis involved - simply a willingness to be honest with myself.

[AB Editor]

Khandro, reading "God is Not Great" right now actually. Wonderfully written.

I'd suggest that the thrust of it however is that there are no positive aspects of religion, and that even those purported to be positive are fallacies or in some cases actually harmful.

I do however find Dawkins a tedious presence on any TV or radio show.

[naomi24]

Ed, Hitchens is very hard-hitting - great stuff - but if you haven't read them, 'The End of Faith' by Sam Harris and 'Godless' by Dan Barker are also worth adding to your list.

I like listening to Dawkins - but I don't necessarily agree with all he says.

Incidentally, there is some interesting stuff by Sam Harris on YouTube - one four part lecture in particular.

[Davethedog]

Naomi I came from a family that was nominal C of E, never went to church so I never really had any faith. As I have said on AB before when I was 11 Aberfan happened, any tenuous belief that I may have had disappeard at that point.

I was in a church choir because it gave me access to a youth club, couldn't understand why people came to listen.

As for Keyplus you should ask what morals he has to a) lie b) then attribute those standards to you.

[sandyRoe]

Davethedog, you're to be congratulated, then. The secret of happiness is to be firm in ones belief or disbelief.