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Reddit mentions of God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything

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We found 81 Reddit mentions of God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Here are the top ones.

God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
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Found 81 comments on God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything:

u/dmcable · 17 pointsr/atheism

You chose the red pill, friend. Welcome. Now you get to see how deep the rabbit hole really goes.

Sounds like you need to read some Hitchens. I strongly recommend god is not great. He shared some of the same views you clearly have on religion - that it is inherently pernicious and disparaging.

u/jlew24asu · 9 pointsr/DebateReligion

> I've had spiritual experiences I believe are from God, so in a way, yes.

but you've never met him. the answer is no

> I've never met President Obama. Should I believe he doesn't exist? That's your best evidence?

neither have I but others have and we can prove his existence. are you trolling?

> I'll agree with the ones other than Christianity that I've researched.

ah, so you are an atheists towards other gods.

> Can you provide what convinces you of this in regards to Christianity?

this is going to require some research and time which sadly I dont think you'll do. but here are a few. I could go on and on and on if you'd like.

this, this, this, this, this, this

u/[deleted] · 8 pointsr/todayilearned

Excerpt from God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything Christoper Hitchens

Chapter 10

The Tawdriness of the
Miraculous and the
Decline of Hell


…"As it happens, I am one of the very few people who has ever taken part in the examination of a sainthood “cause,” as the Roman Catholic Church calls it. In June of 2001 I was invited by the Vatican to testify at a hearing on the beatification of Agnes Bojaxhiu, an ambitious Albanian nun who had become well-known under the nom de guerre of “Mother Teresa.” Although the then pope had abolished the famous office of “Devil’s Advocate,” the better to confirm and canonize an enormous number of new “saints,” the church was still obliged to seek testimony from critics, and thus I found myself representing the devil, as it were,pro bono.


I had already helped expose one of the “miracles” connected with the work of this woman. The man who originally made her famous was a distinguished if rather silly British evangelist (later a Catholic) named Malcolm Muggeridge. It was his BBC documentary, Something Beautiful for God, which launched the “Mother Teresa” brand on the world in 1969. The cameraman for this film was a man named Ken Macmillan, who had won high praise for his work on Lord Clark’s great art history series, Civilisation. His understanding of color and lighting was of a high order. Here is the story as Muggeridge told it, in the book that accompanied the film:

>[Mother Teresa’s] Home for the Dying is dimly lit by small windows high up in the walls, and Ken [Macmillan] was adamant that filming was quite impossible there. We only had one small light with us, and to get the place adequately lighted in the time at our disposal was quite impossible. It was decided that, nonetheless, Ken should have a go, but by way of insurance he took, as well, some film in an outside courtyard where some of the inmates were sitting in the sun. In the processed film, the part taken inside was bathed in a particularly beautiful soft light, whereas the part taken outside was rather dim and confused.. . . I myself am absolutely convinced that the technically unaccountable light is, in fact, the Kindly Light that Cardinal Newman refers to in his well-known exquisite hymn.


He concluded that
>This is precisely what miracles are for—to reveal the inner reality of God’s outward creation. I am personally persuaded that Ken recorded the first authentic photographic miracle.. . . I fear I talked and wrote about it to the point of tedium.

He was certainly correct in that last sentence: by the time he had finished he had made Mother Teresa into a world-famous figure. My contribution was to check out and put into print the direct verbal testimony of Ken Macmillan, the cameraman himself. Here it is:

>During Something Beautiful for God, there was an episode where we were taken to a building that Mother Teresa called the House of the Dying. Peter Chafer, the director, said, “Ah well, it’s very dark in here. Do you think we can get something?” And we had just taken delivery at the BBC of some new film made by Kodak, which we hadn’t had time to test before we left, so I said to Peter, “Well, we may as well have a go.” So we shot it. And when we got back several weeks later, a month or two later, we are sitting in the rushes theater at Ealing Studios and eventually up come the shots of the House of the Dying. And it was surprising. You could see every detail. And I said, “That’s amazing. That’s extraordinary.” And I was going to go on to say, you know, three cheers for Kodak. I didn’t get a chance to say that though, because Malcolm, sitting in the front row, spun around and said: “It’s divine light! It’s Mother Teresa. You’ll find that it’s divine light, old boy.” And three or four days later I found that I was being phoned by journalists from London newspapers who were saying things like: “We hear you’ve just come back from India with Malcolm Muggeridge and you were the witness of a miracle.”


So a star was born. . ."

Amazon link

u/rasungod0 · 6 pointsr/atheism

> are there any books written from a Christian point of view that don't make us look like complete idiots even when read from an atheist point of view?

I cannot recall any of the top of my head.

>Also if you have any book recommendations that will help a Christian understand atheism then it'd be a appreciated.

God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens is the best introduction to atheism I've read.

u/FloydFan6 · 6 pointsr/TrueAtheism

God is not great by Christopher Hitchens. If you are looking for someone that had a sound knowledge of Christianity, its history and scripture, Hitchens is the man.

u/ScientismForNone · 5 pointsr/badphilosophy

I follow the words of the great Prophet Harris (Peace be upon Him). But I have great respect for followers of Dawkins, for they are people of the book.

u/zeroJive · 5 pointsr/exchristian

I went through almost the exact same thing. After leaving our main church, my wife and I stopped going all together. Several years later, after we moved because of jobs, we started going again. Needless to say, that didn't last long.

My wife and I both come from very strong Christian backgrounds; my wife's father was a Southern-Baptist minister for decades, and my dad went to Dallas Theological Seminary and taught church classes most of his life. So let's just say that leaving wasn't an easy thing.

However, my own search led me to realize the truth. Since my wife and I are very close, I talked with her about these things but was very careful about what I said. I'm still careful. I approach the discussions from the standpoint of "searching for answers" rather than declaring that I've already decided.

My mantra over the last few years has been "If it were possible to know the truth, and one of the possibilities was that God didn't exist, would you really want to know?" Well, my answer is yes. I don't want to be a blind-follower Christian. If God is real, then I want to know for sure!

I recommend approaching it like that. It let's your spouse see that you are truly searching for answers. The truth is all we really want, and we can't use a 3000 year-old book to do it. We need real answers, not mythology.

Be sure to talk about it a lot, and be open minded to your spouse's point of view. Let them know you still care for them deeply.

This sub-reddit has been so helpful and caring, so good job starting here. Also grab some books or find some web-sites that discus these things. Here are a few I recommend:

Sites

u/redwoodser · 5 pointsr/philadelphia

Thanks. The article was written by Christopher Hitchens, the author of God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. He was while alive one of my favorite people on the planet. His politics at the end were not as progressive as they had been for many decades, but his genius for taking down everything religious was imho, the best the world had ever seen in thousands of years. In fact I saw him in person at the Library, just down the street from the new Mormon buildings on Vine Street, not long before he died. I wept like a child when he was gone. My hero.

u/porscheguy19 · 4 pointsr/atheism

On science and evolution:

Genetics is where it's at. There is a ton of good fossil evidence, but genetics actually proves it on paper. Most books you can get through your local library (even by interlibrary loan) so you don't have to shell out for them just to read them.

Books:

The Making of the Fittest outlines many new forensic proofs of evolution. Fossil genes are an important aspect... they prove common ancestry. Did you know that humans have the gene for Vitamin C synthesis? (which would allow us to synthesize Vitamin C from our food instead of having to ingest it directly from fruit?) Many mammals have the same gene, but through a mutation, we lost the functionality, but it still hangs around.

Deep Ancestry proves the "out of Africa" hypothesis of human origins. It's no longer even a debate. MtDNA and Y-Chromosome DNA can be traced back directly to where our species began.

To give more rounded arguments, Hitchens can't be beat: God Is Not Great and The Portable Atheist (which is an overview of the best atheist writings in history, and one which I cannot recommend highly enough). Also, Dawkin's book The Greatest Show on Earth is a good overview of evolution.

General science: Stephen Hawking's books The Grand Design and A Briefer History of Time are excellent for laying the groundwork from Newtonian physics to Einstein's relativity through to the modern discovery of Quantum Mechanics.

Bertrand Russell and Thomas Paine are also excellent sources for philosophical, humanist, atheist thought; but they are included in the aforementioned Portable Atheist... but I have read much of their writings otherwise, and they are very good.

Also a subscription to a good peer-reviewed journal such as Nature is awesome, but can be expensive and very in depth.

Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate is also an excellent look at the human mind and genetics. To understand how the mind works, is almost your most important tool. If you know why people say the horrible things they do, you can see their words for what they are... you can see past what they say and see the mechanisms behind the words.

I've also been studying Zen for about a year. It's non-theistic and classed as "eastern philosophy". The Way of Zen kept me from losing my mind after deconverting and then struggling with the thought of a purposeless life and no future. I found it absolutely necessary to root out the remainder of the harmful indoctrination that still existed in my mind; and finally allowed me to see reality as it is instead of overlaying an ideology or worldview on everything.

Also, learn about the universe. Astronomy has been a useful tool for me. I can point my telescope at a galaxy that is more than 20 million light years away and say to someone, "See that galaxy? It took over 20 million years for the light from that galaxy to reach your eye." Creationists scoff at millions of years and say that it's a fantasy; but the universe provides real proof of "deep time" you can see with your own eyes.

Videos:

I recommend books first, because they are the best way to learn, but there are also very good video series out there.

BestofScience has an amazing series on evolution.

AronRa's Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism is awesome.

Thunderfoot's Why do people laugh at creationists is good.

Atheistcoffee's Why I am no longer a creationist is also good.

Also check out TheraminTrees for more on the psychology of religion; Potholer54 on The Big Bang to Us Made Easy; and Evid3nc3's series on deconversion.

Also check out the Evolution Documentary Youtube Channel for some of the world's best documentary series on evolution and science.

I'm sure I've overlooked something here... but that's some stuff off the top of my head. If you have any questions about anything, or just need to talk, send me a message!

u/HaiKarate · 4 pointsr/exchristian

You've heard everything that the religious have to say. And, like most Christians, you've heard the critics being grossly misrepresented through apologetics.

I suggest that you start to study what the critics of Christianity have to say in their own words.

Here's a few to get you started:

  • God is not Great - I especially love the Audible version, as read by the author

  • Jesus, Interrupted - Written by one of the leading NT scholars in the world

  • Why Evolution is True - Because if you've grown up in a crazy Christian household, you probably never really had the chance to learn about evolution

    As they say, knowledge is power. Understanding why Christianity is wrong will help greatly with purging it from your mind.
u/dangling_participles · 4 pointsr/exmormon

Perhaps it's time to move away from LDS specific arguments, and start questioning the God concept in general; especially as it relates to morality.

One argument I've always liked, is that even if there is a god, by far the strongest test of morality it could ask for is if a person will be moral while believing there is no such being, and no promise of reward or punishment.

If she is willing to read, I recommend the following:

u/lanemik · 3 pointsr/DebateAnAtheist

Recommended reading material:

God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.

The End of Faith

If Christians were closeted, if they kept their morality judgments to themselves, if they did not push for laws to enforce this version of morality, if they did not actively seek to disparage atheists for no other reason than for refusing to believe in the invisible thing in the sky that they believe in, then I'd have no reason to give a shit about what Christians believe. What does or does not happen to my consciousness after I die is absolutely immaterial.

u/Additup · 3 pointsr/atheism

Believing in the sky fairy is for those who do not want to think for themselves and need an imaginary friend who always listens to them. Organized religion has caused so much pain in the world and hopefully eventually society can move past it

u/mrbergis · 3 pointsr/atheism

I'd suggest God is Not Great to really get under their skin. While they may not get past the title, there are some very eloquent arguments in there that don't stem from a scientific viewpoint.

u/NukeThePope · 3 pointsr/atheism
  • The End Of Faith by Sam Harris has a few choice words about Muslims and their violent ways.
  • God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens is elegantly aggressive. A well-educated punch in the nose of all religions.
u/atheistcoffee · 3 pointsr/atheism

Congratulations! I know what a big step that is, as I've been in the same boat. Books are the best way to become informed. Check out books by:

u/k3x_z1 · 3 pointsr/atheism

Used by God Sorry OP

Buy this to your mother, and watch yourself get kicked of your house :P

u/astroNerf · 3 pointsr/atheism

The God Delusion would be a good start. God is Not Great is another.

u/kent_eh · 3 pointsr/atheism

> Words to live by.

Or to write about even.

u/mrstickman · 3 pointsr/vegetarian

Christopher Hitchens, in his book God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, devotes a short chapter to pigs. It's a cogent bit of prose.

Oh look, here's a reading of that chapter.

u/thenewyorker1 · 3 pointsr/AdamCarolla

back in the loveline days, and pre 9-11, he was pretty vocal about the Christian right, especially as it pertained to the morning after pill / abortion debate. he once said something on this podcast about the different types of atheists there are, to summarize 'An atheist like me doesn't believe in anything, an atheist like Penn Gilette HATES GOD.' which i find funny, but also accurate. there are types out there that rage against theism, what Christopher Hitchens called anti-theists in his book God is Not Great.

aceman is just a guy who was raised with no religion and reason to buy into one or create one, he's just a man looking out for what's pragmatic.

u/voodootribe · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

If you enjoyed the God Delusion you would probably enjoy either God Is Not Great by Hitchens or The End of Faith by Sam Harris

u/blablablashutup · 2 pointsr/atheism

Christopher Hitchen's book god is Not Great is another good one. There was also a book on here the other day regarding deconversion from fundamental Christianity; it may be what you're looking for.

u/trollmaster5000 · 2 pointsr/DoesAnybodyElse

Antitheism/Christopher Hitchens FTW.

God Is Not Great

u/undercurrents · 2 pointsr/TrueAtheism

I was raised Jewish with all the schooling but never believed in a god. TzniusNotMyNameOh writes good questions to ask yourself. This year I refused to even be seated at the seder table (in the past I sat but didn't participate) because the entire Haggadah is just praising a god for killing other people. If you reread the stories of Lot and Dinah, they are also just as disgusting. And ask Orthodox about what they believe was the reason for god not intervening in the Holocaust- because he is too great for us to understand his reasons.

Some other books to check out:

God Is Not Great: How religion poisons everything by Christopher Hitchens

Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman

The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs

Unchosen: The Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels

interview with Nathan Englander

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx7irFN2gdI

http://www.theatheistrabbi.com/

http://jewishatheist.blogspot.com/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/

http://i.imgur.com/YWUig.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7UdCA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rNOET.jpg

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/411550/its-raining-frogs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=6axdZAxyt2g&feature=endscreen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5JtxrR6msg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E67ommy95-o&feature=related

http://vimeo.com/25149893

u/ForMePlease · 2 pointsr/tabc

God is Not Great. Getting it out there, I think it's probably one of the more inevitable ones.

Losing Faith in Faith and Godless each by Dan Barker.

Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel Dennett.

First ones that come to mind. I think a few theologians may be worth reading as well. Not sure what ones though. If Kent Hovind wrote a book, we could keep a facepalm count.

u/Regina_Phalange26 · 2 pointsr/atheism

I'm a little late to the party, but I just thought I'd add my voice.

There are a couple things I would like to say. I'm sure none of it hasn't already been said somewhere here, but I'll just repeat for emphasis.

First of all, hi! And welcome. I'm sure you are feeling so confused and overwhelmed right now. That's okay. There's a lot to take in and consider. Take your time, go at your own pace, and make sure that wherever you end up is a place that is right for you. It's important to always consider what others have to say but that doesn't mean you have to follow what they say. You make your decisions and you determine your path.

If this road you are taking brings you to atheism (or anything unacceptable to your family and/or friends) you do not have to come out before you are ready. Depending on your situation it could be very detrimental to do so before the time is right. If someone will do wrong by you if they know the truth, then you are by no means obligated to give them the truth. And when the right time is, only you can say. Others may be able to help you with it, but when it comes down to it, it is your life and your decision.

And, again, if you eventually begin to identify as an atheist it is possible, and maybe even probable that you will feel angry. Many of us have been through it, or still are going through it. Angry about things that are happening around the world today and angry about things from your upbringing. That is okay too. There are many things we should be angry about. Just don't let that anger consume you. And be sure to still be reasonable. Anger can be a good thing when placed appropriately and if it's kept in perspective. It's a hard field to navigate but you'll figure it out with time and experience.

Don't get so caught up in one worldview that you are stuck in an echo chamber, never exposed to differing thoughts and opinions. Keep an open mind and don't shut things out simply because you don't want to change your opinion or are so convinced of something that you think there's no chance you could ever be wrong. This really applies to everything in life...not just religious beliefs or lack thereof.

I wanted to address you personally, rather than discuss the beliefs because I'm sure you have been given so much to consider and read already. It is likely that everything I have to suggest has already been mentioned, but:

  • There are so many good videos at The Atheist Experience

  • Greta Christina's blog has many wonderful and thought provoking writings

  • "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins is incredible (as is most of his work)

  • Just about any Christopher Hitchens debate on YouTube is fascinating. I also loved his book "God Is Not Great" but if you aren't a reader it may be tiresome and difficult to get through.

  • PZ Myers blog, Pharyngula is excellent as well.

    I could go on, but this post is already so much longer than I intended. So I'll just end on this note: things might look pretty frightening and overwhelming right now, but don't let it scare you off. There is no better feeling than learning and coming to your own conclusions about who you are and what you believe. Especially if you've had those things decided for you your entire life. If you ever need help or have questions, come here. There are many of us who are more than willing to do what we can to help.

    Good luck! :)
u/EvilStevilTheKenevil · 2 pointsr/atheism

By lapsing into denial about the very real and present harm religion has caused, is causing, and will continue to cause unless we stop it.

 

I recommend you read a little book titled God Is Not Great By Christopher Hitchens.

 

Do not be fooled. There is no such thing as a benign delusion.

 

https://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Great-Religion-Everything/dp/0446697966

u/Mordisquitos · 2 pointsr/books

The inverted bell curve is also pretty common for controversial and polarising issues, for example A People's History of the US, God Is Not Great and 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism.

The way I see it, the inverted bell curve is a warning sign for novels (especially best-sellers) and technical books, but not necessarily for opinionated non-fiction where it may just indicate that many jimmies were rustled.

u/macosxsealion · 2 pointsr/apple

I think it is when it leads to tribalism and bigotry.

God is not great

u/mullen490 · 2 pointsr/todayilearned

Religion Poisons Everything

Even the best religions are harmful to society. Everyone has the capability to be a good person without religion.

u/Jeichert183 · 2 pointsr/exmormon

Leaving the church can be an emotional and harrowing experience especially, if like me, you are a generational mormon. My dad was a convert but quit the church when he bailed on the family but on my moms side my grandfathers family goes back to the pioneers and my grandmothers parents were converts in California during the depression. For generations my family has been indoctrinated in the mormon belief system. I walked away from the church almost ten years ago but it took about four years to come to terms with it. At 40 years old I still have stuff creep up on me out of nowhere. Leaving tscc is a traumatic experience, we lose part of our identity, we lose parts of our community, we lose parts of our family. We have been the subject of generational psychological abuse and coping with that trauma is difficult enough but when we leave we are subjected to more abuse for having left. Leaving the church is a traumatic event piled on top of a lifelong traumatic event. I was able to come to terms with my hangups when, for unrelated reasons, began doing some research into PTSD and began to understand why my upbringing in the church was impacting me long after I left. I would recommend doing some readings on PTSD and overcoming indoctrination, it really helped me come to terms with me.

If you haven't you might want to take a look at Deism which is basically God created the universe and then moved onto other things. Thats right God has ADD.

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and God Is Not Great by Christoper Hitchens are great books to read when coming to terms with the loss/end of religion in your life. You don't have to go full on atheist, Dawkins even has 7 degrees of theistic belief, but reading those two books can help understand many things.

u/Irish_Whiskey · 2 pointsr/religion

The Case for God and The Bible: A Biography by Karen Armstrong are both good. The God Delusion is a simple breakdown and explanation of most major religious claims. Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World by the Dalai Llama is an interesting book on ethics. The Koran: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Cook is 150 funny and insightful pages on Islam. Under the Banner of Heaven is a shocking and fascinating account of fundamentalist Mormonism. The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan discusses religion, and Cosmos and Pale Blue Dot are my secular versions of holy books. And of course given the occasion, I can't leave out God is Not Great.

I recommend avoiding authors like Lee Strobel and Deepak Chopra. Both are essentially liars for their causes, either inventing evidence, or deliberately being incredibly misleading in how they use terms. Popularity in those cases definitely doesn't indicate quality.

u/NaLaurethSulfate · 2 pointsr/atheism

Watch him on video
I would highly recommend the debate between him and william lane craig (though IMO, you can skip over william lane craig and still get all the awesomeness)

Read his work, I would recommend God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, which also can be found on sites like the pirate bay if you are of that bent, and don't mind reading digital copies, there is also a good summary at wikipedia.

u/spinozasrobot · 2 pointsr/atheism

By trivializing a POV with statements like "Cry more?" and "crying in faux anger" you are certainly not adding anything to the conversation, and I might add, proving the point entirely.

There is clearly a double standard with regard to the religious demanding extra care and tenderness with regard to their "feelings" and yet no such respect is afforded to atheists.

As for this being a 'first world problem', clearly you have not read Hitchens, Harris or Dawkins. I suggest you start with "God is Not Great" by Hitchens to find out why this attitude is part of what's so damaging to everything and every socioeconomic group worldwide.

u/KoDCBP · 2 pointsr/atheism

For starters, what's your time limit? This is a topic that would take a while to unpack and make a convincing case for. If you decide to go through with it, read Hitchen's book, Harris' two books, and watch some debates to determine how you want to deliver your speech. Make a list of different arguments that the religious use for when your audience asks the standard questions and have a response for them. Have a list of examples of problems that different religions have caused and the source for that information.

u/limbodog · 2 pointsr/atheism

God is not Great by Christopher Hitchens. I enjoyed it, tho' in my case it was largely preaching to the choir.

u/cspayton · 2 pointsr/exchristian

Thanks for responding!

I think that there are a few books which have influenced me greatly, but I have a much more expansive list of books I want to read than ones I have already consumed.

To start, you should try the greats:

u/nakedjuggler · 1 pointr/atheism

I recommend God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens.

u/marcotb12 · 1 pointr/atheism

I say he should pass out this book instead!

http://www.amazon.com/God-Is-Not-Great-Everything/dp/0446697966

Come /r/atheism, let's get him the money.

u/za3keaxi · 1 pointr/technology

That's a mildly-defensible logical position, but once you realize that you are smart enough to say "there's no such thing as a flying spaghetti monster" and that no one has to prove 100% that it doesn't exist for you to use your brain and make the "bold statement" that a magical flying invisible being made of spaghetti doesn't exist .... you will realize why you are an atheist and not an agnostic. Just give it a few years of listening to ridiculous explanations for why there might be a God. "Who can really know?!" Umm, you can. I bet that you find it more than "not very plausible". You know it's bullshit. So instead of dancing around with philosophical possibilities and definitions of the word "know", just be honest with yourself. For all intents and purposes, to the extent that anything is a fact (e.g. how can you prove anything at all?!?!), it's a fact: there is no God and all spiritual aspects of all religions are lies. Just because there are some good life tips mixed in does not make the spirituality of any religion any more sane.

As for religion being evil, I would start by suggesting that you read a book by Christopher Hitchens, such as God is Not Great: Why Religion Poisons Everything. You may come to agree that saying God doesn't exist is more than my right; it's important for humanity and no more arrogant than saying that China is a real place on the other side of the planet.

u/Tetragrammaton · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Poisons everything, if you believe Hitchens.

I think that's going too far, though.

u/urh · 1 pointr/AskReddit

thoughtfull powerfull mean polarizing logical, yet a bit biased. just a bit. or anything from umberto eco.

u/Cognizant_Psyche · 1 pointr/exchristian

The obligatory two books are Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion and Christopher Hitchens' God is not Great (How Religion Poisons Everything). Both are fantastic, Dawkins tends to focus more on Christianity and Hitchens is more widespread showing how dangerous it is across the board with many diverse examples.

For a broader sense start reading up on Philosophy and other religions, you will find that Christianity is nothing special and is quite weak in some areas. Familiarize yourself with the fallacies that are common in religious explanations as well. This way when the indoctrination starts to creep up you can look at the reasons you believed and see through them for what they are. Such engrained behaviors can be hard to shake, especially when guilt is involved as religion is a master craft at guilt manipulation. Once you see through the magic trick it looses it's power.

Another great book is The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins, it shows how evolution works from a genetic level. I know you said you accept evolution and that is great, this will give you a more in depth look into the mechanics of the process and how we are no different than any other life form aside from our development tree. Its easy to read and understand, in fact this book really helped me break away from some of the mentalities of religion since it shows how humans really arent anything special and are very young.

Another author is Sam Harris, he has a lot of books that can help a deconvert find meaning in things they once valued without the need for religion, on subjects like morality, free will, spirituality, and other aspects.

Here is Hitchens' book on youtube read by the man himself:

God is not Great

u/ggliddy357 · 1 pointr/Christianity

>But what is your personal opinion on the bond that love can have.

This is called "pair bonding" and can be explained by evolution.

>wouldn't that require the same method of proof?

Yes, it's called evolution.

>They were experimenting on inducing paranormal experiences and they made a sort of helmet that stimulated the brain. If i can find it you might be interested in it.

I've seen this and it proves my point. Simple brain chemistry explains everything perceived as paranormal.

>For you to believe something you need proof

This isn't necessarily true. If a friend of mine says he had a peanutbutter sandwich for lunch I don't need evidence. He's not making an extraordinary claim. If a friend of mine says he has an invisible pet dragon in his garage, I'm going to a little more than just his word.

You said you were 26. Fine, I don't need evidence. You said you heard wolves speaking to you. I'm gonna need little more on that.

See the difference?

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. That which can be claimed without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.

This is the reason atheists are so tough on religious claims. There's no evidence AND THEY HURT SOCIETY.

For example: Suicide bombers are almost entirely religious. Same with those who mutilate infant genitalia (male and female circumcision). Praying for your child to get better when their appendix ruptures rather than taking them to a hospital is a religious decision. Same with teaching Creationism vs. Evolution. Believing in bullshit has consequences.

Christopher Hitchens was EXACTLY correct when he wrote in the subtitle to his book that Religion Poisons Everything. Another book you should probably read at some point.

At the risk of sounding rude (again) everything you've brought up is what's known as P.R.A.T.T. These are arguments that have been Previously Refuted A Thousand Times.

I'll bet if you read a book a month for six months ALL of your questions would be answered.

Again, it's sort of a choice. Live in the dark and think that spells and coincidences are the way of the world. Or, become scientifically literate.

And don't take this criticism too harshly. I told you earlier that I believed in bullshit far, far too long. I was in my late 20's when I started reading. Now at 41 I've read almost 400 books. But you gotta start somewhere...

u/zeyus · 1 pointr/exjw

Awesome, it's great you're so proud of her!

Haha knowledge that leads to everlasting boredom! Book studies were the worst, I always felt super obligated to study extra hard because there were so few people that often nobody would answer!

Don't be so sure that your family will keep abandoning you, it's possible sure, but there's always hope! Often they're surprised that you can leave the witnesses and live a normal, or even better than normal life (of course there's always the "blessed by satan" get out clause) but they do expect people who leave to get aids and die from a heroin overdose.

It's easy to prove them wrong! Either way though, you have your own family to look out for and you can learn what not to do!

On to the suggested reading. I've mentioned many on here before but I don't expect everyone to be aware of it all so here goes:

Reading (I have a kindle and love reading, but they're all available for ebook and in paperback)

u/russell_mania · 1 pointr/atheism

Also, if you have time, read God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Hitchens.

u/1SuperSlueth · 1 pointr/Jesus

Also, if you are further interested in rational thinking, Hitchens has some great books!! I recommend "God is not great" by Christopher Hitchens!! https://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Great-Religion-Everything/dp/0446697966/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=god+is+not+great&qid=1558554004&s=gateway&sr=8-1

u/RecentFader · 1 pointr/exjw

Hello,

One of the first books I read after deciding to leave JW was God is not Not Great by Christopher Hitchens https://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Great-Religion-Everything/dp/0446697966. It was a great reading, especially because it was the first time I ever read anything like this, a straight forward attack on religions with reason as a base.

u/dudewhatthehellman · 1 pointr/pics

Dearest Sir,

Watch this.
I presume you've read the bible, have you read the case against? Here are two books I recommend. 1 and 2. I'm not going to answer your argument as it goes beyond rationality and is too poor to continue a rational debate. Please educate yourself either through what I have shown you or other means.

Yours truly,

A fellow mammal.

u/BABYFETUSGOBBLER · 1 pointr/Tinder

Secular ideologies can be just as authoritarian as religious ideologies. re: communist china, the state is their "religion" and it will crush any potential challenger, including atheists. It is not a fair representation of a potential secular society. Secular humanism would be a far more ideal "state philosophy."

I'm not as well versed in Mughals or House of Baghdad. The Renaissance was inspired by humanism and was a break from the theocracy that came before, and further distanced itself with the enlightenment.

There's an argument that any cultural human achievement, especially those within theocratic societies, could have been just as good if not better if they occurred in a secular humanist society

u/selfprojectionasgod · 1 pointr/atheism

1 book: The Portable Atheist.

For further reading: God Is Not Great and The God Delusion.

u/Tober04 · 1 pointr/exmormon

I don't know if Dawkins "saved" me entirely, I think I had already converted before I read his works, but he certainly helped strengthen my convictions. I also have to give immense credit to Christopher Hitchens! He is the most painfully articulate voice for atheism I have ever heard, I could listen to him debate all day. His book is a must read. What I enjoyed most about it was it's historical information which was fascinating, the book has an entire chapter which discusses "Why heaven hates ham".

u/acetominaphin · 1 pointr/madlads

Fair enough, but there are also books that simply talk about atheism without having a strong agenda in either direction. One of my favorite books ever is God's Funeral https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Funeral-Decline-Western-Civilization/dp/0393047458 which gives an objective history about how Western society has moved away from religion, and how atheism has manifested itself in art, academia, and philosophy. The entire time I was reading it I was also trying to figure out whether or not the author intended to promote or argue against it all, but I never could. That's actually one of my favorite things about it.

Also I think your argument only goes so far. Books like God is not great https://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Great-Religion-Everything/dp/0446697966 do spend a lot of time talking about religion, but they spend more time promoting things like reason and critical thinking, only using religion as proof to the points, and not giving it the objective or in depth coverage of any real "study".

u/jlarmour · 1 pointr/exjw

sigh throwing a pile of books at me instead of discussing the points kind of kills the discussion.

May I simply invite you to read a few books too then.

http://www.talkorigins.org/ - for general debunking of various evolutiony topics creationists cling to.

Two great books on biology and how it doesn't support god.

https://www.amazon.com/Blind-Watchmaker-Evidence-Evolution-Universe/dp/0393351491
https://www.amazon.com/Selfish-Gene-Popular-Science/dp/0192860925

And hey, everyone should read at last one Hitchen book.

https://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Great-Religion-Everything/dp/0446697966/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YRA4TF2KH358H7VAVG9X

u/Rigadonwilde · 0 pointsr/germany

I can't defend something I know nothing about. I am happy to defend free speech though and it always better to debate ideas rather than try to have them removed from common discourse. This is a principle I will defend.

No I compared two sets of protesters and your willingness to defend one group and condemn the other simply because popular opinion is so heavily behind you.

You said yourself that you think Sharia is an idea of idiots- but them in the same thread condemn those who speak out against it as Nazis. I think you might be a victim of social engineering.

You should try- "God is not great how religion poisons everything"

http://www.amazon.com/God-Is-Not-Great-Everything/dp/0446697966




u/Pr4zz4 · 0 pointsr/occult

Don’t let man fool you. -
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything https://www.amazon.com/dp/0446697966/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XFI0CbJAEBKG4


The Anti-Buddha -
Siddhartha: A Novel https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553208845/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nGI0Cb6NA5W1Y

u/kingakrasia · 0 pointsr/suggestmeabook

I found Christopher Hitchens' God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything a good introduction to one of the largest "curtains" on Earth, a belief in God.

https://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Great-Religion-Everything/dp/0446697966

Hitchens is very intelligent and articulate, world-famous for debating and his writings.

https://youtu.be/xFnSjmQCGDM

u/saatana · -1 pointsr/casualiama

Have you asked her to read God Is Not Great or The God Delusion?
Have you read these books yourself?
Is her family religious?

u/hobbitsden · -1 pointsr/DebateReligion

Books like this from Hitchens or this from Nietzsche develop a doctrine of non-belief for those that are convinced by the atheistic arguments. I wasn't, so I stopped the practices of unbelief which vary like those of believers.

u/not-so-useful-idiot · -1 pointsr/worldnews

I would argue that any benefit brought by religion would be amplified if obtained elsewhere, and without these negative extremism consequences. If you're interested, Hitchens wrote a fascinating book called god is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, which is what my previous comment was referencing.