Reddit mentions of Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe

I used to be in a situation similar to this. Most of my peers, family, etc are Christian, I'm atheist. I used to get real mad too, that they didn't see how their religion was poisoning the lives of others. I believed there shouldn't be any religion at all, and I wanted no part of it, no part of my friends. Until I eventually came to the realization that I didn't want to be like that. All I wanted to be was happy. But how do I do that with all of the people around me who are religious?

Think of it like this: At the end of the day, it isn't what you believe that matters, it's how you believe it.

Treat them like you would want to be treated. You shouldn't hate them for believing what they believe in, and they shouldn't hate you either. That being said, you also shouldn't be forced into doing anything that you don't want to do. If they still try and get you to go to church, or insist that you will eventually revert back to Christianity, then don't get all mad. The best way to 'prove them wrong,' so to speak, is to be a moral, upstanding citizen, while still upholding your beliefs. The happiness should come from there, but if not, no worries. The important thing to remember here is that you don't need other people's approval for you to be yourself, and for you to be happy.

When people ask, tell them you are atheist. What I do is, I don't flaunt it, but when people ask I am open about it. Don't treat them with anything other than acceptance, and they should treat you the same way. When people are talking about controversial issues, you are allowed to voice your opinion. And you should. Don't be afraid of who you are, or of what you believe. You're every bit as worthy as they are, your opinion matters just as much as theirs, and that doesn't change because you think differently from them!

As far as the situation with your BF is concerned, sit down and have a serious discussion with him and how important both of your religions are versus your relationship. Being atheist is important to you, just as much as being a Christian is to him, and if you aren't willing to put aside your differences in that category, than you shouldn't be in that relationship. I say it does still have a chance if you want it to, but if both of you aren't willing to compromise on this front... Well, things don't look good.

If they're being mean to you, or stereotyping you for being an atheist, you are allowed to call them on their BS. Just remember that just because they are being stupid doesn't mean everyone from their religion is, that's stereotyping them, which is the same as they are doing to you. How you deal with their BS is up to you, of course, but I would recommend not getting upset by people who are bigoted or ignorant. If you do, you are going to be very mad for a very long time.

As I stated earlier, on a religious front, it isn't what you believe, it's how you believe it. But what if someone asks you what you believe, then? You shouldn't say, "I believe you're full of crap!" because that really isn't much to base a philosophy off of.

What I say in regards to this:

You don't have to believe in God to be a good person. If you need/want proof of that, try reading this, whether by buying it, or renting it from your local library, etc.

Being a good person is more important than believing in any particular religion. One thing that goes along with this: I don't believe that in the context of any religion, believing anything doesn't get you anywhere. Hitler believed in God, but in a religious sense, (if heaven and hell were real) where do you think he ended up? and what about Gandhi? A good person, but Hindu. I think that he would've gone to heaven, theoretically.

I really hope you get this atadistance. And I really hope this helps you. If there is anything more that I can do from the internet, let me know. Otherwise, have a good life, and good luck!

I would recommend staying away from the polemics. Authors like Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris all have books worth reading, but not really if you want a primer on atheistic alternatives in the areas of worldview, ethics, etc. I will say that Dawkins's earlier works on science would be good, but God Delusion is not an exposition of an atheistic worldview, but rather an attack on religion, and a messy, at times ignorant and oversimplified one at that (I bet I'll get crucified for saying that). As one religious studies student to another, it is a book that gets awfully frustrating every time you realize that he has a horrible grasp of the relevant data.

Books that would be really great to read:

George H. Smith's Atheism: The Case Against God is an approachable critique of some of the more popular arguments for God's existence.

Julian Baggini's Atheism: A Brief Insight is a really good and thorough survey of the explanation, arguments, history, and ethics of atheism.

Greg Epstein's Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe really gets into where someone goes once he/she has already concluded that God doesn't exist. He looks at how one builds a nonreligious life of meaning. Epstein is definitely in the "friendly atheist" category. As the Humanist Chaplain at Harvard (strange, oxymoronic titles aside) he has done a great deal of work with the Pluralism Project in their School of Divinity. He has even worked with inter-religious groups like the InterFaith Youth Core.

A long, but very much worth the time and highly recommended book is Jennifer Michael Hecht's Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson. In it, she goes very thoroughly through the long history of religious skepticism. She looks at the lives and questions of philosophers, scientists, poets, politicians, even some religious figures who have gone through the "dark night of the soul." This is a book that I think every atheist should read to learn that religious folks aren't the only ones with a long and storied tradition. It is a good grounding in history for secularists.

Good without God by Harvard Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein is a great read to help you realize the inherent good and meaning in life without the need of a deity.

EDIT: Also The Portable Atheist by Christopher Hitchens.

Bart Ehrman's books & videos are a great start for the accuracy of the Bible. He is very clear especially considering he's an academic. Forged would be the best one specifically about the accuracy of the Bible. His books are linked at his website: http://www.bartdehrman.com/books.htm

There are no historical documents of Jesus' life, only a few references to Christians from later documents. Nobody disputes that people believed in Jesus, so those don't really prove anything. It's clear that people believed in Thor and Zeus too. That doesn't mean a thing.

Whether faith is helpful or good, can't help you there. I think it's totally useless except to control sociopaths with low IQs.

For morality, check out Good without God: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Without-God-Billion-Nonreligious/dp/006167012X

or Sam Harris The Moral Landscape: http://www.samharris.org/the-moral-landscape

Science vs religion: that's kind of apples & oranges despite what believers keep saying. Science is a method of investigating hunches. Religion is subservience to an unproven deity.

How about the science of religion? Try Michael Shermer: The Science of Good and Evil: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0805077693/ or The Believing Brain: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1250008808/ or Why We Believe Weird Things: http://www.amazon.com/People-Believe-Weird-Things-Pseudoscience/dp/0805070893/

Thanks for visiting. An unexamined belief system is not worth believing!

My brother, I feel your pain and struggle. You are losing the only foundation you’ve known and are in free fall regarding your faith, or lack thereof. This struggle is actually good, but painful to go through.

I’m not qualified to tell you what to become, or to believe. That depends on your research and desire. I found solace through Humanism (as an agnostic atheist) and it’s not a sad grumpy existence at all. Others have channeled their faith into other religions. Sadly, others have transitioned to other cults, but that’s a different story by itself.

I highly recommend a book called Good Without God by Greg Epstein. I think it may clarify some things for you.

Maybe others can recommend resources for those inclined to remain faithful to the concept of a deity but in a healthier way.

Good Without God on Amazon

Good without God is a pretty good introduction to humanism. Good opener. If you want to branch out further you might also want to look into Stoicism ("All men are made one for another") and Epicurean philosophy as these are ancient versions of humanism.

Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe by Greg Epstein https://www.amazon.com/dp/006167012X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6DybBb0ZVMVM3

Sucking it up and going to church is disingenuous.

Maybe this book can be of some use to you:

Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe, by Greg Epstein

It is a sensitive subject to people, because it is so powerful in how ideas and beliefs influence our actions and thoughts. I know why atheists can be so aggressive and mean. A lot of them are suffering from a lack of a moral/value guidance system, secular humanism can be the cure for most atheists and the irreligious. I would be very careful to remove someones belief if it is the sole reason for being, that is akin to murder, and some will fight to protect that reason/belief for their life. Some people lack non-violent communication and discussion skills. I might challenge a deeply held belief but not without offering a replacement of better value and worth. In a dream I had, while changing my beliefs, I dreamt that I went to the core of reality and my soul and changed it like a light bulb, immediatly the chaos and confusion settled down, and the entire world, or my perspective of the world came into order and meaning. Some atheists have had the light ripped from their soul and they search for something to replace that light source. The fact that so many lack this source of light means that it is a social problem that needs professional attention, it is a matter of life and death. I hope you can understand the source of this hostility and maybe you can offer a light source that works for them, like secular humanism, aristotle eudaimonia, or existential psychotherapy and existential philosophy. All those things can help those who rely on reason for establishing a source of light/meaning. So understand that they can not rely on beliefs with out reason, and that they lack a source of light to show them what is valuable. I hope this helps, it depends on your reason for being here to, if it is to serve the world you would learn these things but if you are here to serve your self you will not. I was a christian before and now I am agnostic and a secular humanist, after much academic study of philosophy and the new testament, and after reading "Good without god" by Epstein.

http://www.amazon.com/Good-Without-God-Billion-Nonreligious/dp/006167012X

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_morality

The strongest thing that keeps people going is a strong sense of purpose that they give themselves.

My motivation is doing good for good's sake. I try to make every day a day where I did something meaningful and to try and experience empathy for someone or something and attempt to show some decency and dignity towards them/it. This can come in many ways but that is the gist of it. Living in a big city leaves a multitude of possible things for me to do. Sometimes I'm dropping off some food+soda to a small group of homeless folks. Other times it's just being able to sit down and listen to someone's troubles. Your life is your responsibility (too adult sounding sorry!) and it's important to find purpose and meaning in it. Human beings are unique and no two are alike and even with the same dna they can become different people. Each human life therefor is priceless and we must find it in ourselves to do justice and dignity to each other because once someone is gone we will never see that person ever again. I don't like thinking about shoulda woulda coulda guilt trips when I see I had failed to do something in hind sight. But I always feel at peace when I do the right thing for someone.

A good book to read sometime is Good Without God. It is a book about secular humanism and really helped me when I was looking for some answers and insight into the way I felt but didn't have all the words to explain it more clearly.

Another thing that keeps me rolling is learning new things about the world around me. When I was a kid I wanted to learn everything I could about everything. Even though kids in school were always mean to me I always had a friend in learning. After I graduated high school there was a time I felt comfortable with all that I knew and didn't feel it was important to learn. I lost something along the way. Ever since I became an atheist I have that strong urge to learn again, like a rekindled fire. i have been rebuilding my math skills using khan academy and have been reading science and technology websites every day so I can learn new things and feel that small sense of accomplishment from learning.

TL:DR
I have a sense of purpose that I assigned myself as a means to self motivate and my life is better for it.

I've already got my mom Good without God as a gift, and she was "offended." I'm done trying to get them to understand my position for the time being.

Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe might be a start. Check your local library.

> Questions about the role of God and religion in today's world have never been more relevant or felt more powerfully. Many of us are searching for a place where we can find not only facts and scientific reason but also hope and moral courage. For some, answers are found in the divine. For others, including the New Atheists, religion is an "enemy."

> But in Good Without God, Greg Epstein presents another, more balanced and inclusive response: Humanism. He highlights humanity's potential for goodness and the ways in which Humanists lead lives of purpose and compassion. Humanism can offer the sense of community we want and often need in good times and bad—and it teaches us that we can lead good and moral lives without the supernatural, without higher powers . . . without God.

Yes, there are humanist churches all over the world.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_humanism

I also highly recommend the book Good Without God, What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe by Greg M. Epstein.