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Reddit mentions of The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever

Sentiment score: 16
Reddit mentions: 27

We found 27 Reddit mentions of The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever. Here are the top ones.

The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
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Found 27 comments on The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever:

u/[deleted] · 7 pointsr/atheism

I agree with what you're saying, but if you want to find good arguments against a god or gods then you should read some books on the subject. Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, these are all great authors that I would imagine that most of us consider them as somewhat heroes.

Also, you have to realize that everyone that is subscribed to /r/atheism is more than likely an atheist. We don't need to explain our arguments to one another because they are already known. There is no reason to debate about religion, a god, or gods because we all feel the same way, which is why the saying, "preaching to the choir" is quite appropriate for a counter-argument to this thread.

If you want a thoughtful discussion, then ask us a great question and you will find more than enough people that will be willing to argue their position. But I beg of you, please, be open-minded and don't just regurgitate scriptures, because a majority of us will probably consider you a lost cause.

u/FaceDeer · 6 pointsr/atheism

Most of these are rather aggressive anti-religion sources, rather than covering the more general sort of "basic atheism" that would be a better starting point IMO.

Something that might be of more use and interest to AtheistsM0M would be to dig up a book like The Portable Atheist, which has a a wide variety of essays and other writings from a variety of different philosophers throughout history. I've read some of it and there's some interesting stuff in there.

u/NukeThePope · 5 pointsr/TrueAtheism

> mainly as evident in the fact that the Quran manuscripts we have today exactly match the earliest manuscripts we found so far,

I think there's a good possibility that this is also a lie (or irrelevant). Pardon me for sounding like a conspiracy theorist, but from what little I know it seems that there are experts who disagree with your assessment (or your sources).

Ex-Muslim author Ibn Warraq, from whom I've so far read far too little, claims that there was a period early in the history of Islam where the Koran (and the Hadith, I guess - it's been a while) underwent a fair amount of change. This is pretty much analogous to the fate of the Bible in the time before (and probably a little after) the Council of Nicea. It wasn't until this process had run for a bit that the Powers That Be (long after Mohammed) put their foot down and declared a moratorium on changes.

My source for this was Warraq's chapter in Hitchens' The Portable Atheist. If interested, you can surely work your way a bit closer to this horse's mouth.

But having written all this, I realize this whole discussion is pointless. Just yesterday I had a similar discussion with a Christian about the thousands of (allegedly faithful) copies of the Bible. But the point is, who cares if they were transmitted faithfully if the very first original was already bullshit?

We don't even know very well who the original sources were; there's some serious tension between the claim that all those surahs were written by Mo or transcribed from his personal dictation, and the fact that heaps and bundles of these things kept popping up from various sources long after he'd died. The process by which these writings were "found" and assembled looks far from reliable to me.

Finally, again, miracles. In order to accept the Koran's miracles as true, we'd have to

  • reject the miracle stories of all conflicting religious stories;
  • accept that these particular miracle stories were truthfully recorded by reliable eyewitnesses (of unknown identity); and
  • concede the possibility that miracles actually happened and, to be consistent with the teachings of the Koran, still happen today, regardless of the fact that no miracle has been adequately verified in human history.

    Like all religions, Islam faces a huge burden of proof here.
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/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/Pinchfist · 3 pointsr/atheism

The selected work by Ibn Warraq in The Portable Atheist is a pretty good start. I've not done much research about the subject myself, but there are bound to be a few leads either by this particular author or in his footnotes. :)

Edit: Wow, down-voted for sharing a link? Classy.

u/tm258 · 3 pointsr/TrueAtheism

Another book that might be interesting is The Portable Atheist by Christopher Hitchens. It's a collection of writings and essays from a lot of different people.

u/apostasin · 2 pointsr/exmuslim

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "light", as one man's leisurely reading could be another man's first excursion into an epic magnum-opus.

I will give you what I believe is a good "entry point" into atheist/secular literature. It is artfully written and prepared by none other than my personal inspiration and role model: Christopher Hitchens.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Portable-Atheist-Essential-Nonbeliever/dp/0306816083

"The Portable Atheist" is collection of poignant and brilliant selections and snippets from many different authors, philosophers and some of the foremost contemporary writers of our time. The Amazon description of the book provides an apt and thorough description of the book's contents.

The book does include some quotations from Rushdie, though. I would personally advise against shying away from reading someone's work based on their facial features alone.

If one argued that the works of Galileo, Newton, Hawking, Shakespeare, Twain, Hemingway and Sagan were not worth reading because they weren't exactly the prettiest lilies in the pond, then modern society wouldn't be that much better off now, would it :) ?

u/ghostmountains · 2 pointsr/TrueAtheism

The Portable Atheist, edited by Christopher Hitchens, is an invaluable resource and a full-on greatest hits of nonbeliever writing, tracing the chronology of freethinkers all the way from to Lucretius to H.P. Lovecraft to Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I'm constantly going back to it, especially because there are essays for all sorts of atheism-related subjects, like the refutation of miracles or the source of morality.

Also, I know you said you're not looking for anti-Christian media, but Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not A Christian is a classic for a reason - it's comprehensive and expertly-crafted without being vitriolic. As influential as Dawkins has been for me, he can't hold a candle to Russell.

u/ResidentRedneck · 2 pointsr/Christianity

>Atheism is not a religion.

Really?

>We have no doctrine.

I'm almost positive that that's not the case.

>No creed.

From PZ Myers himself.

>No hymns.

Really? Are you so very certain?

So...are you positive that atheism has not taken on all the trappings of a religion? I would say you even have apostles - Dawkins, Hitchins, Harris.

Finally - I would urge you to look up state atheism and then tell me that certain people didn't kill in the name of atheism.

u/wonderfuldog · 2 pointsr/atheism

It took me a couple minutes to figure this out.

I see this quote attributed to

The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever.

Christopher Hitchens was the editor, but it's a collection of essays from many people, apparently including Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

- http://www.amazon.com/The-Portable-Atheist-Essential-Nonbeliever/dp/0306816083 -

- http://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/rh2j7/the_only_position_that_leaves_me_with_no/c45r38s -



u/Hostilian · 2 pointsr/atheism

Old dead classical dudes are always good. I ransack Epicurus and Marcus Aurelius for good ideas and advice fairly regularly. There are some excellent secular philosophers and thinkers out there. I enjoy Sam Harris' work the most. One of my favorite reference books is The Portable Atheist, which is a collection of secular philosophers, edited by Hitchens.

To get a sense of your place in the universe, try to find an old full-color hardback copy of Cosmos.^1 For your place in the Human story, Guns, Germs, and Steel, and your place in the American story with A People's History.


[1] As a minor biographical note, I credit this version of Cosmos for getting me through horrible angsty teenager time.

Edit: Also, good question.

u/FeChaff · 2 pointsr/exchristian

Since you know about Richard Carrier I would assume you already have read some of the well known Anti-religionists like Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, Dennet, Stenger, etc. If you are talking about secular biblical scholarship and historical analysis there isn't anyone who keeps me interested as much as Carrier, but I haven't read much in that subject. Some others include Robert Price and Bart Erhman.

There are several good essay compilations by John Loftus which are more generally directed at Christianity. They include essays by Carrier and Robert Price and a number of other secular thinkers. The Christian Delusion I think is the first in that series. Hitchens's The Portable Atheist is another good collection which includes older writing aimed at all religion. Bertrand Russell is a great, too.

u/Rikkety · 1 pointr/reddit.com

I recommend Christopher Hitchens' The Portable Atheist

u/egalitarianusa · 1 pointr/atheism

Here is an excellent anthology of atheist writings through the ages: The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever.

u/selfprojectionasgod · 1 pointr/atheism

1 book: The Portable Atheist.

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

u/thesorrow312 · 1 pointr/Metal

I don't actively look for metal lyrics. When I look for intelligent anti theistic writing, I read what philosophers and other great writers have said. If you are interested, I cannot recommend this compilation enough: http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Atheist-Essential-Readings-Nonbeliever/dp/0306816083

Don't get me wrong, I love me some Burn the church, kill everyone, your god is dead satanic black metal lyrics. But to say they are intelligently written? I have not come across anything like that. I'm not trying to put down metal here, if anyone can show me some honestly poetically written, intelligent, mature metal lyrics, I would love to see them.

I actually think South of Heaven by Slayer has some pretty decent lyrics come to think of it.

u/skoteinos · 1 pointr/atheism

Great idea, but check out Christopher Hitchens' The Portable Atheist

u/lfborjas · 1 pointr/atheism

I just found about him this year, but reading him (specially his essays on "arguably" or stuff edited by him, like "the portable atheist") has inspired me not only to be more foursquare and vocal in my stance against the religion I apostatized from, but to rekindle my lukewarm, dormant and forlorn love for poetry and literature, he was an eloquent man, and he has inspired me to be eloquent (and proud of being circumloquent) again, despite my engineering degree and technical day-job.

Adieu, Hitch.

u/Light-of-Aiur · 1 pointr/atheism

It all depends on the goal. If OP wants to send a message, then choosing The God Delusion or God Is Not Great would certainly send that message. If OP wants a book that's a good read, both are still good choices, but now there're other books that are equally good choices.

The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality, The Portable Atheist, On Bullshit, On Truth, The Good Book: A Humanist Bible, The Moral Landscape, The Demon Haunted World, Religion and Science, and many others are excellent reads, but don't send that little (possibly unnecessary) jab.

u/teachmetonight · 1 pointr/atheism

Just by posting this, you've already surpassed my parents in open-mindedness and understanding. Your kids are lucky to have you as a parent.

For me, the best thing my parents could have done is just said something to the effect of "This is one belief among many. Some people believe in x, others believe in y, and others don't believe in religion at all, and those are all alright." Just the acknowledgement that different beliefs are right for different people could have prevented years of bitterness and confusion. Whatever their decision, they'll come to it on their own no matter what you actively expose them to. In my opinion, there's absolutely nothing wrong with bringing them up in your faith and encouraging to participate in something that has brought you joy as long as you inform them that other faiths are an option at all. I wouldn't worry about their disinterest in the services. Most kids would rather play their gameboys than sit through a religious service.

As for a good book I can suggest, I really like The Portable Atheist because it has a good variety of texts and perspectives. It's a good starting point, and it was compiled by Christopher Hitchens, who is awesome. Dawkins is amazing, but he can come off a bit strong sometimes, which can turn non-atheist readers off sometimes and give the easily offended the wrong impression. Even though I'm an assertive atheist, I find myself avoiding books that serve as a sort of atheist pulpit. Just as I don't like theists telling me how to be religious, I don't like atheists telling me how to be nonreligious.

u/HermesTheMessenger · 1 pointr/atheism

First off, it's atheism, not Atheism for the same reason it's theism not Theism. Neither theism nor atheism are religions or formalized ideologies.

To understand atheism, there's one core idea you must know: what is theism.

u/Reddithetic · -2 pointsr/atheism

It has zero to do with it if the IQ viewing the comment is as low as yours, but for those of us above room temperature you will need to recognize the irony of the atheism movement. Putting the answer to unanswerable questions (portable atheist) in non-fiction is just as much of a douchebag move as putting left behind there was. You are one stupid bastard not to have caught all of that on the very first fucking comment.

Atheism, it's what the lemming kids do while they posture as being clever, meanwhile it's blatantly obvious to everyone else in the room how ridiculous their cult/religion of atheism is. The one thing you stupid shit bastards can never get through your cement heads is you don't know the answer to the question either. You can't. To not be able to admit that is to be an egotistical poseur douchebag. The man that knows for sure there is no god or gods is a fictional man, living a fiction.

http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Atheist-Essential-Readings-Nonbeliever/dp/0306816083