The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality PDF Download

Author: André Comte-Sponville
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9780670018475
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
Poses an argument for living a spiritual life that is not dependent on religion, explaining that an acceptance of philosophical spiritual traditions and values does not require practitioners to embrace the existence of a higher order.

Author: Alain De Botton
Publisher: Signal
ISBN: 0771025998
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description
From the author of The Architecture of Happiness, a deeply moving meditation on how we can still benefit, without believing, from the wisdom, the beauty, and the consolatory power that religion has to offer. Alain de Botton was brought up in a committedly atheistic household, and though he was powerfully swayed by his parents' views, he underwent, in his mid-twenties, a crisis of faithlessness. His feelings of doubt about atheism had their origins in listening to Bach's cantatas, were further developed in the presence of certain Bellini Madonnas, and became overwhelming with an introduction to Zen architecture. However, it was not until his father's death -- buried under a Hebrew headstone in a Jewish cemetery because he had intriguingly omitted to make more secular arrangements -- that Alain began to face the full degree of his ambivalence regarding the views of religion that he had dutifully accepted. Why are we presented with the curious choice between either committing to peculiar concepts about immaterial deities or letting go entirely of a host of consoling, subtle and effective rituals and practices for which there is no equivalent in secular society? Why do we bristle at the mention of the word "morality"? Flee from the idea that art should be uplifting, or have an ethical purpose? Why don't we build temples? What mechanisms do we have for expressing gratitude? The challenge that de Botton addresses in his book: how to separate ideas and practices from the religious institutions that have laid claim to them. In Religion for Atheists is an argument to free our soul-related needs from the particular influence of religions, even if it is, paradoxically, the study of religion that will allow us to rediscover and rearticulate those needs.

Author: Frank Schaeffer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781928653455
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
Caught between the beauty of his grandchildren and grief over a friend's death, Frank Schaeffer finds himself simultaneously believing and not believing in God--an atheist who prays. Schaeffer wrestles with faith and disbelief, sharing his innermost thoughts. He writes as an imperfect son, husband and grandfather whose love for his family, art and life trumps the ugly theologies of an angry God and the atheist vision of a cold, meaningless universe.

Author: Peter Kreeft
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442232722
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
In Letters to an Atheist, esteemed philosopher and author Peter Kreeft corresponds with a young atheist who is wrestling with the question of God. Together they work through some of the primary reasons people don’t believe in God, including violence committed in the name of religion, the problem of evil, and more. They also discuss many of the reasons for belief, including love, miracles, and the relationship between religion and science. The debate between atheists and theists today is often strident and angry, and understandably so—the debate encompasses fundamental questions about how we live our lives. As Kreeft writes, “if God does not exist, then religion is the biggest hoax, the biggest myth, the biggest lie in the history of the world.” However, Letters to an Atheist showcases a respectful exploration of some of life’s biggest questions, trying to understand the opposing point of view. With characteristic warmth and clarity, Kreeft’s letters offer believers and non-believers alike much to consider.

Author: John W. Loftus
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1616145781
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 1047

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Book Description
For about two decades John W. Loftus was a devout evangelical Christian, an ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and an ardent apologist for Christianity. With three degrees--in philosophy, theology, and philosophy of religion--he was adept at using rational argumentation to defend the faith. But over the years, doubts about the credibility of key Christian tenets began to creep into his thinking. By the late 1990s he experienced a full-blown crisis of faith. In this honest appraisal of his journey from believer to atheist, the author carefully explains the experiences and the reasoning process that led him to reject religious belief. The original edition of this book was published in 2006 and reissued in 2008. Since that time, Loftus has received a good deal of critical feedback from Christians and skeptics alike. In this revised and expanded edition, the author addresses criticisms of the original, adds new argumentation and references, and refines his presentation. For every issue he succinctly summarizes the various points of view and provides references for further reading. In conclusion, he describes the implications of life without belief in God, some liberating, some sobering. This frank critique of Christian belief from a former insider will interest freethinkers as well as anyone with doubts about the claims of religion.

Author: Jordan Howard Sobel
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139449982
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 676

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Book Description
This is a wide-ranging 2004 book about arguments for and against beliefs in God. This book will be a valuable resource for philosophers of religion and theologians and will interest logicians and mathematicians as well.

Author: David G. McAfee
Publisher: St. Martin's Essentials
ISBN: 1250782090
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
The essential guide to coming out as a non-believer David G. McAfee was raised in a conservative American Christian household. So when he stopped believing in God—any god—his family was shocked. He quickly realized that atheists are misunderstood, frequently thought of as Satan worshippers and anarchists. Thus started McAfee's journey to his true self, and crusade to tell others—especially those who are devoutly religious—what atheism really is, what he believes in, and why atheists should not be feared. In Hi, I'm an Atheist!, McAfee looks at what an atheist believes and how to “come out” as an atheist to your friends, family, and co-workers, offering sound advice on overcoming the difficult moments in any “coming out” conversation. Including a resource guide both for people just coming to atheism and people who have been atheists for years as well as an interview with Rebecca Vitsmun, the woman made famous for coming out as an atheist live on CNN, Hi I’m an Atheist! is a smart, sensitive, and realistic guide to living one’s life positively and honestly without the need for a belief in God.

Author: Ray Comfort
Publisher: Bridge Logos Foundation
ISBN: 9780882709222
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
This book proves to atheists that they don't exist, reveals to agnostics their true motives, and strengthens the faith of the believers. This book answers questions such as Who made God? and Where did Cain get his wife? The book uses humor, reason, and logic to send a powerful message. Here are some reactions from atheists who read the book . . .

Author: Robin Le Poidevin
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134871112
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
First Published in 2004. In Arguing for Atheism, Robin Le Poidevin addresses the question of whether theism-the view that there is a personal, transcendent creator of the universe - solves the deepest mysteries of existence. Philosophical defences of theism have often been based on the idea that it explains things which atheistic approaches cannot: for example, why the universe exists, and how there can be objective moral values. The main contention of Arguing for Atheism is that the reverse is true: that in fact theism fails to explain many things it claims to, while atheism can explain some of the things it supposedly leaves mysterious. It is also argued that religion need not depend on belief in God. Designed as a text for university courses in the philosophy of religion and metaphysics, this book’s accessible style and numerous explanations of important philosophical concepts and positions will also make it attractive to the general reader.

Author: Peter Boghossian
Publisher: Pitchstone Publishing (US&CA)
ISBN: 1939578159
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
For thousands of years, the faithful have honed proselytizing strategies and talked people into believing the truth of one holy book or another. Indeed, the faithful often view converting others as an obligation of their faith—and are trained from an early age to spread their unique brand of religion. The result is a world broken in large part by unquestioned faith. As an urgently needed counter to this tried-and-true tradition of religious evangelism, A Manual for Creating Atheists offers the first-ever guide not for talking people into faith—but for talking them out of it. Peter Boghossian draws on the tools he has developed and used for more than 20 years as a philosopher and educator to teach how to engage the faithful in conversations that will help them value reason and rationality, cast doubt on their religious beliefs, mistrust their faith, abandon superstition and irrationality, and ultimately embrace reason.