Showing titles in Atheism

Throughout human history religions have been a staggeringly powerful force in the hearts and minds of their adherents and in society as a whole. They have moved men and women to inspiring acts of bravery and spurred the creation of some of the most sublime works of art, and arguably have been pivotal in the creation of stable societies and the social order we see today. At the same time, though, they have also been responsible for some of the most heinous atrocities ever committed.

The Christian faith has been vigorously defended with a variety of philosophical, historical, and theological arguments, but many of the arguments that worked in an earlier age no longer resonate in today's educated West. Where has apologetics gone wrong? What is the best response to the growing challenge presented by scientific discovery and naturalistic thought?

Atheists may be among the fastest growing "religious" demographics in the world, but they are also perhaps the most misunderstood. To begin, atheists have no identifying marks, no defining habits, no obvious symbols, for all that unites them, essentially, is an absence of belief. As a result, many religious believers may not even realize they know atheists, whether as neighbors, friends, or coworkers. In addition, most major religions warn against the faithless and preach distrust of nonbelievers.

The deepest riddle of Christianity is only this: How could anyone possibly believe it? In answer to this question, The Convert tells the true story of one man's punishing journey across the extremes of human experience, through fire and heartbreak, passion and betrayal, prison and madness, to the very brink of belief. This is the story of one man and one moment - the moment of God's triumph or sanity's defeat.

Do you want the greatest political and societal challenges of the day to be addressed with thoughtful, reality-based solutions rather than with cherry-picked quotations from scripture? Do you want to shrink religion - especially fundamentalist religion - to the point that it plays no noticeable role in public life? Do you want right-wing religious leaders to be so unpopular that politicians avoid them rather than pander to them for endorsements? This book illustrates specific, actionable steps for facilitating fundamentalist religion's decline.

Jaclyn Glenn, a top millennial atheist, expresses her strong views in social media. But does her atheism represent the best way, or do we have a better way? In this work Andrew Bushard challenges atheist Jaclyn Glenn to embrace something better than atheism.

Positive humanism is an applied secular humanistic philosophy based on the scientific findings of positive psychology that focuses on personal, professional, and societal flourishing. As an applied philosophy its focus is on ideas that lead to increased well-being. As a secular humanistic philosophy, there are no appeals to the supernatural, the magical, or the mystical. The philosophy is founded on reason and critical thinking.

From Apostle to Apostate offers a comprehensive introduction to the Clergy Project, established in 2011 to provide a safe space where clergy who have lost their faith can connect with others facing the exact same questions - often alone and in isolation. Charting the origins, growth, and goals of the project, the book draws on the author's own experience as a founding project member and on interviews with its founders.

"This is going to be an adventure," James says presciently. "I have a feeling both of us are going to be very different after this." And so it proves, as one jaded New Yorker is swept by a spiritually radiant revolutionary on a journey of transformation, from the narcissistic bubble of New York City to the sweeping vistas of the Dhauladhar mountains in northern India.

The stunning popularity of the “New Atheist” movement - whose most famous spokesmen include Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and the late Christopher Hitchens - speaks to both the growing ranks of atheists and the widespread, vehement disdain for religion among many of them. In Faitheist, Chris Stedman tells his own story to challenge the orthodoxies of this movement and make a passionate argument that atheists should engage religious diversity respectfully.

Atheism is characterized by rejection or lack of belief in the existence of a Supreme Being, commonly referred to as God. The people who practice this belief are referred to as atheists. There is a distinction however, to this belief. One form of atheism is a simple case of skepticism. There is a disbelief that God really exists. Simply put, it is refusal or inability to accept the concept that God is alive today, and that there is a God, as most people believe to be true. This is categorized as "weak atheism".

Our species is angry on a deep level. We know something has been wrong for a long time. We are tired of being thrown the scraps. This is primal, guttural; the scream of an exhausted humanity who will not take no for an answer. Who refuse to be duped any longer. It is the voice of reason and the shout of change! This audiobook is a reminder of who we are in the natural world and a call to stand up and be proud to be human without the spiritual story.

In No Apologies Kevin Cauley provides the Lord's church with a useful resource in the field of Christian Evidences. Drawing from his rich experience in Apologetics, Cauley arranges the material in an accessible format and presents the case for Christian faith in a manner that is both thorough and understandable.

People are constantly judged for their sexual choices, their frequency of sexual activity, their selection of partners, and their decisions regarding birth control, and much of this judgment stems from the element of culture perhaps most preoccupied with sex: religion. Focusing principally on Christianity, What the Bible Really Does (and Doesn't Say) about Sex examines the arguments religious moralizers and sanctimonious politicians make to condone or condemn certain sexual practices and lifestyles.

What is Atheism? Atheism is the rejection of religion outright. It posits that there are no deities, and that the existence of all things can be explained rationally and without the presence of a higher power. This independently written audiobook aims to examine the history of atheism and its philosophical development throughout the years, its rise in popularity throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, its central tenets of belief, the reason behind a person becoming and atheist, as well as atheism's future.

Watch any drug commercial, and watch as the actors and actresses distract your attention toward the end of the commercial as a voice elegantly lists the horrifying side effects. This can sum up the borrowed theme - a hidden world of lies with carefully placed distractions to divide your attention. In this book, we focus not on the pretty faces you're supposed to look at. We focus on that tiny text at the bottom of the screen. We lift the hood on the car and check the engine while the salesman is trying desperately to get you fixated on the shiny paint.

Neuroscience finds that spontaneous acts of mindfulness decrease stress, depression and anxiety, increasing overall well-being. But studies also show that purposeful mindfulness techniques, such as vipassana or mindfulness meditation, are even more powerful. Mindfulness meditation re-wires the brain in a way that decreases physical pain and psychological suffering.

Are you someone who was raised going to church every Saturday or Sunday? Were your religious beliefs conditioned by someone else, like your parents? Guardians? Family or friends?

Just as intelligent design is not a legitimate branch of biology in public educational institutions, nor should the philosophy of religion be a legitimate branch of philosophy. So argues acclaimed author John W. Loftus in this forceful takedown of the very discipline in which he was trained. In his call for ending the philosophy of religion, he argues that, as it is presently being practiced, the main reason the discipline exists is to serve the faith claims of Christianity.

Cyrus Skeen is hired by Edgar Freund, the defense attorney of Enoch Paige, a notorious lecturer charged with the savage murder of his ex-wife, to find evidence that will exonerate his client of the crime. Skeen soon finds himself at odds with Freund, as well as with Detective Sergeant Robert Hoile of the San Francisco police, who is determined to send Paige to the electric chair, and with Reverend Oswald Hoxley, the pastor of a popular church. More murders are committed.