Atheism For Dummies (For Dummies (Religion & Spirituality)) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Dale McGowan
question is how to be an everyday atheist.
The chapters in Part IV of this book are all about regular folks who don’t believe in God, including
How many there are and where they live
Why such simple things as the numbers and locations of atheists are really tricky to figure out
The most interesting corners of the disbelieving world (*cough* Québec)
How atheism plays out in political identity
Why young adults of today are a lot less religious than any other generation was when they were young adults
Why (some) atheists are (sometimes) so angry
What September 11, 2001 did to modern atheism
Different kinds of nonbelievers
Gender and ethnicity in the movement
Atheist issues in other countries
That’s all in Chapter 14 , one of my favorites.
Then there’s the nagging question of whether a person can possibly be good without belief in God — the focus of Chapter 15 . The answer is yes, which should be a relief to everyone because nonbelief is growing rapidly and possibly even coming to a next-door neighbor near you. This chapter also defines morality, shows how it actually works, and helps everyone relax about it.
Chapter 16 is all about how the world looks with no gods blocking the view. Conventional wisdom has it that the loss of faith is followed by a plunge into an abyss of despair, after which the new atheist climbs out of the abyss and starts hurting puppies.
I can report that “freedom and relief” is a much more common description of the post-religious life than “despair and puppy smooshing.” And there’s also a common feeling of overwhelming responsibility and accountability after you realize that it really, truly is just humanity here, and that people could all use a hug once in a while. Or a nice, smoky, single-malt scotch.
Then there’s
The setting aside of Bronze Age ideas about virtues, vices, and honest doubt
The updating of cultural views on sex and gender
The challenge of accepting death as a reality — not a yummy one, sure, but part of the package, and something that can actually make life much more precious
The fact that a universe this wonderful happened naturally (which isn’t the same as happening by chance, as you’ll see) is much more amazing than if an intelligence designed it
The question of whether an atheist can be spiritual, which depends on your definition of spiritual
The opportunity to grasp the real implications of evolution
The slightly scary but ultimately invigorating freedom to decide for yourself what life is all about
One of the most pressing questions for the nonreligious is how to interact with and respond to the religious world around them. Chapter 17 explores the many issues around that, including
Choosing battles and knowing the rules
Grappling with church-state issues
Living in the closet, and coming out
Choosing how to interact with religious friends and relatives on religious issues
Getting religiously literate
Taking a seat at the cultural table
Chapter 18 looks at the many ways nonreligious people are finding to achieve the benefits that religious communities enjoy without the supernatural beliefs. It starts by understanding the real reasons people go to church — not my opinions, you understand, but actual research on the topic — then follows up with
Creating community
Celebrating life’s landmarks
Counseling and support without religion
Doing good together
----
Getting personal: Why I’m an atheist
Atheists come to their conclusions for a lot of different reasons. Here is a brief look at mine.
My own path to atheism was smoother than some. I didn’t have a painful break with religion, and I was certainly never “mad at God.” I figured if he did exist, he was probably exasperated at the way most religions described him — petty and egotistical, and more than a little inconsistent. And if he was real, I thought he was likely to be a better sport than that. But I wondered, from a very early age, if he actually existed,
The chapters in Part IV of this book are all about regular folks who don’t believe in God, including
How many there are and where they live
Why such simple things as the numbers and locations of atheists are really tricky to figure out
The most interesting corners of the disbelieving world (*cough* Québec)
How atheism plays out in political identity
Why young adults of today are a lot less religious than any other generation was when they were young adults
Why (some) atheists are (sometimes) so angry
What September 11, 2001 did to modern atheism
Different kinds of nonbelievers
Gender and ethnicity in the movement
Atheist issues in other countries
That’s all in Chapter 14 , one of my favorites.
Then there’s the nagging question of whether a person can possibly be good without belief in God — the focus of Chapter 15 . The answer is yes, which should be a relief to everyone because nonbelief is growing rapidly and possibly even coming to a next-door neighbor near you. This chapter also defines morality, shows how it actually works, and helps everyone relax about it.
Chapter 16 is all about how the world looks with no gods blocking the view. Conventional wisdom has it that the loss of faith is followed by a plunge into an abyss of despair, after which the new atheist climbs out of the abyss and starts hurting puppies.
I can report that “freedom and relief” is a much more common description of the post-religious life than “despair and puppy smooshing.” And there’s also a common feeling of overwhelming responsibility and accountability after you realize that it really, truly is just humanity here, and that people could all use a hug once in a while. Or a nice, smoky, single-malt scotch.
Then there’s
The setting aside of Bronze Age ideas about virtues, vices, and honest doubt
The updating of cultural views on sex and gender
The challenge of accepting death as a reality — not a yummy one, sure, but part of the package, and something that can actually make life much more precious
The fact that a universe this wonderful happened naturally (which isn’t the same as happening by chance, as you’ll see) is much more amazing than if an intelligence designed it
The question of whether an atheist can be spiritual, which depends on your definition of spiritual
The opportunity to grasp the real implications of evolution
The slightly scary but ultimately invigorating freedom to decide for yourself what life is all about
One of the most pressing questions for the nonreligious is how to interact with and respond to the religious world around them. Chapter 17 explores the many issues around that, including
Choosing battles and knowing the rules
Grappling with church-state issues
Living in the closet, and coming out
Choosing how to interact with religious friends and relatives on religious issues
Getting religiously literate
Taking a seat at the cultural table
Chapter 18 looks at the many ways nonreligious people are finding to achieve the benefits that religious communities enjoy without the supernatural beliefs. It starts by understanding the real reasons people go to church — not my opinions, you understand, but actual research on the topic — then follows up with
Creating community
Celebrating life’s landmarks
Counseling and support without religion
Doing good together
----
Getting personal: Why I’m an atheist
Atheists come to their conclusions for a lot of different reasons. Here is a brief look at mine.
My own path to atheism was smoother than some. I didn’t have a painful break with religion, and I was certainly never “mad at God.” I figured if he did exist, he was probably exasperated at the way most religions described him — petty and egotistical, and more than a little inconsistent. And if he was real, I thought he was likely to be a better sport than that. But I wondered, from a very early age, if he actually existed,
Readers choose
Adele Clee
J.D. Nixon
Lori Crawford
L.M. Moore
Christina Dodd
C. J. Sansom
J.J. Hensley
Devon Monk
Ryan Michele