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Permalink Reply by Greg Gorey on February 22, 2011 at 11:42am

Why I Became and Atheist and The Christian Delusion by John W Loftus. They are specifically addressed to the Christian audience and are very potent. Loftus is a former pastor and WIBA is his story and the reasons he left. TCD is what The God Delusion should have been. It is a collection of essays by experts that covers a vast amount of topics on why Christianity fails. It is edited by Loftus and contains a forward by Dan Barker (another former minister).

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Permalink Reply by Cathy Cooper on February 22, 2011 at 12:03pm

One of my favorite books that I also use to teach with is called "Bible Myths and Their Parallels in Other Religions" by TW Doane, which can be downloaded for free at books.google.com. This text was used at Harvard Seminary at one time, and shows how the bible was plagiarized from older religions.  Priests are well aware of this fact....they just don't let anyone else know.

I also like "God and the Gods--Myths of the Bible.--Beltz.

 

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Schumann on February 22, 2011 at 5:08pm

"50 Reasons People Give for Believing In A God" is a very good book by Guy P. Harrison. He tries his best to not offend theists, while at the same time offering criticism and alternate viewpoints. Great book.

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Permalink Reply by Chris G on February 22, 2011 at 10:46pm

The Creation by Edward O. Wilson

Edward O. Wilson, Bridging Science and Religion talks on NPR. With this link you can listen to E.O. Wilson on "Talk of the Nation," or read the transcript.

This is an important book because 'inerrant christians' know Jesus is coming back and therefore they have no responsibility for maintaining the health of the planet. It isn't about atheism. It's not worth trying to convert people to atheism - they either will, or won't find it on their own. This book may open their eyes though to their responsibility to take care of the environment. 

 

I've talked with charismatics who say we don't worry about polution because Jesus is coming back. The Armageddon myth is a real thing to some people.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by scLovely on February 22, 2011 at 11:28pm

Thanks for the suggestions and links! I will check into them :)

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Permalink Reply by Yahweh on February 28, 2011 at 10:32am

God is not great

end of faith

the god delusion

 

All of them are fairly good reads.  My top pick out of the three would be, "The End of Faith". In any case, I don't see any of the books being offensive.

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Permalink Reply by Skycomet the Fallen Angel on March 11, 2011 at 12:41pm

^_^ I created a short booklet for this purpose a while back...
http://www.thinkatheist.com/profiles/blogs/booklet-for-theists-about

[A Religious Person's Guide to Atheism]

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Permalink Reply by Tor Hershman on March 11, 2011 at 2:30pm

"My Life As A Small Boy"  by  Wally Cox

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Permalink Reply by taratory on March 11, 2011 at 2:54pm

I like Letter to a Christian Nation and Biblical Nonsense
both are written towards a christian audience.

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Permalink Reply by Jason on March 12, 2011 at 12:22am

I was trying to find a book or something that I could tell christians to check into that may make them understand atheism better. I don't want this book to be offensive to them but I want it to be educational.

Any 4th grade science book should be sufficient.

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Permalink Reply by JC Hamner on March 12, 2011 at 12:59am

:-p

Not any 4th grade science book. Don't forget the 4th grade science books written for Christian schools; it took me until the 6th or 7th grade to really start actively doubting Christianity. It's positively criminal how those books teach biology without any evolutionary context.

 

Also, thanks to all who have suggested books. I think I could use some help from other perspectives as I'm finding that it doesn't seem that a lot of religious people would be receptive to the same evidence that drove me to my atheism, namely pure reasoning and hard science. Most people I've talked to seem motivated solely and unabashedly by desires and what they think they will get out of it, as if the truth of reality were at the most an afterthought. I suppose they just weren't taught to have any intellectual integrity and don't bother to find any in themselves.

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Permalink Reply by Chris G on March 12, 2011 at 7:35pm

Aesop's Fables

 

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