Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pam on March 25, 2009 at 1:00pm

Daniel Dennet's books tend to be more complex compared to the other members of the "Big 4". Try Breaking the Spell or Freedom Evolves.

I also like Ehrman for his scriptural critique, but I don't think he's really part of the "new atheist" movement.

Permalink Reply by Rev. James Thomas Hicks, D.D. on March 25, 2009 at 1:08pm

I recommend the Holy Bible. Great story!

Permalink Reply by Waldheri on March 25, 2009 at 1:16pm

Thank you Pam for your recommendations

Rev. Pops you may want to read my post before you reply.

Permalink Reply by Rev. James Thomas Hicks, D.D. on March 25, 2009 at 1:21pm

Don't just read parts of the New Testament, read it all. Get the whole feel of it. Front to back.

Permalink Reply by Waldheri on March 25, 2009 at 1:27pm

I have it on my book shelve, I read parts every now and then. The Old Testament was very depressing - and insanely trivial after the five Mosaic books.

Permalink Reply by Nelson on March 25, 2009 at 3:24pm

Pam's suggestion is a good one. Dennett's Breaking the Spell is good. it talks about one of the ways in which religion could have evolved from simple ancestor worship to divination based on free floating rationales through to folk religion and on up to today. in so do doing he seeks to begin to "break the spell" that religion has cast over society. he wants people to turn a critical eye on it just as we do on most everything else. the only draw back i found is that he spends too much time at the beginning of the book justifying why this is necessary- no doubt i find it a draw back because i'm well aware of why this is necessary but still...

you can't go wrong with any of the books from Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, or Hitchens. there are many other authors and titles that make up the New Atheism but they are certainly considered to be the standard bearers. start with them.
if you plan on purchasing the titles over the internet you can buy them through the TA Amazon shop. you still get all the deals from Amazon but in purchasing them via TA the site gets a small commission that helps support the site.
alternately, if you're ok with reading on your computer, i have uploaded a ton of ebooks, essays, and articles, including the books from The Four Horseman. just check out my page and you can take whatever you like.