50 voices of disbelief : why we are atheists

50 Voices Of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists Presents A Collection Of Original Essays Drawn From An International Group Of Prominent Voices In The Fields Of Academia, Science, Literature, Media And Politics Who Offer Carefully Considered Statements Of Why They Are Atheists. features A Truly International Cast Of Contributors, Ranging From Public Intellectuals Such As Peter Singer, Susan Blackmore, And A.c. Grayling, Novelists, Such As Joe Haldeman, And Heavyweight Philosophers Of Religion, Including Graham Oppy And Michael Tooley contributions Range From Rigorous Philosophical Arguments To Highly Personal, Even Whimsical, Accounts Of How Each Of These Notable Thinkers Have Come To Reject Religion In Their Lives likely To Have Broad Appeal Given The Current Public Fascination With Religious Issues And The Reception Of Such Books As The God Delusion And The End Of Faith Presents A Collection Of Original Essays Drawn From An International Group Of Prominent Voices In The Fields Of Academia, Science, Literature, Media And Politics Who Offer Carefully Considered Statements Of Why They Are Atheists. Russell Blackford, Monash University, Australia. Udo Schuklenk, Queen's University, Canada. Now More Important Than Ever : Voices Of Reason / Russell Blackford And Udo Schüklenk -- Unbelievable! / Russell Blackford -- My Bye Bull Story / Margaret Downey -- How Benevolent Is God? : An Argument From Suffering To Atheism / Nicholas Everitt -- A Deal-breaker / Ophelia Benson -- Why Am I A Nonbeliever? : I Wonder-- / J.l. Schellenberg -- Wicked Or Dead? : Reflections On The Moral Character And Existential Status Of God / John Harris -- Religious Belief And Self-deception / Adèle Mercier -- The Coming Of Disbelief / J.j.c. Smart -- What I Believe / Graham Oppy -- Too Good To Be True, Too Obscure To Explain : The Cognitive Shortcomings Of Belief In God / Thomas W. Clark -- How To Think About God : Theism, Atheism, And Science / Michael Shermer -- A Magician Looks At Religion / James Randi -- Confessions Of A Kindergarten Leper / Emma Tom -- Beyond Disbelief / Philip Kitcher -- An Ambivalent Nonbelief / Taner Edis -- Why Not? / Sean M. Carroll -- Godless Cosmology / Victor J. Stenger -- Unanswered Prayers / Christine Overall -- Beyond Faith And Opinion / Damien Broderick -- Could It Be Pretty Obvious There's No God? / Stephen Law -- Atheist, Obviously / Julian Baggini -- Why I Am Not A Believer / A.c. Grayling -- Evil And Me / Gregory Benford -- Who's Unhappy? / Lori Lipman Brown -- Reasons To Be Faithless / Sheila A.m. Mclean -- Three Stages Of Disbelief / Julian Savulescu -- Born Again, Briefly / Greg Egan -- Cold Comfort / Ross Upshur -- The Accidental Exorcist / Austin Dacey -- Atheist Out Of The Foxhole / Joe Haldeman -- The Unconditional Love Of Reality / Dale Mcgowan -- Antinomies / Jack Dann -- Giving Up Ghosts And Gods / Susan Blackmore -- Some Thoughts On Why I Am An Atheist / Tamas Pataki -- No Gods, Please! / Laura Purdy -- Welcome Me Back To The World Of The Thinking / Kelly O'connor -- Kicking Religion Goodbye-- / Peter Adegoke -- On Credenda / Miguel Kottow -- Not Even Start To Ignore Those Questions! : A Voice Of Disbelief In A Different Key / Frieder Otto Wolf -- Imagine No Religion / Edgar Dahl -- Humanism As Religion : An Indian Alternative / Sumitra Padmanabhan -- Why I Am Not A Theist / Prabir Ghosh -- When The Hezbollah Came To My School / Maryam Namazie -- Evolutionary Noise, Not Signal From Above / Athena Andreadis -- Gods Inside / Michael R. Rose And John P. Phelan -- Why Morality Doesn't Need Religion / Peter Singer And Marc Hauser -- Doctor Who And The Legacy Of Rationalism / Sean Williams -- My Nonreligious Life : A Journey From Superstition To Rationalism / Peter Tatchell -- Helping People To Think Critically About Their Religious Beliefs / Michael Tooley -- Human Self-determination, Biomedical Progress, And God / Udo Schüklenk. Edited By Russell Blackford And Udo Schüklenk. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists presents a unique and thought-provoking collection of original essays that address personal disbelief in a higher power . Drawn from an international cast of professionals in the fields of academia, science, literature, media and politics, contributors offer carefully considered statements of why they reject the idea of a deity governing the universe and human affairs. Several essays also address such issues as the social role of religion and its alternatives. The responses feature a stunning diversity of viewpoints and tone, ranging from rigorous philosophical arguments to highly personal — at times even whimsical — accounts of how each of these notable thinkers have come to reject religion in their lives. Whether you're a believer or not, 50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists offers an intellectually stimulating journey into the possibilities for rational and reasonable people everywhere to live without the crutch of religion.

Library Journal

In more than 50 brief statements organized by Blackford (editor in chief, Journal of Evolution and Technology) and philosopher Schüklenk (coeditor, The Power of Pills: Social, Ethical & Legal Issues in Drug Development, Marketing & Pricing), contributors share views—their routes toward nonbelief and their feelings about the place of religion in the world, for good or ill—as various as those of Christian denominations quarreling over baptism. The only name of note here is James (the Amazing) Randi, a well-known magician and debunker of spurious psychic phenomena. Strikingly, the collection represents a fight of little interest to thoughtful theologians such as John Shelby Spong. VERDICT Considering the popularity of Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion, Christopher Hitchens's God Is Not Great, and Sam Harris's The End of Faith, this unsurprising gallimaufry of memoirs and observations will be of interest to disbelievers.

50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists presents a unique and thought-provoking collection of original essays that address personal disbelief in a higher power . Drawn from an international cast of professionals in the fields of academia, science, literature, media and politics, contributors offer carefully considered statements of why they reject the idea of a deity governing the universe and human affairs. Several essays also address such issues as the social role of religion and its alternatives. The responses feature a stunning diversity of viewpoints and tone, ranging from rigorous philosophical arguments to highly personal — at times even whimsical — accounts of how each of these notable thinkers have come to reject religion in their lives. Whether you're a believer or not, 50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists offers an intellectually stimulating journey into the possibilities for rational and reasonable people everywhere to live without the crutch of religion. (From the Back Cover)