Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart : Rewriting the Ten Commandments for the Twenty-first Century

Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart asks an essential question for the 45 million Americans who self-identify as nonreligious: “So, you don’t believe in God; now what?” This question is increasingly important, as one-third of young adults under the age of thirty consider themselves nonreligious. With a scientific eye and an empathetic heart, the authors turn conventional perceptions about atheism on their head. They show that atheism need not be reactionary (against religion and God), but rather that it can offer a clear set of constructive principles to live by, which establish atheism as a positive worldview. Following a philosophical approach grounded in logic and evidence, Bayer and Figdor take readers on an inspiring journey to discover how to live a reasonable, ethical, and happy life without God. The readers are engaged at every step, encouraged to self-reflect and ultimately uncover their own set of personal beliefs. Contents Introduction: Questioning Everything Chapter 1: Rewriting the Ten Commandments Part I: A Framework for Facts Chapter 2: The Paradox of Belief Chapter 3: The Reasoning behind Reason Chapter 4: Beliefs about the Unknown Chapter 5: The Assumption of a God Chapter 6: Putting Factual Beliefs to the Test Part II: A Framework for Ethics Chapter 7: From Beliefs to Behavior Chapter 8: How “Ought” One Behave? Chapter 9: Moral Happiness Chapter 10: Societal Happiness Chapter 11: Putting Ethical Beliefs to the Test Chapter 12: Finding Your Own Non-commandments Appendix A: Common Religious Objections Appendix B: Our Ten Non-commandments Appendix C: Theorem of Belief Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography About the Authors Surveys suggest that 19 percent of U.S. adults (approximately 45 million people) consider themselves non-religious. This number is on the rise with a third of adults under the age of thirty self-identifying as non-believers. Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart asks key questions for these non-believers: What are the guiding principles of atheism? What is left to believe in? The book shows that atheism need not only be reactionary (against religion and God), but rather provides a clear set of constructive principles to live by that establish atheism as a positive worldview. The book encourages and guides the reader through the process of formulating his or her own set of personal beliefs. This book shows that atheism need not be only reactionary (against religion and God), but rather provides a clear set of constructive principles to live by that establish atheism as a positive worldview. The book encourages and guides the reader through the process of formulating his or her own set of personal beliefs.