"In The Life and Exploits of Jehovah (first published in 1915) Tichenor presents, in lively and mocking prose, the troubling history of the temperamental deity of the ancient Israelites, from the mists of antiquity to the Reformation. In the final chapter, he provides a catalogue of abuses perpetrated by fanatical believers, and asserts that the recognition of human rights has advanced as religious practice has become less doctrinaire."
"People today encounter a dizzying array of religious options. We might consider mystical faiths like Buddhism and Hinduism, historical religions like Islam and Mormonism, or more nebulous modern expressions of being spiritual but not religious or religious but not spiritual. How do we know what is true? Is one faith just as good as another?
Trial lawyer Mark Lanier presents the claims made by the world's great religions, discusses their histories, and cross-examines their witnesses (their scriptures and traditions) to determine whether their claims are worthy of belief. With his keen legal mind and methodical style, he provides a careful comparative study, highlighting key truths he finds in each religion even as he offers critiques. Treating each perspective on its own terms and weighing the worldviews for consistency and livability, Lanier assesses evidence for and against belief systems with criteria for what constitutes sufficient proof.
Believers and unbelievers alike will find here perceptive insights into how we can make sense of competing religious claims and what difference it makes for our own lives."
"An entertaining and insightful exploration of the American ex-religious
The United States is in the midst of a religious revolution. Or, perhaps it is better to say a non-religious revolution. Around a quarter of US adults now say they have no religion. The great majority of these religious 'nones' also say that they used to belong to a religion but no longer do. These are the nonverts: think 'converts,' but from having religion to having none. There are currently about fifty-nine million of them in the United States.
Nonverts explores who they are, and why they joined the rising tide of the ex-religious. One of world's leading experts on contemporary atheism and nonreligiosity, sociologist and theologian Stephen Bullivant draws on dozens of interviews, original analysis of high-quality survey data, and a wealth of cutting-edge studies, to present an entertaining and insightful exploration of America's ex-religious landscape. Bullivant crisscrosses the country, talking to everyone from ex-Mormons in Utah to ex-Catholics in Pennsylvania, from ex-Evangelicals in Georgia to ex-Muslims in California, showing not only what they have in common but also how the traditions they left behind continue to shape them."
"Can we prove that the Bible makes false claims?
Do its moral teachings justify it being called 'The Good Book?'
Has the text been modified throughout the centuries?
What about all those prophecies?
Written by a linguist, ex-fundamentalist graduate of Liberty University, this book goes straight to the evidence and presents a concise case-by-case analysis of the most salient problems in the Christian Scriptures. With insightful commentary concerning frequent rebuttals used by apologists, it makes a solid case against evangelical claims to inerrancy.
This second edition has a much improved third chapter, providing several more examples of scribal changes to the New Testament, as well as a completely new section on textual differences in Greek manuscripts."
"The Christian Doctrine of Hell
By Joseph Wheeler
Narrated by Oberon Michaels
It is often popularly considered that the Twenty-First Century marked the emergence of a truly aggressive anti-theist movement. The rise of the 'New Atheism', spearheaded by figures like Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins, has been seen as a fresh attack on the hegemony of organized religion.
However, vigorous anti-theism has been a developing trend for the past three centuries. One of the strident voices in this movement was the English free-thought writer, Joseph Mazzini Wheeler. Between 1882 and his death in 1898, he produced ten volumes, all highly critical of religion in general and of Christianity in particular.
In this essay, the author asks: 'Who goes to hell?' His answer: 'According to the Bible, and the creeds, the immense majority of mankind.' He later comments that the idea of the inevitable damnation of the unbeliever 'has probably done more harm to humanity than it has benefited from the rest of the gospel.'
Production copyright 2022 Voices of Today"
"Is a fight against equality and for privilege a fight for religious supremacy? Andrew L. Seidel, a constitutional attorney and author of the critically acclaimed book The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American, dives into the debate on religious liberty, the modern attempt to weaponize religious freedom, and the Supreme Court's role in that "crusade."
Seidel examines some of the key Supreme Court cases of the last thirty years-including Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (a bakery that refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple), Trump v. Hawaii (the anti-Muslim travel ban case), American Legion v. American Humanist Association (related to a group maintaining a 40-foot Christian cross on government-owned land), and Tandon v. Newsom (a Santa Clara Bible group exempted from Covid health restrictions), as well as the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade-and how a hallowed legal protection, freedom of religion, has been turned into a tool to advance privilege and impose religion on others. This is a meticulously researched and deeply insightful account of our political landscape with a foreword provided by noted constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky, author of The Case Against the Supreme Court.
The issue of church versus state is more relevant than ever in today's political climate and with the conservative majority status of the current Supreme Court. This book is a standout on the shelf for fans of Michelle Alexander, Bob Woodward, and Christopher Hitchens. Readers looking for critiques of the rise of Christian nationalism, like Jesus and John Wayne, and examinations like How Democracies Die will devour Seidel's analysis."
"In the courtroom, lawyers depend on rules of evidence to make their arguments. A case is made by establishing certain facts from which proof can be determined. But what happens when the truth seems to be a matter of faith? Can the legal mind discern the validity of one's belief or unbelief?
Nationally recognized trial lawyer Mark Lanier turns his analytical mind to the arguments for atheism and agnosticism. With critical thinking and precision of thought, he examines the rationales made for unbelief and assesses them on their own terms, finding points of strength and weakness in their logic and coherence. He considers whether atheistic frameworks give satisfactory and consistent explanatory answers for understanding human existence and the world around us. He cross-examines the strongest arguments of prominent atheists and also interrogates the questions of agnostics as to whether God is knowable. Through his evenhanded, levelheaded approach, Lanier challenges us all to decide for ourselves what we believe."
"The Dismantling of Church and State in America
Since the first English Christian fundamentalists arrived in the 1600s on the shores of what would become the United States, Christianity has become increasingly embedded in the nation's social and cultural fabric. This is completely contrary to the Founding Fathers' original vision of America; it was designed by them to be a secular democratic republic built on evidence-based Enlightenment values, emphatically not religious faith. Indeed, the Founders purposefully intended that a high, strong 'wall of separation' keep church and state apart in the new nation, while allowing individual religious freedom untrammeled by government—and vice versa. But Christians with theocratic dreams keep trying to breach the wall. Through their efforts, God is now in evidence everywhere in the country—on our money, in our schools, even in high-level-government officials' speeches. Freedom of—and from—religion is the American promise to all its people whatever their belief—or disbelief. This is how the Founding Fathers wanted it to be, not the undemocratic theocracy zealous evangelicals are trying to force on American society."
"Navigating the marketplace of ideas can be difficult when there is so much bullshit to wade through. This book helps connect the underlying arguments used by charlatans and gives readers a skeptic's toolkit to identify the logical traps and pitfalls of different types of nonsense, and to discard each of them using critical thinking practices. From paranormal and medical quackery, to conspiracy theories and religion, the authors unpack the Grand Unified Theory of Bullshit, pulling out the common thread that ties these nonsensical and harmful ideas together."
"Is the Western world really post-Christian, or does Christianity simply need a reinterpretation? What did Dietrich Bonhoeffer mean by 'religionless Christianity'? Is it passé? Or was it perhaps ahead of its time? In an era of dramatically increased religious pluralism and the emergence of large numbers of people identifying as 'spiritual but not religious,' so-called 'religionless Christianity' can speak to those who find both biblicism and 'belief-based' religion irrelevant.
In this personal, witty, and timely book, New York Times bestselling author Thomas Cathcart takes listeners on a journey into belief and unbelief and leads them through to the other side. Drawing from deep philosophical and theological wells, There Is No God and Mary Is His Mother demonstrates the meaningfulness of being a Christian in a secular age. Cathcart shows that, even absent traditional theological formulas and doctrines, Christianity can be a credible, meaningful, and practical means of negotiating worldly existence and experience. For Christians, There Is No God and Mary Is His Mother offers encouragement. For ex-Christians, it presents a different way of being a Christian than the one they've rejected. For atheists, it shows how Christianity can be an ally in affirming the here and now."
"Is Atheism Dead? is an entertaining, impressively wide-ranging, and decidedly provocative answer to that famous 1966 Time cover that itself provocatively asked “Is God Dead?” In a voice that is by turns witty, muscular, and poetic, Metaxas intentionally echoes C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton in cheerfully and logically making his astonishing case, along the way presenting breathtaking—and often withering—new evidence and arguments against the idea of a Creatorless universe. Taken all together, he shows atheism not merely to be implausible and intellectually sloppy, but now demonstrably ridiculous. Perhaps the only unanswered question on the subject is why we couldn’t see this sooner, and how embarrassed we should be about it."
"Join NIH Director Francis Collins and other luminaries as they explain their answers to the question "Does God Exist?"
Do you believe God exists? This bold audio series invites you to join some of the world's leading thinkers in taking on this profound question. In 13 riveting episodes, your host, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, tackles this topic in one-on-one interviews with leading figures across fields.
Among many other provocative questions, Kuhn asks, Does belief in God need to be justified? Does God make sense? and What are the most persuasive arguments for atheism?
A gifted moderator, he creates equilibrium through his even-handed questions and eagerness to give everyone a seat at the table. You'll hear from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim philosophers as well as prominent atheists.
Topping the chart of Christian philosophers are Alvin Plantinga and Peter van Inwagen, both professors at the University of Notre Dame. From the atheistic camp you'll meet the founder of The Skeptics Society, Michael Brant Shermer. You'll also hear from thinkers who bridge the science/religion divide, such as Robert John Russell, Director of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences.
Addressing issues ranging from the problem of evil to how the discovery of alien life might affect our belief systems, this series will engage your mind and heart in some of the universe's biggest questions.
This course is part of the Learn25 collection."
