“The history of Satan, prince of the demonic world, is the story of one of the weirdest of man’s illusions,” writes McCabe. In this text, McCabe treats the devil essentially as a creature of folklore, originating in prehistoric times. He demonstrates how the influence of belief in the devil has dwindled dramatically with the spread of scientific investigation and rationality.
This pamphlet, which comes from the Little Blue Book series published by E. Haldeman Julius, is a typical example of McCabe’s incisive examination of history and his caustic wit.
Fr. Vincent Miceli breaks ground in this analysis of seventeen Enlightenment theologians and philosophers who contributed to the rise of atheism. He explores their efforts and successes in convincing mankind to deny the existence of God, and he demonstrates how atheism has succeeded by creating mythical gods to stand in the place of God. What Fr. Miceli shows is that each tenet of atheism doesn't deny the existence of a Higher Power; it simply replaces the true Power with a false power.
Fr. Miceli will help you spot those 'practical atheists' of our day-those who, despite calling themselves Christians, water down Christianity and reduce God to a reflection of their own personal desires.
You'll also learn how the devil tempts us against the Faith and how this leads to infidelity and habitual denials of God. Fr. Miceli gives important examples how the influence of philosophers such as Camus has corrupted man's understanding of social justice.
The Gods of Atheism will help you understand how and why our society has fallen into such a state of religious indifference and corruption-and how to navigate, and even thrive in, this post-Christian culture with unwavering faith in the one true God.
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.
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists.
The first individuals to identify themselves as atheists lived in the 18th century during the Age of Enlightenment. The French Revolution noted for its 'unprecedented atheism', witnessed the first significant political movement in history to advocate for the supremacy of human reason. In 1967, Albania declared itself the first official atheist country according to its policy of state Marxism.
Arguments for atheism range from philosophical to social and historical approaches. Rationales for not believing in deities include the lack of evidence, the problem of evil, the argument from inconsistent revelations, the rejection of concepts that cannot be falsified, and the argument from nonbelief. Nonbelievers contend that atheism is a more parsimonious position than theism and that everyone is born without a belief in deities; therefore, they argue that the burden of proof lies not on the atheist to disprove the existence of gods but on the theist to provide a rationale for theism. Although some atheists have adopted secular philosophies (e.g. secular humanism), there is no ideology or code of conduct to which all atheists adhere.
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists.
The first individuals to identify themselves as atheists lived in the 18th century during the Age of Enlightenment. The French Revolution noted for its 'unprecedented atheism', witnessed the first significant political movement in history to advocate for the supremacy of human reason. In 1967, Albania declared itself the first official atheist country according to its policy of state Marxism.
Arguments for atheism range from philosophical to social and historical approaches. Rationales for not believing in deities include the lack of evidence, the problem of evil, the argument from inconsistent revelations, the rejection of concepts that cannot be falsified, and the argument from nonbelief. Nonbelievers contend that atheism is a more parsimonious position than theism and that everyone is born without a belief in deities; therefore, they argue that the burden of proof lies not on the atheist to disprove the existence of gods but on the theist to provide a rationale for theism. Although some atheists have adopted secular philosophies (e.g. secular humanism), there is no ideology or code of conduct to which all atheists adhere.
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? A constitutional attorney dives into the debate on religious liberty, the modern attempt to weaponize religious freedom, and the Supreme Court's role in that "crusade."
Critically acclaimed author and constitutional attorney Andrew L. Seidel looks at some of the key Supreme Court cases of the last thirty years-including Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (a bakery can deny making 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)-and how a hallowed legal protection, freedom of religion, has been turned into a tool to advance privilege and impose religion on others. The book will include a foreword by noted constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky.
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.
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.
