Theist friendly books

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on February 14, 2010 at 5:44am

Have you posted this in the Nexus Book Club? That might be another good place to ask for book ideas.

Unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions to offer, but I will be watching your discussion here in hopes that other people do.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Thompson on February 14, 2010 at 12:36pm

I wasn't sure where to post this question. Should I repost it there? Is there already a list somewhere?

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Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on February 14, 2010 at 10:24pm

This is a fine place to post it. Not everyone visits the groups. Some people in groups don't visit the forum, so you might reach even more people by posting your question in the Book Club group.
I don't know of any lists.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Lange on February 15, 2010 at 6:38am

Any book from Bart Ehrman, if they are bible thumpers. Funny they just don't give you a bible to read. You might ask them when was the last time they actual read the bible, if at all.

I will tell you this, getting them to actually read any of these books will be a miracle. My wife is a fundamentalist christian and she would rather read books like "Quest" and "The case for Christ", or any other garbage like it. Really, though, probably the best book to have them read, if they have ever actually read the bible, is Jesus, Interrupted. That one should open their eyes.

Here's a list of some of the books that I currently own. I've starred the ones I think they *might* read:

Darwin and Evolution for Kids
The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
The Portable Atheist
Godless
God, the failed hypothesis
The Bible Against Itself
Parenting Beyond Belief
The Ancestors tail
Avoiding Jesus
*The Bible
The End of Faith
GOd is not Great
The God Delusion
Letter to a Christian Nation
The Origins of Species
*God's Problem
*Jesus, Interrupter
Letting go of God
*Misquoting Jesus
The greatest show on earth

As an aside, if you haven't seen it, pick up the season 1 and 2 DVD sets for The "Reaper". Any Atheist will love this series. Unfortunately, they took it off the air last season, so the last episode will leave you hanging. But you will love it.

Also, an older movie, but still great to watch, is Marjoe. You may have to buy it from Amazon, but worth it just to watch once.

Hope this helps...

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Permalink Reply by Tom Thompson on February 15, 2010 at 3:01pm

I haven't read any of Bart Ehrman's books but they seem like they might work. I'll have to check them out. I was strongly considering Letter to a Christian Nation when I read it but I decided it might be too abrasive. I may reread it and give it another try. Thanks for the great list.

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Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on February 17, 2010 at 8:32pm

avoiding jesus
cool, thanks...

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Permalink Reply by Regina M on February 15, 2010 at 1:27pm

Books on critical thinking might be a gentler way to go. "How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age" by Theodore Schick and Lewis Vaughn was one that really pulled me out of the woo world and into my own age of reason. It's been many years since I've read it, but from what I recall it started me thinking about things like coincidences/random chance, plus how leaders manipulate followers and some of the psychology involved. It's an easy read and doesn't antagonize like Hitchens et al might do.

I second the Bart Ehrman books as well. He's a biblical scholar and knows his stuff. "Misquoting Jesus" is also an easy read, it would be a good place to start for those who haven't put much critical thought into anything bible.

Also, for a more advanced curiousity, Carl Sagan's "Demon Haunted World" and James Randi's "Flim Flam."

Hope that helps!

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Permalink Reply by Sonny Mobley on February 15, 2010 at 2:03pm

I'd say find the most receptive person out of the group of people you would like to reach and focus on them.

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Permalink Reply by Secular Sue on February 15, 2010 at 6:51pm

They might be receptive to John Shelby Spong's books, like WHY CHRISTIANITY MUST CHANGE OR DIE. It's not an atheist book, but because Spong is a retired bishop who still calls himself christian, they might actually read it. He doesn't believe in the virgin birth, resurrection stuff and points out that believers are expected to leave their brains at the door. It was a good transition book for me. It helped me to see that my questions and doubts were valid concerns, not just a lack of faith.

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Permalink Reply by Barbara on February 16, 2010 at 4:09pm

It's not a book, but I recommend Julia Sweeney's "Letting Go of God". There's a DVD of her monologue available now, and she makes an often difficult subject funny and accessible. It might be easier for your relatives to handle, and it'll only take a couple of hours of their time, much of which they'll probably spend laughing.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Lange on February 17, 2010 at 6:21am

Actually, you can get this as an audio download from Amazon or iTunes too.

My wife is a fundamentalist, and I tried to get her to listen to it once. She got about 15 minutes into and fell asleep. Her comments about the short part she listened too -- stupid. She thought the book and Julia were stupid and going to burn in hell. So some people it just doesn't matter what you do.

I will tell you this, you'd be far better off having "someone else" suggest a book. I find that people generally accept advice from strangers over people close to them.

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Permalink Reply by Barbara on February 17, 2010 at 4:18pm

Yeah, the audiobook was the first thing I listened to, I was just thinking that the DVD might hold their attention more than an audiobook. But, as you say, sometimes it doesn't matter what you do. Morton's demon.

Funny observation about accepting advice from strangers! It certainly seems that that is the case.

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