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ARationalBasisforUnderstandingLife,theUniverseandReality

(AShortListofSources)

Jesus,Interrupted:RevealingtheHiddenContradictionsintheBible(AndWhyWedont

KnowAboutThem)

BartEhrmanTheproblemswiththeBiblethatNewTestamentscholarBartEhrmandiscussedinhis

bestsellerMisquotingJesusareexpandeduponexponentiallyinhislatestbook:Jesus,Interrupted.

ThisNewYorkTimesbestsellerrevealshowbooksintheBiblewereactuallyforgedbylaterauthors,

andthattheNewTestamentitselfisriddledwithcontradictoryclaimsaboutJesus-information

thatscholarsknowbutthegeneralpublicdoesnot.

MisquotingJesus:TheStoryBehindwhoChangedtheBibleandWhy

BartEhrman

Foralmost1,500years,theNewTestamentmanuscriptswerecopiedbyhandandmistakesand

intentionalchangesaboundinthecompetingmanuscriptversions.BiblicalscholarBartEhrman

makestheprovocativecasethatmanyofourwidelyheldbeliefsconcerningthedivinityofJesus,the

Trinity,andthedivineoriginsoftheBibleitselfaretheresultsofbothintentionalandaccidental

alterationsbyscribes.Inthiscompellingandfascinatingbook,Ehrmanshowswhereandwhy

changesweremadeinourearliestsurvivingmanuscripts,explainingforthefirsttimehowthemany

variationsofourcherishedbiblicalstoriescametobe,andwhyonlycertainversionsofthestories

qualifyforpublicationintheBibleswereadtoday.Ehrmanframeshisaccountwithpersonal

reflectionsonhowhisstudyoftheGreekmanuscriptsmadehimabandonhisonceultra

conservativeviewsoftheBible.

TheEndofFaith:Religion,Terror,andtheFutureofReason

SamHarris

Harrisoffersavividhistoricaltourofmankind'swillingnesstosuspendreasoninfavorofreligious

beliefs,evenwhenthosebeliefsareusedtojustifyharmfulbehaviorandsometimes-heinouscrimes.

Heassertsthatintheshadowofweaponsofmassdestruction,wecannolongertolerateviewsthat

pitonetruegodagainstanother.Mostcontroversially,hearguesthatwecannotaffordmoderatelipservicetoreligion;anaccommodationthatonlyblindsustotherealperilsoffundamentalism.

Whilewarningagainsttheencroachmentoforganizedreligionintoworldpolitics,Harrisalso

drawsonnewevidencefromneuroscienceandinsightsfromphilosophytoexplorespiritualityasa

biological,brain-basedneed.Hecallsonustoinvokethatneedintakingasecularhumanistic

approachtosolvingtheproblemsofthisworld.

GodIsNotGreat:HowReligionPoisonsEverything

ChristopherHitchens

Acloseanderuditereadingofthemajorreligioustexts,ChristopherHitchensdocumentsthewaysin

whichreligionisaman-madewish,acauseofdangeroussexualrepression,andadistortionofour

originsinthecosmos.Witheloquentclarity,Hitchensframestheargumentforamoresecularlife

basedonscienceandreason,inwhichhellisreplacedbytheHubbleTelescope'sawesomeviewof

theuniverse,andMosesandtheburningbushgivewaytothebeautyandsymmetryofthedoublehelix.

AUniverseFromNothing:WhyThereisSomethingRatherthanNothing

ByLawrenceKrauss

Oneofthefewprominentscientiststodaytohavecrossedthechasmbetweenscienceandpopular

culture,Kraussdescribesthestaggeringlybeautifulexperimentalobservationsandmind-bending

newtheoriesthatdemonstratenotonlycansomethingarisefromnothing,something

willalwaysarisefromnothing.Withanewprefaceaboutthesignificanceofthediscoveryofthe

Higgsparticle,AUniversefromNothingusesKraussscharacteristicwryhumorandwonderfully

clearexplanationstotakeusbacktothebeginningofthebeginning,presentingthemostrecent

evidenceforhowouruniverseevolvedandtheimplicationsforhowitsgoingtoend.

Testament:MemoiroftheThoughtsandSentimentsofJeanMeslier

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JeanMeslier

Abook-longessayfoundinthepossessionsofCatholicpriestJeanMeslier(1644-1729)afterhis

death.Inimpassionedtonesbutwithanalyticalprecision,Meslierpresentsamethodical

deconstructionofChristianityandthegovernmentsthatsupportit,alongwithathoughtfuldefense

ofthefundamentalhumanrightsofliberty,equality,andthepursuitofhappiness.Hereveals

himselfnotonlyasamaterialistandunbelieverbutalsoasamanofrevolutionarysentimentswho

firmlyopposesthegovernmentsofhisday,whichhemaintainskeepthecommonpeopleinignorance,fear,andpovertythroughreligion.Moreover,heurgeshisformerparishionerstowake

upandinformthemselvesaboutthetruthoftheirgovernmentsandreligion.Thisfascinating

document,whichisanearlyforerunnerofmanylatercritiquesofreligion,ismustreadingfor

freethinkers,skeptics,andanyoneinterestedinthehistoryofreligionanddissent.WhyIAmNotaChristianandOtherEssaysonReligionandRelatedSubjects

BertrandRussell

Dedicatedasfewmenhavebeentothelifeofreason,BertrandRussellwasalwaysconcernedwith

thebasicquestionstowhichreligionalsoaddressesitself-questionsaboutman'splaceinthe

universeandthenatureofthegoodlife,questionsthatinvolvelifeafterdeath,morality,freedom,

education,andsexualethics.Hebringstohistreatmentofthesequestionsthesamecourage,

scrupulouslogic,andloftywisdomforwhichhisotherworkasphilosopher,writer,andteacherhas

beenfamous.Thesequalitiesmaketheessaysincludedinthisbookperhapsthemostgracefuland

movingpresentationofthefreethinker'spositionsincethedaysofHumeandVoltaire.

TheNecessityofAtheismandOtherEssays

PercyByssheShelley

ThegreatRomanticpoetPercyByssheShelley(1792-1822),bestknownforsuchmasterpiecesas

"OdetotheWestWind"and"PrometheusUnbound,"alsoexpressedhisideasonreligious

oppressioninworksofimpassionedprose.TheNecessityofAtheismandOtherEssaysfeaturesfive

tractsbyShelley:"OnChristianity,""TheNecessityofAtheism"(whichresultedintheyouthful

Shelley'sexpulsionfromOxfordin1811),"OnLife,""OnaFutureState,"and"ARefutationofDeism."

Likehisgreatpoems,theseextolthespiritofmanandarguethatChristianity,withitsrepressive

beliefsystem,iswhollyoutofkeepingwithhumanidealsandaspirations.Shelleyarguesthatthe

divineattributesofGodaremerelyprojectionsofhumanpowers;lifeeverlastingcannotbeempiricallydemonstrated,foritrunscountertoalltheevidenceformortalitygivenbythenatural

world,whichistheonlyworldweknow.Inall,theseessaysprovideanimportantstatementofthe

poetandfreethinker'senlightenedviewsonskepticism,faith,andthecorruptionoforganized

Christianity

FreedomofReligionandtheSecularState

RussellBlackford

Focusingontheintersectionofreligion,law,andpoliticsincontemporaryliberaldemocracies,

Blackfordconsiderstheconceptofthesecularstate,revisingandupdatingenlightenmentviewsfor

thepresentday.FreedomofReligionandtheSecularStateoffersacomprehensiveanalysis,witha

globalfocus,ofthesubjectofreligiousfreedomfromalegalaswellashistoricalandphilosophical

viewpoint.Itmakesanoriginalcontributiontocurrentdebatesaboutfreedomofreligion,and

addressesawholerangeofhot-buttonissuesthatinvolvetherelationshipbetweenreligionandthestate,includingtheteachingofevolutioninschools,whattodoabouttheburqa,andsoon.

50SimpleQuestionsforEveryChristian

Guy.PHarrison

Writteninarespectfulandconversationalstyle,thisuniquebookisdesignedtopromote

constructivedialogueandfostermutualunderstandingbetweenChristiansandnon-Christians.The

author,askepticandjournalist,asksbasicquestionsaboutChristianbelief.Whatistheborn-again

experience?WhywouldGodwanttosacrificehisonlysonfortheworld?Domiraclesreallyhappen?

HowreliableistheBible?Whatistherapture?Whyisn'teveryoneaChristian?Eachquestionis

followedbycommentaryandanalysisthatisskepticalandtoughbutneverargumentativeor

condescending.Christianswillfindthebookusefulasabasisfordevelopingtheirapologetics,while

skepticswillwelcomeHarrison'sprobingrationalanalysisofreligiousclaims.