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The Atheist's Bible: An Illustrious Collection of Irreverent Thoughts
"All thinking men are atheists," Ernest Hemingway famously wrote. True? Here are quips, quotes, and questions from a distinguished assortment of geniuses and jokers, giving readers a chance to decide for themselves.... When I think of all the harm [the bible] has done, I despair of ever writing anything to equal it.
Oscar Wilde SAINT, n. A dead sinner revised and edited.
Ambrose Bierce There ain't no answer. There ain't going to be any answer. There never has been an answer. That's the answer.
Gertrude Stein Do not let yourself be great intellects are skeptical.
Friedrich Nietzsche Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Susan Ertz God is love, but get it in writing.
Gypsy Rose Lee Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of our own mind.
Ralph Waldo Emerson The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one.
George Bernard Shaw
Oscar Wilde SAINT, n. A dead sinner revised and edited.
Ambrose Bierce There ain't no answer. There ain't going to be any answer. There never has been an answer. That's the answer.
Gertrude Stein Do not let yourself be great intellects are skeptical.
Friedrich Nietzsche Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Susan Ertz God is love, but get it in writing.
Gypsy Rose Lee Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of our own mind.
Ralph Waldo Emerson The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one.
George Bernard Shaw
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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August 4, 2015
قبل الشروع في قراءة الكتاب، توقعت أن اقرأ الأسس التي يبني عليها الملحدين آرائهم
دائمًا ما يستمد الملحدين الحديث عن ديانتهم من التشكيك في كل الديانات الأخرى
ليس لديهم أساس أو بنية سوى ذلك
أنا لست مقتنعًا بكل الأديان الأخرى ولا بوجود الإله
إذن أنا ملحد
لم يختلف الكتاب كثيرًا عن كل ما ستقرؤه عن الملحدين
هم فقط وببساطة لا يؤمنون بوجود إله ولا بحياة بعد الموت
يؤمنون بأشياء أخرى؛ كالطبيعة والإنسان ونظرية داروين!!
لكن صدقًا الكتاب ممتع ولذيذ، وفكرته من الواضح كم الجهود المبذول فيها
الكتاب عبارة عن مجموعة مقولات لأكبر الكُتاب والعلماء والمفكرين
ربما تختلف معهم وتتعجب من آرائهم
وربما تتفق معهم في بعض ما يخص الكنيسة والكتاب المقدس والكوارث التي تُرتكب باسم الدين
لكن هم يعتقدون أن سبب كل ذلك هو الإله
بينما نحن ندرك تمامًا أن الإنسان هو من يرتكب تلك الأخطاء باسم الله والدين
كتاب ممتع، لكن لن يقدم لك أجوبة شافية عن كيفية تفكير هؤلاء
*ملحوظة: الترجمة العربية من أسوء ما يكون
لا هم��ات، لا تنوين، لا فواصل
أخطاء إملائية بالجملة، ناهيك عن أن تقسيم الكتاب الإلكتروني وشكله سيء ومرهق
عزائي الوحيد، صغر حجم الكتاب
تمّت
May 29, 2019
I picked this up to read for just a little light reading. It has ended up being so much more than that. This book contains an inspiring collection of quotes from around 250 author's It also contains some not so inspiring ones.
This is an interesting read for any individual that wishes to know what notable people thought about God and religion. It shows us how the doubt in the existence of God has lasted for generations.
I for one, get rather tired being told by various individuals, that if I want to be moralistic, I have to believe in this and that. I mean, that just doesn't make any sort of sense to me. I already class myself as an individual with morals. I definitely do not need a checklist from the Bible to make me believe this.
Here are a few of my favourite quotes;
"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense" Chapman Cohen.
"There is a story. . . which is fairly well known, told about when missionaries came to Africa, that they had the Bible and we, the natives, had the land. And then they said, “Let us pray,” and we dutifully shut our eyes. And when we opened them, why, they now had the land and we had the Bible" Desmond Tutu.
"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived" Isaac Asimov.
In hotels, you sometimes find The Bible in a drawer next to the bed, well this book should be put next to it.
This is an interesting read for any individual that wishes to know what notable people thought about God and religion. It shows us how the doubt in the existence of God has lasted for generations.
I for one, get rather tired being told by various individuals, that if I want to be moralistic, I have to believe in this and that. I mean, that just doesn't make any sort of sense to me. I already class myself as an individual with morals. I definitely do not need a checklist from the Bible to make me believe this.
Here are a few of my favourite quotes;
"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense" Chapman Cohen.
"There is a story. . . which is fairly well known, told about when missionaries came to Africa, that they had the Bible and we, the natives, had the land. And then they said, “Let us pray,” and we dutifully shut our eyes. And when we opened them, why, they now had the land and we had the Bible" Desmond Tutu.
"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived" Isaac Asimov.
In hotels, you sometimes find The Bible in a drawer next to the bed, well this book should be put next to it.
March 2, 2008
I picked this up at the library with the intention of copying a few good quotes from it, but I liked it so much that I'll be buying my own copy. There is just too much good stuff in here.
I think some of the "believers" in this country would be surprised to see that many of the historical figures they revere did not at all share their religious beliefs!
I think some of the "believers" in this country would be surprised to see that many of the historical figures they revere did not at all share their religious beliefs!
March 17, 2015
حسنًا، هو كتاب ساخر إذن؟
كتاب لطيف، مضحك، وخفيف ويمكن أن يُقرأ بين عدة كتب أخرى، على سبيل التسلية لا أكثر
حسنًا، كيف أتعامل مع هذا الكتاب إذن؟، هل أتعامل معه على أنه كتاب ساخر، كغيره من هذه النوعية من الكتب؟
أم أعامله على أنه كتاب فكري/علمي/ثقافي/أدبي؟
في الحالة الأولى أظن أن تقييمه لن يكون أكثر من نجمة واحدة فقط، لا لأنه يستحقها، ولكن لأني لا أحب ترك الكتب بدون تقييم لا أكثر، ولأني أيضًا لا أكره - فيما أكره- شيئًا أكثر من مثل هذه الكتب
وإن تعاملت معه على أنه كتاب فكري أو غيره، فتقييمه لن يختلف كذلك كثيرًا
فكل هذه السخافات لا أظن -أبدًا- أنها قد تؤثر بشيء حقيقة في إيمان أحدهم
مسألة الإيمان أكبر بكثير من أن تقام وتنبني على كتاب ضئيل الحجم والقيمة كهذا
الكتاب - إن صح تسميته كتابًا- هو مجموعة من الأقوال والاقتباسات لمجموعة من الأدباءوالمفكرين والفلاسفة أيضًا
به بعض الأقوال اللطيفة، والتي يؤمن بها حتى الشخص المتدين، والتي أرى أنها لا تدين الدين أبدًا، بل تدين المؤسسة الدينية أو المتعصبين له
في الحقيقة لم أستطع أن آخذ الكتاب على مأخذ الجد، قرأته ككتاب مضحك وفقط، وهذا هو حقيقته تقريبًا
بالإضافة طبعًا لبضع أق��ال أخرى قد تصنف على أنها فكرية
يعيب الكتاب كثرة الأخطاء الإملائية به
ويعيبه كذلك كثرة التخليط بين أصحاب الأقوال
فبعض الأقوال نسبت خطأ لأحدهم، ثم نسبها مرة أخرى لكاتب آخر
الاقتباسات كانت مكرورة أحيانًا، إن لم تكن في اللفظ، ففي المعنى
الكتاب لا يحتوي على أقوال ملحدين فقط، به وبه كذلك أقوال مفكرين، إما مؤمنين، أو لا أدريين، أو ربوبيين أو غيرهم. وهذا يتنافى قليلًا مع العنوان.
الكتاب تقريبًا اقتصر نقده للأديان والله على التصور الكنسي فقط، وعلى الدين المسيحي واليهودي فقط، ولم يتحدث ولو قليلًا عن المسلمين أبدًا، وهذا مما يثير العجب.
ممم فكرة نقد الأديان ليست سيئة أبدًا، بل أرى أن كل مفكر يجب أن يتوقف قليلًا ليتابع الآراء الأخرى ويتعرف عليها، حتى لا يكون جاهلًا وحتى لا تصيبه لعنة الدوجمائية
يقول ماركس : الدين أفيون الشعوب
وأنا لا أنكر أني أتفق معه قليلًا فيما قال، أو على الأقل مع التأويل الذي قرأته عن طريق الأستاذ الدكتور توفيق الطويل في كتابه العظيم : قصة النزاع بين الدين والفلسفة والعلم.
فالدين، أو بالأصح المؤسسة الدينية، لكي نكون أكثر دقة، تم استخدامه، ولا زال، للتأثير في الرأي العام وتحريك الشعوب عن طريق اللعب بعواطفهم
ولكن هذا لا ينسحب أبدًا على الدين النصوصي والوحي الإلهي
بالفعل استغل الكهنة والرهبان والشيوخ الدين لأغراض شخصية، كادت، أو بالفعل دفعت الدين إلى هاوية عميقة.
ولكن هذا لا يجعلنا نلوم الدين في شيء أبدًا
بل علينا أن نلوم أولئك المتنطعين لا أكثر
يقول سينيسكا أيضًا في هذه النقطة : الدين يعتبر حقيقيًا من قبل العامة، وكذبًا من قبل الفلاسفة، ومفيدًا من قبل الحكام.
وهذه المقولة بالفعل تنطبق على واقعنا، فلطالما استخدم الدين من قبل الحكام للدفع بالرأي العام للإيمان بآراء قد تتعارض أصلًا مع قواعد وأسس هذا الدين.
لن أعلق على المحتوى أكثر، فهو وإن كان به بعض القضايا التي تستحق النقاش، ولكنها، لطرحها بمثل هذه السماجة، لا تجعل الأمر يستحق أي عناء.
بالمناسبة، قرأت الكتاب مصادفة، ومع ذلك لا أعتقد أني ندمت لإقحامه وسط خطة قراءتي، فهو لم يكن بهذا السوء.
كتاب لطيف، مضحك، وخفيف ويمكن أن يُقرأ بين عدة كتب أخرى، على سبيل التسلية لا أكثر
حسنًا، كيف أتعامل مع هذا الكتاب إذن؟، هل أتعامل معه على أنه كتاب ساخر، كغيره من هذه النوعية من الكتب؟
أم أعامله على أنه كتاب فكري/علمي/ثقافي/أدبي؟
في الحالة الأولى أظن أن تقييمه لن يكون أكثر من نجمة واحدة فقط، لا لأنه يستحقها، ولكن لأني لا أحب ترك الكتب بدون تقييم لا أكثر، ولأني أيضًا لا أكره - فيما أكره- شيئًا أكثر من مثل هذه الكتب
وإن تعاملت معه على أنه كتاب فكري أو غيره، فتقييمه لن يختلف كذلك كثيرًا
فكل هذه السخافات لا أظن -أبدًا- أنها قد تؤثر بشيء حقيقة في إيمان أحدهم
مسألة الإيمان أكبر بكثير من أن تقام وتنبني على كتاب ضئيل الحجم والقيمة كهذا
الكتاب - إن صح تسميته كتابًا- هو مجموعة من الأقوال والاقتباسات لمجموعة من الأدباءوالمفكرين والفلاسفة أيضًا
به بعض الأقوال اللطيفة، والتي يؤمن بها حتى الشخص المتدين، والتي أرى أنها لا تدين الدين أبدًا، بل تدين المؤسسة الدينية أو المتعصبين له
في الحقيقة لم أستطع أن آخذ الكتاب على مأخذ الجد، قرأته ككتاب مضحك وفقط، وهذا هو حقيقته تقريبًا
بالإضافة طبعًا لبضع أق��ال أخرى قد تصنف على أنها فكرية
يعيب الكتاب كثرة الأخطاء الإملائية به
ويعيبه كذلك كثرة التخليط بين أصحاب الأقوال
فبعض الأقوال نسبت خطأ لأحدهم، ثم نسبها مرة أخرى لكاتب آخر
الاقتباسات كانت مكرورة أحيانًا، إن لم تكن في اللفظ، ففي المعنى
الكتاب لا يحتوي على أقوال ملحدين فقط، به وبه كذلك أقوال مفكرين، إما مؤمنين، أو لا أدريين، أو ربوبيين أو غيرهم. وهذا يتنافى قليلًا مع العنوان.
الكتاب تقريبًا اقتصر نقده للأديان والله على التصور الكنسي فقط، وعلى الدين المسيحي واليهودي فقط، ولم يتحدث ولو قليلًا عن المسلمين أبدًا، وهذا مما يثير العجب.
ممم فكرة نقد الأديان ليست سيئة أبدًا، بل أرى أن كل مفكر يجب أن يتوقف قليلًا ليتابع الآراء الأخرى ويتعرف عليها، حتى لا يكون جاهلًا وحتى لا تصيبه لعنة الدوجمائية
يقول ماركس : الدين أفيون الشعوب
وأنا لا أنكر أني أتفق معه قليلًا فيما قال، أو على الأقل مع التأويل الذي قرأته عن طريق الأستاذ الدكتور توفيق الطويل في كتابه العظيم : قصة النزاع بين الدين والفلسفة والعلم.
فالدين، أو بالأصح المؤسسة الدينية، لكي نكون أكثر دقة، تم استخدامه، ولا زال، للتأثير في الرأي العام وتحريك الشعوب عن طريق اللعب بعواطفهم
ولكن هذا لا ينسحب أبدًا على الدين النصوصي والوحي الإلهي
بالفعل استغل الكهنة والرهبان والشيوخ الدين لأغراض شخصية، كادت، أو بالفعل دفعت الدين إلى هاوية عميقة.
ولكن هذا لا يجعلنا نلوم الدين في شيء أبدًا
بل علينا أن نلوم أولئك المتنطعين لا أكثر
يقول سينيسكا أيضًا في هذه النقطة : الدين يعتبر حقيقيًا من قبل العامة، وكذبًا من قبل الفلاسفة، ومفيدًا من قبل الحكام.
وهذه المقولة بالفعل تنطبق على واقعنا، فلطالما استخدم الدين من قبل الحكام للدفع بالرأي العام للإيمان بآراء قد تتعارض أصلًا مع قواعد وأسس هذا الدين.
لن أعلق على المحتوى أكثر، فهو وإن كان به بعض القضايا التي تستحق النقاش، ولكنها، لطرحها بمثل هذه السماجة، لا تجعل الأمر يستحق أي عناء.
بالمناسبة، قرأت الكتاب مصادفة، ومع ذلك لا أعتقد أني ندمت لإقحامه وسط خطة قراءتي، فهو لم يكن بهذا السوء.
February 26, 2012
"In some awful, strange, paradoxical way, atheists tend to take religion more seriously then the practitioners." -jonathan miller
"Well I don't think we're for anything. We're just products of evolution. You can say "Gee, your life must be pretty bleak if you don't think there's a purpose." But I'm anticipating having a good lunch" -james watson
"I will have nothing to do with your immortality; we are miserable enough in this life, without the absurdity of speculating upon another"-byron
"Well I don't think we're for anything. We're just products of evolution. You can say "Gee, your life must be pretty bleak if you don't think there's a purpose." But I'm anticipating having a good lunch" -james watson
"I will have nothing to do with your immortality; we are miserable enough in this life, without the absurdity of speculating upon another"-byron
January 2, 2016
This book is made up of a lot of good, old-fashion, snarky atheist quotes. I'm not gonna lie, they're pretty great.
January 13, 2009
Compilations of quotes can be fatiguing after the first twenty pages, but this compendium of sound-byte philosophy is relentlessly provocative. Being the sprawling, head-bumping and ultimately FREE herd of cats that atheists are, the quoted thinkers, dissidents, and entertainers are naturally discordant. For nearly every brilliantly concise argument, there is a painfully simplistic one, insinuating that editor Joan Konner's single, dogmatic tenant of atheism is that atheists by definition should never be dogmatic.
Nearly every statement sparked a mini-essay of either expansion or rebuttal in my head, and I can thus attest that this book is not ideal for bedside reading. Others were simply enjoyable, especially in their humor: "Everyone thinks God is on their side - the rich and the powerful know he is on their side." The overwhelming presence of wit in the iconoclasm of atheism and of fierce calls for humanity in the criticism of organized religion confirmed to me that there is just as much of an atheist culture in the religious regions of the West that has perservered through history as there are Jewish or evangelical ones, albeit it has grown solely from the bottom-up. This book is evidence of this growth.
Of course, atheist cultures created from the top-down seen most obviously in the Eastern bloc nations of the Cold War have existed and interestingly enough, the likes of Karl Marx and Rosa Luxemburg are blaringly absent from the pages. Perhaps it is because their staying power remains in question, for only in regions like East Germany and the Czech Republic has atheism been unwaveringly embraced by the people after the disintegration of the non-democratic governments that upheld them. Conversely, it could be due to the general though discreet success of secularism in northern Europe and Konner's intention to focus instead on the seemingly escalating and overt ostracizing of atheists in today's Western religious societies that assert that everyone's-got-to-have-some-religion.
Konner's diverse choices of quotations appear to represent her support for many atheist philosophies and her embarrassment by others. But the quote she places on the last page is by far the strongest argument she could have made for the necessity of such a book with such a paradoxical title. May religious readers not so much take offense but see it as one more reminder that Freedom of Religion has always covered the freedom to have no religion at all.
Nearly every statement sparked a mini-essay of either expansion or rebuttal in my head, and I can thus attest that this book is not ideal for bedside reading. Others were simply enjoyable, especially in their humor: "Everyone thinks God is on their side - the rich and the powerful know he is on their side." The overwhelming presence of wit in the iconoclasm of atheism and of fierce calls for humanity in the criticism of organized religion confirmed to me that there is just as much of an atheist culture in the religious regions of the West that has perservered through history as there are Jewish or evangelical ones, albeit it has grown solely from the bottom-up. This book is evidence of this growth.
Of course, atheist cultures created from the top-down seen most obviously in the Eastern bloc nations of the Cold War have existed and interestingly enough, the likes of Karl Marx and Rosa Luxemburg are blaringly absent from the pages. Perhaps it is because their staying power remains in question, for only in regions like East Germany and the Czech Republic has atheism been unwaveringly embraced by the people after the disintegration of the non-democratic governments that upheld them. Conversely, it could be due to the general though discreet success of secularism in northern Europe and Konner's intention to focus instead on the seemingly escalating and overt ostracizing of atheists in today's Western religious societies that assert that everyone's-got-to-have-some-religion.
Konner's diverse choices of quotations appear to represent her support for many atheist philosophies and her embarrassment by others. But the quote she places on the last page is by far the strongest argument she could have made for the necessity of such a book with such a paradoxical title. May religious readers not so much take offense but see it as one more reminder that Freedom of Religion has always covered the freedom to have no religion at all.
April 20, 2008
Forget Chicken Soup for the Soul. This book is way funnier, and way more reliable. Good for retorts.
April 3, 2015
الكتاب ملئ بمقتطفات لعظماء أنكروا الدين بأس��وب فكاهى ساخر ..
June 18, 2023
This is a fun, 175-page collection of quotes from atheists, agnostics, and I'm suspecting even some believers who like to poke at religions and the actions of some religious folks. Having read or heard Dawkins, Hitchens, Russell, Sagan, Paine, Harris, etc., I found many of the quotes familiar and already on my brain hard drive. I kind of wish I would've marked some of the quotes, there were some doozies. I'm sure I'll revisit this little book again and again.
The book is cleverly organized in to 33 book with biblical-like chapter names such as "Genesis", "Proverbs", "Our Forefathers Who Art in Heaven", the "Book of Mark (Twain)", the "Book of Bertrand (Russell)", the "Book of Robert (G. Ingersoll)", and the "Book of Voltaire", etc. You get the picture. The book contains an index of the 244 people quote so you can go back and revisit that pithy remark from your favorite philosopher, author, comedian, politician, actor, etc. I was surprised not to read any quotes from three of my favorite atheists, Daniel Dennett, Stephen Hawking, and Julia Sweeney. I guess it's hard to catch them all.
It's hard to pick a favorite but I found these two ancient quotes particularly good:
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the philosophers as false, and by the rulers as useful." - Seneca The Younger (4 BCE - 65 CE)
"Do not pass by my epitaph, traveler.
But having stopped, listen and learn, then go your way.
There is no boat in Hades, no ferryman Charon.
No caretaker Aiakos, no dog Cerberus.
All we who are dead below
Have become bones and ashes, but nothing else.
I have spoken to you honestly, go on, traveler.
Lest even while dead I seem loquacious to you." - Ancient Roman Tombstone
The book is cleverly organized in to 33 book with biblical-like chapter names such as "Genesis", "Proverbs", "Our Forefathers Who Art in Heaven", the "Book of Mark (Twain)", the "Book of Bertrand (Russell)", the "Book of Robert (G. Ingersoll)", and the "Book of Voltaire", etc. You get the picture. The book contains an index of the 244 people quote so you can go back and revisit that pithy remark from your favorite philosopher, author, comedian, politician, actor, etc. I was surprised not to read any quotes from three of my favorite atheists, Daniel Dennett, Stephen Hawking, and Julia Sweeney. I guess it's hard to catch them all.
It's hard to pick a favorite but I found these two ancient quotes particularly good:
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the philosophers as false, and by the rulers as useful." - Seneca The Younger (4 BCE - 65 CE)
"Do not pass by my epitaph, traveler.
But having stopped, listen and learn, then go your way.
There is no boat in Hades, no ferryman Charon.
No caretaker Aiakos, no dog Cerberus.
All we who are dead below
Have become bones and ashes, but nothing else.
I have spoken to you honestly, go on, traveler.
Lest even while dead I seem loquacious to you." - Ancient Roman Tombstone
June 22, 2008
Not incredibly well-organized, to be honest (although it tries to be), but it still contains a lot of great quotes from respected people, and it's great for a read-a-bit-before-bed kind of book.
January 9, 2018
لا أعلم ولست عالماً وهل أعلم ؟ لست أدرى..
من الضحية؟ الملحدون أم الله؟
جدال كثير وأفكار جمة تراودنى ولم اجد لها حل وإجابة وهذا هو العدم الكبير وأساس المشكلة..
نحن وجدنا بأسئلة ليس لها إجابة،، ولن يوجد لها، ثمة هوى أوجدها هذا الاله البعيد غير المعروف أو غير المرغوب فيه أو غير الموجود
من الضحية؟ الملحدون أم الله؟
جدال كثير وأفكار جمة تراودنى ولم اجد لها حل وإجابة وهذا هو العدم الكبير وأساس المشكلة..
نحن وجدنا بأسئلة ليس لها إجابة،، ولن يوجد لها، ثمة هوى أوجدها هذا الاله البعيد غير المعروف أو غير المرغوب فيه أو غير الموجود
January 10, 2020
A delightful collection of inspiring, enlightening quotes from witty freethinkers from all over the globe and of the past 2,000+ years. This one's going on my shelf right next to The Devil's Dictionary!
October 15, 2015
A useful collection of quotes containing a wide variety of "irreverent thoughts" from some 250 authors and thinkers. I've owned this for years and often dip into it for citations, reference, inspiration, and entertainment.
December 4, 2023
An entertaining , thought-provoking collection of quotes, ideas, and musings about The Bible, Christianity and atheism through the eyes of some of histories greatest thinkers. It is sometimes satirical, sometimes irreverent, often intelligent, and always spot on. Atheists and Christians alike can learn a great deal from reading this book. Some examples include:
Properly read, The Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived. - Isaac Asimov
Not one man in ten thousand has the goodness of heart or strength of mind to be an atheist. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Most religions have canonized a few products of ancient ignorance and derangement and passed them down to us as though they are primordial truths. This leaves billions of us believing what no sane person would believe on their own. - Sam Harris
The philosophy of atheism represents a concept of life without any metaphysical beyond or divine regulator. It is the concept of an actual, real world with its liberating, expanding and beautifying possibilities, as against an unreal world with its spirits, oracles and mean contentment that has kept humanity in helpless degradation. - Emma Goldman
A man is accepted into church for what he believes and turned out for what he knows. - Mark Twain
And that what we call God's justice is only man's idea of what he would do if he were God. - Elbert Hubbard
Is Man one of God's mistakes or God one of Man's? - Friedrich Nietzsche
Reverance is the spiritual attitude of a man to a God and a dog to a man. - Ambrose Bierce
And of course my personal favorite, which has been attributed to many throughout history -God did not create man, man created God.
Properly read, The Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived. - Isaac Asimov
Not one man in ten thousand has the goodness of heart or strength of mind to be an atheist. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Most religions have canonized a few products of ancient ignorance and derangement and passed them down to us as though they are primordial truths. This leaves billions of us believing what no sane person would believe on their own. - Sam Harris
The philosophy of atheism represents a concept of life without any metaphysical beyond or divine regulator. It is the concept of an actual, real world with its liberating, expanding and beautifying possibilities, as against an unreal world with its spirits, oracles and mean contentment that has kept humanity in helpless degradation. - Emma Goldman
A man is accepted into church for what he believes and turned out for what he knows. - Mark Twain
And that what we call God's justice is only man's idea of what he would do if he were God. - Elbert Hubbard
Is Man one of God's mistakes or God one of Man's? - Friedrich Nietzsche
Reverance is the spiritual attitude of a man to a God and a dog to a man. - Ambrose Bierce
And of course my personal favorite, which has been attributed to many throughout history -God did not create man, man created God.
March 22, 2017
Interesante compilado de frases, pensamientos y analogías de varios personajes contra las religiones organizadas.
En lo personal no esperaba que fuera tan ameno el libro, ya que basicamente escritos de este tipo suelen ser aburridos. Empero, la autora se las ingenia para darles cierto dinamismo y hasta cierto toque de humor.
A su vez sirve como un ejercicio de tolerancia, algo que los neofitos ateos 2.0 desconocen, son igual de fanaticos que sus antagonistas creyentes.
Ernest Hemingway dijo alguna vez: "Todo hombre que piensa es ateo". No creo que esta sea una máxima, pero funciona bastante bien para evitarse una larga discusión con respecto a este tema al menos por mi, superado hace añares.
En lo personal no esperaba que fuera tan ameno el libro, ya que basicamente escritos de este tipo suelen ser aburridos. Empero, la autora se las ingenia para darles cierto dinamismo y hasta cierto toque de humor.
A su vez sirve como un ejercicio de tolerancia, algo que los neofitos ateos 2.0 desconocen, son igual de fanaticos que sus antagonistas creyentes.
Ernest Hemingway dijo alguna vez: "Todo hombre que piensa es ateo". No creo que esta sea una máxima, pero funciona bastante bien para evitarse una larga discusión con respecto a este tema al menos por mi, superado hace añares.
August 20, 2018
"Bir tenyanın bakış açısından yaklaşırsak, insanlık Tanrı tarafından tenyaların iştahını doyurmak için yaratılmıştır.
EDWARD ABBEY"
"Çağdaş dünyanın bütün dinsel sorunlarının kaynağı, Kudüs'te bir Akıl Hastanesi bulunmayışıdır.
HAVELOCK ELLIS"
"Şehitlik, bir insanın herhangi bir yeteneği olmadan şöhret olmasının tek yoludur.
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW"
"Marx hatalıydı. Din, insanlığın afyonu değildir. Afyon; uyutucu, hissizleştirici, sıkıcı şeyleri akla getiriyor. Ama din, sıklıkla korkunun afrodizyağı, gaddarlığın amfetamini olmuştur. En iyi olduğu durumda ruhları ayağa kaldırmış, çan kuleleri dikmiştir. En kötü olduğu durumdaysa bütün uygarlıkları mezarlığa çevirmiştir.
PHILLIP ADAMS"
"İnsanlar kötülüğü hiçbir zaman, dini inançları uğruna yaptıkları zamanki kadar eksiksiz ve neşeli yapmazlar.
BLAISE PASCAL"
"Birçok vaaz bana sanki birer reklammış gibi geliyor, ama Tanrı'nın sponsor mu, yoksa ürün mü olduğunu bir türlü anlayamıyorum.
MIGNON MCLAUGHLIN"
"zekâsı ve bir eğitimi olan her insan gibi ben de organik evrime inanıyorum. Bu tarihte hâlâ bu soruların soruluyor olması beni şaşırtıyor.
WOODROW WILSON (1922"
"İnsanlara, bu dünyada daha mutlu ve daha çağdaş olabilme; kendi kaderinin sahibi, kendi ruhunun kaptanı olarak gerçek bir insan olabilme kapasitesine sahip olduklarını öğretmeyen hiçbir yasa, din ya da benzer şeyle işim olsun istemem.
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU"
"Herhangi bir şeye inanan birisini ikna edemezsiniz, çünkü inançları kanıta değil, inanmaya duydukları köklü ihtiyaca dayanır.
CARL SAGAN"
"Bütün dinler, insanlara, nefsin ya da kalbin faziletleri için öbür dünyada sonsuza kadar ödüllendirilecekleri sözünü verir, aklın ve anlayışın faziletleri için değil.
ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER"
"Evrime alternatif olarak "Yaratılış bilimi"ni öğreteceksek, o zaman biyolojik çoğalmaya alternatif olarak da leylek hikâyesini anlatmamız gerekir.
JUDITH HAYES"
"Şu âna kadar hiç kimse, en azından benim bildiğim kadarıyla, Zeus ya da Thor'un olmadığını ispatlamaya çalışmadı, ama onların müritleri günümüzde o kadar az sayıda ki.
ARTHUR C. CLARKE"
"Tanrılar hassas şeylerdir; bir bilim esintisi ya da bir doz sağduyuyla yerle bir edilebilirler.
CHAPMAN COHEN"
"Tanrı yoksa, o zaman ateistler de yoktur.
G.K. CHESTERTON"
"Uygulamalı ateizmin, cezalandırmadan insanlara din değiştirten ve vaaz vermeden onları elinde tutan üç önemli misyoneri vardır: Refah, Sağlık ve İktidar.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON"
"İncil'in bize asıl öğrettiği şey şudur: Birini öldürmeden önce, bir yerde bağlantıları olup olmadığından kesinlikle emin olun.
KURT VONNEGUT, JR"
"Din, insanlığı harap etmede öteki her şeyden çok daha fazlasını yapmıştır.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG"
"Dua etmek sallanan sandalye gibidir; oyalanma fırsatı verir, ama bir yere götürmez.
GYPSY ROSE LEE"
"Din, insanlığın asaletine edilmiş bir küfürdür. O olsun ya da olmasın, hayatınızda iyi şeyler yapan iyi insanlar ve kötü şeyler yapan kötü insanlar her zaman olacak. Ama iyi insanların kötü şeyler yapması için din gerekiyor.
STEVEN WEINBERG"
"Doktorumun, "akıllı tasarım"ın evrimle aynı inandırıcılıkta bir hipotez olduğuna, pilotumun dünyanın düz olduğuna inandığından daha çok inanmasını istemem.
JAMES LANGER"
"Neden seksle ilgili konularda Papa'dan tavsiye alalım ki? Seks hakkında en ufak bir şey biliyorsa, bilmemiş olması gerekir.
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW"
"HIRİSTİYAN: Yeni Ahit'in, komşusunun ruhsal ihtiyaçlarına hayranlık uyandıracak biçimde uygun, kutsal ve ilham dolu bir kitap olduğuna inanan kişidir.
AMBROSE BIERCE"
"Kendi kendime hep, benim ateizmimin tıpkı Spinoza'nınki gibi, evrene karşı gerçek bir saygı olduğunu ve yalnızca, insanların arzularının kölesi olmak için kendi suretlerinden yarattıkları tanrıları reddeden bir ateizm olduğunu söyleyebilirim"
"İyi bir okul müdürü, yüz rahipten daha yararlıdır"
"ROBERT KİTABI
(G. INGERSOLL) "
"Korku inanırken, cesaret şüphelenir. Korku yere kapaklanıp dua ederken, cesaret ayağa kalkıp düşünür. Korku geri çekilirken, cesaret ileri gider. Korku barbarlıktır, cesaret uygarlık. Korku büyücülüğe, şeytanlara ve hayaletlere inanır. Korku dindir, cesaretse bilim"
"Papazlar dualarının gerçekten işe yaradığını düşünüyor ve kurbağalar da baharı vıraklayarak getirdiklerine inanıyor olabilirler"
"Hayatı bir dans olarak görüyorum. Dansın bir anlamının olması gerekir mi? Dans edersiniz, çünkü bundan zevk alırsınız.
JACKIE MASON
"
"Çok çalışıp, zor yaşayıp, sıkı ölüp üstüne bir de cehenneme gidebilecek olmak çok ağır.
CARL SANDBURG
"
"Gelmemek üzere yitip gidendir
Hayatı bu denli yaşanılır kılan.
EMILY DICKINSON"
EDWARD ABBEY"
"Çağdaş dünyanın bütün dinsel sorunlarının kaynağı, Kudüs'te bir Akıl Hastanesi bulunmayışıdır.
HAVELOCK ELLIS"
"Şehitlik, bir insanın herhangi bir yeteneği olmadan şöhret olmasının tek yoludur.
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW"
"Marx hatalıydı. Din, insanlığın afyonu değildir. Afyon; uyutucu, hissizleştirici, sıkıcı şeyleri akla getiriyor. Ama din, sıklıkla korkunun afrodizyağı, gaddarlığın amfetamini olmuştur. En iyi olduğu durumda ruhları ayağa kaldırmış, çan kuleleri dikmiştir. En kötü olduğu durumdaysa bütün uygarlıkları mezarlığa çevirmiştir.
PHILLIP ADAMS"
"İnsanlar kötülüğü hiçbir zaman, dini inançları uğruna yaptıkları zamanki kadar eksiksiz ve neşeli yapmazlar.
BLAISE PASCAL"
"Birçok vaaz bana sanki birer reklammış gibi geliyor, ama Tanrı'nın sponsor mu, yoksa ürün mü olduğunu bir türlü anlayamıyorum.
MIGNON MCLAUGHLIN"
"zekâsı ve bir eğitimi olan her insan gibi ben de organik evrime inanıyorum. Bu tarihte hâlâ bu soruların soruluyor olması beni şaşırtıyor.
WOODROW WILSON (1922"
"İnsanlara, bu dünyada daha mutlu ve daha çağdaş olabilme; kendi kaderinin sahibi, kendi ruhunun kaptanı olarak gerçek bir insan olabilme kapasitesine sahip olduklarını öğretmeyen hiçbir yasa, din ya da benzer şeyle işim olsun istemem.
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU"
"Herhangi bir şeye inanan birisini ikna edemezsiniz, çünkü inançları kanıta değil, inanmaya duydukları köklü ihtiyaca dayanır.
CARL SAGAN"
"Bütün dinler, insanlara, nefsin ya da kalbin faziletleri için öbür dünyada sonsuza kadar ödüllendirilecekleri sözünü verir, aklın ve anlayışın faziletleri için değil.
ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER"
"Evrime alternatif olarak "Yaratılış bilimi"ni öğreteceksek, o zaman biyolojik çoğalmaya alternatif olarak da leylek hikâyesini anlatmamız gerekir.
JUDITH HAYES"
"Şu âna kadar hiç kimse, en azından benim bildiğim kadarıyla, Zeus ya da Thor'un olmadığını ispatlamaya çalışmadı, ama onların müritleri günümüzde o kadar az sayıda ki.
ARTHUR C. CLARKE"
"Tanrılar hassas şeylerdir; bir bilim esintisi ya da bir doz sağduyuyla yerle bir edilebilirler.
CHAPMAN COHEN"
"Tanrı yoksa, o zaman ateistler de yoktur.
G.K. CHESTERTON"
"Uygulamalı ateizmin, cezalandırmadan insanlara din değiştirten ve vaaz vermeden onları elinde tutan üç önemli misyoneri vardır: Refah, Sağlık ve İktidar.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON"
"İncil'in bize asıl öğrettiği şey şudur: Birini öldürmeden önce, bir yerde bağlantıları olup olmadığından kesinlikle emin olun.
KURT VONNEGUT, JR"
"Din, insanlığı harap etmede öteki her şeyden çok daha fazlasını yapmıştır.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG"
"Dua etmek sallanan sandalye gibidir; oyalanma fırsatı verir, ama bir yere götürmez.
GYPSY ROSE LEE"
"Din, insanlığın asaletine edilmiş bir küfürdür. O olsun ya da olmasın, hayatınızda iyi şeyler yapan iyi insanlar ve kötü şeyler yapan kötü insanlar her zaman olacak. Ama iyi insanların kötü şeyler yapması için din gerekiyor.
STEVEN WEINBERG"
"Doktorumun, "akıllı tasarım"ın evrimle aynı inandırıcılıkta bir hipotez olduğuna, pilotumun dünyanın düz olduğuna inandığından daha çok inanmasını istemem.
JAMES LANGER"
"Neden seksle ilgili konularda Papa'dan tavsiye alalım ki? Seks hakkında en ufak bir şey biliyorsa, bilmemiş olması gerekir.
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW"
"HIRİSTİYAN: Yeni Ahit'in, komşusunun ruhsal ihtiyaçlarına hayranlık uyandıracak biçimde uygun, kutsal ve ilham dolu bir kitap olduğuna inanan kişidir.
AMBROSE BIERCE"
"Kendi kendime hep, benim ateizmimin tıpkı Spinoza'nınki gibi, evrene karşı gerçek bir saygı olduğunu ve yalnızca, insanların arzularının kölesi olmak için kendi suretlerinden yarattıkları tanrıları reddeden bir ateizm olduğunu söyleyebilirim"
"İyi bir okul müdürü, yüz rahipten daha yararlıdır"
"ROBERT KİTABI
(G. INGERSOLL) "
"Korku inanırken, cesaret şüphelenir. Korku yere kapaklanıp dua ederken, cesaret ayağa kalkıp düşünür. Korku geri çekilirken, cesaret ileri gider. Korku barbarlıktır, cesaret uygarlık. Korku büyücülüğe, şeytanlara ve hayaletlere inanır. Korku dindir, cesaretse bilim"
"Papazlar dualarının gerçekten işe yaradığını düşünüyor ve kurbağalar da baharı vıraklayarak getirdiklerine inanıyor olabilirler"
"Hayatı bir dans olarak görüyorum. Dansın bir anlamının olması gerekir mi? Dans edersiniz, çünkü bundan zevk alırsınız.
JACKIE MASON
"
"Çok çalışıp, zor yaşayıp, sıkı ölüp üstüne bir de cehenneme gidebilecek olmak çok ağır.
CARL SANDBURG
"
"Gelmemek üzere yitip gidendir
Hayatı bu denli yaşanılır kılan.
EMILY DICKINSON"
March 16, 2017
Çipetpet ama lezzetli çipetpet değil. Amatörü eğlendirir.
2.5/5
2.5/5
October 27, 2015
ترجمة العنوان الأصح "إنجيل الملحدين" و ليس "الكتاب المقدس" ,و كمان لتلافي التناقض لإن باقي العنوان "توضيح لمجموعة من الأفكار غير المقدسة" ,
اسم المؤلف يترجم "جوان" و ليس "جون" ,
فيه غلطات إملائية كتير ,
فصياغة بعض الجمل متواضعة ,
فيه غلطات في ترجمة أسماء الأعلام زي "لودفيج فتجنشتين" ,مترجمة لـ"وتجنشتين" ,المترجم مش عارف إن الـW الألماني تنطق V ,و اسم تاني ترجمه الـC لـ س بدلا من ك لإنه لم يلاحظ وجود الحرف المتحرك بعده !!
تنسيق الكتاب وحش جدا طبعا زي كل كتب الشبكة ,
أما عن الكتاب نفسه ,فهو اقتباسات فقط ,
ففيه اقتباسات جيدة , اقتباسات مكررة , اقتباسات سيئة , اقتباسات لا معنى لها أصلا , لقطعها من سياقها أو لأي سبب آخر.
بدءً من نص الكتاب هتحس بالملل لان المضمون ثابت تقريبا و مجرد تعبيرات مختلفة , ودا مبعث كبير للملل , ومن غير فائدة !!
بعض الاقتباسات الكويسة :
"الشهادة هي الطريقة الوحيدة للمرء ليصبح مشهورا بدون أي مهارات" جورج برنارد شو
"الدين ليس فقط لرفع المعنويات بل أيضا لرفع الرماح" فيليب أدام
"الدين هو ما يصرف الفقراء عن قتل الأغنياء" نابليون بونابرت
"الدين الذي يخاف العلم يقلل شرف الله " رالف والدو امرسون
"الحقيقة هي ما يبقى موجودا بعد أن تتوقف عن الإيمان به" فيليب.ك.ديك
"عليك أن تحترم ديانة الشخص الآخر ,ولكن بنفس المقدار والحس والدرجة التي تحترم نظريته عن كون زوجته جميلة وأطفاله أذكياء" اتش.ال.مينكين
"لو أعطيت القدرة الكلية , وملايين السنين للتجربة , فلا أعتقد أني سأفخر بأن الإنسان هو الناتج النهائي لعملي" برتراند راسل
"حتى يصبح أحد ما متأكدا من أمر ما , عليه أن يعرف كل شيء عنه , أو لا شيء على الإطلاق" اولين ميلر
"عندما كنت طفلا اعتدت ان أصلي كل ليلة من أجل دراجة جديدة ,بعدها عرفت بأن التعامل مع الله لا يكون بهذا الشكل , فسرقت دراجة ,وطلب منه أن يغفر لي" ايمو فيليبس
اسم المؤلف يترجم "جوان" و ليس "جون" ,
فيه غلطات إملائية كتير ,
فصياغة بعض الجمل متواضعة ,
فيه غلطات في ترجمة أسماء الأعلام زي "لودفيج فتجنشتين" ,مترجمة لـ"وتجنشتين" ,المترجم مش عارف إن الـW الألماني تنطق V ,و اسم تاني ترجمه الـC لـ س بدلا من ك لإنه لم يلاحظ وجود الحرف المتحرك بعده !!
تنسيق الكتاب وحش جدا طبعا زي كل كتب الشبكة ,
أما عن الكتاب نفسه ,فهو اقتباسات فقط ,
ففيه اقتباسات جيدة , اقتباسات مكررة , اقتباسات سيئة , اقتباسات لا معنى لها أصلا , لقطعها من سياقها أو لأي سبب آخر.
بدءً من نص الكتاب هتحس بالملل لان المضمون ثابت تقريبا و مجرد تعبيرات مختلفة , ودا مبعث كبير للملل , ومن غير فائدة !!
بعض الاقتباسات الكويسة :
"الشهادة هي الطريقة الوحيدة للمرء ليصبح مشهورا بدون أي مهارات" جورج برنارد شو
"الدين ليس فقط لرفع المعنويات بل أيضا لرفع الرماح" فيليب أدام
"الدين هو ما يصرف الفقراء عن قتل الأغنياء" نابليون بونابرت
"الدين الذي يخاف العلم يقلل شرف الله " رالف والدو امرسون
"الحقيقة هي ما يبقى موجودا بعد أن تتوقف عن الإيمان به" فيليب.ك.ديك
"عليك أن تحترم ديانة الشخص الآخر ,ولكن بنفس المقدار والحس والدرجة التي تحترم نظريته عن كون زوجته جميلة وأطفاله أذكياء" اتش.ال.مينكين
"لو أعطيت القدرة الكلية , وملايين السنين للتجربة , فلا أعتقد أني سأفخر بأن الإنسان هو الناتج النهائي لعملي" برتراند راسل
"حتى يصبح أحد ما متأكدا من أمر ما , عليه أن يعرف كل شيء عنه , أو لا شيء على الإطلاق" اولين ميلر
"عندما كنت طفلا اعتدت ان أصلي كل ليلة من أجل دراجة جديدة ,بعدها عرفت بأن التعامل مع الله لا يكون بهذا الشكل , فسرقت دراجة ,وطلب منه أن يغفر لي" ايمو فيليبس
August 5, 2008
Several telling quotes from this delightful and thought-provoking book:
"Religious hatreds ought not be propagated at all, but certainly not on a tax-exempt basis."
- James Michener
"I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of 'conservatism'."
- Barry Goldwater
"If there were not God, there would be no atheists."
- G. K. Chesterton
"Religious hatreds ought not be propagated at all, but certainly not on a tax-exempt basis."
- James Michener
"I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of 'conservatism'."
- Barry Goldwater
"If there were not God, there would be no atheists."
- G. K. Chesterton
October 27, 2023
I liked this. The problem, though, is Ms. Konner doesn’t provide sources for these quotes. That means I have to hunt them down and verify they are real before I can use them. Some are easy, … and some are not. That will be a project for another day.
Some of the ones I highlighted…
“Editor’s Note A substantial number of the quotes in this volume come from works of fiction. It is important to note that authors do not necessarily agree with the words, ideas, or opinions expressed by the characters they create.”
“The world would be astonished if it knew how great a proportion of its brightest ornaments—of those most distinguished even in popular estimation for wisdom and virtue—are complete skeptics in religion.—JOHN STUART MILL”
“Geology shows that fossils are of different ages. Paleontology shows a fossil sequence, the list of species representing changes through time. Taxonomy shows biological relationships among species. Evolution is the explanation that threads it all together. Creationism is the practice of squeezing one’s eyes shut and wailing “Does not!”—ANONYMOUS”
{Hah!}
“Since it is obviously inconceivable that all religions can be right, the most reasonable conclusion is that they are all wrong.—CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS”
“In some awful, strange, paradoxical way, atheists tend to take religion more seriously than the practitioners.—JONATHAN MILLER”
“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.—BLAISE PASCAL”
“If God wants us to do a thing he should make his wishes sufficiently clear. Sensible people will wait till he has done this before paying much attention to him.—SAMUEL BUTLER”
“Religious hatreds ought not be propagated at all, but certainly not on a tax-exempt basis.—JAMES A . MICHENER”
“Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects?—JAMES MADISON”
{The best at exclusion}
“A material resurrection seems strange, and even absurd, except for purposes of punishment; and all punishment, which is to revenge rather than correct, must be morally wrong. And when the World is at an end, what moral or warning purpose can eternal tortures answer?—LORD BYRON”
“The difference between religions and cults is determined by how much real estate is owned.—FRANK ZAPPA”
“My mind is incapable of conceiving such a thing as a soul. I may be in error, and man may have a soul; but I simply do not believe it.—THOMAS EDISON”
“Not to be absolutely certain is, I think, one of the essential things in rationality.—BERTRAND RUSSELL”
“I am convinced now that children should not be subjected to the frightfulness of the Christian religion. . . . If the concept of a father who plots to have his own son put to death is presented to children as beautiful and as worthy of society’s admiration, what types of human behavior can be presented to them as reprehensible?—RUTH HURMENCE GREEN”
“The Good Book”—one of the most remarkable euphemisms ever coined.—ASHLEY MONTAGU”
“But no public man . . . ever believes that the Bible means what it says: he is always convinced that it says what he means.—GEORGE BERNARD SHAW”
“He, who begins by loving Christianity better than Truth, will proceed by loving his own Sect or Church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all.—SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE”
“The greatest tragedy in mankind’s entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion.—ARTHUR C. CLARKE”
“Not one man in ten thousand has goodness of heart or strength of mind to be an atheist.—SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE”
“You never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. . . . Only man behaves with such gratuitous folly. It is the price he has to pay for being intelligent, but not, as yet, quite intelligent enough.—ALDOUS HUXLEY”
“I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.—RICHARD DAWKINS”
“For what is Truth? In matters of religion, it is simply the opinion that has survived. In matters of science, it is the ultimate sensation.—OSCAR WILDE”
“I once wanted to become an atheist. I gave up the idea. They have no holidays.—HENNY YOUNGMAN”
{Well actually… they have all of the holidays!}
“CHRISTIAN: One who believes that the New Testament is a divinely inspired book admirably suited to the spiritual needs of his neighbor.—AMBROSE BIERCE”
“It’s hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.—BILL WATTERSON ”
“I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God’s will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at a commensurate speed.—MAYA ANGELOU”
“If I were granted omnipotence, and millions of years to experiment in, I should not think Man much to boast of as the final result of all my efforts.”
&
“So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.”
Bertrand Russell
“There is no sect in geometry; one does not refer to a Euclidean or Archimedean.”
Voltaire
“Theology is an attempt to explain a subject by men who do not understand it. The intent is not to tell the truth but to satisfy the questioner.”
Elbert Hubbard
“The Christian resolve to find the world ugly and bad has made the world ugly and bad.”
&
“Mystical explanations are considered deep. The truth is that they are not even superficial.”
FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE
“SAINT, n. A dead sinner revised and edited.”
“PRAY, v. To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.”
Ambrose Bierce
“I see life as a dance. Does a dance have to have a meaning? You’re dancing because you enjoy it.—JACKIE MASON”
{I like this}
Some of the ones I highlighted…
“Editor’s Note A substantial number of the quotes in this volume come from works of fiction. It is important to note that authors do not necessarily agree with the words, ideas, or opinions expressed by the characters they create.”
“The world would be astonished if it knew how great a proportion of its brightest ornaments—of those most distinguished even in popular estimation for wisdom and virtue—are complete skeptics in religion.—JOHN STUART MILL”
“Geology shows that fossils are of different ages. Paleontology shows a fossil sequence, the list of species representing changes through time. Taxonomy shows biological relationships among species. Evolution is the explanation that threads it all together. Creationism is the practice of squeezing one’s eyes shut and wailing “Does not!”—ANONYMOUS”
{Hah!}
“Since it is obviously inconceivable that all religions can be right, the most reasonable conclusion is that they are all wrong.—CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS”
“In some awful, strange, paradoxical way, atheists tend to take religion more seriously than the practitioners.—JONATHAN MILLER”
“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.—BLAISE PASCAL”
“If God wants us to do a thing he should make his wishes sufficiently clear. Sensible people will wait till he has done this before paying much attention to him.—SAMUEL BUTLER”
“Religious hatreds ought not be propagated at all, but certainly not on a tax-exempt basis.—JAMES A . MICHENER”
“Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects?—JAMES MADISON”
{The best at exclusion}
“A material resurrection seems strange, and even absurd, except for purposes of punishment; and all punishment, which is to revenge rather than correct, must be morally wrong. And when the World is at an end, what moral or warning purpose can eternal tortures answer?—LORD BYRON”
“The difference between religions and cults is determined by how much real estate is owned.—FRANK ZAPPA”
“My mind is incapable of conceiving such a thing as a soul. I may be in error, and man may have a soul; but I simply do not believe it.—THOMAS EDISON”
“Not to be absolutely certain is, I think, one of the essential things in rationality.—BERTRAND RUSSELL”
“I am convinced now that children should not be subjected to the frightfulness of the Christian religion. . . . If the concept of a father who plots to have his own son put to death is presented to children as beautiful and as worthy of society’s admiration, what types of human behavior can be presented to them as reprehensible?—RUTH HURMENCE GREEN”
“The Good Book”—one of the most remarkable euphemisms ever coined.—ASHLEY MONTAGU”
“But no public man . . . ever believes that the Bible means what it says: he is always convinced that it says what he means.—GEORGE BERNARD SHAW”
“He, who begins by loving Christianity better than Truth, will proceed by loving his own Sect or Church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all.—SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE”
“The greatest tragedy in mankind’s entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion.—ARTHUR C. CLARKE”
“Not one man in ten thousand has goodness of heart or strength of mind to be an atheist.—SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE”
“You never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. . . . Only man behaves with such gratuitous folly. It is the price he has to pay for being intelligent, but not, as yet, quite intelligent enough.—ALDOUS HUXLEY”
“I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.—RICHARD DAWKINS”
“For what is Truth? In matters of religion, it is simply the opinion that has survived. In matters of science, it is the ultimate sensation.—OSCAR WILDE”
“I once wanted to become an atheist. I gave up the idea. They have no holidays.—HENNY YOUNGMAN”
{Well actually… they have all of the holidays!}
“CHRISTIAN: One who believes that the New Testament is a divinely inspired book admirably suited to the spiritual needs of his neighbor.—AMBROSE BIERCE”
“It’s hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.—BILL WATTERSON ”
“I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God’s will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at a commensurate speed.—MAYA ANGELOU”
“If I were granted omnipotence, and millions of years to experiment in, I should not think Man much to boast of as the final result of all my efforts.”
&
“So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.”
Bertrand Russell
“There is no sect in geometry; one does not refer to a Euclidean or Archimedean.”
Voltaire
“Theology is an attempt to explain a subject by men who do not understand it. The intent is not to tell the truth but to satisfy the questioner.”
Elbert Hubbard
“The Christian resolve to find the world ugly and bad has made the world ugly and bad.”
&
“Mystical explanations are considered deep. The truth is that they are not even superficial.”
FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE
“SAINT, n. A dead sinner revised and edited.”
“PRAY, v. To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.”
Ambrose Bierce
“I see life as a dance. Does a dance have to have a meaning? You’re dancing because you enjoy it.—JACKIE MASON”
{I like this}
September 12, 2007
Quotes, most of which are familiar but no less cogent for being so. Includes this gem from Carl Sagan: "The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides."
December 10, 2011
A fun and tiny collection of quotes from famous Atheists throughout history seperated into specific "books", including; the Book of Bertrand (Russell), Book of Thomas (Paine), and Book of Friedrich (Nietzsche), among others. A quick, humorous read.
August 31, 2013
Un libro de citas de gente conocida hablando de la religión (normalmente no lo hacen a favor). Entretenido, con algunas de ellas brillantes y dignas de guardar. El título es lo peor. El libro es interesante.
December 17, 2015
Some pithy quotes, but the book isn't sourced and shouldn't be used as a credible reference. I found at least two quotes that were spurious. That's two too many...and there were likely more.
March 16, 2019
The most brilliant minds in history were atheists. I'm in good company.
February 7, 2021
it is a great book
January 26, 2024
It was a really fun yet dumb read so idk how to rate it.. the whole gist of the "book" is that fedora tippers (is that a thing anymore) would randomly quote it on social occasions/online/in, god forbid, other media, and that it would be funny to hear them say "It's vain to ask of God what man is capable of supplying to himself", Epicurus, Book of Reason, 3/1 or sth, thereby creating an incredibly dull inside joke for the community across the globe.
What makes the book so dumb is not even the anticipated fake citations, it's the general disinterest for the material which it mocks; the chapter disposition shows zero knowledge of the actual Bible, as of course, do the random higher education western male quotes sprinkled around it ("OH, is god up there?? well then tell him to stop the rain today, im freezing!" or whatever does the witty banter in the actual passages say).
You have to understand something in order to mock it; and this is where atheism as a "movement" usually fails, this book is just a glaring reflection of that.
If I may offer some content suggestions for the atheists in the future:
- maybe don't just pick on christianity, it makes you look like a woke bully,
- focus on the whys, not the hows, if possible at least sometimes,
- atheism feels like you're punching down because your position is rational and since rationality already won in the scientific realm, pushing religion into the scientific realm will make it sound very dumb, as most religions are focused on the irrational. Religion is not alchemy (an irrational sicence), therefore it would be more efficient to compare it to atheistic philosophies than to the atheistic sciences... but you know damn well everyone would much rather be a christian than an absurdist so you guys refrain from that and instead focus on "why does childhood bone cancer exist if it doesn't have to?? check mate god!! you suck at science and are mean! our science only cures what your dumb god cooks up!!"
- stop trying to portray religious people as idiots who don't even know that the said chidlhood bone cancer is bad; most of them do get that, and have their own explainations for it.
What makes the book so dumb is not even the anticipated fake citations, it's the general disinterest for the material which it mocks; the chapter disposition shows zero knowledge of the actual Bible, as of course, do the random higher education western male quotes sprinkled around it ("OH, is god up there?? well then tell him to stop the rain today, im freezing!" or whatever does the witty banter in the actual passages say).
You have to understand something in order to mock it; and this is where atheism as a "movement" usually fails, this book is just a glaring reflection of that.
If I may offer some content suggestions for the atheists in the future:
- maybe don't just pick on christianity, it makes you look like a woke bully,
- focus on the whys, not the hows, if possible at least sometimes,
- atheism feels like you're punching down because your position is rational and since rationality already won in the scientific realm, pushing religion into the scientific realm will make it sound very dumb, as most religions are focused on the irrational. Religion is not alchemy (an irrational sicence), therefore it would be more efficient to compare it to atheistic philosophies than to the atheistic sciences... but you know damn well everyone would much rather be a christian than an absurdist so you guys refrain from that and instead focus on "why does childhood bone cancer exist if it doesn't have to?? check mate god!! you suck at science and are mean! our science only cures what your dumb god cooks up!!"
- stop trying to portray religious people as idiots who don't even know that the said chidlhood bone cancer is bad; most of them do get that, and have their own explainations for it.
October 16, 2024
I've owned this book for a long time and have flipped through it -- and finally read it all in several sittings. It really is quite good and comprehensive -- and despite the clickbait subtitle, is not irreverent in tone and selection. (Some of the individual quotations are irreverent, as from Ambrose Beirce, but the overall tone of the book is moderate, I find; believers might feel differently, of course.)
I am a nonbeliever, so the book corresponds with my views, but I could recommend it to those who are reconsidering their faith or spirituality, questioning their own atheism or agnosticism, or just wanting to read other perspectives on faith including those of atheists. In fact, we have already loaned this book to a friend who is trying to decide where his beliefs have a home, and he has appreciated the loan for its thought-provoking qualities.
The four-star rating represents the wide breadth of quotations and authors (from Aristotle to Bart Simpson) and the excellent organization of the quotations. The book includes a good list of the authors, but I wish each selection included the text citation and date as well as the author's name; thus -1 star.
I am a nonbeliever, so the book corresponds with my views, but I could recommend it to those who are reconsidering their faith or spirituality, questioning their own atheism or agnosticism, or just wanting to read other perspectives on faith including those of atheists. In fact, we have already loaned this book to a friend who is trying to decide where his beliefs have a home, and he has appreciated the loan for its thought-provoking qualities.
The four-star rating represents the wide breadth of quotations and authors (from Aristotle to Bart Simpson) and the excellent organization of the quotations. The book includes a good list of the authors, but I wish each selection included the text citation and date as well as the author's name; thus -1 star.
May 4, 2022
O livro não é apenas uma relação de citações temáticas em torno do secularismo e da crítica ao cristianimo, ele também se volta para o movimento ateísta - suas formações, posicionamentos e até, em alguns casos, fanatismo.
A autora utiliza os moldes de organização da bíblia, tanto em escrita quanto em teor, para formar um crescendo de opiniões sobre o tema que culminam não na satisfação da proposta ateísta, mas em seus próprios defeitos, sendo reproduzidos com uma análise seca e aberta.
Infelizmente, embora o livro seja bem organizado, ele não foi bem equilibrado. Então, para o leitor que estuda o assunto, mais da metade das citações são conhecidas, e para quem não estuda o assunto, a outra metade - fora de contexto ou estudo - pode ser incompreensível.
A ideia foi boa e bem cuidada, mas esse simples erro pode ser um problema terrível para quem se dispor a ler.
A autora utiliza os moldes de organização da bíblia, tanto em escrita quanto em teor, para formar um crescendo de opiniões sobre o tema que culminam não na satisfação da proposta ateísta, mas em seus próprios defeitos, sendo reproduzidos com uma análise seca e aberta.
Infelizmente, embora o livro seja bem organizado, ele não foi bem equilibrado. Então, para o leitor que estuda o assunto, mais da metade das citações são conhecidas, e para quem não estuda o assunto, a outra metade - fora de contexto ou estudo - pode ser incompreensível.
A ideia foi boa e bem cuidada, mas esse simples erro pode ser um problema terrível para quem se dispor a ler.
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