Books about Agnostics from Amazon.com

Many books that challenge religious belief from a skeptical point of view take a combative tone that is almost guaranteed to alienate believers, or they present complex philosophical or scientific arguments that fail to reach the average reader. Guy P. Harrison argues that this is an ineffective way of trying to encourage people to develop critical thinking about religion. In this unique approach, Harrison concisely presents fifty commonly heard reasons that people often give for believing in a god. Then he raises legitimate questions regarding these reasons, showing in each case that there is much room for doubt.

From religion as the foundation of morality to the authority of sacred books, the compelling religious testimony of influential people, near-death experiences, theories from intelligent design, and much more, Harrison respectfully describes each rationale for belief and then politely shows the deficiencies that any good skeptic would point out. He also offers something in return--a hopeful and optimistic view of science, the universe, and humanity without the divisiveness, prejudice, and hatred caused by conflicting religious doctrines.

Drawing on his experiences as a nonbeliever and his extensive travels around the world, Harrison makes poignant arguments that are sure to inspire thought-provoking discussions. Whether you're a believer, a complete skeptic, or somewhere in between, you'll find his review of traditional and more recent arguments for the existence of gods refreshing, approachable, and enlightening..
Price: $11.58 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The Third Basic Instinct is a thought-provoking look at the conflict between organized religion and human nature. In addition to the basic animal instincts to survive and to reproduce, humans possess a crucial third instinct, which has been a force for scientific discovery, innovation, and emotional intelligence. Without it, humans would not have evolved so far beyond other mammals. Unfortunately, a grave threat to this fundamental asset is organized religion, which restricts human potential and emotional evolution with outdated teachings. Combining news, science, humor, and history, The Third Basic Instinct offers a journey into the importance of personal belief systems. Readable for ages twelve and up, and covering topics such as women's rights, addiction, morality, and the origin of gods, The Third Basic Instinct avoids raging about the dismantling of religion, but instead renders science the greatest belief system of all. .
Price: $15.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Society rarely acknowledges the many and varied gifts that disbelievers give to the world. Churchmen generally contend that great figures in history, such as America's founders, were conventional believers. That isn't true, and this insightful, witty collection sets the record straight! This collection chronicles dozens of famous people such as Isaac Asimov, W E B DuBois, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Benjamin Franklin, Omar Khayyam, Abraham Lincoln, James Madison, John Stuart Mill, Ayn Rand, Gene Roddenberry, Margaret Sanger, George Bernard Shaw, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Voltaire, with many quotes that reveal their rejection of the supernatural..
Price: $23.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Biography of Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899).
Price: $25.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

What if...someone asked you if you felt abundant, if you were alive and excited about your life... Could you say yes? What if... you were worthy of something greater than you ever thought possible? Worthy of a passionate, freedom filled, exuberant life of LOVE... What if you were lied to instead? This literary rollercoaster, supported by the framework of an unlikely friendship, carries you steadily up to a point and then sends you plummeting into a depth of unexpected spiritual understanding. With gut-wrenching HONESTY and sometimes hilarious CANDOR, you can discover the apple you were fed; you can unearth the lie in your life. You can find REAL fulfillment..
Price: $11.10 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In this unusual book, frank dialogs between a non-Christian and his Christian friend move intriguingly from topic to topic, covering such pertinent questions as: Is there a God? How do we know? So, why does evil exist? Why should modern man believe in the Bible rather than evolution or in miracles rather than scientific law? What are the evidences for Christianity? If Christianity is true, why has so much evil been done in its name? Can God really forgive me for what I've done?.
Price: $6.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Agnosticism--the philosophical argument that it is impossible to know whether God exists or not--has been the point of view of many distinguished thinkers from the 19th century to the present. In contrast to atheism, which asserts that God does not exist, agnosticism holds that reason and the best scientific evidence do not allow one to reach a decisive conclusion regarding the existence of God.

This reader prints selections of some of the most profound and pioneering discussions of agnosticism over the past two centuries. Beginning with early formulations of the agnostic perspective by Thomas Henry Huxley (who coined the term), Bertrand Russell, and others, editor S. T. Joshi shows how agnosticism received a strong boost in the later 19th century from the so-called higher criticism of the Bible. Selections from Edward Burnett Tylor, Arthur Schopenhauer, Robert G. Ingersoll, and Edward Westermarck made a strong case that religion was a natural product of primitive development and that the Bible was the product of an age of scientific ignorance and superstition.

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Christianity in Europe was in a state of decline among the intellectual classes. The writings of W. E. H. Leckey, Leslie Stephen, and Walter Lippmann show that leading commentators were openly pondering a European society in which Christianity was a thing of the past.

The increasing success of the natural sciences during this same time period supported the agnostic viewpoint by accounting for phenomena on a natural, rather than a supernatural, basis. Selections from John William Draper, Albert Einstein, Isaac Asimov, and others demonstrate the scientific respectability of agnosticism.

Finally, selections from such thinkers as Frederic Harrison, H. L. Mencken, and Corliss Lamont emphasize how living with agnosticism can be intellectually and morally satisfying, even exhilarating.

Overall, The Agnostic Reader shows how agnosticism can provide a framework for living with courage and dignity..
Price: $7.78 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The renowned lawyer Clarence Darrow (1857-1938) was also an impassioned defender of intellectual freedom, individual liberties, and social justice In these wide-ranging essays, Darrow attacks beliefs in the inerrancy of the Bible, the immortality of the soul, miracles, and heaven as being completely at odds with human experience and science. The life best lived, Darrow contends, is one that is ruled by reason, uncluttered by dogmatism, and aided by compassion for our fellow human beings. The essays include: Why I Am An Agnostic; The Myth of the Soul; Absurdities of the Bible; Voltaire; and The Skeleton in the Closet..
Price: $10.01 [Notify me when price goes down.]