Why Are You Atheists So Angry?: 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless

Why Are You Atheists So Angry?: 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless by Greta Christina"Why Are You Atheists So Angry?" is a book that had to be written. It's the inspirational, outspoken, thought-provoking, grounded on reality book that makes you proud to be an atheist. Iconic voice of the atheist movement and widely-read blogger Greta Christina provides a much needed book in a growing movement that is grounded on reason and evidence. In this exciting book, Christina replies directly and so powerfully to questions presented to her by believers. Her responses are direct, compelling and ultimately persuasive. A real treat and a much needed resource for all those who care about their beliefs being truthful. This 272 KB book is composed of the following fifteen chapters: 1. Why Are You Atheists So Angry?, 2. Some Answers to the Questions I know I'll Get Asked, 3. Why This UIs Religion's Fault, 4. Yes, This Means You: Moderate and Progressive Religion, 5. Yes, This Means You: New Age Religion, 6. Yes, This Means You: "Spiritual But Not Religious", 7. Yes, This Means You: Ecumenicalism and Interfaith, 8. The Top Ten Reasons I Don't Believe In God, 9. Why "Religion Is Useful" Is a Terrible Argument - The Santa Delusion, 10. What Do You Want, Anyway? One Atheist's Mission Statement, 11. Is Atheism Activism Valid?, 12. Is Atheism Activism Effective? 13. On Other People's Anger and Compassion, 14. What Now? and 15. Resources.Positives:1. Anger has never been so eloquent. A well-reasoned book grounded on reality and accessible to all.2. A thought-provoking, reason-grounded rant of evidence-based proportions.3. An outspoken yet respectable tone throughout. A feat on its own.4. Christina is able to put in words what many of us have trouble to put in thoughts.5. Fascinating questions and profound yet intelligible answers!6. I can finally embrace my anger with newfound confidence. A welcomed indelible mark of wisdom, thank you!7. I love unique voices in the atheist movement, and it's refreshing to have a female voice!8. The Litany of Rage! That alone is worth the price of this book. Many will be familiar with many of the points, some are new but all are well stated. Excellent!9. The importance and necessity of anger.10. One of the most important points of this book, "why religion sucks and why so many atheist are pissed off about it". Amen, strike that, I concur.11. So many thought-provoking and intellectual treats, "it makes me feel more compassion for religious people -- and more anger about religion".12. In support of the First Amendment!13. The importance of coming out.14. God as a hypothesis. Interesting stuff.15. Understanding religion: the claims, the doctrines, the armor.16. The problems with religion.17. Same-sex marriage.18. Great quote, thoughts throughout, "there's an equally important way that woo can do harm. And that's that it leads people away from valuing reason, and evidence, and reality. Woo, like every other religious or spiritual belief, ultimately prioritizes faith over reason; personal experience over external evidence".19. Some of the best heartfelt rants I've ever read, "But it's disingenuous at best, hypocritical at worst, to say that criticism of other religious beliefs is inherently bigoted and offensive...and then make an exception for beliefs that are opposed to your own". That's what she said.20. Religious ecumenicalism...a callous disregard for the truth. Can I hear an Amen?? Never mind.21. A foundation for reason, "Do you care whether the things you believe are true?"22. I really enjoyed the Top Ten Reasons I don't Believe in God. David Letterman take note.23. In defense of the scientific method.24. Debunking the soul...always a personal favorite.25. The lack of solid evidence for God's existence...oh my Science.26. A total destruction of the argument for utility.27. One of the few authors that I can say that I agree on practically every point, "I don't want religion ended by force. I want it ended by --persuasion". Organic atheism.28. Facts, "The fact that religion is unfalsifiable doesn't mean we have to accept it as reasonable possibility. It means the exact opposite. It means we should reject it wholesale, on that basis alone."29. The problem with religious evangelism.30. One of the most compelling arguments why the defense of reason, evidence, atheism is needed and necessary.31. Why atheists are angry?!! The best book I've ever read that addresses the subject of this book.32. Great links and an invaluable resource chapter, thank you!!33. A treat to read from beginning to end.Negatives:1. Alan Turing wasn't included in the Litany of Rage. Alan Turing was a hero, the father of modern computer science, whose work was instrumental in breaking the wartime Enigma codes, a genius if there ever was one and whose only "crime" was being gay and was ultimately forced to castration and ultimately committed suicide. That's how they treated a World War hero in England...it's so infuriating.2. If you are expecting an in-depth dissection of religious beliefs the author provides references. This is not that kind of book.3. It felt more like an appetizer than the main course, but it was still delicious nonetheless and left you wanting for more.Overall, I loved this brief book. Greta Christina gets it and knows how to convey her message loudly and lucidly. It doesn't matter how many books I read about any given topic a good author is always able to leave an indelible mark of wisdom. Greta Christina in few words was able to accomplish that and then some. I can for one embrace my anger with a newfound confidence that I didn't have before. My worldview is stronger and I have obtained a new wind of inspiration to spread the word of reason. I want to thank Greta for being such a wonderful voice in a community that needs heroes. I can't recommend this inspirational book enough, I highly recommend it!Further suggestions: "Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment" by Phil Zuckerman, "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, "Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity" by John Loftus, "Why I'm Not a Christian" by Richard Carrier, "Man Made God: A Collection of Essays" by Barbara G. Walker, "The Invention of the Jewish People" by Shlomo Sand, "Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson" by Jennifer Hecht, "The Portable Atheist" by Christopher Hitchens, "Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists" by Dan Barker, "Christian No More" by Jeffrey Mark, "50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God" by Guy P. Harrison, "Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism" by Susan Jacoby, "God: The Failed Hypothesis" by Victor Stenger, "Faith Healers" by James Randi, "The Atheist Camel Rants" by Bart Centre, "Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars" by Sikivu Hutchinson, "Bible Thumper to Atheist" by Tom Crawford.

Atheism in the U.S. is emerging on the public scene. According to a 2012 Pew study, atheists now comprise about 7% of the population. That's about the same share we see from GLBTs. And like gays prior to the 1980s, atheists have long been treated as second-class citizens who are still largely in the closet in many parts of the country because of Christian-fueled bigotry that dominates many aspects of the culture.Being in the closet has meant the opponents who motivate one to be in the closet have the luxury of describing those they despise. In this case the atheists' chief opponent in this country happens to be an incredibly dishonest group, conservative Christians, who eagerly defame atheists. Bigotry towards atheists remains pervasive enough it's an inherent part of our public policy, in spite of the disproportionate contributions by atheists to society - e.g., only about 7% of U.S. scientists are theists. However, atheists are becoming less tolerant of being defamed, more demanding of securing the protection of their equal rights, and now enjoying an increasing opportunity to have a voice given the rise of people in the country who are not religious.Greta Christina is an emerging leader in the second wave of new atheism. The first wave's leaders - Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, and Dennett, made `in-your-face' arguments that atheism was the only compelling and intellectually honest conclusion that scientifically literate and reasonable people can take. Ms. Christina instead promotes non-atheists end their bigotry and defamation of atheists by revealing what many atheists actually think and act like. She also promotes atheists take on a progressive political agenda where Ms. Christina is an influential leader in the "A+" political movement, which is comprised of atheists promoting progressive politics.The `nones', those who are affiliated with no religion, is also growing according to that same Pew study. They're also a little over a quarter of the Democratic Party's voters where atheists also comprise more than a quarter of the `nones' and are seemingly the most vocal. So politicians will increasingly need to listen to the `nones' and by default, atheists, merely for their own political survival. Especially given how the `nones' are disproportionately young while their chief U.S. nemesis, white conservative Christians, are a dying demographic. A dying demographic who are increasingly incapable of convincing their progeny to hate and persecute gays and atheists or reject experts, history, and reality.Just because Ms. Christina is part of the most vocal and activist aspect of this emergent group of `nones', that's not a sufficient reason to read what she has to say about atheists interacting in the public square. Instead she's worth reading because:a) She vividly illustrates the perspective of many well-educated atheists steeped-in and supportive of founding American values. And the type of thinking that has led to moral and technological progress.b) The value to society of considering both the agenda and people she represents in the public square. Where Ms. Christina is prudently careful to repeatedly note that she doesn't speak for all atheists. I do think her positions are highly correlative to those atheists who are well educated, well informed politically, and scientifically literate.c) Ms. Christina presents a credible, compelling argument, both because she's a wonderfully interesting writer and has developed a very cogent argument. Maybe she's not as entertaining as Christopher Hitchens from a literary perspective, but she presents a much tighter more defensible argument than Mr. Hitchens' always interesting though frequently sloppy arguments.Understanding the perspective of U.S atheists is of paramount importance given their both being in the closet and the gross defamation they suffer from Christians. So truth alone should motivate us to consider her book.We've been lied to regarding the nature of atheism and atheists, where those lies hurt even the liars. The latter because their children are less apt to enter STEM-degreed jobs, especially those in the physical sciences given those children's parents' fierce anti-intellectualism and antipathy towards scientific methodology and inconvenient facts which they dishonestly deny as true.Conservative Christians are especially eager to bear false witness against atheists, e.g., Rick Warren. Mr. Warren goes on national news shows like Meet the Press and falsely claims U.S. atheists are authoritarians like Stalin or Mao. That's an ironic and hypocritical psychological projection given Bob Altemeyer and other scientists' findings that conservative Christians are predominately rightwing authoritarians. See Chris Mooney's The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science- and Reality to both validate and understand this phenomenon beyond Altemeyer's work.These Christians also falsely claim atheists are all moral relativists when in fact more than 50% of atheist philosophers subscribe to an objective moral framework. Sam Harris' The Moral Landscape provides a vivid illustration of one aspect of atheistic morality that is objective. So Ms. Christina's `99 reasons atheists are so angry' provides enormous utility in helping to clear the public water regarding atheists and atheism. It also serves nicely as a handy reference guide when these all-too-popular mischaracterizations crop up.In addition the `new atheist' leaders were often iconoclasts and therefore not representative of atheists in general, particularly Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens frequent advocacy of rightwing positions. Ms. Christina appears to be far more representative of the group for whom she advocates. So by understanding her perception, we've better advanced our understanding of this emergent group whose politics will begin to have more influence on public policy.And where conservative Christians wrap themselves into a false version of the U.S. founding to promote their theocratic authoritarian agenda, Ms. Christina promotes positions either consistent with conclusions or consistent with the same approach taken by our framers. So understanding her perspective helps one understand the evolvement of critical thinking emanating out of the enlightenment movement over time and this liberty- and truth-based approach to thinking leads to a progressive political agenda. So this book is a fine appendix to Susan Jacoby's authoritative history of secularism in the U.S., titled, "Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism. Precisely because Ms. Christina's argument is a natural progression from the secularism our framers advocated and implemented to the present time.And for those who enjoy a wonderfully crafted argument regardless of the topic, this book is easily worth your money and time on that aspect alone. There are few defectively narrow framings or logical fallacies while Ms. Christina comes across as smart, engaging, and heartfelt. Heartfelt in spite of the logic of her claims where that's no easy task.My primary beef with this book is in regards to citations where I have two related aspects regarding my frustration.First, there's a paucity of citations for some of Ms. Christina's more provocative claims. Intellectual atheists' biggest advantage over religionists is the approach these atheists take towards finding objective truth, which is wholly reliant on independently validated facts derived using the toughest approaches employed when it comes to understanding objective truth. And unlike the tribalism we encounter from conservative Christians who celebrate "Liars for JesusⓇ", those who are loyal to the approach scientists and historians employ hold our own accountable on their fealty to objective truth. Where in this book, there are simply too many provocative un-cited claims to earn this book five stars.Secondly, I read the Kindle version of this book on my iPhone 4S using iOS 6.0.1. Many of the cites Ms. Christina did provide went to webpages displayed within the Kindle app, where it was impossible to resize the page to read on my iPhone or find and copy the URL of that page in order to read it in my web browser app where I could then resize the webpage to be readable. So reading even the insufficient set of cites provided was an exercise in futility.However, in defense of Ms. Christina, it's my perception this was a book done on the cheap since she's new on the book scene. I would hope future book deals would come with a budget that will allow the extra effort it takes to properly validate a book via citations, where I'm confident I'll be reading her future work, but not at all tolerant if Ms. Christina again fails to sufficiently cite her work.However, because I'm a high-information voter who closely follows the culture wars, while also a student of critical thinking, it's my perception that Ms. Christina is a very honest person sufficiently revealing an increasingly popular perspective within the U.S. So for those of us who work to remain high-information, we need to consider how atheists are changing the dynamics that frame our politics and policy debates. Ms. Christina's book provides great value in improving our perception of her movement.

Brillante, polémico, provocatorio. Lleno de humor, pero te hace pensar y analisar el mundo en que vives.

Though I would sometimes use different wording and avoid the repetitions, this book is a must for the beginner atheist activist, or anyone who would like to be able to defend their views in public and help the cause in some way.Thanks you, Greta Christina!

I'd strongly recommend this book to any religious person, or anybody sympathetic to religion, who wants to get an insight into what we atheists are on about. But be warned. You won't find it any easy read; in fact, although it's short book, if you are capable of reading it to the end (I mean reading every every word with full attention) then it will reflect considerable credit on you and on your ability to consider points of view which you regard as utterly wrong and mischievous. For example, you may not accept, or fully accept, Greta Christina's arguments that 'liberal' as well as 'hard line' religious people are a menace, but you will understand what the arguments actually are. (Actually, my guess is that few 'hard line' committed religious people will succeed in reading the book to the end; they will either throw it down, or start skip-reading it.)By contrast, out-of-the-closet atheists will probably find the book an easy, and very entertaining, read - it had me laughing out loud several times. It summarises and slams home, very neatly and eloquently, all the standard arguments as deployed by Dennett, Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens ... and of course by previous generations of atheists.I see that, so far, this book hasn't attracted any unfavourable reviews on Amazon, but I expect that, in due course, it will. And I predict that the theme of such reviews will be that Ms Christina is utterly ignorant of theology, philosophy, history, Biblical studies etc - 'Any first year theology student (or any intelligent sixth form student) will reject her crude, simplistic characterisation of religion ...' That's fine - but let's hope that the reviewers will actually cite some significant EXAMPLES of her ignorance, and not just trade in lofty generalisations, or concentrate on minor errors.Although the book is written largely with the US scene in mind, nearly all of it is relevant to the UK. I'd like to see a copy of it in every UK school library. But that's too much to hope for - this book is eloquent and dangerous, and religious teachers will not want their students to get their hands on it.

I prefer a more tempered critique of religion even though I have been a life long atheist/humanist. I share her impatience, her frustration etc. with theists who cling to beliefs for which there is no evidence.Does anyone care reading about Greta's gayness? I don't.Arsenio

...but a little to much pro-Gay Lesbian "preaching" along the way.Author brings out very good points as to why religion has failed humanity.And discusses the darker side of faith & superstition...