Best book to open a Christians mind?

[Zhalentine]

My mom keeps throwing books and articles at me showing proof that God exists. All these articles are full of logical fallacies; the main ones being "god of the gaps" and "arguments from ignorance."

She keeps saying that I need to look at this from a Christian point of view and I told her that I have and asked her to look at this from an atheist point of view and she absolutely refuses to. I'm slowly working my way to getting her to read an atheist book. She has gone from absolutely rejecting the idea to saying "I wouldn't understand everything in it," so she is slowly coming around to the idea of reading one.

My main question is what book would be the best book to read if a person was only going to read one atheist book? She has no background in science so I don't want to hand her a book full of science terms that she will have no clue what they mean. She probably won't read the whole thing and I'll end up reading it after she is finished with it so I was thinking the God Delusion. I've never read the God Delusion and I plan on reading it, but is it the best book for a believer to read? Also, is the God Delusion full of science jargon or terms an the ordinarym non-scientific person can understand?

[Minimalist]

Too complex for a real fundie.

Start with Hitchens, "God is not Great."

[leo-rcc]

I'd say, "50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God" by Guy P. Harrison. It is a very well written book that does it's best not to offend believers, but still tries to get the message across that just because you think your religion is true, your viewpoint is no different from someone believing in other gods. It also doesn't focus on science, because Harrison knows that that is of little consequence for true believers as an argument against.

[Zhalentine]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I read the first chapter of "50 reasons people give for believing in a god" on Amazon and think it is really well written so I ordered it.

[chatpilot]

One great book I have read and added to my library is 'Gospel Fictions' by Randel Helms it is well written and put forth in a very respectful manner.

[LEDO]

What kind of book do you want? Do you want one that refutes the Bible, or one that refutes the philosphical idea of god? Hitchens is a bit acrid in his book. He does however have a nice collection of essays throughout history in his "Portable Atheist." Let her read what the great minds throughout the ages have written on religion. Admittedly some of the essays will be above her head.

A simple book is "The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You to Read." It too is a collection of articles.

[leo-rcc]

(5th January 2010 13:01)LEDO Wrote:  A simple book is "The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You to Read." It too is a collection of articles.

I know you are or were writing a book, have you been published before and when is your book coming out?

[EvidenceVsFaith]

See his signature I guess?

Unless you mean in non-online stores too or something?

(please correct me anyone if I just made a complete ass of myself or something because I suspect that I may have).

EvF

[LEDO]

(5th January 2010 18:06)leo-rcc Wrote:  

(5th January 2010 13:01)LEDO Wrote:  A simple book is "The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You to Read." It too is a collection of articles.

I know you are or were writing a book, have you been published before and when is your book coming out?

It came out Oct. 29. I have posted part of the introduction in this forum (Hint: it is in the book section, next to this post.) It is my second book.

[Rev. Rye]

Well, the book that opened me up to Atheism is Lord Russell's "Why I am Not a Christian." Admittedly, since I am a man of above-average intelligence (At the age of six, my IQ measured at 176, allegedly one SD below one of Russell's most illustrious pupil, Wittgenstein), the cold logic of Russel's book is likely to be much less accessible to many people.