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Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
#1
Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
Just wondering if any of you have read this book. It was originally published in 1979. It was recently reissued with a foreword by Lawrence Krauss.

Some snippets:

He defines theist as someone who believes that a god exists. An atheist is anyone who is not a theist. There is no third position.

Quote:Agnosticism is commonly used as a refuge for those who wish to escape the stigma of atheism...

So true, lol.

There are 2 kinds of atheists: implicit atheists and explicit atheists. Implicit atheists may be people who are unfamiliar with theism but have not explicitly rejected the existence of god. Little children are implicit atheists. Explicit atheists believe there is no god.

My favorite line from the book so far:

Quote:This book is not a critique of theism plus a defense of atheism: the critique of theism is the defense of atheism.
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#2
RE: Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
I think it was the first or 2nd atheist book I read. The other book being Losing Faith in Faith by Dan Barker.
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool." - Richard P. Feynman
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#3
RE: Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
(March 3, 2018 at 7:29 pm)Alexmahone Wrote: Just wondering if any of you have read this book. It was originally published in 1979. It was recently reissued with a foreword by Lawrence Krauss.

Some snippets:

He defines theist as someone who believes that a god exists. An atheist is anyone who is not a theist. There is no third position.

Quote:Agnosticism is commonly used as a refuge for those who wish to escape the stigma of atheism...

So true, lol.

There are 2 kinds of atheists: implicit atheists and explicit atheists. Implicit atheists may be people who are unfamiliar with theism but have not explicitly rejected the existence of god. Little children are implicit atheists. Explicit atheists believe there is no god.

My favorite line from the book so far:

Quote:This book is not a critique of theism plus a defense of atheism: the critique of theism is the defense of atheism.

No but my two most favorite books are not by the "Four Horsemen".

1. Victor Stenger, "God, The Failed Hypothesis"

2. Victor Stenger, " The New Atheism"

I love the second one listed the most. In it he argues there is no "separate but equal" when it comes to religion and science. He also in later chapters explains that you can find similar moral motifs in every religion, such of that of giving and charity. That says to me, our morality isn't in old mythology, but in our evolution.

But I just looked him up. If he valued Ayn Rand, that is where you lost me. I think libertarians get social issues right, but are even worse on economics than the GOP. I hate Ayn Rand. And no, that does not mean I support Che or Castro either.
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#4
RE: Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
I bought the thing in hardback when it was first released but I found it uranium heavy, I'm pretty sure I chucked it. As per your quote:

Quote:This book is not a critique of theism plus a defense of atheism: the critique of theism is the defense of atheism.

From memory the whole thing reads this way. While the prose is hardly impenetrable it certainly isn’t easy to absorb.
It's amazing 'science' always seems to 'find' whatever it is funded for, and never the oppsite. Drich.
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#5
RE: Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
Never read anything by the guy. Only a couple times in my life have I read atheistic related material. First was Robert Green Ingersoll's agnostic oratory works and then a few years back was a book by Sam Harris and one by Dawkins.
"Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat."
~ Erin Hunter
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#6
RE: Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
Never read a book about atheism. I'm told they never get it quite right.
I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem.
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#7
RE: Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
(March 3, 2018 at 9:54 pm)mh.brewer Wrote: Never read a book about atheism. I'm told they never get it quite right.

Judging by the tens of thousands of schisms, large and small, within religion I have to say that the atheist authors seem to have gotten closer to "right" than any of the holy book scribblers ever managed.
Thief and assassin for hire. Member in good standing of the Rogues Guild.
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#8
RE: Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
(March 3, 2018 at 9:43 pm)Succubus Wrote: I bought the thing in hardback when it was first released but I found it uranium heavy, I'm pretty sure I chucked it. As per your quote:

Quote:This book is not a critique of theism plus a defense of atheism: the critique of theism is the defense of atheism.

From memory the whole thing reads this way. While the prose is hardly impenetrable it certainly isn’t easy to absorb.

Well, he does consider himself a philosopher. 

From the intro:

Quote:As a philosopher, I am continually amazed by the credence given to religious claims in the intellectual community...

I must say that I like his prose.
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#9
RE: Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
I read it a long time ago. He's quite emphatic, if I remember rightly, and makes a large turn towards objectivism in mid-book.
[Image: extraordinarywoo-sig.jpg]
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#10
RE: Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith
For my money, the Bible remains the strongest argument against theism that can be imagined.

Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
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