Post subject: Best books to teach Christians

I've concluded that it might be helpful to give Christians (that are willing to consider) a book to teach them about the flaws of their religion. There are a lot of titles out there which might be good, but I haven't read any of them. I can't afford to buy a bunch of books to see which are the best. Have any of you read a large sampling of Atheist/anti-Christian books? If so, can you tell me (well, all of us) which you think are better and which are worse, and why?

I'm hoping to identify one or two especially effective books to give to my Christian acquaintances. If they're not too expensive, I might even give some to some of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses that drop by from time to time. We need to put this kind of literature out there to help counter the pro-Christian propaganda that is everywhere.

Post subject:

I think that answer to your question will vary according to the reader. For some, authors like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins are too barbed in their writings and can have the opposite of the desired effect. For others, like me, they are the ones who really tell it like it is!

The other two atheist "horsemen", Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett have some great books on the subject but might sometimes stray from the point while talking about a more scientific approach to why religion is not healthy for society.

While I have read many of the books from all those authors (plus more), I can not think of a single book that is the most powerful in terms of being able to convey the message I think you're trying to send. In fact, that may be an impossible task.

Most people who are religious have had their doctrines pounded into them since childhood and are very unlikely to be persuaded away from it by a single movie or book. It is more likely that an open-minded individual would benefit from a large selection of books and/or movies.

I found the movie "Religulous" to give quite a good view of religion's darker side. I also loved the movie "The God That Wasn't There"; a documentary which exposed the gaping hole in christianity's time-line for the supposed life of christ.

British philosopher Bertrand Russell (who is well known for his celestial teapot argument) has his entire collection of books and writing online and free for your reading enjoyment! Follow this link: http://users.drew.edu/~jlenz/brtexts.html

You might also find some e-books online from the aforementioned authors at a cheaper price than can be had in the book stores. I would also recommend that you find and join some of local atheist or free thought groups in your area. Most of them have many members who are willing to share their libraries of atheist books and movies with willing recipients.

Good luck!
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Atheist Huddle
Forum Administrator

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My pick for the best introduction into the arguments for not believing would be Dan Barker. As a former evangelist preacher his story would probably be easier for many people to understand. His writing style is familiar and he covers most of the aspects of why not to believe.

I also recommend 'The Atheism Tapes' with Jonathan Miller. Miller interviews 5 prominent atheists; Dawkins, Dennett, Colin McGinn, Arthur Miller and Steven Weinberg, and Denys Turner, a theologian.
The discussions are thought-provoking and interesting while remaining civil. I think it is great.

If you can find it, 'A Rough History of Disbelief'. This documentary, also with Jonathan Miller, was the precursor to 'The Atheism Tapes' and is an excellent study in atheism and philosophy throughout history.

I would add Dale McGowan (Raising Freethinkers) and Bart Ehrman (God's Problem) to the list. You may want to throw in a little Michael Shermer, too.

Thus endeth the epistle.

The Rev
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"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." Albert Einstein