FullReviews Index

Bad Faith: The Danger of Religious Extremism, by Neil J. Kressel
Anyone studying religion is immediately and unavoidably faced with a difficult dilemma: believers report that their religion is a source for morality and values in their lives - and there are many examples of religion inspiring good behavior - but at the same time religion is also demonstrably a source for violence, terrorism, war, and evil. What is it about faith that it can inspire so much negative behavior even while being promoted as a force for good? What is the connection?

Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever, Christopher Hitchens
The popularity of books by atheists about atheism will, hopefully, create more interest in older works about atheism. There is a lot out there for people who are interested in the historical development of skeptical critiques of supernatural religion. Atheism itself is just the absence of belief in gods and thus is not the least bit complicated; however, anyone who wants to claim to understand atheists and atheism should be familiar with more than just the last couple of books.

Onion Breath, by Steph and Dan Allosso
Religious parents have a large supply of materials to teach children about their religion, their god, and their doctrines in a manner which integrates it all into life generally. What about atheists and freethinkers who want to teach about skepticism, or who merely want to teach about moral values without relying on religion as a crutch? Atheist, agnostic, freethinking, and skeptical parents all seek out books which can speak to children; unfortunately, their options are much more limited.

What Is Secular Humanism? by Paul Kurtz
In the debate over religion and religious violence, it's important to remember that there are viable non-religious alternatives - world views which have a lot to offer but which are both completely secular and completely lacking in any gods. Religious believers sometimes object to atheist critics by asking what they have to offer in place of religion; atheism itself is not a philosophy and thus not an alternative to religion secular humanism, however, is well suited to that task.

God, the Devil, and Darwin: A Critique of Intelligent Design Theory, by Niall Sh
Intelligent Design may simply be another and newer form of age-old creationism, but it's been one of the more popular and successful forms of creationism. It has managed to get positive attention from Christians working in a variety of academic fields and the scientific-sounding language used by its apologists helps many other Christians imagine that they have found a secure rationalization both for their theism and their denial of naturalistic science. It's all empty pretense, though.

American Theocracy: Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, Borrowed Money
The power and influence of America's Christian Right is an important story, but it's not the whole explanation for the political success of the Republican Party - nor is it the whole problem for America when the GOP is in power. There are other important factors at work and a thorough understanding of what's going wrong in America requires an ability to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. This requires more historical understanding than most Americans seem to have.

The Trouble With Christmas, by Tom Flynn
Why do non-Christians make a fuss about Christmas in America? How could anyone have problems with Christmas? There are parties, gifts, days off - this should be a fun time for all concerned. Anyone who would challenge and/or reject Christmas sounds like a Scrooge, right? As Tom Flynn explains in "The Trouble With Christmas," this is part of the problem - the expectation by the majority that everyone else should be happy to conform and accommodate themselves to a traditional Christian holiday.

Faith-Based Diplomacy: Trumping Realpolitik, edited by Douglas Johnston
Religion is a powerful factor in conflicts around the world, whether causing the conflict, simply helping sustain conflict, or used as a pretext for conflicts that have deeper roots in other issues. Considering how much of a role religion can play, is it reasonable to think that we can find solutions and resolutions that don't involve religion? Then again, if religion is playing a role in the conflict, perhaps we should find ways to remove it entirely?

A Solstice Tree for Jenny, by Karen I. Shragg. Published by Prometheus Books
Christmas is prevalent throughout American culture. Everywhere you go, you can find Christmas greetings, Christmas decorations, Christmas displays, Christmas advertisements and more. All over people experience social and cultural pressures to "conform" and adopt this traditionally Christian holiday as their own, regardless of what their actual religious or cultural beliefs are. How can a secular, non-religious family cope with the political, religious, and consumer pressures being created?

Humanism, What's That? A Book for Curious Kids, by Helen Bennett
There are lots of books out there designed to explain various religions to children, but what about non-religious, non-theistic belief systems? Is there anything that can help children better understand what is believed by neighbors, friends, and relatives who don't accept religion? There isn't much, unfortunately, and thus many children continue to accept half-truths and myths.

Roswell: Inconvenient Facts and the Will to Believe
Book Review: 'Roswell: Inconvenient Facts and the Will to Believe,' by Karl T. Pflock, Jerry Pournelle. So what really did happen in Roswell, New Mexico back in 1947? According to popular legend, a UFO crashed, and from the wreckage, the United States government obtained the bodies of dead aliens and all sorts of advanced technology. Ever since, the government has been involved in a complicated cover-up and a conspiracy of silence regarding the truth.

The Transcendental Temptation: A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal
Is there some basic connection between religious beliefs and paranormal beliefs? Some commonality which helps explain not only their similarities, but also why they have been so appealing to so many people throughout human history? Although there are many books which offer critiques of either religion or the paranormal, few are willing to do both, probably because people who are skeptical of one aren't necessarily skeptical of the other.

The Black Humanist Experience: An Alternative to Religion
Humanists come from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds; however, quite often it seems as though most humanists are whites of European descent. This perception is not without foundation, but it is unfortunate because there are so many humanists from other backgrounds who have quite a lot to contribute to the advancement of humanism.

Healing Yourself with Wishful Thinking, by Arthur Bloch
Can meditation really help you achieve optimum physical and psychological health? Can you really get in touch with a spirit guide who will help you make the right decisions in life? Can wishful thinking really make you better looking, richer, and cure your acne? Is self-delusion the key rather than an obstacle to happiness?

Atheism: A Philosophical Justification, by Michael Martin
Is it possible to create a thorough and philosophical defense of atheism and critique of theism? Absolutely, and Michael Martin has done just that in his massive book published in 1990. Despite the difficulty many readers will have with this book, it is a valuable reference work and learning tool concerning the arguments about atheism and theism. Just about everything you could want to know about the topic is here, if you are willing to invest the time and effort to understand the complexities.

Atheism, Ayn Rand, and Other Heresies, by George H. Smith
Is it possible that there is actually some positive value in being a heretic, someone who chooses to follow a path different from what the rest of society tells them to travel? According to George H. Smith, there absolutely is, and in an effort to explain how and why, he addresses a wide variety of topics in this book.

The Nazi Conscience, by Claudia Koonz
Some may imagine that the very idea of a 'Nazi conscience' is a contradiction in terms - after all, weren't Nazis responsible for some of the most immoral acts of the 20th century, if not of all human history? Dismissing the Nazis as monsters without a conscience is too easy and simplistic, however. The Nazis were humans like everyone else and their acts, as immoral as they were, followed logically and easily from a set of assumptions and beliefs which constituted a conscience.

Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World
The mass enslavement of millions of Africans is one of the greatest moral evils committed by both European civilization generally and America in particular - it was America, after all, which benefited so extensively from the enslavement of so many human beings. Just as with the Holocaust, though, it's difficult for many today to conceive of how a system dedicated to the creation of such suffering could have developed or been sustained by people who must have understood right from wrong.

Book Review - The Agnostic Reader, edited by S. T. Joshi
Agnosticism is the position that the existence and nature of any gods is unknown and probably unknowable. It might be limited to a mere statement of "I don't know" or it might be expanded to a broader philosophical position. Although the former tends to be more common today, in the past philosophical agnosticism was far more prevalent and it has had significant influence on both skeptical and atheistic positions today. Unfortunately, too few people are aware of these connections.

Right to Recover: Winning Political and Religious Wars Over Stem Cell Research
Biotechnology should prove to be the most fertile ground for rancorous political and religious debate in the coming century. The first battles are already being waged over stem cell research - a field which not only promises to relieve or cure a host of diseases and conditions, but which may lay the groundwork for many future biotech advancements. There are legitimate questions and concerns about the research, but right now almost all opposition is firmly rooted in religious ideology.

Truth: A Guide, by Simon Blackburn
Everyone is familiar with the concept of 'truth,' or at least they think they are. People use the word 'truth' quite a lot, but the history of philosophy is filled with contentious and unresolved debates over the very nature of truth, let alone whether truth is something that can even be attained. So does the average person really understand what they are talking about, or are philosophers making much ado about nothing? If truth really is important to us, we should care enough learn more.

The Oxford Dictionary of American Political Slang, edited by Grant
Social groups and professions often acquire specialized terminology and unique words with particular meanings just for that group. Since politics can be way of life that is so disconnected from the reality which everyone else deals with, it's no surprise the it has its own language as well - but the breadth and depth of political slang might not be fully realized by most, even those who use it on a regular basis. What this slang is and how it's used reveals something about political culture.

Seduced By Hitler. The Choices of a Nation and the Ethics of Survival
In hindsight, it seems clear that Adolf Hitler's policies and beliefs were immoral to an extreme. Even at the time, the things he wrote and said should have made it clear to people that he should never have held any real power or authority and that his Nazi Party was a danger to society. How, then, were so many Germans led to give so much support to Hitler and the Nazis? What caused people to think that the Nazis were not only good, but better than the alternatives at the time?

Oxford Guide to The Book of Common Prayer: A Worldwide Survey
The Book of Common Prayer is fundamental to the Anglican Church - indeed, it's almost as important as the Bible itself because it helps define Anglican beliefs and worship practices on every level. What many may not realize, however, is that the Book of Common Prayer has not only changed several times through history, but appears in different editions in several nations. It is supposed to define the "common" or shared means for prayer, but at the same time it's varying and variable.

40 Days and 40 Nights: Darwin, Intelligent Design, God, on Trial in Pennsylvania
One of the most important and fascinating events in the recent politics of evolution and science was the Kitzmiller v. Dover trial in Pennsylvania. This case pitted parents and teachers who cared about teaching science against school administrators who were determined to inject as much of their religion into science classes as was legally possible. This case either created or merely revealed deep divisions in the community, but they are divisions that run through the entire nation as well.

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