Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3401400 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 116 pages

Synopsis
Do religions have an inherent right to be respected? Is atheism itself a form of religion, and can there be such a thing as a 'fundamentalist atheist'? Are we witnessing a global revival in religious zeal, or do the signs point instead to religion's ultimate decline? In a series of bold, unsparing polemics, A C Grayling tackles these questions head on, exposing the dangerous unreason he sees at the heart of religious faith and highlighting the urgent need we have to reject it in all its forms, without compromise. In its place he argues for a set of values based on reason, reflection and sympathy, taking his cue from the great ethical tradition of western philosophy.

Customer Reviews

Superb!

This is the first Grayling book that I have read, and I'm very impressed. Although short, it is a classic example of quality rather than quantity - good points, well made, beautifully written, and attractively bound.

I won't compare it directly to "The God Delusion" (Dawkins) because it is a totally different kind of book (philosophical rather than scientific) but where Dawkins takes rather a long time to explain his (sometimes quite obscure) points, Grayling sums up what it means to live in a world without god(s) in succinct, satisfying chapters.

If you do believe in god (and I totally respect your right to do so...) then I still challenge you to read Grayling's book, and reflect on its sentiments. Many of us atheists have done the same with books such as "The Dawkins Delusion" (McGrath).

Enjoy!

Not bad, but no new eye-openers
This is a small booklet about why we shouldn't respect religion a priori, about Intelligent Design, and morality; it explains why there's no such thing as a fundamentalist atheist, and what's the difference between the words atheist, secularist, and humanist. Grayling prefers the word "naturalist" instead of atheist (the contrary of "supernaturalist", being any religious person), and he defends why quite convincingly. I read it in one afternoon, and although it's not a bad book at all, I didn't find any new, eye-opening issues in it. This is probably due to the fact I recently read The God Delusion (Dawkins), The End Of Faith, Letter To A Christian Nation (Harris), and Losing Faith in Faith (Barker), which cover the same issues thoroughly.

Excellent little book
I'm thinking of buying copies as gifts for people who don't appear to understand the meaning of secularism, or who keep going on about Prof Richard Dawkins and others being 'fundamentalist atheists' (there's no such thing, says Grayling). I like the contents and I like the neat little hard-back binding.