Table Of ContentAtheism For Dummies®
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Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Data
McGowan, Dale Atheism for dummies / Dale McGowan.
Includes index.
1. Atheism. I. Title.
BL2747.3.M354 2013 211’.8 C2012-906678-8
ISBN 978-1-11850920-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-50921-0
(ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-50922-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-
50924-1 (ebk)
Printed in the United States
About the Author
Dale McGowan, PhD, conducted orchestras, earned a
doctorate in music composition, and spent 15 years as a
college professor before chucking it all to become a writer.
Editor and co-author of Parenting Beyond Belief (“A
compelling read”—Newsweek) and Raising Freethinkers, the
two top-selling books for nonreligious parents, Dale also
offers secular parenting workshops in cities across North
America and writes a popular blog for nonreligious parents
called “The Meming of Life”
(www.parentingbeyondbelief.com\\blog).
Dale edited the historical anthology Voices of Unbelief:
Documents by Atheists and Agnostics, and reviewers have
called his satirical novel Calling Bernadette’s Bluff “an
undoubted triumph of satire” and “a riot.”
He was named 2008 Harvard Humanist of the Year for his
work in nonreligious parenting. In addition to writing and
speaking, he is the founding executive director of
Foundation Beyond Belief, a nonprofit charitable foundation
focusing and encouraging humanist generosity and
compassion.
Dale lives near Atlanta with his wife and three kids. To learn
more or to contact Dale, visit DaleMcGowan.com.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my parents, Dave and Carol
McGowan, who raised me to be curious about the real world
and never told me there was a thought I couldn’t think.
To my kids, Connor, Erin, and Delaney, to whom I return the
favor.
And to Becca, the perfect partner for a great adventure.
Author’s Acknowledgments
Thanks first of all to the great and friendly atheist Hemant
Mehta, the first person to think I’d be a good person to write
this book. I’m deeply indebted to Ed Buckner and Amanda
Metskas, two giants of the freethought world who took the
time to read this book while it was in progress and whose
rod and staff guided me when I went astray.
Greta Christina and Jennifer Michael Hecht are the two
great writers and thinkers on whose work I’ve drawn more
than any others for this project.
Immense thanks to the staff and interns at Foundation
Beyond Belief who kept things humming while I wrote: Airan
Wright, Brittany Shoots-Reinhard, Claire Vinyard, Kelly
Wright, Walker Bristol, Joshua Brose, Cathleen O’Grady,
Andrew Geary, Sam Shore, Sarah Hamilton, Kate Donovan,
Chana Messinger, Corey Glasscock, Lauren Lane . . . and
special praise for the dynamic duo of Noelle George and AJ
Chalom.
A hat tip to my blog readers at The Meming of Life who
helped plumb the depths of several big questions.
Many thanks to the professional and supportive team at John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., especially Anam Ahmed and Chad
Sievers, and my splendid agent Dr. Uwe Stender.
Finally, all thanks and love to my wife, Becca, who also read
and improved every page, and our three spectacular kids,
Connor, Erin, and Delaney. You make it all worthwhile.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
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Atheism For Dummies®
Visit
www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/atheism
to view this book's cheat
sheet.
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
What You’re Not to Read
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Part I: Understanding What Atheism Is
Part II: Following Atheism through the Ages
Part III: Reading the Great Works of Atheism
Part IV: Living a Full Life without Belief in God
Part V: The Part of Tens
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I: Understanding What Atheism Is
Chapter 1: Meeting Atheism
Getting a Grip on Atheism
Seeing the many forms and faces of religious disbelief
Examining what nonbelievers believe and don’t believe — and why
Seeing the Progression of Atheism
In the distant past and in different cultures
The 19th century
The 20th century
Atheism today
Examining Atheism in the Written Word
Understanding What Atheism Means in Everyday Life
Chapter 2: Unweaving the Rainbow of Disbelief
Tomato, Tomahto? The Wonderful, Maddening World of Atheist Labels
Defining atheism: Implicit versus explicit
Coming to terms: A quick look at labels
Answering the capital question: Is it Atheist or atheist?
Believing and Disbelieving by Degrees
Roberts’s rule: “We are both atheists”
Russell’s labels: Why most atheists are agnostics and vice versa
Dawkins’s degrees: The seven-point belief scale
Emphasizing Doubt: Agnostics Aren’t Sure (and Neither Are You)
Discovering Humanism: The Thousand Steps That Follow
Looking at the world in a different way
Coming to terms with terms: Humanist or secular humanist?
Seeing the humanist heart of atheism
Forcing a Square Peg into a Round Hole: The Unpigeonholeables
Believing in a different kind of creator: Deists
Seeing nature as God: Pantheists
Being religious without a god: Religious atheists
Moving beyond labels: The rise of the Nones
Chapter 3: Recognizing What Atheists Do and Don’t
Believe — and Why
Understanding Why Atheists Don’t Believe in God
Crossing from the will to believe to “the will to find out”
Getting a handle on confirmation bias
Asking new questions
Comparing religions
Reading the Bible
Admitting the weakness of the arguments and evidence
Solving the complexity problem
Noticing the steady retreat of religious answers
Getting humble about humanness
Coming (really, really) late to the party
Grasping the size of the universe
Seeing that the universe is just as you would expect it to be without a God
Knowing What Most Atheists Actually Do Believe
Seeing the natural universe as all there is — and enough
Accepting that this is our one and only life
Valuing ethical behavior
Taking responsibility for ourselves and each other
Asserting that God is actually “that kind of question”
Addressing the negative consequences of religious belief
Discovering meaning and purpose
Realizing that a universe without God can be even more wonderful and
inspiring
Setting Aside Misconceptions: Things That Few (If Any) Atheists Believe
That there is no right and wrong
That life arose and evolved by chance
That all religion is the same
That religion has made no positive contributions
Answering the Question: Is Science Incompatible with Belief in God?
Part II: Following Atheism through the Ages
Chapter 4: Finding Atheism in the Ancient World
Uncovering What the Ancients Believed (Or Didn’t)
Leaping Forward: The Axial Age
Inferring Unbelief in Ancient Judea
Finding Unbelief in Ancient China
Understanding the concept of t’ien (heaven . . . but not quite)
Getting to the roots of Confucianism
Visiting ancient India: 320 million gods and none at all
Whispering doubts in Ancient Greece and Rome
Chapter 5: Going Medieval
Continuing to Doubt in Medieval India
Putting atheist Hinduism front and center
Calling out “foolish men” — Jinasena
Sweeping Out the Superstitions in China
