Book Review: "The Atheist's Bible"

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The Atheist's Bible

an illustrious collection of irreverent thoughts

by Joan Konner

Duckworth Overlook 2007

There's something irresistibly enjoyable about a collection of excellent things people have said on a subject close to your heart. Isn't there? This is such a volume and I'm sorely tempted to spend the rest of the review simply quoting quotes from it. What? Oh, all right then, I will.

"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense."
   ~ Chapman Cohen

"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration - courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and, above all, love of the truth."

   ~ H.L.Mencken

"Epicurus' old questions are yet unanswered. Is [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then his is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? whence then is evil?"
   ~ David Hume

Oh, I'm sorry, where was I? Oh yes, the book review. Well, The Atheist's Bible is a parody of the real thing. It's divided into chapters with names, some strangely familiar, like Genesis, The Gospel, Revelations, and some not so: Scientosophy, The Tao of Disbelief and The Brimstone Chronicles.

"There was a time when religion ruled the world. It is
known as the Dark Ages." ~ Ruth Hurmence Green

The second half of the book is in the style of 'Books', as in Book of Knowledge, Book of Inspiration and Book of Laughter, followed by particular writers own book, who had a lot to say about religion over the course of their life: Book of Mark (Twain), Book of Bertrand (Russell), Book of Voltaire and Book of Woody (Allen).

"Creator: a comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh."
   ~ H.L.Mencken

The book itself is a pleasure to hold - it seems to be made to fit into your hand and its cute little hardback cover in a kind of subdued sheen seems to ask to be caressed and held close.

"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning."
   ~ Bill Watterson

There are so many shining gems in here it just makes me want to jump up and down and share them with all the poor lost souls who can never appreciate them.

"If we are going to teach 'creation science'... as an alternative to evolution, then we should also teach the stork theory as an alternative to biological reproduction."

   ~ Judith Hayes

"If triangles made a God, they would give him
three sides." ~ Montesquieu

Every page is full of superb, fantastic, hilarious and tragic observations by clear thinkers from all ages.

"The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion."

   ~ Arthur C. Clarke

I'm sooo tempted to start a mailing list to send out a daily 'Freethinking Thought of the Day'. Have I possibly got the time?

"From the point of view of a tapeworm, man was created by God to serve the appetite of the tapeworm."

   ~ Edward Abbey

I think you're getting the idea. If you're the sort of person who likes this sort of book, both it's conception and its subject matter, you'll love it. Simple as that!

"Since it is obviously inconceivable that all religions can be right, the most reasonable conclusion is that they are all wrong."

   ~ Christopher Hitchen

Oh, by the way, just in case you were wondering, even though the book is called a 'bible' I have every reason to believe it was written by the hand and mind of man. Mere, mortal man, although on reading it you may be tempted to differ. Yes, it's that good.

See you in the gene pool

FrabulousFrog