Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Promethean

(468 posts)
88. The first book that got me started on the road to atheism.
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:59 PM
Jun 2014

The bible. I read it sometime in high school. This was after I had taken all the history classes demonstrating the evils of slavery, genocide and other things. So reading the bible with the commands from god to do all the things I had been taught were the epitome of evil as well as detailed instructions on obtaining and keeping slaves (You can beat them as much as you like as long as they don't die within a few days of their last beating!) left me with a lot of questions. Questions which future books helped answer.

the Bible. hrmjustin May 2014 #1
Any others? n/t Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #4
Bishop Spong was a big influence even though I disagree with him on some things. hrmjustin May 2014 #8
That's interesting, where do you disagree with him? Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #11
He doesn't believe the creeds and resurrection should be taken literally but he did teach me to hrmjustin May 2014 #13
I have thought a lot about the resurrection Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #15
I believe in the literal death and resurrection of Jesus and by that all of humanity is saved. hrmjustin May 2014 #16
Currently I think that some of the disciples experienced visions Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #17
Yes there are many different thoughts on this. hrmjustin May 2014 #19
You would probably like okasha May 2014 #40
It does look interesting. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #42
The Bible certainly helped influence my atheism. phil89 May 2014 #2
Og Mandino libodem May 2014 #3
The Orthodox Way by Bp. K. Ware shenmue May 2014 #5
Have you been Eastern Orthodox all your life? n/t Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #12
No shenmue May 2014 #18
Which church do you choose? hrmjustin May 2014 #20
Greek Orthodox shenmue May 2014 #22
Cool. Do you speak Greek? hrmjustin May 2014 #25
Little :) shenmue May 2014 #29
But most of the service is in English I imagine. hrmjustin May 2014 #31
Not in my parish shenmue May 2014 #37
Some years ago, I attended the Bar Mitzvah of the son of a Conservative Jewish friend Fortinbras Armstrong Jun 2014 #81
If you don't mind, what led you to convert? n/t Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #32
They had problems in my previous parish shenmue May 2014 #39
Thomas Berry: History of the Universe The Blue Flower May 2014 #6
That does sound interesting. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #14
I couldn't find it on Amazon. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #28
Did you search by author name? The Blue Flower May 2014 #71
The Bible. Grey May 2014 #7
Gerard Manley Hopkins's Poetry On the Road May 2014 #9
+1 rug May 2014 #21
These four works, specifically: Maedhros May 2014 #10
It's Easier Than You Think by Sylvia Boorstein cbayer May 2014 #23
I'd love to hear more about how you saw the world before and after. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #47
I had some very bad habits. cbayer May 2014 #53
What did you gain from your Mexico experience? n/t Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #55
Their religion is highly celebratory. cbayer May 2014 #57
Meditations, Marcus Aurelius rug May 2014 #24
Is "Conjectures" the best way to get into Merton? Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #48
The Seven Storey Mountain, his autobiography, is probably the best way. rug May 2014 #70
The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan EvolveOrConvolve May 2014 #26
Um Prophet 451 May 2014 #27
What were you before you were Luciferian? Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #50
I was a Somethingist Prophet 451 May 2014 #66
Here goes TexasProgresive May 2014 #30
When I was a teen (I'm 68 now) HeiressofBickworth May 2014 #33
Here it goes... Act_of_Reparation May 2014 #34
I loved MacCulloch's book on the Reformation. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #35
I highly recommend it Act_of_Reparation May 2014 #36
"When God was a Woman" by Merlin Stone nt LiberalEsto May 2014 #38
I loved that book libodem May 2014 #73
Not a book. okasha May 2014 #41
That's really cool. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #43
They really do okasha May 2014 #44
That seems like a really valuable thing. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #46
Very valuable. okasha May 2014 #49
You've reminded me of something. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #54
UU is very much like NA religion okasha May 2014 #56
That's what I really like about it. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #59
This message was self-deleted by its author AtheistCrusader Jun 2014 #83
The Wishing Tree smallcat88 May 2014 #45
Autobiography of a Yogi, Yoginanda, WhiteTara May 2014 #51
Beyond the Bible, Staph May 2014 #52
These three LostOne4Ever May 2014 #58
The Story of B, by Daniel Quinn yodermon May 2014 #60
I read and liked Ishmael a lot. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #62
"Better", i don't know, but it deals more directly with Religion than Ishmael did. yodermon May 2014 #63
It goes on the list. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #65
In addition to the New Testment, two others- No Vested Interest May 2014 #61
Any recommendations Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #64
That's a tough question because No Vested Interest May 2014 #68
James Randi TlalocW May 2014 #67
The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins edhopper May 2014 #69
I'd have to say discovering Bertrand Russell's "Unpopular Essays" when I was twelve Warpy May 2014 #72
How does Russell stack up to today's skeptical writings, in your opinion? Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #75
I think he's stood up rather well, overall, but younger readers Warpy May 2014 #78
The Greatest Thing In The World by Henry Drummond. Leontius May 2014 #74
Zealot, King Jesus (Graves), the Last Temptation of Christ, elehhhhna May 2014 #76
I enjoyed Zealot. Htom Sirveaux May 2014 #77
ba-ha! love the name. MST3K is coming back on cable in July. elehhhhna May 2014 #80
"Among the Dervishes" O.M. Burke kwassa May 2014 #79
Mostly books on spiritual growth Fortinbras Armstrong Jun 2014 #82
Abducted: How People Come to Believe They Were Kidnapped by Aliens AtheistCrusader Jun 2014 #84
The Bible - the primary reason I am an atheist intaglio Jun 2014 #85
Loved Manchester Central Library as a kid, playing hooky. Starboard Tack Jun 2014 #89
An essay, not a book. "On Revolution and Equilibrium", by Barbara Deming. (nt) stone space Jun 2014 #86
The Bible was the first major influence, The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan... Humanist_Activist Jun 2014 #87
The first book that got me started on the road to atheism. Promethean Jun 2014 #88
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Religion»What books have most infl...»Reply #88