The Atheist S Bible

A comprehensive biography of the Treatise of the Three Impostors, a controversial nonexistent medieval book. Like a lot of good stories, this one begins with a rumor: in 1239, Pope Gregory IX accused Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor, of heresy. Without disclosing evidence of any kind, Gregory announced that Frederick had written a supremely blasphemous book—De tribus impostoribus, or the Treatise of the Three Impostors—in which Frederick denounced Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad as impostors. Of course, Frederick denied the charge, and over the following centuries the story played out across Europe, with libertines, freethinkers, and other “strong minds” seeking a copy of the scandalous text. The fascination persisted until finally, in the eighteenth century, someone brought the purported work into actual existence—in not one but two versions, Latin and French. Although historians have debated the origins and influences of this nonexistent book, there has not been a comprehensive biography of the Treatise of the Three Impostors. In The Atheist’s Bible, the eminent historian Georges Minois tracks the course of the book from its origins in 1239 to its most salient episodes in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, introducing readers to the colorful individuals obsessed with possessing the legendary work—and the equally obsessive passion of those who wanted to punish people who sought it. Minois’s compelling account sheds much-needed light on the power of atheism, the threat of blasphemy, and the persistence of free thought during a time when the outspoken risked being burned at the stake.

A wise and witty collection of quips, quotes, and musings from the world's greatest geniuses and jokers, proving once again that "all thinking men are atheists" (Ernest Hemingway) "The world would be astonished if it knew how great a proportion of its brightest ornaments, of those most distinguished even in popular estimation for wisdom and virtue, are complete skeptics in religion."--John Stewart Mill A counterweight to the profusion of pious collections, The Atheist's Bible brings together the best of these "brightest ornaments": great scientists, writers, philosophers, and comedians throughout history who have questioned the wisdom (and sanity) of organized religion. Far from a cynical polemic, this "bible" shares the same joy, love of beauty, and human wonder that religious books of quotations provide, but with a healthy dose of independent thought and without dogma. From Sophocles to Homer Simpson, from Einstein to the Marquis de Sade, these geniuses and jokers provide an incisive, witty perspective on the eternal questions of God and Truth.

‘Love is harder to explain than hunger, for a piece of fruit does not feel the desire to be eaten’: Denis Diderot’s Éléments de physiologie presents a world in flux, turning on the relationship between man, matter and mind. In this late work, Diderot delves playfully into the relationship between bodily sensation, emotion and perception, and asks his readers what it means to be human in the absence of a soul. The Atheist’s Bible challenges prevailing scholarly views on Diderot’s Éléments, asserting its contemporary philosophical importance, and prompting its readers to inspect more closely this little-known and little-studied work. In this timely volume, Warman establishes the place of Diderot’s Éléments in the trajectory of materialist theories of nature and the mind stretching back to Epicurus and Lucretius, and explores the fascinating reasons behind scholarly neglect of this seminal work. In turn, Warman outlines the hitherto unacknowledged dissemination and reception of Diderot’s Éléments, demonstrating how Diderot’s Éléments was circulated in manuscript-form as early as the 1790s, thus showing how the text came to influence the next generations of materialist thinkers. This book is accompanied by a digital edition of Jacques-André Naigeon’s Mémoires historiques et philosophiques sur la vie et les ouvrages de Denis Diderot (1823), a work which, Warman argues, represents the first publication of Diderot’s Éléments, long before its official publication date of 1875. The Atheist’s Bible constitutes a major contribution to the field of Diderot studies, and will be of further interest to scholars and students of materialist natural philosophy in the Age of Enlightenment and beyond.

Did God create the universe? If so, who created him? The Atheist's Bible tackles these complex and important ancient mysteries. With the discoveries of modern science, author Geoff Linsley offers a new look at the questions most philosophers throughout history have thought unanswerable. Mysteries such as "Why does the universe exist as it does?" and "When did it come about?" are thought to be demystified by modern science. Mixing scientific knowledge with common sense, Linsley answers these questions in an easy-to-understand dialogue. The Atheist's Bible compiles the case for an atheistic universe in a thorough discussion, provides facts that science has gathered about existence, and creates a new view of the nature of the universe. Linsley searched through scientific discussions of how nature operates, through religious wisdom, and through topics thought to be paranormal to present the first complete theory regarding the origin and evolution of existence and humanity. A collection of several books with individual purposes, The Atheist's Bible furthers the understanding of reality and helps to overcome the fear of the unknown. Linsley challenges the realm of theism and looks outside of it to explain how the universe functions. "The depth of research and the volume of information given make this book exceptional. Linsley treats faith respectfully and doesn't get into baseless arguments against views that oppose his own. This book is well written, very informational, and entertaining." -- Foreward CLARION Review

Few, if any, thinkers and writers today would have the imagination, the breadth of knowledge, the literary skill, and-yes-the audacity to conceive of a powerful, secular alternative to the Bible. But that is exactly what A.C. Grayling has done by creating a non-religious Bible, drawn from the wealth of secular literature and philosophy in both Western and Eastern traditions, using the same techniques of editing, redaction, and adaptation that produced the holy books of the Judaeo-Christian and Islamic religions. The Good Book consciously takes its design and presentation from the Bible, in its beauty of language and arrangement into short chapters and verses for ease of reading and quotability, offering to the non-religious seeker all the wisdom, insight, solace, inspiration, and perspective of secular humanist traditions that are older, far richer and more various than Christianity. Organized in 12 main sections----Genesis, Histories, Widsom, The Sages, Parables, Consolations, Lamentations, Proverbs, Songs, Epistles, Acts, and the Good----The Good Book opens with meditations on the origin and progress of the world and human life in it, then devotes attention to the question of how life should be lived, how we relate to one another, and how vicissitudes are to be faced and joys appreciated. Incorporating the writing of Herodotus and Lucretius, Confucius and Mencius, Seneca and Cicero, Montaigne, Bacon, and so many others, The Good Book will fulfill its audacious purpose in every way.

A fictionalised philosophical history of the year 1759, and concerning a conspiracy involving the late Monsieur Diderot's Encyclopédie ou ictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. This updated and annotated edition includes a list of personages featured, and the Author's original historical notes.

The Old Testament is a fierce battleground for atheists and Christian apologists, with each side accusing the other of taking challenging and troubling passages out of context. In this handbook, Joshua Bowen not only provides the background to the Old Testament and the ancient Near East, but engages with hotly contested topics like slavery, failed prophecy, and the authorship of debated Old Testament books. This book provides: -clear and straightforward explanations to complex topics -direct engagement with hot-button Old Testament issues -specific arguments to help you in a debate or discussion. Whether you are looking to debate problematic Old Testament issues on social media or have a relaxed, meaningful discussion with a family member over coffee, The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament is an indispensable resource for you.

There is no other Bible commentary like The Atheist's Bible Companion to the New Testament. It is the only comprehensive reference guide to contradictions in the Christian scriptures, and will appeal to the growing number of religious skeptics who want to shore up their debating arsenal against the Christian fundamentalists.