Customer Reviews

Atheist Universe

5 star:		(160)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I came across "The Atheist Universe" completely by accident and it turned out to be one of the best books on the subject of Atheism I've ever read. What sets it apart from the others is the accessibility of David Mills' writing style. While other books such as George Smith's "Atheism: The Case Against God" are informative and thought-provoking, they aren't exactly too much fun to read, the tone often being dry and sterile. They come across more as a lecture rather than a discussion. But "The Atheist Universe" is a refreshing change. This is a book you can enjoy reading.

In a nutshell, David Mills sets out to challenge all the common arguments for the existence of God using methods pertaining to Atheism such as reason and logic. This book is a perfect tool to gain some "ammo" for any Atheist in a discussion with a Theist. While I've always thought that it's pointless to argue over an issue so complex as to God's existence or non-existence, it never hurts to have some convincing arguments under one's belt if they don't believe that God exists.

I would strongly recommend this book to any Atheist, skeptic, Agnostic, or even Theist who's open-minded enough to welcome a challenge to their beliefs. While I doubt it will convert any Theists to Atheism, it will at least help to hopefully break down some of the misconceptions about Atheism.

This is simply an excellent book for those who share its views; or for anyone who has doubts and wonders what the "infidels" are thinking. I don't think I noticed any negative reviews (I bought this book based on the reviews), but I really wouldn't expect any. Most people wouldn't be caught dead reading a book with the word "atheist" in the title. If any devout believer actually condescended to try it (like they were stranded on a desert island and there was nothing else to do), they would likely be quickly offended by the contents on any random page. I'll bet not 1 out of 100 devout believers would finish this book.

Among the author's offerings are: "Americans believe 58% to 40% that it is necessary to believe in God to be moral. By contrast, only 13% of Europeans agree with the US view...I don't believe in God because I don't believe in Mother Goose (from Clarence Darrow)...I've always considered atheism to be a very positive philosophy in that, by eliminating a very burdensome obligation to appease a non-existent God, an individual thereby gains maximum freedom to choose his own goals and ideals for a satisfying life...(about public prayer in school) Let's remember that Jesus warned the Pharisees NOT to pray publicly because such prayers were usually pretentious, insincere efforts to showboat...My own observation is that those most terrified of death are not atheists, but believers, uncertain whether they are going to Heaven or Hell...Historically, whenever primitive man lacked scientific understanding of an observed event, he created a 'God of the Gaps' to fill the intellectual vacuum...The wider the gaps in scientific understanding, the greater the historic need for a miracle working 'GOTG'...As a general historic observation, each step forward taken by science has further distanced the hand of God from perceived intervention into natural events. As humanity's gaps of knowledge were slowly replaced by scientific understanding, a GOTG found fewer and fewer caverns of intellectual darkness in which to live...Believers create the illusion of answered prayer by systematically employing the fallacy known as 'Selective Observation,' a perceptual error also referred to as 'Counting the hits and ignoring the misses.'...The more tragic the event - and the higher the body count - the more inclined are the media to feature 'Miracle Survivors' on the six o'clock news...When, however, everyone dies in a catastrophe, such as a Jumbo Jet crash, the newspaper headline never reads 'Jehovah Out To Lunch During Doomed Flight.'...In plain English, we don't know why specific individuals live or die in disasters. We know that Christians are no more likely to survive than non-Christians; and the virtuous are just as likely to perish as thy corrupt...The Christian Church wholeheartedly believes this 'Divine' biblical prophecy, which announces that the vast majority of humanity will follow the wrong road in life and will, as a result end up in Hell instead of Heaven. God - in his infinite wisdom - would have known in advance that most of humanity would have fallen victim to the gruesome torture chamber...a truely benevolent and omnipotent God would let bygones be bygones and forgive 'sinners' even though they adopted mistaken religious beliefs...But, Christians respond, 'without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin. And God only asks that we accept the blood sacrifice that Jesus offered for us on the cross.' And who, may I ask, established this rule that 'without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin'? The answer, again, is God....The fact that God supposedly demands blood before He offers forgiveness is indicative of the bestial mindset of the primitive cultures extant when the Bible was written...The myth of Hell represents all the meanness, all the revenge, all the selfishness, all the cruelty, all the hatred, all the infamy of which the heart of man is capable...God was indeed created in man's own image...The two documents upon which our country was founded - ie, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States contain not a single word about Christianity, Christian principles, the Bible, or Jesus Christ...The Christian clergy of the Revolutionary period tried again and again to have references to Christianity inserted directly into the US Constitution, but they were refused every time by the Founders. Two 'Christian principles' may have indeed influenced the Founding Fathers. One was the Puritan practice of executing witches, the other was King George III's absolute mandate that his subjects worship in a manner approved by the Church of England...Witch burning and mandatory church affiliation are only 2 of many issues which led the Founding Fathers to establish a 'Wall of Separation between Church and State,' allowing, at each citizen's discretion, freedom of religion or freedom FROM religion...The National Motto was not changed to 'In God We Trust' until 1956. Likewise, the phrase 'under God' was not added to the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954."

Please forgive all the quotes making this a long review, but there is so much here to agree with, it's hard to stop. This book gives you a 50 yard line ticket to a comprehensive discussion of belief vs non-belief, yet is fun to read. The chapter on Hell is great; the chapter on the origin of the universe and solar systems is among the best explanations I've ever read; the "Interview With an Atheist" chapter should become a classic; the quotes by famous men who are atheists are priceless; I LOVED the short chapter about the Founding Fathers, etc.

A very well deserved 5 stars for this book.

The following review of Atheist Universe was written by R. Leland Waldrip and posted on the website of the Washington Area Secular Humanists:

The book lives up to Mills' promise in the introduction to challenge conventional wisdom and use extreme conciseness and clarity for his message. He describes his writing style as slow and deliberate, taking years to complete the book. He quotes Thomas Jefferson, who, in a letter to John Adams, wrote "I apologize to you for the lengthiness of this letter; but I had no time for shortening it."

With this book David Mills has delivered a coup d'etat to any thought of reconciling religion and science. Post-modernist apologies and attempts to bridge the gap between religion and science he gives no quarter. He very carefully and methodically attacks every religious argument outside the realm of human invention for the existence of a god. His favorite target is the irrationality of Christian belief and the Bible's contention of a young earth, Noah's flood, Genesis genealogies, etc. One rather interesting point he made in an almost casual manner was an observation that the genealogies in Matthew and Luke of the New Testament describe (contradictory) detailed male lineages of Jesus back to King David, and thereby create a trap for the writers of those books: the virgin birth would preclude any blood relationship through Joseph, so how could there be a lineage between Jesus and David? In debunking the prophesy of the Bible, Mills describes an absence of accuracy, noting that as far as accuracy is concerned, the Bible is a non-prophet organization.

He clarifies a number of scientific terms abused by religionists. For example, Physical Laws he defines as human descriptions of observed phenomena, rather than universal truths, and therefore subject to revision as new observations warrant. He tackles head-on the idea that the universe was created from nothing into something at the Big Bang. Rather, he offers proof through the Laws of Thermodynamics (conservation of mass/energy) that the universe was always here in one form or another. This argument had a particular resonance with me, as I have long had problems with the something from nothing idea of a single Big Bang jump-starting the universe.

Mills says he wrote this book for the forty percent of Americans "... open-minded readers who are not afraid to learn - in fact who are eager and fascinated to learn - about the many conflicts and controversies between science and the Christian Bible." My atheist and freethought friends will highly appreciate his hard-hitting candor and rock-solid enthusiasm for the scientific method, and will put this book at the very top of their arsenal of argument material for combat with religionists. Many of my theist friends who accidentally are exposed to it will probably have major heartburn and relegate it to the trash bin, if they dont outright burn it. But perhaps a few of them will be swayed by Mills flawless logic and lucidity of expression. I will cherish this book and keep it with my major reference works.

At the beginning of the book Mr. Mills says he will try to write in the clearest, most easy to understand style possible. He is successful in that and this is one of the reasons why this might very well be the best book advocating atheism. There are some very good books about this subject but they tend to be confusing, with a dry, hard-to-read style. And some of the books which defend atheist position tend to be arrogant, reflecting an air of superiority over the people of faith, an air of "I am smart and right, you are wrong and stupid". In Atheist Universe, however, Mr. Mills' style reflect a warm, likeable character and he explains his ideas without being disrespectful to the opposition.

There is another, very important reason that this book is different however. It always resorts to science for guidance. On a certain level, Mr. Mills takes some beliefs in Christianity (some of which are common to Judaism and Islam as well) and examines them from a scientific point of view. Creation of the universe in 6 days versus the scientific evidence for billions of years, creation of the Earth only about 6000 years ago according to the Bible versus numerous scientific evidence for much longer, creation of the first human from dirt just in one step versus very long gradual process of natural selection according to science are some of the examples. Reading these parts of the book makes one conclude, at the very least, that science is completely irreconcilable with established theistic religions.

On another level the book takes a more abstract definition of God, not necessarily the god of scriptures, and examines questions such as creation ex nihilo (out of nothing). Mr. Mills' way of tackling with such issues is again resorting to science. He explains the big-bang theory, the law of conversation of mass-energy, and shows that the idea of creation out of nothing is impossible, or inconsistent with science.

Finally he takes the issue of ethics and develops his view that people don't have to be religious to be moral. He shows that religion itself caused the most unethical, immoral conduct of human behavior in history (inquisition, which burnings, torture chambers, Crusades etc.) and he uses modern statistics which show that European countries have a lower percentage of people who believe in God, but they give more to charity, help more for humanistic purposes and have a lower crime rate. Furthermore, he shows statistics that confirm that within the United States, the more "religious" states have a higher crime rate.

Atheist Universe is unique in its use of science to develop and defend its arguments to such a degree of effectiveness. There is no inconsistency in its arguments, no logical fallacy. It is an important book, a book that should be read by any thinking person, regardless of their religious beliefs. Even faithful people should read this book, so they can think through the arguments presented here and perhaps reach their own synthesis.

Mills' book is an outstanding book that looks at the Atheistic universe. The book, which will be a smorgasbord of information for the beginning Atheist, a delight to read for the lifetime Atheist, and a resource for the questioning theist, has it all. Mills' book dives in full-tilt into subjects like "fine tuning," the "god of the gaps," the "miracle" of life, creationism, Hell, miracles, and many others. Mills' creative writing style, which doesn't require a PhD to understand, mixed with his use of humor and witty sarcasm (where appropriate) makes the book fun to read. Mills also leaves nothing to be desired when tackling the issues in his book. Mills does not hold back in discrediting creationism's claim to be scientific and says what needs to be said. In other words, Mills gets straight to the point. The book includes an "Interview with an Atheist" that covers a lot of the questions that people have when they first meet an Atheist. Mills then goes into chapter after chapter breaking these questions down further and expanding greatly on the answers to give the reader a greater idea of what Atheism is, what Atheism is not, and why Atheism is a justified and rational position for anyone to hold. You may or may not agree with everything that Mills has to say in his book, but you will not be lacking when it comes to a read that is both thought provoking and entertaining.

Blair Scott
Alabama State Director, American Atheists
Director, Alabama Atheist
Creator, Atheism Awareness
Columnist, Bible Belt Blasphemy

For religious believers, here is David Mills' helpful guide to understanding non-believers. For non-believers, this volume serves as a quick reference for those common questions and statements so many of us hear from family, friends and co-workers who always seem to have Jesus For Sale. Not buying? This handy guide sums up many of the basic concepts Atheists, Agnostics & Freethinkers hold, explains why we don't simply accept someone else's blind faith, and shows that areligious does not mean amoral. This guide is also perfect for the individual who is tired of the seeker scene and leans towards rational thought.

Atheist philosophy in a nutshell--succinct and factual explanations of why Atheists don't believe in God(s) or the supernatural. Examines such concepts as evolution v. creationism, debunking of popular myths like "America is a Christian nation", Shroud of Turin, prophecy, etc! Also answers to common questions such as "don't you believe in ANYTHING?" (that one gets old!).

It is also nice to see Mills take apart the idea that religion and morality necessarily have anything to do with one another, and confront the erroneous idea some believers have that lack of belief in religion or God equates to lack of goodness in general. Atheists do good deeds because we care about others, not because we expect a reward down the road. You won't find an Atheist worrying about an afterlife, and for all the accusations against non-believers, you'll rarely find an Atheist in Prison.

This volume also acknowledges that many Atheists do not feel like they have to search or seek some "higher" or "greater" power. After all,what's wrong with nature, or trying to make the world around you a better place for the next generation? Non-believers in a human light, it is shown that Atheists have most of the same hopes and fears as believers--we want our kids to be safe and happy, we enjoy a nice sunrise, we hate paying 3.00+ a gallon for gas, too. Like diversity among believers, Atheists and Infidels come in all varieties, have a wide range of diverging views on a number of topics, and try to make the most of life while enjoying it.

The perfect return gift for those folks in our lives who are always passing out New Testaments, Qurans, or the Book of Mormon! ;)

If you wanted a book that summarizes the reasons that atheism makes sense and is advantageous to living a good life, this is a fine book. It's comprehensive and understandable, particularly when dealing with scientific explanations that usually are either glossed over or unintelligible in other books. His explanation of natural selection and his critique of creationism are very good.

Moral questions are also well dealt with and the arguments are strong.

The only discordant note is the section on pornography which, in my opinion, minimizes the problem of exposure to pornography for children. He cites studies that indicate that pornopgrpahy is not harmful, but I have my doubts he covered this topic properly.

I recommend the book otherwise completely.

With Atheist Universe, David Mills does a masterful job of debunking the God myth, particularly with respect to Christianity. I was circling and highlighting passages throughout, knowing that I could use the information in future debates and discussions. The first hundred or so pages, largely comprised of "Interview with an Atheist," feature some of the most convincing arguments yet put forth for atheism. I truly learned new things, and looked at things I already knew in a fundamentally different way. The following chapters explored the same ideas, but in much more depth. Again, the book consistently was a valuable educational resource, teaching me new things with every turn of the page.

Mills makes several points abundantly clear:

* Genesis and science are wholly incompatible.

* Citing the intervention of God, in order to explain that which we don't yet understand, has reliably delayed our discovery of true explanations.

* The supernatural need not be invoked to explain anything about the world in which we live.

* Evolution is essentially a fact, while creationism and all its mutations are unscientific and fundamentally misinformed.

* Jesus' historical existence is doubtful, at best!

Rarely do I rave about a book. This one deserves its praise. Bravo, Mr. Mills! I'm a better atheist for having read Atheist Universe.

One of my favorite chapters is "The Myth of Hell". Here, in talking about whether sending people to hell as punishment would fit the crime, Mills wrties "Let's suppose that, during a person's particularly mischevious lifetime, he commits a sum total of 100,000 sins, each of which God avenges singularly through fiery torture. If a 'sinner' were sentenced to one year of uninterrupted torture for each sin he committed-an unimaginably sadistic judgment-that his punishment would be over in 100,000 years. But, according to Christian doctrine, the torture continues longer than 100,000 years.....Even a million years of torture per offense would be a light sentence compared to everlasting torture. So if you'd perfer to watch football on Sunday, instead of going to church, then you will be tortured more than a million years for this single offense."

Mills also shows quotes from many great people in history criticizing religion including Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ganhdi and others. In another part of the book Mills says even if he personally witnessed John F. Kennedy get out of his coffin and start walking that he would think that A) he had gone insane, B) it wasn't Kennedy, C) he was witnessing the filming of a movie, D)someone had slipped him a hellucinogenic drug or E) he was making the whole thing up long before he would actually believe the John F. Kennedy had risen from the dead. Mills concludes that a natural explanation of the orgins of our universe, no matter how far fetched, is infinetley more plausible than a supernatural one.

These are just examples of the gems you'll find in this book. Agree or not, you must concede that Mills makes some strong arguments and delivers them with clarity and wit.

David Mills never said, as one hate-filled Christian claims below, that "he (Mills) had a hard time understanding Christian apologetics." Never happened! Neither did Mills assert a one-to-one correlation between births and cancer deaths. That's an absurd mischaracterization as well as being irrelevant to the point. The reviewer missed the entire point of the paragraph, which was that nature is obviously a mixture of both order and disorder, rather than an example of God's perfect Intelligent Design. Finally, the reviewer claims that Mills has no right to question whether eternal damnation is a fair punishment because "our souls are not affected by gravity." (Smile) How does the Christian know our "souls" are immaterial? How does he even know that we have souls or that there is a hell (allegedly)? Because the Christian read it in the Bible.

Please understand that the powerful arguments in Atheist Universe cause great anguish to those who delusionally imagine themselves to be both spiritual AND rational. Then, their Christian "love" becomes apparent through their rabid vitriol. This Christian outrage is evidence of the book's effectiveness. It hits home a little too closely.