Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless [Kindle Edition]

Greta Christina (Author)

Book Description

Why are atheists angry?

Is it because they're selfish, joyless, lacking in meaning, and alienated from God?

Or is it because they have legitimate reasons to be angry -- and are ready to do something about it?

Armed with passionate outrage, absurdist humor, and calm intelligence, popular blogger Greta Christina makes a powerful case for outspoken atheist activism, and explains the empathy and justice that drive it.

This accessible, personal, down-to-earth book speaks not only to atheists, but to believers who want to understand the so-called "new atheism." "Why Are You Atheists So Angry?" drops a bombshell on the destructive force of religious faith -- and gives a voice to millions of angry atheists.

"Greta Christina's analysis of religion is acute and witty, and at the same time fair and compassionate. And I'm jealous: I sure wish I could write as well as she does."
-Alan Sokal, Professor of Physics, New York University

"Greta has done something truly impressive with this book: She explains in a calm, reasonable, and thoughtful way exactly why she's a pissed-off, angry atheist. She's not alone, though, and it's not only other atheists who will agree with her. In fact, I *dare* religious people to read this book and not come away furious at the often awful impact faith has had on the world, even if they don't believe they're responsible for it. I may be a "friendly atheist" online, but Greta definitely speaks for me in this book."
-Hemant Mehta, Friendly Atheist, author of I Sold My Soul on eBay

"If only more people could channel their anger into something so inspiring! Greta Christina has written the perfect book for anyone who wonders about the true impact of religious dogma on women's health, gay rights, science education, and the daily lives of those who have no faith. Her concluding chapter, which contains solid advice for how to make a positive change in the world, will ensure that you'll have an outlet for all that rage you'll build up by the end of the book. Trust me – you'll need it."
-Rebecca Watson, Skepchick.org

"I found this book informative and enraging! Leave it to Greta to inform and elucidate like no other. I highly recommend this book to everyone, everywhere. And I hope never to get Greta angry at me. :)"
-David Silverman, President, American Atheists

"Greta Christina's book offers a passionately lucid explanation of the reasons for atheist anger and its connection to the energy behind all movements for social justice. It is both informative and inspiring."
-Ophelia Benson, Butterflies and Wheels

"They say if you're not angry, you're not paying attention. Well, Greta Christina is definitely paying attention -- and in this book, she delivers a clean, bracing blast of atheist anger, like a refreshing cool breeze in a stifling hothouse of faith, that offers compelling reasons why all rational people of conscience should oppose religion and the harm it does."
-Adam Lee, Daylight Atheism

"Greta Christina is one of the best writers on religion out there, period. I've been waiting for this book for a long time."
-Chris Hallquist, The Uncredible Hallq

"This just became my number-one book to recommend to all believers and new atheists alike. I thought the field of atheist literature was all just rehashing the same stuff by now. But this is an original, visceral, and ultimately complete defense of not just atheist outrage, but atheism itself. Greta sticks to the undeniable facts-on-the-ground and articulates it all correctly and well, heading off every possible rebuttal with brilliant economy. She never gets bogged down in abstract philosophy, yet still hits every key abstract point, leaving you by the end with no rational reason not to agree, and finally kick to the curb that useless old religion, or get off your bum and really do something for the cause."
-Dr. Richard Carrier, author of Sense and Goodness without God

Editorial Reviews

Review

“You should read it. It’s fabulous and ferocious.” —PZ Myers, Pharyngula

"Greta Christina’s analysis of religion is acute and witty, and at the same time fair and compassionate. And I'm jealous: I sure wish I could write as well as she does." —Alan Sokal, Professor of Physics, New York University

"Greta has done something truly impressive with this book: She explains in a calm, reasonable, and thoughtful way exactly why she’s a pissed-off, angry atheist. She’s not alone, though, and it’s not only other atheists who will agree with her. In fact, I *dare* religious people to read this book and not come away furious at the often awful impact faith has had on the world, even if they don't believe they're responsible for it. I may be a "friendly atheist" online, but Greta definitely speaks for me in this book." —Hemant Mehta, Friendly Atheist, author of I Sold My Soul on eBay

"If only more people could channel their anger into something so inspiring! Greta Christina has written the perfect book for anyone who wonders about the true impact of religious dogma on women’s health, gay rights, science education, and the daily lives of those who have no faith. Her concluding chapter, which contains solid advice for how to make a positive change in the world, will ensure that you'll have an outlet for all that rage you'll build up by the end of the book. Trust me—you'll need it." —Rebecca Watson, Skepchick.org

"I found this book informative and enraging! Leave it to Greta to inform and elucidate like no other. I highly recommend this book to everyone, everywhere. And I hope never to get Greta angry at me. :)" —David Silverman, President, American Atheists

"Greta Christina’s book offers a passionately lucid explanation of the reasons for atheist anger and its connection to the energy behind all movements for social justice. It is both informative and inspiring." —Ophelia Benson, Butterflies and Wheels

"They say if you're not angry, you're not paying attention. Well, Greta Christina is definitely paying attention—-and in this book, she delivers a clean, bracing blast of atheist anger, like a refreshing cool breeze in a stifling hothouse of faith, that offers compelling reasons why all rational people of conscience should oppose religion and the harm it does." —Adam Lee, Daylight Atheism

"Greta Christina is one of the best writers on religion out there, period. I've been waiting for this book for a long time." —Chris Hallquist, The Uncredible Hallq

"This just became my number-one book to recommend to all believers and new atheists alike. I thought the field of atheist literature was all just rehashing the same stuff by now. But this is an original, visceral, and ultimately complete defense of not just atheist outrage, but atheism itself. Greta sticks to the undeniable facts-on-the-ground and articulates it all correctly and well, heading off every possible rebuttal with brilliant economy. She never gets bogged down in abstract philosophy, yet still hits every key abstract point, leaving you by the end with no rational reason not to agree, and finally kick to the curb that useless old religion, or get off your bum and really do something for the cause."—-Dr. Richard Carrier, author of Sense and Goodness without God

About the Author

Greta Christina is a widely read and well-respected blogger, author, and speaker. She is the regular atheist correspondent for AlterNet, and has been writing about atheism on Greta Christina's Blog since 2005.

Product Details

• File Size: 272 KB
• Print Length: 156 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Dirty Heathen Publishing (March 18, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007MCMKV6
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,095 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #13 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Atheism
  • #41 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Atheism

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 116 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Eloquence with Passion! March 23, 2012

By J. Gomez TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Why Are You Atheists So Angry?: 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless by Greta Christina

"Why Are You Atheists So Angry?" is a book that had to be written. It's the inspirational, outspoken, thought-provoking, grounded on reality book that makes you proud to be an atheist. Iconic voice of the atheist movement and widely-read blogger Greta Christina provides a much needed book in a growing movement that is grounded on reason and evidence. In this exciting book, Christina replies directly and so powerfully to questions presented to her by believers. Her responses are direct, compelling and ultimately persuasive. A real treat and a much needed resource for all those who care about their beliefs being truthful. This 272 KB book is composed of the following fifteen chapters: 1. Why Are You Atheists So Angry?, 2. Some Answers to the Questions I know I'll Get Asked, 3. Why This UIs Religion's Fault, 4. Yes, This Means You: Moderate and Progressive Religion, 5. Yes, This Means You: New Age Religion, 6. Yes, This Means You: "Spiritual But Not Religious", 7. Yes, This Means You: Ecumenicalism and Interfaith, 8. The Top Ten Reasons I Don't Believe In God, 9. Why "Religion Is Useful" Is a Terrible Argument - The Santa Delusion, 10. What Do You Want, Anyway? One Atheist's Mission Statement, 11. Is Atheism Activism Valid?, 12. Is Atheism Activism Effective? 13. On Other People's Anger and Compassion, 14. What Now? and 15. Resources.

Positives:
1. Anger has never been so eloquent. A well-reasoned book grounded on reality and accessible to all.
2. A thought-provoking, reason-grounded rant of evidence-based proportions.
3. An outspoken yet respectable tone throughout. A feat on its own.
4.... Christina is able to put in words what many of us have trouble to put in thoughts.
5. Fascinating questions and profound yet intelligible answers!
6. I can finally embrace my anger with newfound confidence. A welcomed indelible mark of wisdom, thank you!
7. I love unique voices in the atheist movement, and it's refreshing to have a female voice!
8. The Litany of Rage! That alone is worth the price of this book. Many will be familiar with many of the points, some are new but all are well stated. Excellent!
9. The importance and necessity of anger.
10. One of the most important points of this book, "why religion sucks and why so many atheist are pissed off about it". Amen, strike that, I concur.
11. So many thought-provoking and intellectual treats, "it makes me feel more compassion for religious people -- and more anger about religion".
12. In support of the First Amendment!
13. The importance of coming out.
14. God as a hypothesis. Interesting stuff.
15. Understanding religion: the claims, the doctrines, the armor.
16. The problems with religion.
17. Same-sex marriage.
18. Great quote, thoughts throughout, "there's an equally important way that woo can do harm. And that's that it leads people away from valuing reason, and evidence, and reality. Woo, like every other religious or spiritual belief, ultimately prioritizes faith over reason; personal experience over external evidence".
19. Some of the best heartfelt rants I've ever read, "But it's disingenuous at best, hypocritical at worst, to say that criticism of other religious beliefs is inherently bigoted and offensive...and then make an exception for beliefs that are opposed to your own". That's what she said.
20. Religious ecumenicalism...a callous disregard for the truth. Can I hear an Amen?? Never mind.
21. A foundation for reason, "Do you care whether the things you believe are true?"
22. I really enjoyed the Top Ten Reasons I don't Believe in God. David Letterman take note.
23. In defense of the scientific method.
24. Debunking the soul...always a personal favorite.
25. The lack of solid evidence for God's existence...oh my Science.
26. A total destruction of the argument for utility.
27. One of the few authors that I can say that I agree on practically every point, "I don't want religion ended by force. I want it ended by --persuasion". Organic atheism.
28. Facts, "The fact that religion is unfalsifiable doesn't mean we have to accept it as reasonable possibility. It means the exact opposite. It means we should reject it wholesale, on that basis alone."
29. The problem with religious evangelism.
30. One of the most compelling arguments why the defense of reason, evidence, atheism is needed and necessary.
31. Why atheists are angry?!! The best book I've ever read that addresses the subject of this book.
32. Great links and an invaluable resource chapter, thank you!!
33. A treat to read from beginning to end.

Negatives:
1. Ok, I only have one bone to pick with Greta...why wasn't Alan Turing included in the Litany of Rage?? Alan Turing was a hero, the father of modern computer science, whose work was instrumental in breaking the wartime Enigma codes, a genius if there ever was one and whose only "crime" was being gay and was ultimately forced to castration and ultimately committed suicide. That's how they treated a World War hero in England...it's so infuriating. I hope you agree.
2. If you are expecting an in-depth dissection of religious beliefs the author provides references. This is not that kind of book.
3. It felt more like an appetizer than the main course, but it was still delicious nonetheless and left you wanting for more.

Overall, I loved this brief book. Greta Christina gets it and knows how to convey her message loudly and lucidly. It doesn't matter how many books I read about any given topic a good author is always able to leave an indelible mark of wisdom. Greta Christina in few words was able to accomplish that and then some. I can for one embrace my anger with a newfound confidence that I didn't have before. My worldview is stronger and I have obtained a new wind of inspiration to spread the word of reason. I want to thank Greta for being such a wonderful voice in a community that needs heroes. I can't recommend this inspirational book enough, I highly recommend it!

Further suggestions: "Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment" by Phil Zuckerman, "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, "Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity" by John Loftus, "Why I'm Not a Christian" by Richard Carrier, "Man Made God: A Collection of Essays" by Barbara G. Walker, "The Invention of the Jewish People" by Shlomo Sand, "Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson" by Jennifer Hecht, "The Portable Atheist" by Christopher Hitchens, "Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists" by Dan Barker, "Christian No More" by Jeffrey Mark, "50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God" by Guy P. Harrison, "Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism" by Susan Jacoby, "God: The Failed Hypothesis" by Victor Stenger, "Faith Healers" by James Randi, "The Atheist Camel Rants" by Bart Centre, "Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars" by Sikivu Hutchinson, "Bible Thumper to Atheist" by Tom Crawford. Read more ›

66 of 78 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I've "Prayed" for a Book Like This-- Greta Tells it Like It Is! March 20, 2012

By Susie Bright

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm one of Greta Christina's longtime blog fans who's been begging her to do this kind of book for years. Greta has a way of answering lay people's greatest fears about atheism. She makes you feel like progress and respectful communication are, YES, possible. She's fierce, she's funny, sympathetic and yet impeccably reasoned. Why didn't I have this book when I was locked down in Catholic School! It would have been so fun to quote to the nuns.

42 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent March 21, 2012

By peter veitch

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Am only 50% through , already worth The price, the early angry bit made my blood boil, rightly so, have just gone past the hair dryer bit, funny as... the stuff on moderate xians, new agers etc intersting. is late . will update tomorrow when I finish . as I have already given five stars, hmm might have to give six based on current rate of progress :)

Ok finished, definitiely well worth the money. The book starts with a fabulous rant of 100 things ré makes her angry, delisciouly biting yet relevant. The book keeps up the pace all the way through, finishes with some good tips about reducing the stuff that makes her ( and others angry )

29 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Angry--with good reason! March 27, 2012

By Joseph R. McFaul

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Do not be fooled by the title of the book. This is not a screed. In an engaging and conversational manner, the author explains why atheists are angry. She superbly demonstrates how to be angry without losing either your temper or losing sight of the goal. In short, she's constructively angry. She got me angry. I hope that you will be angry too, after reading this book.

Ms. Christina emphasizes the point that religion is a hypothesis. The religion hypothesis is supported by scant evidence that has only dwindled as history advances. As she notes, there are numerous situations where natural phenomena formerly explained by "God" are now explained by science. There are exactly zero instances where something formerly explained by science was deemed to be explained only by supernatural events. The book does a great job explaining why the evidence for a God is so scant and evaporating by the day. The book does not address all of the philosophical arguments for God such as the Cosmological or Kalam arguments, nor does it directly address the claims of various theologians over the centuries. I expect that reviewers will criticize this neglect of historical theological thought.

That criticism will be unfair. The book points out that if religion was true in any sense then there would not be as many significant conflicts between religions. Reincarnation and heaven can't both be true. Neither can free will, justification by works and predestination all be true. The numerous internal contradictions alone casts sufficient doubt on religion in general that exhaustive critique of theological thought over the centuries is not required to make her point. Until theology achieves some sort of intellectual rigor in dealing with internal inconsistencies, it can safely be ignored.... The religion hypotheses all remain unproven.

Ms. Christina is justifiably angry that a failed hypothesis is given so much deference in our laws, in our politics and in our worldviews. Religion inflicts harm on many people and those who are non-religious are characterized as "Evil Little Things." She convincingly argues that we would be much better off simply relying on reality.

Finally, in channeling the anger into productive activities, the book sets out an action plan and also provides a list of resources. She challenges individuals to do just one thing, so I wrote this review. The list of helpful resources is also very helpful, if you are like me and relatively new to the subject.

Is Greta Cristina an angry atheist? Sure she is. But, she's passionate and articulate. She speaks for many people and she comes across as a fun person to have a beer with, whatever your religious beliefs may be. Greta Christina's book is excellent. You'll enjoy it. Read more ›

25 of 32 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars More fun than a barrel of Dawkinses March 23, 2012

By Andrew Arensburger

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This isn't "The God Delusion" or "Breaking the Spell", nor is it trying to be. If you want a rigorously-reasoned, dispassionate defense of atheism, look elsewhere. Christina is appealing more to your heart than your mind, and she does it well, in her usual engaging style.

She approaches the question of religion not as a scholar, but as an ordinary person with, you know, other things to do with her life than read 3000 pages of Aquinas and Plantinga. Rather than dissecting the Kalam Cosmological argument or Unmoved Mover argument, she points out that religious people have yet to reach a consensus on how many gods there are and whether they're intelligent beings that meddle in the universe, or just abstract ideals. That religion is often justified by threats of hellfire or "but look at all the good religion has done!", and if you have to resort to such arguments, you've already conceded that you can't make a good case for the existence of your gods/saints/fairies/reincarnation/whatever.

She's not just pointing out that the emperor has no clothes, she's putting the video on YouTube and encouraging others to do the same.

If you've been reading her blog, you'll recognize not only a number of arguments, but also whole passages taken directly from her posts (for which I'm deducting one star). This is not to say that this book is just a collection of old posts: it has been edited and rewritten to flow smoothly and stand on its own.

The book is a quick read -- I breezed through it in two days, while holding down a full-time job. I don't agree with everything she says, but I agree with her enough that I'm happy to recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the "new" atheists and why they do and say the things they do.