Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.
Atheist Universe and over 300,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
53 used & new from $8.37
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism
 
 
See all product images
See all 8 customer images
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading Atheist Universe on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.
 
  

Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism (Paperback)

by David Mills (Author), Dorion Sagan (Foreword)
Key Phrases: internet porn, geologic column, creationist argument, Intelligent Design, Big Bang, First Cause (more...)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (223 customer reviews)
List Price: $14.95
Price: $10.17 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $4.78 (32%)
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, July 14? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
30 new from $8.39 23 used from $8.37
Also Available in: List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Kindle Edition (Kindle Book) $9.99
Hardcover 4 used & new from $54.57
Paperback 16 used & new from $6.99
Audio CD Order it used!

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever by Christopher Hitchens

Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism + The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
Price For Both: $22.07

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism by David Mills

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever by Christopher Hitchens

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Quotable Atheist: Ammunition for Non-Believers, Political Junkies, Gadflies, and Those Generally Hell-Bound

The Quotable Atheist: Ammunition for Non-Believers, Political Junkies, Gadflies, and Those Generally Hell-Bound

by Jack Huberman
4.1 out of 5 stars (48)  $12.44
God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist

God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist

by Victor J. Stenger
3.7 out of 5 stars (168)  $12.91
Letter to a Christian Nation (Vintage)

Letter to a Christian Nation (Vintage)

by Sam Harris
4.1 out of 5 stars (653)  $8.62
Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists

Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists

by Dan Barker
4.4 out of 5 stars (62)  $10.17
Natural Atheism

Natural Atheism

by David Eller
4.7 out of 5 stars (42)  $18.00
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Review
David’s work will be very useful for anyone combating harmful religious beliefs. Honest, frank, and right to the point! -- Albert Ellis, Ph.D., father of modern psychotherapy, author of 'A Guide to Rational Living' and 54 other books

With impeccable logic, intellectual bravery, and professional clarity Mills points the way past religion. -- Dorion Sagan, science writer, son of Carl Sagan

Product Description
Clear, concise, and persuasive, Atheist Universe details exactly why God is unnecessary to explain the universe and life's diversity, organization, and beauty. The author thoroughly rebuts every argument that claims to "prove" God's existence — arguments based on logic, common sense, philosophy, ethics, history and science.

Atheist Universe avoids the esoteric language used by philosophers and presents its scientific evidence in simple lay terms, making it a richly entertaining and easy-to-read introduction to atheism. A comprehensive primer, it addresses all the historical and scientific questions, including: Is there proof that God does not exist? What evidence is there of Jesus' resurrection? Can creation science reconcile scripture with the latest scientific discoveries?

Atheist Universe also answers ethical issues such as: What is the meaning of life without God? It's a spellbinding inquiry that ultimately arrives at a controversial and well-documented conclusion.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details
Front Cover | Table of Contents | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
internet porn, geologic column, creationist argument, selective observation
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Intelligent Design, Big Bang, First Cause, Book of Genesis, Holy Ghost, United States, Creation Week, Christian Church, God of the Gaps, Cambrian Explosion, George Washington, Law of Cause-Effect, Carl Sagan, Charles Darwin, Jesus Christ, Albert Einstein, The Age of Reason, Lee Strobel, Meese Commission, Noah's Ark, Christian Fundamentalists, Did God, John Kennedy, Bill Murray, Old Testament
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 88 books:
See all 88 books this book cites

Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism
71% buy the item featured on this page:
Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism 4.4 out of 5 stars (223)
$10.17
The God Delusion
12% buy
The God Delusion 3.8 out of 5 stars (1,423)
The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
6% buy
The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever 4.5 out of 5 stars (61)
$11.90
Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists
6% buy
Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists 4.4 out of 5 stars (62)
$10.17
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.
(64)
(36)
(35)
(31)
(30)
(29)
(26)
(18)
(14)
(10)
(9)
See all 78 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search
David Mills suggested this product show on searches for "christianity and science". What do you suggest?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more
 

Customer Reviews

223 Reviews
5 star:
 (151)
4 star:
 (35)
3 star:
 (18)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (16)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (223 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
543 of 577 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Most convincing case for Atheism out there, a great read, September 9, 2004
By eric_f (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Atheist Universe: Why God Didn't Have A Thing To Do With It (Paperback)
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.
Comment Comments (4) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
466 of 513 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brain Candy for the Non-Believer, May 8, 2005
This review is from: Atheist Universe: Why God Didn't Have A Thing To Do With It (Paperback)
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.


Comment Comments (14) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
53 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review by R. Leland Waldrip, September 20, 2005
This review is from: Atheist Universe: Why God Didn't Have A Thing To Do With It (Paperback)
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Book has strengths and weaknesses
I would give this book 5 stars for bringing arguments against theism in general and Biblical/Quranic theism in particular to the fore. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Jennifer Smith

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling arguments against god
David Mills, a soft-spoken, southern gentleman, Baptist-turned-atheist, seems an unlikely boxer in the heated battle over the existence of God, but his good-natured attitude... Read more
Published 2 days ago by D. A. Ross

5.0 out of 5 stars Logical!
A well written logical review. Fun and easy to read. A value for the money for each critical thinker.
Published 1 month ago by M. Fabro

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book on Atheism!
This is one of my favorites, and just one niche behind Dan Barkers "Godless" in quality of the arguments. Read more
Published 2 months ago by lawguy20

5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpectedly Good
In Atheist Universe David Mills manages to eloquently simplify the positions behind Atheism in a surprisingly concise fashion. Read more
Published 3 months ago by DrivenMind

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have
The book documents many of those internal discussions you may have had with yourself on religion in the form of the interview. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ronin

5.0 out of 5 stars Strongly Recommended for all Atheists, Agnostic, Nontheists, Rationalists, Secular Humanists, Anti-theists, and even Theists
This book is geared towards more general readers whereas the books by the four horsemen may chase people away by their titles. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Chung Dynasty

5.0 out of 5 stars A basic approach to atheism
This book is fairly good overall, although I would say that it is fairly basic in that it's main goal is to refute Intelligent Design ideas. Read more
Published 4 months ago by P. Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of book "Atheist Universe"
The book is well written and easy to read. I found the discussion of concepts I studied years ago to be a good review. Read more
Published 4 months ago by E. Branscomb

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, A True Eye Opener!!!
My head is still buzzing after turning the last few pages of this book. As a Jew I've found myself questioning the Old Testament for most of my life. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Raw Mark

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.
This product's forum (11 discussions)
› See all 11 discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Perfect Programming

Shop for programmable thermostats

Install a programmable thermostat to help reduce heating costs by ensuring your home is heated optimally. Shop for name-brand thermostats, including Honeywell and Lux, in Home Improvement.

›Shop all programmable thermostats

  

Big Savings in Books

Bargain Books
Find great titles at fantastic prices in our Bargain Books Store.
 

Buy Three Books, Get a Fourth Free

4-for-3 Books
Order any four eligible books under $10 and get the lowest-price book free in our 4-for-3 Books Store. See more details.
  

Best Books

Best of the Month
See our editors' picks and more of the best new books on our Best of the Month page.
  

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.com Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores
International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us
Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings
Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Careers at Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates