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Informationen zum Autor Russell Blackford is Conjoint Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Newcastle, Australia. A renowned philosopher, literary critic, author and commentator on a range of topics including legal and political philosophy, philosophy of religion, meta-ethics, and philosophical bioethics, he is a prolific essayist and author whose works include Freedom of Religion and the Secular State (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012). Dr Blackford is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Evolution and Technology . Udo Schüklenk is Professor of Philosophy at Queen's University, Canada, where he holds the Ontario Research Chair in Bioethics. A renowned bioethicist, he is joint editor-in-chief of the international journals Bioethics and Developing World Bioethics . A prolific author and editor, he has produced 7 books and published more than 130 articles in international journals and anthologies, mostly on public health ethics, research ethics and end-of-life issues. He recently chaired an international expert panel drafting a landmark report on end-of-life care on behalf of the Royal Society of Canada. Klappentext Engaging, good-humored, and brilliantly argued, this volume confronts head-on many of the myths, slanders, misconceptions, and half-truths about atheism and its adherents. The crisply articulate authors, both respected philosophers, tackle allegations that range from the claim that atheism is just another religion, to the familiar slur about atrocities having been committed in its name. They counter religionists' hubristic prediction that atheism has no future, and engage with important themes including the relationship between atheism and ethics, where they demonstrate that belief in a deity is not the only foundation for moral probity. As well as getting to the heart of one of today's most hotly contested debates, the authors present a brief history of modern atheism, and explain why the empiricism of modern science makes the intellectual appeal of atheism irresistible. In doing so, they provide a dazzling tutorial on critical thinking, and conclude that atheism is now the only truly reasonable response to 'the God question'. Zusammenfassung Tackling a host of myths and prejudices commonly leveled at atheism, this captivating volume bursts with sparkling, eloquent arguments on every page. The authors rebut claims that range from atheism being just another religion to the alleged atrocities committed in its name. Inhaltsverzeichnis Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 What is Atheism? 2 Why Bother About Myths? 4 Drawing the Lines 5 Do These Myths Actually Exist? 6 How Did We Decide What Myths are Worth Investigating? 6 Are We Picking Easy Targets? 7 Have We Defeated Theism? 7 1 What is Atheism? 9 Myth 1 Atheism is Just Another Type of Religion 9 Myth 2 But the Courts Recognize Atheism as a Religion 12 Myth 3 Atheists Believe in God but are in Denial 14 Myth 4 Atheists are Certain There is No God 18 Myth 5 Atheists Hate or are Angry with God 21 Myth 6 Atheism is a Rebellion Against God's Authority 24 Myth 7 Atheists See No Good in Religion 27 Myth 8 No Atheist Believes in Anything Supernatural 28 Myth 9 It Makes No Sense for an Atheist to Practice Any Kind of Religion 29 Myth 10 Atheists Worship False Gods (Satan, Money, Materialism, etc.) 31 2 Atheist Living 34 Myth 11 Atheism Robs Life of Meaning and Purpose 34 Myth 12 Atheism is Depressing 40 Myth 13 Atheists Have No Sense of Humor 42 Myth 14 Atheists Don't Appreciate Some of the Greatest Works of Art 45 Myth 15 There is no Christmas in Atheist Families 47 Myth 16 Atheists Don't Appreciate the Beauty and Perfection of God's Creation 4...
