Litsy

God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything | Christopher Hitchens

I can‘t believe it‘s already APRIL! I am so sorry, #deadphilosopherssociety! I‘m not sure how many of your have read God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens and God is Not One by Stephen Prothero, but I was thinking these would make great conversations for our group (we tend to go in these directions occasionally anyway). Determined by Robert Saplosky about free will is also out now. We talked about reading that when it came out.

TheBookHippie

GingerAntics Now taking votes, I guess. lol #Philosophy #AdventuresInPhilosophy #DeadPhilosophersSociety
@TheBookHippie @ravenlee @JaclynW @RavenLovelyReads @AlaSkaat @Chrissyreadit @kspenmoll @bnp 2w

GingerAntics If anyone wants in or out… or has any other book ideas, let me know! 2w

Chrissyreadit i think i‘m interested in God is not one based on your review but wonder if anyone is interested in

When God was a Woman

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Chrissyreadit or a book that explores not God? 2w

kspenmoll God is not one sounds interesting. 2w

kspenmoll I have a book in my TBR have been wanting to read & might inspire discussion

HOW TO THINK LIKE A WOMAN: Four Women Philosophers who Taught Me how to Live a Life of the Mind

kspenmoll I the author writes about Mary Astell, Damaris Masham, Mary Wollstonecraft & Catherine Cockburn. The only woman I know is MW. @Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie @ravenlee @JaclynW @RavenLovelyReads @bnp @AlaSkaat (edited) 2w

kspenmoll @Chrissyreadit I read When God was a Woman ages ago- would love to reread as I seem to have a blank space in my brain regarding that book. I re remember I learned so much from the book though. 2w

GingerAntics @Chrissyreadit that‘s in my reading list. I had a feeling that would be quite popular with this group. 2w

GingerAntics @kspenmoll I‘m always a little leery about “we all used to be matriarchal… and then the patriarchy.” That book does look intriguing, though. 2w

kspenmoll @GingerAntics It was written in 1978, a time when I was reading feminist literature- much in history/philosophy/politics has changed since then. (edited) 2w

GingerAntics @kspenmoll @Chrissyreadit not gonna lie, the more time away from “God is Not One,” the more I dislike it. If you‘re not some religion that you call a religion, he‘s against you and all the nice things he says don‘t apply to you. God is Not Great at least had an internal consistency in that regard. 2w

GingerAntics @kspenmoll that‘s why I‘m a little nervous about that, but when has that ever stopped me from reading a book? lol That was the origin of “we all used to be matriarchies… please ignore all the evidence and the utter lack of evidence that that was the case because men” started and I just have no time for it. (edited) 2w

kspenmoll @Chrissyreadit My husband may have the CH book-there was a time he read his books. I will check 2w

kspenmoll I did not realize you had read it - CH ‘s book You would not mind reading again? See we are discussing the books already! 😉 2w

GingerAntics @kspenmoll see, I knew they would spark discussion. 🤣 I read Hitchens right before I read Prothero. I could see reading them both again together, but Prothero just doesn‘t sit right with me alone. I had more books of his to read, and I‘m not sure I‘m ever actually going to read them now. 2w

TheBookHippie I‘ll read anything! I miss our group! 5d

GingerAntics @TheBookHippie same! 3d

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TalesandTexts

The Mahabharata | Bibek Debroy

pick

The first ten days of the Kurukshetra war are led by Bhishma - oscillating in favour between the Kauravas & Pandavas because of Bhishma‘s equal love for both sets of grandsons.

Krishna‘s wisdom in the form of the Gita fails to rouse Arjuna to action - but others pick up the slack.

Duryodhana has many tricks up his sleeve, but he is an equally honourable warrior. But things don‘t seem good for him as Bhishma is felled and Drona takes the reins.

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bibliothecarivs

Misquoting Jesus: the story behind who changed the Bible and why | Bart D. Ehrman

Recent acquisitions:

📖 Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart D. Ehrman
📖 The Conquerers by Thomas B. Costain

#fREADom #UniteAgainstBookBans #LetUtahRead

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GingerAntics

God Is Not One (Enhanced Edition): The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter | Stephen Prothero

pick

Almost a so-so, but just on the pick side of the dividing line. Maybe it‘s just me.

I liked the discussion of the main religions in the world and how they are different. I agree with him that to reduce all religions to different expressions of the same deity or divine is reductionist and ignores the different traditions and aims of different world religions. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

GingerAntics I disagree with Prothero about Mr. Rogers being outdated, religion having no place in a romantic relationship, and that accepting the difference of the worlds religions means accepting, and not interfering in or passing judgement on their practices or shows of devotion because to desire to change them is futile and colonialist. These are “the way things are” in the “real world.” 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 1mo

GingerAntics Um, sure, suicide bombings, bombing abortion clinics, bombing military bases or offices, harming your own children (and/or others‘ children) for your god or traditions, claiming land for your god, etc is “the way things are” in the “real world;” however, to shrug and say we just need to understand the positions of these religious extremes… 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 1mo

GingerAntics instead of trying to make safe environments and societies for people of all beliefs is at best nihilistic in the extreme (in a way Prothero is not even open to the presence of), and at worst being complicit in the harming of innocent people. I can respect someone‘s faith and/or beliefs without condoning harm to others in the name of that faith or those beliefs. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 1mo

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GingerAntics For someone so focused on nurturing respect for all belief systems no matter how different they are from one‘s own, he does not extend this same respect to atheists (or agnostics to a slightly lesser degree). According to him, not all atheists are angry men, but he certainly considers atheism to be the hatred of god turned into religion. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 1mo

GingerAntics At one point he questions why all atheists can‘t just stop at agnosticism, but then he discusses agnosticism as sell outs and full of crap as much as atheists. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 1mo

GingerAntics Are we respecting all beliefs, or not? Are we giving up trying to convert everyone or change people‘s beliefs, or not? Are all forms of spiritual practice, faith, and religion unique and thus incomparable and acceptable the way they are, or not? 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 1mo

GingerAntics I felt like there was a huge double standard here once he got to the final chapter where he basically turned atheism, agnosticism, and belief in science into his whipping boy and the real problem in the world. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 1mo

GingerAntics He certainly mentioned Christopher Hitchens more than he mentioned some of the leaders and/or founders of some of the religions he claimed were the 8 biggest religions in the world. I would be interested in knowing what his personal vendetta against Hitchens and Sam Harris especially within the atheist movement. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 1mo

GingerAntics He takes the time to mention female atheists and how they too (conveniently) hate Hitchens and Harris, but then he insults them too for their atheism. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 1mo

GingerAntics Great discussion starter, but Prothero really needs to do some soul searching and start being honest about his anti-atheist and anti-agnostic biases. Still on the fence about reading Prothero‘s ‘Religious Literacy‘ seeing that he does not extend the same respect to everyone, just those he deems worthy by his own undefined logic. 1mo

GingerAntics #GodIsNotOne #StephenProthero #busbook #mixedfeelings #aslongasyouopenlyhaveatleastonegodyouregood 1mo

Texreader Very thoughtful. Thanks! 1mo

GingerAntics @Texreader I would still do this one as a group read, tbh. It does give some really good info and he presented this ancient pan-African religion that is like the 3rd or 4th largest religion practiced in the world, and I was thinking I‘ve never heard of this. How have I never heard of this? It‘s where voodoo and other traditional religions we are more familiar with came from. So that chapter was really cool. 1mo

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