A little more than a year ago I blogged about how every third book had the word “bullshit” in its title. Happily, that trend faded. I could only find two books on Amazon released in the last year with “bullshit” in the title.
Now, it seems that going after God is the hip thing to do. Daniel Dennett started the stampede with Breaking the Spell. Richard Dawkins followed with the best-seller The God Delusion. Then came God the Failed Hypothesis by Victor Stanger and God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens.
Next up? Irreligion by John Allen Paulos (author of Innumeracy). I love the fact that the book’s release date is December 26, 2007. What could be more fitting.
Here is what puzzles me: who buys these books?
I’m not religious. I don’t think much about God, except when I am in a pinch and need some special favors. I have no particular reason to think he’ll deliver, but I sometimes take a shot anyway. Other than that, I’m just not that interested in God. I’m definitely not interested enough to go out and buy books explaining to me why I shouldn’t believe in God, even when they are written by people like Dennett and Dawkins, whom I greatly admire. If I were religious, I think it would be even more likely that I would go out of my way to avoid books telling me that my faith was misplaced.
So who is making these anti-God books best-sellers? Do the people who despise the notion of God have an insatiable demand for books that remind them of why? Are there that many people out there who haven’t made up their mind on the subject and are open to persuasion?
Let me put the argument another way: I understand why books attacking liberals sell. It is because many conservatives hate liberals. Books attacking conservatives sell for the same reason. But no one writes books saying that bird watching is a waste of time, because people who aren’t bird watchers probably agree, but don’t want to spend $20 in order to read about it. Since very few people (at least in my crowd) actively dislike God, I’m surprised that anti-God books are not received with the same yawn that anti-bird watcher books would be.
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Religion is a big deal to people. Many are frustrated with God and they want someone to back them up on it. Very few people are mad at birds for their life troubles. However, life troubles are easily attributable to God, Muhammed, Budha, etc. People want to feel like they are justified in their feelings. What better than a book with poignantly scripted anecdotes to back up one’s self-sorrowful, “why me,” mentality?
Religion is a big deal to people. Many are frustrated with God and they want someone to back them up on it. Very few people are mad at birds for their life troubles. However, life troubles are easily attributable to God, Muhammed, Budha, etc. People want to feel like they are justified in their feelings. What better than a book with poignantly scripted anecdotes to back up one’s self-sorrowful, “why me,” mentality?
I think you’ll find that the stance of simply not caring much about God or religion (‘apatheism’ in the jokey parlance) is much less common than you imagine. It seems to be growing as people get wealthier, but a depressingly predominate chunk of humanity believes that God is indeed worth caring about, one way or another.
I think you’ll find that the stance of simply not caring much about God or religion (‘apatheism’ in the jokey parlance) is much less common than you imagine. It seems to be growing as people get wealthier, but a depressingly predominate chunk of humanity believes that God is indeed worth caring about, one way or another.
You’re asking why fervent atheists exist.
Well, atheism is a belief-based system and so tends to breed fervent fanaticism, in some.
Of course there are also plenty of atheists who don’t care enough to buy a book on the topic, just like there are plenty of religious people who never buy books on religion.
You’re asking why fervent atheists exist.
Well, atheism is a belief-based system and so tends to breed fervent fanaticism, in some.
Of course there are also plenty of atheists who don’t care enough to buy a book on the topic, just like there are plenty of religious people who never buy books on religion.
For those who don’t particularly care about god, it could be the book reading public’s curiousity about religious belief.
I live in Atlanta, and use public transportation at least twice a day. Every time I’m on the bus or train, I’m either invited into a conversation about religion, or overhear one. I don’t know why people like to sit next to me and explain that god or Jesus is great. I’m atheist, and not particularly interested, but I usually just nod my head and continue reading while my seatmate talks.
If one of the recent “god books” could explain these people, I would be very interested in reading it.
For those who don’t particularly care about god, it could be the book reading public’s curiousity about religious belief.
I live in Atlanta, and use public transportation at least twice a day. Every time I’m on the bus or train, I’m either invited into a conversation about religion, or overhear one. I don’t know why people like to sit next to me and explain that god or Jesus is great. I’m atheist, and not particularly interested, but I usually just nod my head and continue reading while my seatmate talks.
If one of the recent “god books” could explain these people, I would be very interested in reading it.