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DetlefK

(16,470 posts)
Mon Feb 25, 2019, 07:08 AM Feb 2019

"Inside the Atheist Mind: Unmasking the Religion of Those Who Say There Is No God"

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Atheist-Mind-Unmasking-Religion/dp/0718080564

USA Today bestselling author Anthony DeStefano is tired of playing nice. After years of responding patiently and agreeably to the pseudo-intellectual arguments and tactics of today’s militant atheists, he’s had enough. In this entertaining, no-holds-barred retort to atheism and its proponents, DeStefano reveals the intellectual bankruptcy at atheism’s core and equips believers to respond to its hollow arguments.

A witty and devastating takedown of the "new atheist" position, Inside the Atheist Mind systematically debunks the theories of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and others, revealing how inconsistent, illogical, and frankly ludicrous their conclusions truly are. Poking fun at atheists in a clever and intelligent way, DeStefano demonstrates just how full of holes the new atheism is and reveals that it is actually a "religion" of its own, complete with a creed, a set of commandments and sacraments, and a rigid moral code with rewards and punishments. More than that, DeStefano exposes that atheism is itself a "superstition" of the worst kind.

Using irony and a healthy dose of playful sarcasm, Inside the Atheist Mind lampoons, teases, and deflates the atheist position, unmasking it for what it is--an empty, intellectually barren philosophy, devoid of any logic and common sense.


pseudo-intellectual arguments ... Like "It must be true because the Bible says so."

intellectual bankruptcy ... Like not being able to explain how many gods there are, who they are, what they want, how to properly worship them.

revealing how inconsistent, illogical, and frankly ludicrous their conclusions are ... Like "fuck evidence, we have faith."

how full of holes the new atheism is ... With commandments that expressly forbid adherents from taking too close a look, like "do not test God, his ways are unknowable, shut up and obey."

that it is actually a "religion" of its own ... a religion without an animistic cosmology, without divine teachings, without holy books, without the concept of holiness and without clergy.

More than that, DeStefano exposes that atheism is itself a "superstition" of the worst kind. ... Fun Fact: During the Renaissance there was a papal witchhunter (forgot his name) who tried to prove via experiment that Catholicism is verifiably correct and that fringe christian beliefs are empty superstition.

an empty, intellectually barren philosophy, devoid of any logic and common sense ... At least atheism doesn't give the same two answers no matter what the question is: It's either "God did it" or "stop asking questions and believe".
32 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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"Inside the Atheist Mind: Unmasking the Religion of Those Who Say There Is No God" (Original Post) DetlefK Feb 2019 OP
First couple of Amazon reviews . . . totally opposed to one another. empedocles Feb 2019 #1
How inane. sinkingfeeling Feb 2019 #2
Has anyone proven the existence of God while I wasn't looking? Ron Obvious Feb 2019 #3
I guess you missed this.... lindysalsagal Mar 2019 #17
Is this from the Onion? Blues Heron Feb 2019 #4
Just a crock of jeezus-'splaining. Croney Feb 2019 #5
Just because I don't believe in a crock of sh*t Farmer-Rick Feb 2019 #6
How do you believe in not believing something? defacto7 Feb 2019 #15
Exactly Farmer-Rick Feb 2019 #16
But Unicorns are real. You can't deny unicorns. lindysalsagal May 2019 #22
As the saying goes, atheism is a religion the way not collecting stamps is a hobby. stopbush Feb 2019 #7
LOL! Perfect response! eppur_se_muova Feb 2019 #8
...the way baldness is a hair color. progressoid Feb 2019 #12
Atheism is a religion like defacto7 Feb 2019 #13
Ohhh, that's good. I need to remember this. PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #26
If Atheism were a tv channel, it would be "off." lindysalsagal Mar 2019 #18
If channels were religions, atheism would be "off." lindysalsagal May 2019 #23
My psychological view on the subject. safeinOhio Feb 2019 #9
Mine, too. I like spending time with atheists, not because they validate me, but because they examin lindysalsagal Mar 2019 #19
Agree! It's very freeing. No longer caged by the constraints of organized religion. Thekaspervote May 2019 #28
Look at the rest of DeStefano's books DavidDvorkin Feb 2019 #10
LMAO trotsky Feb 2019 #11
They expend so much frustrated energy to convince people defacto7 Feb 2019 #14
Well said. However, for a child like that, examining their entire life of fraud would be lindysalsagal Mar 2019 #20
"Because a bunch of bronze age guys who didn't know where lindysalsagal May 2019 #21
I am probably plagiarizing someone when I use my new line...... A HERETIC I AM May 2019 #24
+1 Lady Freedom Returns May 2019 #25
I'm a big fan of Matt Dillahunty and the Atheist Experience show classof56 Jun 2019 #30
Huh? PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #27
I know that brain type Cartoonist May 2019 #29
Ok. Atheists. Let's select someone or something to worship: lindysalsagal Jun 2019 #31
I'll put this invaluable gem on my reading list CatLady78 Oct 2020 #32
 

Ron Obvious

(6,261 posts)
3. Has anyone proven the existence of God while I wasn't looking?
Mon Feb 25, 2019, 07:36 AM
Feb 2019

Surely that person would be in line for a Nobel?

Until such a time, the atheist position is correct. Atheism isn't a religion, isn't a philosophy, barren or otherwise, a superstition, a conclusion, or an argument. It's the absence of God belief. No more, no less.

It's amazing how many people don't get that.

Everything our science has revealed shows a universe far grander, far more awesome in scope than anything the petty tyrant the God-believers have come up with.

Farmer-Rick

(11,454 posts)
6. Just because I don't believe in a crock of sh*t
Mon Feb 25, 2019, 08:50 AM
Feb 2019

Doesn't make it a religion. I don't believe in the Easter Bunny or Santa Clause too does that make me a part of the not believing in the East Bunny and Santa Clause religion? I don't believe in ghosts, alien abductions, big foot or fairies. Are all those non believing groups religions too? One of the stupidest argument that theist apologist throw out.

safeinOhio

(34,127 posts)
9. My psychological view on the subject.
Mon Feb 25, 2019, 10:46 AM
Feb 2019

See “Locus of Controll”. External Locus of control involves some thing or some one else is in control of you, ie, God. Internal Locus of control assigns control to one’s self. Religion assumes external, while internal puts it on the individual.

My theory.

lindysalsagal

(22,395 posts)
19. Mine, too. I like spending time with atheists, not because they validate me, but because they examin
Wed Mar 6, 2019, 06:59 PM
Mar 2019

examine their own ideas objectively. They lack the fear of death or loss of approval. They're grown ups. They're a higher order of human, because they are not motivated by cultural conditioning or the need for validation. The conversations can go anywhere because they're not being funneled towards a pre-determined ego-sanction. They also believe in living now, not after death.

Someone like this "author" can't even open up his mind enough to allow any other paradigm. This is why humans live in misery: Their paradigm is suffering and loss and shame and punishment. So much fun.

Thekaspervote

(34,703 posts)
28. Agree! It's very freeing. No longer caged by the constraints of organized religion.
Sat May 4, 2019, 01:40 AM
May 2019

I know I have arrived when I hear idiots like this shouting to prove a point that is unprovable, and me... I’m pleasantly unaffected

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
11. LMAO
Mon Feb 25, 2019, 02:15 PM
Feb 2019

Last I checked, atheism still just means "Nope, I don't see enough evidence to believe in your god."

How you "systematically debunk" a simple rejection like that, I don't know. But theists like DeStefano are typically quite insecure and NEED to believe that atheism is not only wrong but causes cancer, stains your laundry, and kills puppies.

defacto7

(13,617 posts)
14. They expend so much frustrated energy to convince people
Mon Feb 25, 2019, 10:10 PM
Feb 2019

that there's something there while the facts are effortless. What a waste of time.

lindysalsagal

(22,395 posts)
20. Well said. However, for a child like that, examining their entire life of fraud would be
Wed Mar 6, 2019, 07:01 PM
Mar 2019

very expensive emotionally, something akin to quitting smoking or even breathing.

A HERETIC I AM

(24,590 posts)
24. I am probably plagiarizing someone when I use my new line......
Fri May 3, 2019, 06:41 PM
May 2019

Last edited Fri May 3, 2019, 08:04 PM - Edit history (1)

(Probably Matt Dilluhunty) but I like it.....


"A god whose existence is impossible to demonstrate shares the exact same attributes as a god that does not exist."

So...basically, fuck that asshole and anyone else who thinks they have it right and I have it wrong.

As Ricky Gervais said, (paraphrasing) The word "Atheist" shouldn't exist. Religion is the only thing that has a name for a person that doesn't participate. If you don't believe in Santa Claus, there is no such thing as an "Asantaist". Likewise there is no "Aunicornist" or "ALeprechaunist"

The idea that someone actually thinks they have " a witty and devastating takedown of the "new atheist" position" is utter nonsense and that person is fooling themself.

Belief in a god or gods is textbook delusion, full stop.

And for what it's worth, if Jehovah himself appeared to me when I finish typing this, I would STILL be an Atheist, because I have no need for a god. If the stories written about him are anything close to the truth, then he's an asshole and I'll keep my distance. Just go on about your business scaring the intellectually primitive and I'll go on about my business of trying to make the world a little better by actually DOING SOMETHING instead of fucking praying.

classof56

(5,376 posts)
30. I'm a big fan of Matt Dillahunty and the Atheist Experience show
Thu Jun 13, 2019, 10:56 AM
Jun 2019

A former fundamentalist/evangelical "christian", I'm constantly amazed by the stupidity of those theists who call the show claiming they have proof of god, and then proceed to make total fools of themselves. Like you, Matt defines god as an asshole to say the least. I could not agree more. Thanks for posting.



PoindexterOglethorpe

(26,730 posts)
27. Huh?
Sat May 4, 2019, 01:31 AM
May 2019

Anyone who thinks Atheism is a religion fundamentally misunderstands both atheism and religion. Who the hell is this DeStefano guy anyway? Should I count myself lucky that I never heard of him before this?

I was having a discussion recently with My Son the Astronomer about the Big Bang. We briefly touched on the fact that astronomers make no claims whatsoever about what might have preceded the Big Bang, or what might have caused it. We also briefly discussed the God Hypothesis. Maybe God got everything started, but he's certainly been an absentee landlord in the billions of years since.

lindysalsagal

(22,395 posts)
31. Ok. Atheists. Let's select someone or something to worship:
Sat Jun 15, 2019, 06:34 AM
Jun 2019

I'm going with hazelnuts. Nutella, to be specific. You even need a wafer!

CatLady78

(1,041 posts)
32. I'll put this invaluable gem on my reading list
Sat Oct 31, 2020, 08:08 PM
Oct 2020

Right below Don Jr.'s book. In all seriousness, I would absolutely buy Don Jr.'s book were it possible to do so without enriching the lumps. I bet it is hysterical...probably dense with spelling errors, poorly constructed sentences and so on...

The political equivalent of"Moon People" :

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_1244836

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