The Humanist Resource Connection is dedicated to organizing resources that foster the understanding, discussion, advocacy and application of the principles of secular Humanism.
HRC Bookshelf
| Cover | Title | Author | Description | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God | Guy P. Harrison |
"Many books that challenge religious belief from a sceptical point of view take a combative tone that is almost guaranteed to alienate believers or they present complex philosophical or scientific arguments that fail to reach the average reader. Journalist Guy P Harrison argues that this is an ineffective way of encouraging people to develop critical thinking about religion. In this unique approach to scepticism regarding God, Harrison concisely presents fifty commonly heard reasons people often give for believing in a God and then he raises legitimate questions regarding these reasons, showing in each case that there is much room for doubt.Whether you're a believer, a complete sceptic, or somewhere in between, you'll find Harrison's review of traditional and more recent arguments for the existence of God refreshing, approachable, and enlightening. From religion as the foundation of morality to the authority of sacred books, the compelling religious testimony of influential people, near-death experiences, arguments from "Intelligent Design", and much more, Harrison respectfully describes each rationale for belief and then politely shows the deficiencies that any good sceptic would point out.As a journalist who has travelled widely and interviewed many highly accomplished people, quite a number of whom are believers, Harrison appreciates the variety of belief and the ways in which people seek to make religion compatible with scientific thought. Nonetheless, he shows that, despite the prevalence of belief in God or religious belief in intelligent people, in the end there are no unassailable reasons for believing in a God. For sceptics looking for appealing ways to approach their believing friends or believers who are not afraid to consider a sceptical challenge, Harrison's book makes for very stimulating reading." - Amazon.com |
06/05/2008 |
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A Believing Humanism: My Testament, 1902-1965 | Martin Buber |
"This final volume of Martin Buber's work contains a selection of his poetry and prose written between 1902 and 1964 made by Buber himself a few months before his death in 1965. As the original German title, NACHLESE, implies, Buber saw these writings as the "gleanings" of a rich philosophical harvest and as a "testament" to his own beliefs." - Amazon.com |
11/01/1999 |
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A Celebration of Humanism and Freethought : Richly Illustrated with Rare Engravings | David Allen Williams |
"Bacon's memorable insight is specially significant when applied to the wide range of works by some of the world's most renowned writers, poets, philosophers, and intellectuals - men and women whose determination to espouse and defend the cause of humanism and freethought, interpreted broadly, has given us a well-endowed repository of the wisdom of the ages. In "A Celebration of Humanism and Freethought", author David Allen Williams has mined this vast body of literature. The result is this priceless treasury of poetry and prose draped in art and rare steel engravings from more than a century ago." - Amazon.com |
06/01/1995 |
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A Humanist Funeral Service and Celebration | Corliss Lamont |
First published in 1940, A Humanist Funeral Service has been helpful for over half a century to people not comfortable with the religious format of typical funeral services. The author, renowned humanist Corliss Lamont, last revised the text in 1977. Now, from her own experience as a humanist chaplain, Beth K. Lamont, widow of Corliss Lamont, has added two new scripts of humanist services, and has welcomed a new updated edition by humanist J. Sierra Oliva, who has added new dimensions and a new emphasis on celebrating the deceased's life in these suggested scripts for last rites. |
04/26/2011 |
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A Humanist Wedding Service | Corliss Lamont |
"Thousands have used this nontheistic service for its beauty and eloquence." - Prometheus Books |
12/01/1981 |
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A Secular Humanist Declaration | Paul Kurtz |
"A Secular Humanist Declaration", the sequel to "Humanist Manifesto I and II", is a significant statement setting forth the views of prominent scholars and writers in defence of free inquiry, science, reason, and democracy. At a time when religious fundamentalism is gaining adherents world-wide, the "Declaration" defends the separation of church and state, scepticism about supernatural claims, and the conviction that ethics can be developed independently of belief in God. Its publication, reported on the front page of the "New York Times" and featured in newspapers and magazines throughout the world, has provoked intense controversy and debate. - Amazon.com |
01/01/1981 |
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A Wealth of Insights: Humanist Thought Since the Enlightenment | Bill Cooke |
"Humanism is a relatively young word, being coined only in 1808, and yet it is the most transcultural mode of thought ever conceived. It is also one of the oldest, with roots that can be traced back to ancient China, India and Greece. Until now there has never been an account of humanism that outlines the extent of this cultural and intellectual richness, not only for Anglo-American humanism, but also for the less well-known humanist traditions in India, China, the Near East, and Africa. In this broad overview of the global humanist tradition, Bill Cooke shows that humanism has indeed produced a wealth of insights." - Amazon.com |
12/30/2009 |
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Affirmations : Joyful and Creative Exuberance | Paul Kurtz |
"In this optimistic, life-affirming book, philosopher Paul Kurtz succinctly outlines the main characteristics of the humanist perspective. Centred on human concerns and employing rational and scientific methods to determine objective truth, humanism is dedicated to the development of individual human potentials and the improvement of the planetary community." - Amazon.com |
08/01/2005 |
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African-American Humanism: An Anthology | Norm R. Allen (Editor) |
"This collection demonstrates the strong influence that humanism and free-thought had in developing the history and ideals of black intellectualism. Most people are quick to note the profound influence that religion has played in African-American history: consoling the downtrodden slave or inspiring the abolitionists, the underground railroad, and the civil rights movement. But few are aware of the role humanism played in shaping the black experience: developing the thought and motivating the actions of powerful African-American intellectuals." - Amazon.com |
08/01/1991 |
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Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam | Michel Onfray |
"This hugely controversial work demonstrates convincingly how the world’s three major monotheistic religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—have attempted to suppress knowledge, science, pleasure, and desire, condemning nonbelievers often to death. Not since Nietzsche has a work so groundbreaking and explosive questioned the role of the world’s three major monotheistic religions. If Nietzsche proclaimed the death of God, Onfray insists that not only is God still very much alive but also increasingly controlled by fundamentalists who pose a danger to the nature of human morality. "Documenting the ravages of religious intolerance over the centuries, the author makes a strong case against the three religions for their obsession with purity and their contempt for reason and intelligence, individual freedom, desire, and the human body, as well as their disdain for women, sexuality, and pleasure. In their place, all three demand faith and belief, obedience and submission, extolling the “next life” to the detriment of the here and now. Tightly argued, this is a work that is sure to stir debate on the role of religion in American society—and politics." - Amazon.com |
01/01/2012 |