Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion (Unabridged)
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3.6 • 27 Ratings
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
The boring debate between fundamentalist believers and non-believers is finally moved on by Alain de Botton's inspiring new book, which boldly argues that the supernatural claims of religion are of course entirely false - and yet that religions still have important things to teach the secular world. Rather than mocking religions, agnostics and atheists should instead steal from them - because they're packed with good ideas on how we live and arrange our societies.
Blending deep respect with total impiety, de Botton (a non-believer) proposes that we should look to religions for insights into how to build a sense of community, make our relationships last, get more out of art, overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy, and much more. For too long, non-believers have faced a stark choice between either swallowing peculiar doctrines or doing away with consoling and beautiful rituals and ideas. At last Alain de Botton has fashioned a far more interesting and truly helpful alternative.
Customer Reviews
Can the forms of Religions Be Adapted for Use Without the Dogmas?
In a word, yes.
Botton is a lifelong atheist. He isn't convinced by any of the various forms of theism. He finds the constant belittling and disproving of these various forms a tedious and self-congratulatory indulgence. More interesting, to him and this reader, are questions about the functions served by religion that do not depend on their dogmas, and whether a secular society can create ways to provide those functions absent the dogmas. De Botton gives a compelling yes to that project, and proposes ways in which that might be accomplished. Along the way he argues for the usefulness or necessity of these forms in society, and shows how societies might fall apart, or at least be diminished, without them. Fascinating stuff for those who suspect that there may be more interesting discussions to be had than the perpetual knocking down on religious paper tigers.