The Spirituality or Non Spirituality Book List

I seem to be into a book fixation today. Nonetheless, I would be interested and I hope others would be interested in anyone putting here any and all books that have reinforced or helped you developed your system of beliefs. Go ahead and state the obvious for some of you, being "The Bible, The Koran" or whatever. But surely there has to be others that resonate truth for you, right? If interested, give a mini review as to what about this book has meaning for you. Atheists and agnostics, if so inclined, please do the same:

For me, right now it has to be "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" and I have not completely finished the book. I am actually reading it on audiocassette while I drive and I have started over several times. It's kind of heady for me but what has rang true throughout is how nothing in reality so far is as it seems. It questions everything we perceive as "granted" and I tend to gravitate towards that type of subject matter...

Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith

Nemesio will have a field day, but:

The Case For Faith by Lee Strobel

Aside from that, would you read the Bible if someone recommended it, Joe?

Originally posted by Darfius
Nemesio will have a field day, but:

[b]The Case For Faith by Lee Strobel

Aside from that, would you read the Bible if someone recommended it, Joe?[/b]

I know it was an innocent assumption on your part but how do you know I have not read the Bible?

To clarify I have had over 12 years of exposure to both Christianity and Catholicism. Every day I had to study the Bible as part of my primary education. At that time, I was pretty familiar with the Bible.

As I said before, I have and continue to have absolutely no interest in the Bible or Christianity.

'The Perennial Philosophy' by Aldous Huxley
'The Miracle of Theism' by J.L. Mackie
'Warranted Christian Belief' by Alvin Plantinga

Originally posted by Joe Fist

For me, right now it has to be "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" and I have not completely finished the book. I am actually reading it on audiocassette while I drive and I have started over several times. It's kind of heady for me but what has rang true throughout is how nothing in reality so far is as it seems. It questions everything we perceive as "granted" and I tend to gravitate towards that type of subject matter...

Aesops fables. -> General everyday morals.
Narnia series - C.S.Lewis.
Suprised by Joy, ScrewTape letters - C.S.Lewis.
He walked among us - Josh McDowell
Mysteries of the Bible (dunno, a readers digest edition)
C.S.Lewis - autobiography.

Any David Gemmel book. (Christian author, but doesn't write on Christianity)

LOL Terry Pratchet - small gods.

** In that list Gemmel is the most thought provoking. Tends to debate faith and religion in war times, debating both sides rather well. Deals with questions Christians ask often, e.g: Is absolute passifism the way to go, or can one protect one's family. Ties in well with C.S.Lewis's view on Christianity vs Passifism in the screwtape letters. Met the author at 2 or 3 book signings, interesting guy.

Originally posted by Joe Fist
I seem to be into a book fixation today. Nonetheless, I would be interested and I hope others would be interested in anyone putting here any and all books that have reinforced or helped you developed your system of beliefs. Go ahead and state the obvious for some of you, being "The Bible, The Koran" or whatever. But surely there has to be others that r ...[text shortened]... ything we perceive as "granted" and I tend to gravitate towards that type of subject matter...

The Holy Bible
The Human Agenda: How To Live in the Universe Without Magic (I think that's the title...some atheists who were out 'converting' people gave it to me like Christians give Bibles)
The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris (not a great scientific work but the basic idea is very impressive)

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
The Holy Bible
The Human Agenda: How To Live in the Universe Without Magic (I think that's the title...some atheists who were out 'converting' people gave it to me like Christians give Bibles)
The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris (not a great scientific work but the basic idea is very impressive)

I've read some of the Naked Ape and it is very interesting. Forgive ATY, I don't always keep up on current affairs. What, if anything, do you categorize yourself as? Xian? Atheist, etc?

Edit - actually you don't need to answer that, unless you want to, I just read your recent other post 😉

"Religion, Reason, and Revelation" by Gordon Clark

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0940931869/qid=1112056190/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-0488219-9429539?v=glance&s=books

Originally posted by Darfius
Nemesio will have a field day, but:

[b]The Case For Faith by Lee Strobel

Aside from that, would you read the Bible if someone recommended it, Joe?[/b]

I must recommend that everyone not read this book. I am currently suffering through it due to an unwise promise to Darfius (This was before I discovered that he equates non-believers to Hitler, defends child rape, and believes in aliens). The arguments are so bad, and Lee Strobel's writing so obsequious that my only release is to write my rebuttals in the margins. Unfortuanately there is not nearly enough space in the margins.

Lee Strobel tries to sell himself as a "hard-hitting journalist," but any reader who is not actively trying to agree with him will notice the ruse in a few pages. Basically, he claims to ask "tough questions" to prominent theists. What really occurs is a sort of mental "soft toss," where he throws out the question, receives a very shallow response and then says, "Wow. That's good."

Anyway, if any of you think I just have an ax to grind, I encourage you to pick it up and read a bit in Barnes & Noble or somewhere. I suggest going straight to chapter 1 or chapter 2 and read the way he describes the interviewees.

Ok. You've all been warned.

Originally posted by telerion
I must recommend that everyone not read this book. I am currently suffering through it due to a unwise promise to Darfius (This was before I discovered that he equates non-believers to Hitler, defends child rape, and believes in aliens). The arguments are so bad, and Lee Strobel's writing so obsequious that my only release is to write my rebuttals in th ...[text shortened]... er 2 and read the way he describes the interviewees.

Ok. You've all been warned.

I'd agree with telerion's description of the author's writings. I've read The Case For Christ and started The Case For Faith and telerion is dead on.

Originally posted by telerion
I must recommend that everyone not read this book. I am currently suffering through it due to an unwise promise to Darfius (This was before I discovered that he equates non-believers to Hitler, defends child rape, and believes in aliens). The arguments are so bad, and Lee Strobel's writing so obsequious that my only release is to write my rebuttals in t ...[text shortened]... er 2 and read the way he describes the interviewees.

Ok. You've all been warned.

I'm sure you read the arguments without totally disregarding the possiblity of God, right?

I would imagine if you read the arguments with preset bigotry, they would appear "weak".

I'm still frequenting IIDB, tel. I do not go back on my word. Some of their arguments are pretty good. Philisophically, at least. Thier grasp of the Bible is laughable, and the conspiracy theories make for good jokes at Bible study.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
The Holy Bible
The Human Agenda: How To Live in the Universe Without Magic (I think that's the title...some atheists who were out 'converting' people gave it to me like Christians give Bibles)
The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris (not a great scientific work but the basic idea is very impressive)

I'm curious ATY, what helped shape your beliefs in the Bible?

I thought we were restricted to one book for some reason, I also recommend:

Nephilim by Marzulli
Chronicles of the Host by Shafer
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Paul by Wangerin
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Originally posted by bbarr

'Warranted Christian Belief' by Alvin Plantinga

Is it your finding that there exist valid de jure objections to Christianity that would force a rational person to reject it as a faith?