Diatribes Volume One 50 Essays from a Godless Misanthrope

“...Religion doesn't make a good target because it's shocking, but rather because it's deserving...It's a tool that is used to subjugate women and minorities, to retard the progress of science, to bastardize the education of the coming generations, to stifle curiosity, to justify sectarian bloodshed, to dehumanize homosexuals, to promote ignorance, to oppose rationality, to distort reality, to abuse children physically, sexually and psychologically, to demonize healthy sexual expression, to prevent common sense measures to mitigate poverty, to oppress populations and to start wars. Considering this, the modicum of social betterment they author is as irrelevant as the punctuality of Mussolini's trains.” Noah Lugeons.

Come on Noah, tell us what you really think!

'Noah Lugeons', host of the popular podcast Scathing Atheist opens the show each week with a diatribe about whatever has recently annoyed him in the realms of religion, politics and current affairs. This book is a compilation of many of those diatribes, grouped by theme with some additional material to provide context and link them together. Noah pulls no punches and many of his rants are hilarious in their very articulate rage. His targets include Oprah Winfrey, the Pope, Tarot cards, the Bible, theology degrees, the idea that religion is good for children, the “war on Christmas” and little old ladies protesting violent video games.

This is not a book for believers or fence sitters. Noah is not aiming to convert anybody to atheism here. With this book, as with the podcast, believers can read or listen if they like but they're not invited. The podcast is often criticised for “preaching to the choir” and Noah addresses those criticisms here, by saying that preaching to the choir is actually his aim and that doing so can have value in itself. This book, like the podcast, will remind atheists why they are atheists, help solidify their position on various issues and maybe get them fired up enough to get involved in some activism.

The Diatribes Volume One contains vulgar language, scatological humour and a lot of very in your face criticism of religion, especially Christianity, so it will definitely offend some readers. However, if you're looking to get fired up and angry about the ills caused by irrationality and magical thinking and have a few laughs along the way then this book is for you.


Rating:4/5
Published: March 2014

#Non-Fiction
#Atheism
#Religion
#Skepticism





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