Why so few books on atheism in local public libraries?
depressive
books under the topic of atheism, secular humanism, etc. Why such a
small amount of literature?
Chris Johnson
My guess? Not much demand for them.
Have you tried requesting them?
Donald E. Flood
"Chris Johnson" <effi...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1154911080.8...@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
It really has nothing to do with "demand". While some books are clearly "in
demand," that is not the function of a public library. Rather, it is to
provide its patronage with a broad "repertoire" of all subject matter. My
guess, "Atheism is not something that most theists, which would represent
most librarians, would like to promote!"
J Forbes
Donald E. Flood wrote:
> It really has nothing to do with "demand". While some books are clearly "in
> demand," that is not the function of a public library. Rather, it is to
> provide its patronage with a broad "repertoire" of all subject matter. My
> guess, "Atheism is not something that most theists, which would represent
> most librarians, would like to promote!"
just how many books on atheism are there? seems to me to be a rather
sparse subject, as atheism really isn't anything to write about.
Jim
Greywolf
"Donald E. Flood" <Jeh...@mchsi.com> wrote in message
news:xpwBg.121583$1i1.38996@attbi_s72...
'non-fiction'.
Greywolf
Father Haskell
Fundies steal them and burn them?
Greywolf
"depressive" <depres...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1154910753....@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> At the local library (supporting a fairly large city), I counted 6
> books under the topic of atheism, secular humanism, etc. Why such a
> small amount of literature?
>
powerful and influential individuals or groups that see to it that such
'corrupting' material stays off library shelves. (Just speculating a little
here.)
Greywolf
Donald E. Flood
Go out to the Secular Web sometime and visit their bookstore! One new
book, The Atheist Universe (David Mills), is due out this month.
Tak_a#344
wrote:
>At the local library (supporting a fairly large city), I counted 6
>books under the topic of atheism, secular humanism, etc. Why such a
>small amount of literature?
they get stolen too.
I had to go through the system for ages to get "Losing faith in
faith" by Dan Barker, Seems the copies were being "removed" by
people to save us from exposure.
Tak
a#344
Michael Gray
>At the local library (supporting a fairly large city), I counted 6
>books under the topic of atheism, secular humanism, etc. Why such a
>small amount of literature?
It could be simply because atheism is the lack of an attribute.
--
Chris Johnson
I'll agree that it shouldn't have much to do with demand. But rather
than intentional censorship (librarians in general are among the most
outspoken against censorship), it seems more likely to me that most
librarians wouldn't even think of getting books on the topic of
atheism, and if local readers don't ask about such books, it's not
surprising there are very few.
Pastor Kutchie
The bulk of material that leaves God without a place in the scheme of
things is to be found under biology, astronomy, astrophysics, geology
and paleontology.
Very little explicitly atheist literature has ever been written because
there isn't much to say about why one doesn't believe in God. It
doesn't lend itself to writing a lengthy tome, especially as the burden
of proof is on those who believe.Best exploration of
atheism/agnosticism I have ever read is Why I am not a Christian by
Bertrand Russell.
Maybe the denizens of alt.atheism should collectively write a book
about why we are atheists. It could end up in the Guinness book of
ecords as the book with the most authors ever apart from the Wholly
Babble.
Chris Johnson
Heh, that'd be kind of fun. Instead of a FAQ, each person makes their
own book and then we can respond to theists with chapter and verse.
Kate
wrote:
>At the local library (supporting a fairly large city), I counted 6
>books under the topic of atheism, secular humanism, etc. Why such a
>small amount of literature?
How much can you say about not believing? It's not a theory, it's not
a morality, it's not a story.
It's a not.
There are a lot of books about athiesm - they just aren't labeled
'atheism'.
There are books on what belief really is, books on evolution, books on
scientific theory, books on real history, sci fi books about what
might be.
It's like looking for a book on baldness. There just aren't going to
be as many as ones on hair cutting, hair styles and beauty.
satyr
wrote:
There are thousands. Robert Ingersol alone has twelve dense volumes,
although you won't find them in most libraries.
I wouldn't be surprised if another reason is that Christians steal
them and destroy them. I think it's one of the Commandments.
--
satyr #1953
Chairman, EAC Church Taxation Subcommittee
Director, Gideon Bible Alternative Fuel Project
Supervisor, EAC Fossil Casting Lab
wcb
Lack of money and demand.
--
"The world holds two classes of men -- intelligent
men without religion, and religious men without
intelligence".
- Abu'l-Ala-Al-Ma'arri (973-1057; Syrian poet)
Cheerful Charlie
Dale
news:1154910753....@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> books under the topic of atheism, secular humanism, etc. Why such a
> small amount of literature?
It's all part of the vast right wing conspiracy.
wcb
Quite a bit actually.
Some of it rather expensive.
Whatevery library should have:
Not necessarily strictly Atheistic
Thomas Paine - Age of Reason
Atheism the Case Against God - Smith
The Impossibility of God - McMartin
A Short History of Western Atheism - Thrower
Out of the Desert? - Archaeology and the
Exodus/Conquest Narratives - Steibing
wcb
> On 6 Aug 2006 18:38:55 -0700, "J Forbes" <jfor...@fastmail.fm>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>Donald E. Flood wrote:
>>
>>> It really has nothing to do with "demand". While some books are clearly
>>> "in
>>> demand," that is not the function of a public library. Rather, it is to
>>> provide its patronage with a broad "repertoire" of all subject matter.
>>> My guess, "Atheism is not something that most theists, which would
>>> represent most librarians, would like to promote!"
>>
>>just how many books on atheism are there? seems to me to be a rather
>>sparse subject, as atheism really isn't anything to write about.
>>
>>Jim
>
> There are thousands. Robert Ingersol alone has twelve dense volumes,
> although you won't find them in most libraries.
>
> I wouldn't be surprised if another reason is that Christians steal
> them and destroy them. I think it's one of the Commandments.
>
This would make a good thread - Atheist book FAQ.
wcb
> On 6 Aug 2006 17:32:33 -0700, "depressive" <depres...@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>>At the local library (supporting a fairly large city), I counted 6
>>books under the topic of atheism, secular humanism, etc. Why such a
>>small amount of literature?
>
> How much can you say about not believing? It's not a theory, it's not
> a morality, it's not a story.
>
> It's a not.
Maybe all the Atheist books were checked out?
>
> There are a lot of books about athiesm - they just aren't labeled
> 'atheism'.
True, biblical archaeology books, and critical
books on the bible. Paine's Age of Reason for example.
> There are books on what belief really is, books on evolution, books on
> scientific theory, books on real history, sci fi books about what
> might be.
>
> It's like looking for a book on baldness. There just aren't going to
> be as many as ones on hair cutting, hair styles and beauty.
--
wcb
There are really quite a few books out there on Atheism.
http://www.prometheusbooks.com/
Atheism
A Second Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism
An Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism
Atheism & Philosophy
Atheism, Ayn Rand, and Other Heresies
Atheism: A Reader
Atheism: The Case Against God
Atheists
Dictionary of Atheism, Skepticism, & Humanism
God's Defenders
Some Mistakes of Moses
Superstition
The Atheist Debater's Handbook
The Big Domino In The Sky
The Encyclopedia of Unbelief
The Impossibility of God
The Improbability of God
The Making of the Messiah
The Necessity of Atheism and Other Essays
The Ways of an Atheist
Western Atheism
What Is Atheism?
Why Atheism?
theism
Introduction to Atheism
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jeff_lowder/media-nonfiction.html
Angeles, Peter, ed. Critiques of God (Buffalo: Prometheus, 1997). (B)
A good but dated anthology of atheist phil. of religion.
---. The Problem of God (Buffalo: Prometheus, 1981). (B)
Interesting but incomplete intro. to phil. of religion.
*Barker, Dan. Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist (Madison:
Freedom From Religion Foundation, 1992). (B)
A very popular introduction to atheism.
Everitt, Nicholas. The Non-Existence of God (Routledge, 2004).
In this book, Nicholas Everitt reconsiders all of the major arguments for
proving the existence of God and defends arguments for the non-existence of
God.
Krueger, Doug. What Is Atheism? A Short Introduction (Buffalo: Prometheus,
1998). (B)
A very readable introduction to atheism.
*Le Poidevin, Robin. Arguing for Atheism: An Introduction to the Philosophy
of Religion (New York: Routledge, 1996). (I)
A excellent, current, but incomplete introduction to atheism.
*Mackie, J.L. The Miracle of Theism (New York: Oxford University Press,
1981). (I)
An excellent, if somewhat dated, introduction to atheism.
*Martin, Michael. Atheism: A Philosophical Justification (Philadelphia:
Temple University Press, 1990). (A)
A scholarly introduction to atheism.
*Parsons, Keith. God and the Burden of Proof (Buffalo: Prometheus, 1989).
(B)
An overpriced but excellent, readable introduction to atheism and the burden
of proof.
Rowe, William. Philosophy of Religion: An Introduction (Belmont: Wadsworth,
2000). (B)
Interesting but incomplete introduction to philosophy of religion.
*Smith, George. Atheism: The Case Against God (Buffalo: Prometheus, 1980).
(B)
The most popular book on atheism in the world. Describes the positions of
atheism, theism and agnosticism. Reviews many of the arguments used in
favor of the existence of God. Concludes with an assessment of the impact
of God on people's lives.
------
---. Why Atheism? (Buffalo: Prometheus, 2001). (I)
Chris Johnson
Has the EAC VRWC Suppression Unit been deployed?
Oh. Right.
stoney
wrote in alt.atheism
I've requested the public library buy two books. They did.
--
Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a plethora of splinters.