Book Review: Atheist Voices of Minnesota

Atheist Voices of Minnesota edited by Bill Lehto

(Advance review copy provided by publisher.)

This book reminded me a lot of a website I can’t find.

I know that came out bad. Let me explain.

A few years ago, I discovered blogging, and with it, the atheist community on these here intertubes. During my delightful journey across the Atheist Blogroll, I came across a website that encouraged atheists to tell their story. The site allowed folks to post their story anonymously or not. Some of the personal essays were heart-wrenching, and most seared a path directly to my soul (yes, I have one…I think).

I had wanted to write my coming-out story, but I never did. I lost track of the site and now, of course, I can’t find it.

The reason I want to find the site is to offer you the link to tell your story after reading Atheist Voices of Minnesota, An Anthology of Personal Essays. Reading this collection by atheists from or living in Minnesota will inspire you to do the same. I know it has inspired me.

So what’s with this collection? How is it different from any of the countless of other collection of personal essays out there?

I think this anthology is unique for several reasons:

1. The authors are atheists – based in Minnesota. I’m sorry, but I truly didn’t think there were any atheists living in the heartland. I figured if one was so unfortunate to have been born in one of those mid-northern states, they would run out to the coasts at the first opportunity. I jest, of course, but it is important to note that this collection of atheist essays comes from a state that is predominately Christian. Of course, in the United States, pretty much every state is predominately Christian. But you do have to admire an organization like the Minnesota Atheists for standing proud and making their voices heard when ARIS reports only 12% of the population of Minnesotan’s affiliate with no religion. That’s fairly high when considering states like Mississippi (5%), but not the hot bed of free-thinking in Vermont (34%).
2. This collection aims to teach understanding of the diverse, and sometimes disparate, background and philosophy of atheists to all readers – not just atheists. And at the same time, it speaks deeply to those of us who are atheists and may not be as open about it as we should be. In the introduction by Greta Christina, she writes about the importance of atheists telling their story to inspire others to do so. This well-edited collection reaches out to a wide audience. To theists, not to change their way of thinking, but to help them understand our way of thinking and to remind them that yes, we are human. And to atheists, showing us a path to openness “to throw off the shackles of religious bigotry”.
3. I want to stress the diversity of the stories found in this anthology. The collection has stories from folk of all backgrounds: gay, formerly religious, moms, dads, transgendered, and an alcoholic. Though it would have been nice to see a few essays from people of color, I was impressed with the varied background among the authors. Coming from a religious family, I was completely blown away by the stories of atheists that were born in an atheist household. The concept startled me. It allowed me a glimpse into a future when atheism might be on par with all the major religions of the world. Where one day, we might be considered normal.

Highly recommended.

Available now for pre-order from Amazon.com.

Related articles

• Mississippi Atheists Blog to Close (msatheists.org)
• Should Atheists Shut Up and Stop Upsetting Christians? (queerlandia.com)
• What I would say to Atheists…. (pillscoffeeheresy.com)

Book Review: Free Will

Free Will by Sam Harris

If you ever want to feel irrelevant, read Free Will by Sam Harris.

Divided into eight short sections, including his conclusions, Mr. Harris explores the nature of free will and why it is wrong. Mr. Harris postulates that, indeed, free will is an illusion. That “I”, the conscious-I that we all think controls our bodies and decisions, has just as much input in what I will write in this review as, say, “you”, the conscious part of you.

Did that make sense?

Let’s use Mr. Harris’ language as he says it far more clearly than I ever could:

It is important to recognize that the case I am building against free will does not depend upon philosophical materialism (the assumption that reality is, at bottom, purely physical). There is no question that (most, if not all) mental events are the product of physical events. The brain is a physical system, entirely beholden to the laws of nature – and there is every reason to believe that changes in its functional state and material structure entirely dictate our thoughts and actions. But even if the human mind were made of soul-stuff, nothing about my argument would change. The unconscious operations of a soul would grant you no more freedom than the unconscious physiology of your brain does.

If you don’t know what your soul is going to do next, you are not in control. This is obviously true in all cases where a person wishes he could feel or behave differently than he does:  Think of the millions of committed Christians whose souls happen to be gay, prone to obesity, or bored by prayer. However, free will is no more evident when a person does exactly what, in retrospect, he wishes he had done. The soul that allows you to stay on your diet is just as mysterious as the one that tempts you to eat cherry pie for breakfast.

Hhhmmmm, yeah cherry pie does sound good…

I am not a philosopher. And I can’t claim to know anything about neuroscience. Nor can I say with infinite clarity why I decide to do one thing and not another. But I like to think I’m in control. And despite what Mr. Harris may prove, I am.

Here’s my reasoning. Call it the layman-atheist’s principles, if you will (well, you can’t, remember you have no free will – you simply will or won’t).

• If my next decision to type a bullet point arises from my murky subconscious electrical synapses built and governed by my hereditary genes and past experiences, then regardless of whether the conscious-I thinks I made that decision or not, I have.
• If no outside force (that includes a god) is physically forcing me to type this next bullet point, then I take complete responsibility for making that decision – even if the conscious me did not make it.
• Whether my actions are a product of a combination of my genes, past experiences that may or may not include some sort of abuse, my current blood sugar levels, or the random pressure of a growing tumor in my brain OR my consciousness (who I think is writing this), the moral responsibility of said actions should be assigned to the body/brain/soul combo regardless of how those actions arose.

Though I admire all of Mr. Harris’ work, I do have to say I was disappointed in this essay. Why? Because in my heart (dare I say it?) and soul, I disagree with his final conclusion, but when I read it aloud, it sounds so right:

The illusion of free will is itself an illusion.

Argh! Okay, I’m done. I have a headache.

Recommended? I will allow you to make that decision.

Related articles

• does neuroscience deny free will? (3quarksdaily.com)
• Thoughts on Sam Harris’ Book on Free Will (danielmiessler.com)

Infamous Blasphemy

Okay, to be very clear – I am not a fan of Penn Jillette.  Though I am just as stalwart of an atheist as Mr. Jillette is, I don’t really like his brand of humor.

On occasion, my husband will watch Penn and Teller’s Bullshit! TV show, and, yes, I do agree with a lot he has to say, but then I don’t agree with all the stuff that seems to originate out of his ass.  I mean, come on?  Does he always have to refer to woman as pussy, tits, ass, or (god-forbid) cunt?  Maybe I should start referring to him as Little Pennis…

But I digress.

I do like him enough to plunk down $25.00 for his latest release God, No! – Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales, released this year by Simon & Schuster.  If you like Penn and Teller’s Bullshit! show, you will probably like this book.  A non-fiction book, Mr. Jillette writes to a general audience – not just to atheists.  He postulates that all of us are atheists, really, because if you have a just a sliver of doubt, even the tiniest bit, well, then, you doubt.  If you doubt, then it means you really don’t know if there is a god or not.  Which makes you, by Mr. Jillette’s definition, an atheist.

One Atheist’s First Suggestion

The highest ideals are human intelligence, creativity, and love.  Respect these above all.

In God, No!, Mr. Jillette offers his version of the ten commandments along with several seemingly unrelated rambling stories (he fully admits the rambling part).  When I started reading the book, I expected the stories immediately following each of his commandments to somehow support or exemplify the central premise.  But, I soon realized he wasn’t exaggerating in the introduction when he said he would ramble.  They really don’t seem to have anything to do with the previous commandment.

One Atheist’s Second Suggestion

Do not put things or even ideas above other human beings. (Let’s scream at each other about Kindle versus iPad, solar versus nuclear, Republican versus Libertarian, Garth Brooks versus Sun Ra – but when your house is on fire, I’ll be there to help.)

However, some of the stories do have an honest appeal.  He writes from the heart on subjects as arcane as G on the Joint, San Francisco bath houses, and a house party that involved a fat, naked Elvis.  (Please, do not ask me to explain.  You’ll just have to read the book.)  I have to admit, I didn’t read all the stories.  Though Mr. Jillette is a fine writer, the stories were a little too, um, raw for this one reader.  But I did like his Suggestions (anti-Commandments).

One Atheist’s Third Suggestion

Say what you mean, even when talking to yourself.

His Suggestions represent everything that we, as loving human beings, know innately, but often get dragged away from by politics, religion, and greed.  No one can possibly find fault with his Suggestions.  In them, he simply asks that we treat each other and ourselves with love and respect.

One Atheist’s Fourth Suggestion

Put aside some time to rest and think.

Mr. Jillette is, if nothing else, truly content in his own skin and in the way he thinks.  There is no ambiguity for him.  He either knows something or not.  He either has an opinion on something or not.  And one of his most passionate pleas to fellow atheists is that we spread the word.  Come out, everyone, and let your voice be heard, because if we don’t they will drown out the voices of reason.

One Atheist’s Sixth Suggestion

Respect and protect all human life.

I may  not agree with how Mr. Jillette chooses to convey his message, but the message is dear to my heart and I can’t help but smile, knowing that with one great, big advocate like Penn Jillette, atheists can’t help but hope for a bright future.

(I know, I skipped the fifth suggestion and the remaining last four.  If you are curious about the rest, go get the book).

Related articles

• Magician Penn Jillette Says ‘God, No!’ To Religion (barefootpreachr.org)
• Penn Jillette: An Atheist’s Guide to the 2012 Election (bigthink.com)
• Penn Jillette’s Atheist 10 Commandments (americanatheism.wordpress.com)
• Book Review: God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales by Penn Jillette (blogcritics.org)
• Penn Jillette’s 10 Commandments (thepatriotperspective.wordpress.com)

Dark Intentions

Image via Wikipedia - not in the movie

I wanted to post about the movie The Golden Compass separate from the book.  As some of you may be aware of, The Golden Compass came out in 2007.  I remember watching it, and enjoying it.  However, if you asked me a month ago to tell you what it was about, I probably couldn’t have done that.  All I really remember is the opening scene and the wonderful critters.  I might have recommended it, but maybe not.  It hadn’t left a strong impression on me one way or the other.

As you may have presumed, I did not read the book before watching the film.  Though I wasn’t the target audience, I liked the movie trailer because:

1. It had Daniel Craig in it,
2. It looked like it would be an awesome fantasy story with a spunky little girl instead of an emo boy, and
3. It had Daniel Craig in it.

Now that you know how shallow I am, let’s move on…

The Golden Compass was directed by Chris Weitz.  Not a particularly stellar director, but adequate and experienced.  So, given the source material – an excellent story with an adventurous plot that would adapt well to the screen due to all the great visuals – what-the-freak happened?  Why wasn’t the film at least half as good as the book?  Though it did garner some awards for its visual effects, it just didn’t do all that well because it sucked.

I think it sucked for two reasons.

One is that they messed with the story.  They toned down all the anti-religious themes, and a rearranged stuff while leaving out the awesome ending of Lyra following her father into another world (sorry about the spoiler).  Apparently, the original script had adhered to the novel quite well, but due to studio constraints it was changed (read: trying to make it work for the religious-right American market).

The second is a bunch of religious folks got on their soap boxes and told anyone who would listen that the film was anti-religious or was trying to destroy Narnia.  Which, to be fair, is sort of true.

In Pullman’s novel, the sentiment that a religious order controls and is doing horrendous things in the name of morality is quite clear, but that theme is discovered as you read about Lyra’s story.  A young reader is lead to think on their own and to question an all-knowing authority.  No where does the author or any of his characters out right say they are anti-religious. The point of the book isn’t to “preach” anti-religion, but rather to allow a reader to look at religion from a more balanced viewpoint.

If the film had been allowed to stick closer to the events and dialogue in the book, I think it would have been better for it.  As it is, the film’s story doesn’t make sense and we are simply left watching a puppet go through the motions of finding her father, saving the kids, and then…  Well, then nothing.

It is too bad that the film did not realize the grand adventure painted in the book, because now we’ll never get to see the rest of Lyra’s story.  But!  No worries, you can read it in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, and that’s even better.

Happy Reading.

Resurrection

Can ya hear it? Do ya see it? Wouldn’t ya like to feel/smell/taste it?

I’m back, and now that I have the Three R’s under my belt, I’m Refocused and Ready to Read.

This here blog of mine (once upon a time titled ‘clear reality’) is dedicated to book reviews and author interviews from an atheist point of view (APOV).

On a somewhat regular basis depending on my schedule, I, Nila E. White, an atheist, will post my review of books written by atheists.  If by some strange cosmic occurrence or luck, I happen to corner, hog tie, and subdue an atheist author, I’ll interview ‘em, and post about that, too.

Why?

Because I can.

First up: The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman.

Our song

Sorry, so sorry.  I said I would stop the random posting, but it may take a little while for all that to fade…enjoy!

H/T to No 2 Religion.

Random post…

How many posts do I have called random post?  I’d hate to think.

Well, my great idea of having regular scheduled features fizzled out in less than two weeks!  Sheesh!  I guess this will just be an occasional blog, with occasional scheduled features.

I’m waiting for my husband.  He’s driving for the other side of the bay.  He is still hours away, so I’ll spend the time writing something random here.

I have managed to write a little on my novel these past few weeks, but not nearly as much as I had hoped.  I have also been wanting to write a 5000 word or less story for the SFFWorld.com short story contest as well as a flash fiction story, but inspiration is short and time even shorter.  Guess that’s not gonna happen this month.  I have been reading two wonderful stories, draft projects of fellow writers.  I read slow and even slower when I’m trying to critique for folks, but I’m getting close to finishing both.  Once that’s done, I plan to dedicate myself to MY story.  I’ve gotten some excellent feedback on the parts I’ve written so far and I don’t want the reviewer’s efforts to go to waste by not finishing my novel!

Been getting bugged by a person named Prayson Daniel.  Very nice guy, but it amazes me how some religious folks just don’t give up.  Am I visiting other people’s blogs and trying to convince them that their worldview is wrong?  Am I trying to get people to believe what I believe in?  Hell no.  You have the right to think as you wish!  I may spout on topics that some may disagree with and they are more than welcomed to disagree.  Despite what some may think, that is an option in a free country.

Well, better go do what I should be doing – working on my novel!

Later

Greydon Square

Thanks to Proud Atheist, I just discovered Greydon Square. 

Come, join me!

This is just too much.  Thanks to Proud Atheists for posting this video earlier this week.

Classic!

God is angry (again)

So…remember when the big tsunami hit Indonesian, and obliterated cities and towns?  And remember what many religious leaders had to say about the whole thing?

As you all know, natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanoes are manifestations of God’s wrath (yeah, right).  So, God must be angry, again.  Only this time, his anger is directed towards Northern Californians.

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake rocked the Northern California city of Eureka on Saturday, snapping power lines, toppling chimneys, knocking down traffic signals, shattering windows and prompting the evacuation of at least one apartment building.

There were no reports of major injuries, but the temblor, which struck at 4:27 p.m. about 33 miles southwest of the coastal city of 26,000, was powerful enough to send people running into the streets, some fearing a tsunami.

But why Northern California?  Surely, the Almighty would provide a sign as to why he is punishing those of us in Northern California.  Right?

This morning, I found the cause:

The New York Times released a report about the link between three anti-gay American evangelicals — two of whom live in Northern California — and a bill in Uganda that would make homosexuality punishable by death.

Yes, God is angry.  Angry at those two vile, Northern California evangelicals that are condoning death as a ‘solution’ to the homosexual ‘probelm’ in Uganda.

You know what?  I’m angry too.  Angry at the institution and people who continue to use religion as a vehicle to supress others.  Who am I to question God’s wisdom in sending earthquakes to Northern California to warn those crazy fundamentalist?  More power to ya, God.

tmso