March 15, 2007 ? This spring the debate over belief versus disbelief, faith versus atheism, intensifies with the national airing of A Brief History of Disbelief on public television stations, premiering May 4. Hosted by Jonathan Miller, the three-part series comes in the midst of the upcoming release of two provocative books on atheism: Christopher Hitchens’ God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything and Joan Konner’s The Atheist’s Bible.God has rarely been such a contentious issue. The God Delusion and Letter to a Christian Nation are the top two bestselling religion hardcover books in the country, according to Publishers Weekly (week of March 12). Those and other bestsellers have forcefully challenged the sacred cows, doctrines and dogmas of conventional religious belief. A Brief History of Disbelief is a deeply intelligent and rational journey through the highly divisive topic. A Brief History of Disbelief premiers in the U.S. on most public television stations on Friday, May 4, 2007 (check local listings). The series is presented by the Independent Production Fund, executive director Alvin Perlmutter.Written and narrated by acclaimed British intellectual Jonathan Miller ? author, lecturer, TV producer/host, director of theater, opera and film, and neurologist ? A Brief History of Disbelief originally aired on the BBC in the U.K. It was the first-ever historical look at the controversial topic on television. It is only during the last few years in the U.S. that atheism can be fully and widely discussed. More and more leaders and celebrities are “coming out of the closet.” Just this week, longtime U.S. Congressman Pete Stark publicly declared that he does not believe in a supreme being. “This series is about the disappearance of something: religious faith,” Miller says in the opening. “It’s the story of what is often referred to as ‘atheism,’ the history of the growing conviction that God doesn’t exist.”
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Too bad it will be on PBS and not one of the major networks during primetime (bumping some stupid ‘reality show’ perhaps?)…I think with the viewer base PBS has (probably better educated and more critically thinking), it may be preaching to the choir. I hope my local affiliate carries it.
I particulatly appreciate this line
It is nice to see the media tell the truth.
We see a lot of hype and salesmanship amongst the believers telling us that their “faith” is growing but in fact it is shrinking. Not as fast as I would like but it is shrinking. Ironically the actions of BushCo, champion to the nutjob religious right, will do more to kill religion than foster it in the USA.
My best guess is that BushCo has already set in motion the events that will destroy the religious right as an effective political entity. Soon the infighting will start amongst these emotionally and intellectually challenged bullies. Good rindance!
Heckuva job George!
It seems a bit funny that atheists must produce so much material to simply say that God doesn’t exist. Well if He doesn’t, why don’t you stop worrying about it so much?
Jacob: If you are so sure he does exist then why do you need to post things here to say otherwise? Do you see the poor argument?
And from the article…
“God has rarely been such a contentious issue.”
HAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAHA. Damn, that’s funny.
Jacob23
There are agnostics and atheists out there who think they are alone in their thinking.
Websites like this one are support systems to let them know there are like-minded people they can share their thoughts with.
We are bombarded in our daily lives with the beliefs of the abrahmic religions, mostly christianity, in this country. In public, we don’t normally start debates on-on-one with people in the doctor’s office or the grocery store. We don’t deface billboards or church signs.
But in this arena, we can share our thoughts, vent our frustrations and spur action to salvage our right to freedom from religion and to maintain the wall of separation of church and state.
It would be oh, so pleasant if all this weren’t necessary. If we weren’t considered less than full citizens. If the religious would keep their religion private and out of the public domain and our government. Until that happens, we will have to keep making noise.
I love voicing my atheism. I do it every chance I get, no matter where I’m at. If someone says the word ‘god’, I reply.
It’s so much fun!
Jacob, you’re missing the point. The problem we face is not “to simply say that God doesn’t exist”. It’s much bigger than that. We (or many of us) are part of a cultural movement to promote reason and evidence as the basis for beliefs, instead of faith/dogma.
Jacob23 said:
“It seems a bit funny that atheists must produce so much material to simply say that God doesn’t exist. Well if He doesn’t, why don’t you stop worrying about it so much?”
Let’s see, why don’t I quit worrying about it . . .
- I’m an atheist, but my tax dollars support your religion.
- Your religious message is printed on US currency,so every cent I spend is laced with a ‘god’ message.
- Your kind have altered the original Pledge of Allegiance and you now have ‘god’ embedded in it so that I must omit “under god” every time I say it.
- Although I supposedly have the right to believe what I choose in this country I am looked at with suspicion, or even openly hated, if my atheist belief is revealed.
- In some places I am not allowed by law to run for public office because I am an unbeliever (should my atheist convictions be known).
- Fear! Many blievers are so ignorant and radical that I can never be sure I would not lose my job, have my children tormented in school, or perhaps even have a cross burned in my yard should my true non-belief be known.
- And then, of course, there is history. Depending on the time and who was ruling when, the horrors performed in the name of god are many and well-documented. (Think it couldn’t happen in this enlightened (?) age, Jacob23? Then look at what is going on right now in the Muslim religion. And make no mistake, if radicals Islamists gain enough control they’ll be coming after you and yours one of these days! In their eyes you are an infidel, you know.)
The sad thing is, Jacob23, that I, and others who believe as I do, are just your pretty ordinary U.S. Citizens. We might even live next door to you, but chances are good you wouldn’t know it. We get up and go to work every day, pay our taxes, contribute to charities, help our neighbors and rescue animals in need.
All we want is equal treatment and the knowledge that we will be free from persecution. Instead I get emails full of false information about what many of the founding fathers believed, and at the end a suggestion (Demand!!) that if I disagree I should “SIT DOWN AND JUST SHUT UP.”
So you want me to stop “worrying about it?” Not a chance . . .
Comment from: Jacob23
Perhaps a more appropriate question might be: If God exists and he is all powerful, then why do his followers feel so ferociously compelled to come to his defense? Is God incapable of taking care of himself? A version of Epicurus’ paradox for the blogging age.
Totally off topic, but for those unaware of it, Christopher Hitchens has a new book coming out tomorrow called “God is Not Great” which is definately on my list of ‘must read’. I received the following thru email today.
Christopher Hitchens will be on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart TONIGHT! Be sure to tune in. Hitchens’ book God is not Great arrives tomorrow, May 1st!
Order it now on Amazon.com
fourth musketeer
God Is Not Great
By Christopher Hitchens
HeatheNZ, thanks for the comment about “God is Not Great”. I love going into the local Barnes and Noble and asking for atheist books! The sales people are all christians. When I asked them about “Letter to a Christian Nation”, I have forgoten the exact words, but the response was something like “I will show you where it is but, you will have to pick it up yourself.”
I can’t wait to ask them for “God Is Not Great”.
rna2dna,
What a great idea. I was going to order it from amazon – but I think I might just head to the book store and see what kind of reaction I get.
That’s of course assuming they even stock it here in good ‘ole georgia.
HeathNZ,
I bought the book and am 1/4 the way through it. The salesperson at the Barnes & Noble in Arlington, VA where I bought it looked at the title and made a snide remark about “Mao must be so happy about this book” to which I replied “I doubt it, he’s dead.”
So far it’s a good book along the lines of Dawkins but in a less wordy format. I love the subtitle “Religion Poisons Everything”-that just about says it all doesn’t it?
rna2dna
“I will show you where it is but, you will have to pick it up yourself.”
Oh, that is TOO funny!!!
Atheist cooties! LOL
I must get a copy!
I watched a good portion of History of disbelief on youtube.
Is all of it on YouTube? Can you post the URLs please?
Here’s a link:
http://www.huge-entity.com/2007/03/jonathan-millers-brief-history-of.html
Oh, & alex?
Kudos. I’d not have been so diplomatic. I’d've had more than 1 harsh word w/that person.
rna2dna
“I will show you where it is but, you will have to pick it up yourself.”
Try this. When you pick the book up off the shelve scream “It burns! It burns!” and then threaten a law suit. Just for fun ya know.
What,
Haha! I love that!
I wish I had the money to buy it. I’d love to see the reaction of all these southern religious nuts when I buy it.
Shockingly, my jesuit college’s bookstore sells The God Delusion. In fact, they sold out of one shipment and had to order another.
Disbelief… What a delight. Thanks for the link KA.
Thanks KA for the link. I just searched on youtube so I didn’t realize someone would ask for the link, sorry alex. I’ll be thinking of you and your friends this Thursday on blood donation day
hitchens is just another drunk limey
that infidel is a stench in the nostrils of allah.
TXatheist the blood of a womans period is impure don’t donate it or eat it,touch it or her or you will surely roast in hell.