These engaging, wise, articulate, and diplomatic short essays were translated from the French by Nancy Huston (Penguin, 2007). This 212 page gem consists of four chapters: 1. Can We Do Without Religion?; 2. Does God Exist?; 3. Can There Be an Atheist Spirituality; and 4. Love and Truth.
Professor Comte-Spoonville is a non-dogmatic atheist, respectful of the positive aspects of religions traditions (Western and Eastern), and tolerant of non-fanatic believers. However, his carefully reasoned arguments for atheism are clear, strong, and convincing. He tells us why he does not believe in God, an afterlife, divine intervention, creationism, or the heavenly triumph of good; but he does not take a more aggressive anti-religious tact like Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennent, Sam Harris, or Ayn Rand.
The "atheist spirituality" he advocates is an appreciation for the wonder and beauty of the natural world and human consciousness at its best; and the cultivated or spontaneous mystical experiences characterized by silence, mystery, plenitude, oceanic feeling, immanensity, simplicity, unity, timelessness, serenity, self-evident truth, acceptance, independence, and love. He advocates a fidelity to the best philosophy and traditions of Western civilization, starting with the Greeks.
He tackles and clearly shows the weaknesses of the traditional arguments for the existence of God/Allah/Shiva. He provides a well reasoned explanation of why there is weak or non-existent evidence for believing in the existence of God when he discusses the hidden nature of God, incomprehensibility, the excess of evil, human mediocrity, and resisting the lure of illusion (i.e., strongly believing in something simply because you really desire or want to believe).
He provides convincing reasons for why we can live productive, dignified, respectful, cheerful, virtuous, intelligent, and courageous lives without religion.
He draws on wide range of Western and Eastern philosopher, theologians, social, and psychological thinkers to bolster his arguments.
If your public library has a book by the Reverend Billy Graham then it should have a copy of this book by Professor Comte-Spoonville.
The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality
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