Freethought Books (October 2018)

The following books are by FFRF members on the topics of religion or freethinking. FFRF does not do traditional book reviews.

Abraham on Trial: The Social Legacy of Biblical Myth

By Carol Delaney

$35 (hardcover), $31.57 (paperback) Princeton University Press

Through his desire to obey God at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing his son, Abraham became the definitive model of faith for the major world religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The book explores how the sacrifice rather than the protection of children became the focus of faith, to the point where the abuse and betrayal of children has today become widespread and sometimes institutionalized. Delaney’s analysis offers a new perspective on what unites and divides the peoples of the sibling religions and, implicitly, a way to overcome the increasing violence among them.

Contradictions: Neuroscience and Religion

By Jose M. Musacchio

$15 paperback, $19 Kindle

Springer Praxis Books

The incompatibility between popular religious beliefs and the scientific view of human nature is exposed. The book begins with a survey of the evolution of religions and their continuing, often irrational, influences in modern society. Then, based on his long experience in neuroscience, the author takes issue with Descartes about the duality of body and soul. He presents case studies of patients with brain diseases and from these deduces that the soul, far from being separate and supernatural, is no more or less than our way of experiencing our brains. Convincing clinical findings and powerful arguments about the universality of truth make this book a bold contribution to the debate about belief and religion.

Accidental Jesus Freak: One Woman’s Journey from Fundamentalism to Freedom

By Amber Lea Starfire

$16.99 paperback, $2.99 Kindle

MoonSkye Publishing

Amber Starfire chronicles her journey as Linda Carr into the evangelical church culture, where she gives up everything for her husband and their music ministry. But in the process, she loses her most valuable assets: her identity and sense of self-worth. It is only when Linda returns to live with her birth family and faces her complicated relationship with her mother that she finds new purpose and the courage to begin to extricating herself from the limiting beliefs of her past. Accidental Jesus Freak is a powerful reminder for anyone who seeks to live a life authentic to who they truly are.