What do you think?
Rate this book
Comforting Thoughts About Death That Have Nothing to Do with God
If you don't believe in God or an afterlife -- how do you cope with death?
Accepting death is never easy. But we don't need religion to find peace, comfort, and solace in the face of death. In this mini-book collection of essays, prominent atheist author Greta Christina offers secular ways to handle your own mortality and the death of those you love.
Blending intensely personal experience with compassionate, down-to-earth wisdom, Christina ("Coming Out Atheist" and "Why Are You Atheists So Angry?") explores a variety of natural philosophies of death. She shows how reality can be more comforting than illusion, shatters the myth that there are no atheists in foxholes -- and tells how humanism got her through one of the grimmest times of her life.
“In this book Greta Christina tackles the subject of death with the insight of a philosopher and the relaxed candor of a friend — that really cool, intelligent friend who understands and cares.”
-David Niose, author of Fighting Back the Right: Reclaiming America from the Attack on Reason
“Required reading for anyone alive. Greta Christina’s clear, bold, gentle and endlessly thought-provoking writing style constantly reminds me why I love her. She provides elegant proof that the even the hardest truths can be as beautiful, wonderful and uplifting as any other facet of our existence.”
-David Fitzgerald, author of Nailed and The Complete Heretic’s Guide to Western Religion
“When I was very young, I lost someone close to me in a car accident. Almost more painful than the loss was the way by which those around me attempted to find meaning in the senseless death of a young person. This is the book that seven-year-old me needed instead of the endless religious tracts that assured me that everything happens for a reason.”
-Heina Dadabhoy, Heinous Dealings blog
“Bravo, Greta Christina. Your book is a feat of logic, wisdom, compassion, insight, humor, and lived experience presented in the most accessible way. Your ideas are compelling and I wish your words could be made available in hotel rooms everywhere, tucked into the drawer of the nightstand, in addition to hospital waiting rooms, train and bus stations, airports and classrooms. Death is certainly a Big Deal but humanism and non-belief have plenty of comfort to offer, as you so eloquently have put forth. In short, ‘What she said.'”
-Nina Hartley, author of Nina Hartley’s Guide to Total Sex
“Greta Christina continues to provide unique advice and information to the growing community of seculars. We all need to consider our mortality and learn positive and productive ways to deal with our inevitable deadline. Thanks for this little book of wisdom. Christina has written a handbook we can all use. But it should be in the hands of every hospital and military chaplain, every hospice care giver,even ministers, etc. No secular person should be subjected to supernatural ideas and wishful thinking when they are dealing with death, dying and grief.”
-Darrel Ray, founder, Recovering from Religion
“Atheism frees us to craft our own meaning for life, but we must still confront the specter of death. In this brief-yet-essential volume, Greta Christina presents an array of humanist perspectives that provide very real comfort and meaning in the face of death.”
-Neil Wehneman, Development Director, Secular Student Alliance
Accepting death is never easy. But we don't need religion to find peace, comfort, and solace in the face of death. In this mini-book collection of essays, prominent atheist author Greta Christina offers secular ways to handle your own mortality and the death of those you love.
Blending intensely personal experience with compassionate, down-to-earth wisdom, Christina ("Coming Out Atheist" and "Why Are You Atheists So Angry?") explores a variety of natural philosophies of death. She shows how reality can be more comforting than illusion, shatters the myth that there are no atheists in foxholes -- and tells how humanism got her through one of the grimmest times of her life.
“In this book Greta Christina tackles the subject of death with the insight of a philosopher and the relaxed candor of a friend — that really cool, intelligent friend who understands and cares.”
-David Niose, author of Fighting Back the Right: Reclaiming America from the Attack on Reason
“Required reading for anyone alive. Greta Christina’s clear, bold, gentle and endlessly thought-provoking writing style constantly reminds me why I love her. She provides elegant proof that the even the hardest truths can be as beautiful, wonderful and uplifting as any other facet of our existence.”
-David Fitzgerald, author of Nailed and The Complete Heretic’s Guide to Western Religion
“When I was very young, I lost someone close to me in a car accident. Almost more painful than the loss was the way by which those around me attempted to find meaning in the senseless death of a young person. This is the book that seven-year-old me needed instead of the endless religious tracts that assured me that everything happens for a reason.”
-Heina Dadabhoy, Heinous Dealings blog
“Bravo, Greta Christina. Your book is a feat of logic, wisdom, compassion, insight, humor, and lived experience presented in the most accessible way. Your ideas are compelling and I wish your words could be made available in hotel rooms everywhere, tucked into the drawer of the nightstand, in addition to hospital waiting rooms, train and bus stations, airports and classrooms. Death is certainly a Big Deal but humanism and non-belief have plenty of comfort to offer, as you so eloquently have put forth. In short, ‘What she said.'”
-Nina Hartley, author of Nina Hartley’s Guide to Total Sex
“Greta Christina continues to provide unique advice and information to the growing community of seculars. We all need to consider our mortality and learn positive and productive ways to deal with our inevitable deadline. Thanks for this little book of wisdom. Christina has written a handbook we can all use. But it should be in the hands of every hospital and military chaplain, every hospice care giver,even ministers, etc. No secular person should be subjected to supernatural ideas and wishful thinking when they are dealing with death, dying and grief.”
-Darrel Ray, founder, Recovering from Religion
“Atheism frees us to craft our own meaning for life, but we must still confront the specter of death. In this brief-yet-essential volume, Greta Christina presents an array of humanist perspectives that provide very real comfort and meaning in the face of death.”
-Neil Wehneman, Development Director, Secular Student Alliance
Audiobook
First published December 10, 2014
63 people are currently reading
584 people want to read
About the author
Greta Christina
19 books98 followersGreta Christina has been writing professionally since 1989, on topics including atheism, sexuality and sex-positivity, LGBT issues, politics, culture, and whatever crosses her mind. She is on the speakers's bureaus of the Secular Student Alliance and the Center for Inquiry. She is editor of the "Best Erotic Comics" anthology series, and of "Paying For It: A Guide by Sex Workers for Their Clients." Her writing has appeared in multiple magazines and newspapers, including Ms., Penthouse, Chicago Sun-Times, On Our Backs, and Skeptical Inquirer, and numerous anthologies, including "Everything You Know About God Is Wrong" and three volumes of "Best American Erotica." She lives in San Francisco with her wife, Ingrid.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 31, 2016
The book's title and the introduction give the impression that the author is going to talk about the best ways non-religious people face death and perhaps give us some inspirational examples.
Instead that only constitutes brief sections of the book - which is a very short one to begin with. The majority is about how religion is not really that comforting and in fact can be distressing. How heaven and eternal life are lies/delusions/wishful thinking and even if they weren't, they'd still be unwanted and repulsive if you really think about them.
Another part of it is ranting about atheists who think that religion -despite being false- can provide more comfort than if death is the end, and about religious peope who taunt atheists about issues regarding death.
The author also takles the issue of using religious sayings to griefing atheists and how they are not helpful at best and deeply disturbing at worst, and she mentions a website for griefing non-believers.
I would have preferred if the author had actually tackled the subject instead of filling it with many rants that have little relevance to its supposed topic. The repeated comparison with religious ways of conforting death made the book deviate from its title and be more like a polemic against religion.
With that being said, the book does make very good points in the beginning and end. Maybe part of my disappointment was because I was expecting something like Richard Dawkins's documentary series "Death, Sex and the Meaning of Life" which is about the same length as this book but much better than it.
Instead that only constitutes brief sections of the book - which is a very short one to begin with. The majority is about how religion is not really that comforting and in fact can be distressing. How heaven and eternal life are lies/delusions/wishful thinking and even if they weren't, they'd still be unwanted and repulsive if you really think about them.
Another part of it is ranting about atheists who think that religion -despite being false- can provide more comfort than if death is the end, and about religious peope who taunt atheists about issues regarding death.
The author also takles the issue of using religious sayings to griefing atheists and how they are not helpful at best and deeply disturbing at worst, and she mentions a website for griefing non-believers.
I would have preferred if the author had actually tackled the subject instead of filling it with many rants that have little relevance to its supposed topic. The repeated comparison with religious ways of conforting death made the book deviate from its title and be more like a polemic against religion.
With that being said, the book does make very good points in the beginning and end. Maybe part of my disappointment was because I was expecting something like Richard Dawkins's documentary series "Death, Sex and the Meaning of Life" which is about the same length as this book but much better than it.
September 12, 2015
I read this book from my Father's recommendation as this was a largely unexplored existential despair of my childhood and young adulthood atheism. Unfortunately, I found the humanist philosophy regarding death to be largely without comfort. It makes some good points oh the contradictions of our conception of an afterlife, but as a nurse and having seen so many people die, and the comfort faith gave them, I always felt immense guilt and sadness that as an Atheist I had nothing to offer them in terms of comfort as death approached. The writing itself is rough, and spotty, but it was worth a look, at any rate.
December 29, 2014
Greta Christina never disappoints. This excellent book explores how nonbelievers deal with death and grief, and how religious attempts at comfort are unhelpful at best, possibly even insulting and guilt-laden. She hits hard at religion, appropriately so, since so much of religious comfort is mindless parroting without thought about how the message is received. Atheists don't need religion to deal with tragedy, they don't wish they had religion at such times, they don't need pity over their lack of religion, and they even think they are better off without religion in those circumstances; this book eloquently describes how and why. Nonbeliever readers will learn ways of thinking about life and death that may be helpful. Believers may find some of the material offends their views, but I hope they also learn ways of comforting their nonbeliever loved ones; after all, the purpose of comfort is to help the other person, not to solidify your own viewpoint.
July 19, 2016
This was a quick, enjoyable read that really gave me a more relatable look at death and dying. So many things I have wondered or questioned are discussed and it really helped me understand things better. I think this is probably one of the few books on this topic created just for nonbelievers.
May 3, 2025
this book should be called “uncomfortable thoughts about death that have everything to do with god”
May 24, 2015
This book had lots of valuable things for me. The biggest lesson is that change is the one thing we can count on. Life wouldn't exist without it. I'm frightened and angered by change, and death is the biggest one. Greta says that's natural and not accepting it only makes it worse. I try always to realize that I have beaten astronomical odds just to be alive and that my brief time of existence is even more precious for that. But, still, I'm scared.
I downloaded this book because I'm a fan of Greta Christina. I have two other books by her and have seen her speak twice. I enjoy her blog immensely. Her clarity and rationality just blow the fog away. Her entries about Lydia were beautiful. I've lost too many beloved cats and found the stories of a fellow sufferer comforting. I've also read about her father's death, and the conflicting feelings she had about him. Greta Christina writes like I think. It's like she's been reading my mail.
Now my mother has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I'm floundering with my thoughts and feelings about it. I don't how other people handle these things. I'm turning to Greta Christina for her refreshing, unashamed honesty in the hopes of finding some courage. I have an elderly cat, too, and I say half jokingly to friends that I'm afraid I'll lose him and my mother in the same week. As an atheist, I don't pretend to know things I don't know, and I prefer that people who make it a habit to do so don't try to foist their beliefs on me, even if they're well meant. A neighbor I just talked to said no expressions of sympathy are wrong. I disagree. Don't assume that what works for you will work for others. If you're not sure, just be present; listen; don't spout platitudes.
In June 2014 I attended the talk of a speaker -- a freethinker whose young child had died. She talked about the distress she felt when religious believers tried to be comforting. As if her anguish wasn't great enough, it was compounded by unthinking well-wishers. As a nonbeliever, she found their platitudes thoughtless, even cruel. Freethinkers are honest with themselves. They do not want to be lied to, even by people who sincerely believe in their own lies. She had suggestions for better things to say to a grieving person that keeps that person's wishes and beliefs in mind rather than your own. I liked it all until she said, "and don't come to me and say you know how I feel because your cat died." I realized then that I was in the [very large] class of people who have nothing to offer to her. I see she had a guest post on Greta Christina's blog. (I wrote this when I was halfway through the book and have come to the chapter about this very person. She is a friend of Greta's. I do hope she has been educated by a pet lover or two since that talk.)
I really hate it when people try to minimize my grief because it was "just a cat." Websites for grief over pet deaths tend to be just as religious as those for humans. Rainbow Bridge doesn't work for me anymore. I know Greta Christina as a fellow pet lover won't disappoint. After the death of my most recent cat about three years ago, I felt like I'd never get out of the pit. He was with me for almost seventeen years. I can think about him now without crashing. No, he wasn't a human animal, but my grief was real. What will it be like when Mom dies?
I downloaded this book because I'm a fan of Greta Christina. I have two other books by her and have seen her speak twice. I enjoy her blog immensely. Her clarity and rationality just blow the fog away. Her entries about Lydia were beautiful. I've lost too many beloved cats and found the stories of a fellow sufferer comforting. I've also read about her father's death, and the conflicting feelings she had about him. Greta Christina writes like I think. It's like she's been reading my mail.
Now my mother has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I'm floundering with my thoughts and feelings about it. I don't how other people handle these things. I'm turning to Greta Christina for her refreshing, unashamed honesty in the hopes of finding some courage. I have an elderly cat, too, and I say half jokingly to friends that I'm afraid I'll lose him and my mother in the same week. As an atheist, I don't pretend to know things I don't know, and I prefer that people who make it a habit to do so don't try to foist their beliefs on me, even if they're well meant. A neighbor I just talked to said no expressions of sympathy are wrong. I disagree. Don't assume that what works for you will work for others. If you're not sure, just be present; listen; don't spout platitudes.
In June 2014 I attended the talk of a speaker -- a freethinker whose young child had died. She talked about the distress she felt when religious believers tried to be comforting. As if her anguish wasn't great enough, it was compounded by unthinking well-wishers. As a nonbeliever, she found their platitudes thoughtless, even cruel. Freethinkers are honest with themselves. They do not want to be lied to, even by people who sincerely believe in their own lies. She had suggestions for better things to say to a grieving person that keeps that person's wishes and beliefs in mind rather than your own. I liked it all until she said, "and don't come to me and say you know how I feel because your cat died." I realized then that I was in the [very large] class of people who have nothing to offer to her. I see she had a guest post on Greta Christina's blog. (I wrote this when I was halfway through the book and have come to the chapter about this very person. She is a friend of Greta's. I do hope she has been educated by a pet lover or two since that talk.)
I really hate it when people try to minimize my grief because it was "just a cat." Websites for grief over pet deaths tend to be just as religious as those for humans. Rainbow Bridge doesn't work for me anymore. I know Greta Christina as a fellow pet lover won't disappoint. After the death of my most recent cat about three years ago, I felt like I'd never get out of the pit. He was with me for almost seventeen years. I can think about him now without crashing. No, he wasn't a human animal, but my grief was real. What will it be like when Mom dies?
September 15, 2017
This book is short, direct and to the point, a little like this review. Here are the notes I made:
The problem: Death is an appalling and scary thought. Its hardwired into your genes to be afraid of it. Additionally, your life, when measured against the life of the universe is meaningless. Your relationships, achievements, wants, desires and fears, mean nothing. This leads to existential despair especially as belief in an afterlife is just that, a belief and not a fact.
An alternative way of thinking:
This small amount of time we have doesn’t make it meaningless. It’s no more or less important that the infinitive amount of time before we were born or after we’ve gone. And by considering a life as a finite event provides meaning and urgency to our day to day activities.
So, we exist in for a certain period of time. After I die people will, in the end, forget I existed but this doesn’t mean that I will disappear from history. As we progress through our time on Earth we will experience change. Some of this change concerns loss and death. Every old moment dies and new and different one replaces it. This a good thing as everything that makes like worth living depends on this. Thinking, music, reading, you name it, all need an ever changing passage of time. What’s the alternative? Time which stops, rather like a photograph. Nothing before and nothing after. Not only will this not happen, but this would devalue life. I for one wouldn’t want it.
The message the book promotes is that we should focus on the amazing fact that we are alive at all. We get a slice of time that is ours, with all its unique things which haven’t existed before or will exist in exactly the same way again.
Essentially, the book mirrors the Humanist Manifesto, albeit in rather blunt and direct language. This is as follows:
- Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis.
- Humans are an integral part of nature, the result of evolutionary change, an unguided process.
- Ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience.
- Life’s fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals.
- Humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships.
- Working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness.
- Respect for differing yet humane views in an open, secular, democratic, environmentally sustainable society.
In summary a short and engaging read. One which should leave the reader in no doubt that his or her life matters.
The problem: Death is an appalling and scary thought. Its hardwired into your genes to be afraid of it. Additionally, your life, when measured against the life of the universe is meaningless. Your relationships, achievements, wants, desires and fears, mean nothing. This leads to existential despair especially as belief in an afterlife is just that, a belief and not a fact.
An alternative way of thinking:
This small amount of time we have doesn’t make it meaningless. It’s no more or less important that the infinitive amount of time before we were born or after we’ve gone. And by considering a life as a finite event provides meaning and urgency to our day to day activities.
So, we exist in for a certain period of time. After I die people will, in the end, forget I existed but this doesn’t mean that I will disappear from history. As we progress through our time on Earth we will experience change. Some of this change concerns loss and death. Every old moment dies and new and different one replaces it. This a good thing as everything that makes like worth living depends on this. Thinking, music, reading, you name it, all need an ever changing passage of time. What’s the alternative? Time which stops, rather like a photograph. Nothing before and nothing after. Not only will this not happen, but this would devalue life. I for one wouldn’t want it.
The message the book promotes is that we should focus on the amazing fact that we are alive at all. We get a slice of time that is ours, with all its unique things which haven’t existed before or will exist in exactly the same way again.
Essentially, the book mirrors the Humanist Manifesto, albeit in rather blunt and direct language. This is as follows:
- Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis.
- Humans are an integral part of nature, the result of evolutionary change, an unguided process.
- Ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience.
- Life’s fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals.
- Humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships.
- Working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness.
- Respect for differing yet humane views in an open, secular, democratic, environmentally sustainable society.
In summary a short and engaging read. One which should leave the reader in no doubt that his or her life matters.
February 6, 2017
Some folk have it worse than you do, that is undoubtedly a fact. Is it comforting to remind yourself of this when you're down?
Maybe that's the issue I had with this book, Yes! a lot of thoughts were based upon reality, but are they truly comforting? I don't know... Maybe someone finds comfort in them, maybe I'm just not so easily comforted, Maybe it's just as Woody Allen put it: Whatever Works!
Maybe that's the issue I had with this book, Yes! a lot of thoughts were based upon reality, but are they truly comforting? I don't know... Maybe someone finds comfort in them, maybe I'm just not so easily comforted, Maybe it's just as Woody Allen put it: Whatever Works!
March 7, 2023
This book was not what I expected and also doesn't align with it's title. I found this in a search for books on grief. It is actually written more for someone looking to feel "comfort" about what they believe might happen after death. It's not about the grieving journey or about comfort for someone dealing with loss. It's written for atheists by an atheist looking to have a better understanding of how their end-of-life beliefs aren't without comfort. Certainly a time and place for this book, but I think a different title would be better suited and less misleading. Reviewed on its own merit, I found the book super repetitive in an unnecessary way. I would be hard pressed to identify a situation where I would recommend this to someone.
January 25, 2022
Greta Christina makes some good points about death without an afterlife, my favourite being the reminder that no longer existing is the same as not yet being born--not at all bad or scary. And I agree that religious notions of a blissful eternity don't stand up to scrutiny. But the text felt rambling, disjointed, and repetitive.
May 26, 2015
Those of us who are atheists have no illusions that our consciousness will survive the death of our bodies. There is not a shred of evidence for an ‘eternal soul’ or for life after death. All the laws of physics and chemistry point to the fact that our all too brief time in the world is all that there is, and that following our deaths we will return to the same state as that which preceded our births … non-existence.
This isn’t a very cheery thought, particularly when compared with the blissful beliefs of religious adherents of an eternal life in a paradise populated with everyone we love. But we don’t get to choose what is true and I happen to think that a harsh truth is better than a comfortable lie. I also suspect that many (if not most) religious observers have trouble swallowing this fiction as well. The faithful do not celebrate when they receive a diagnosis of a terminal illness even though it should be greeted as a kind of lucky ‘Christmas come early’ occasion akin to winning the lottery. They also don’t mourn loved ones who have died in a manner similar to the way you’d expect someone to mourn an individual departing on a long journey but whom you expect to see again in the near future. In their heart of hearts they surely suspect the end is the end.
Truly, knowledge of our own mortality is the cruelest of realities. I think most of us deal with this inevitability by ignoring it much of the time, or at best, not thinking about it too deeply (read The Denial of Death for an extended treatment of this topic). But perhaps there are some ways of viewing our mortality that can bring comfort to those with a naturalistic world-view? It’s this idea that Greta Christina attempts to tackle in Comforting Thoughts About Death That Have Nothing to Do with God.
Christina does a serviceable job given the subject matter. The finality of death can certainly help us prioritize the time allotted to us in life and some may perhaps find solace in the idea that we will live on in the memories of others for a time after we die. But while these things can be considered a ‘comfort’, they are a small comfort indeed when compared with the enormity and monstrousness of an eternity of non-existence.
With regards to the book, I found the concepts presented to be fairly mundane and didn’t think that Christina really had anything new to say about the topic. I would also add that like other books I’ve read by Christina, this one reads like an extended blog post … in other words it reads like something written quickly and casually that is lacking in research or depth. It’s not that she lacks ability, I think the missing ingredient in her writing is ‘effort’.
Here’s a little aside … I was a skydiver for many years and was hanging about the airport one day waiting to jump. The weather was marginal with gusty winds that were considered risky for a parachute that could potentially collapse. An experienced skydiver was trying to round up a few like-minded individuals to go up and take their chances and asked another experienced jumper whether they’d like to join in. He studied at the sky, the windsock then fixed his eye on his fellow skydiver before responding “You know, death lasts a long time” and walked away.
This isn’t a very cheery thought, particularly when compared with the blissful beliefs of religious adherents of an eternal life in a paradise populated with everyone we love. But we don’t get to choose what is true and I happen to think that a harsh truth is better than a comfortable lie. I also suspect that many (if not most) religious observers have trouble swallowing this fiction as well. The faithful do not celebrate when they receive a diagnosis of a terminal illness even though it should be greeted as a kind of lucky ‘Christmas come early’ occasion akin to winning the lottery. They also don’t mourn loved ones who have died in a manner similar to the way you’d expect someone to mourn an individual departing on a long journey but whom you expect to see again in the near future. In their heart of hearts they surely suspect the end is the end.
Truly, knowledge of our own mortality is the cruelest of realities. I think most of us deal with this inevitability by ignoring it much of the time, or at best, not thinking about it too deeply (read The Denial of Death for an extended treatment of this topic). But perhaps there are some ways of viewing our mortality that can bring comfort to those with a naturalistic world-view? It’s this idea that Greta Christina attempts to tackle in Comforting Thoughts About Death That Have Nothing to Do with God.
Christina does a serviceable job given the subject matter. The finality of death can certainly help us prioritize the time allotted to us in life and some may perhaps find solace in the idea that we will live on in the memories of others for a time after we die. But while these things can be considered a ‘comfort’, they are a small comfort indeed when compared with the enormity and monstrousness of an eternity of non-existence.
With regards to the book, I found the concepts presented to be fairly mundane and didn’t think that Christina really had anything new to say about the topic. I would also add that like other books I’ve read by Christina, this one reads like an extended blog post … in other words it reads like something written quickly and casually that is lacking in research or depth. It’s not that she lacks ability, I think the missing ingredient in her writing is ‘effort’.
Here’s a little aside … I was a skydiver for many years and was hanging about the airport one day waiting to jump. The weather was marginal with gusty winds that were considered risky for a parachute that could potentially collapse. An experienced skydiver was trying to round up a few like-minded individuals to go up and take their chances and asked another experienced jumper whether they’d like to join in. He studied at the sky, the windsock then fixed his eye on his fellow skydiver before responding “You know, death lasts a long time” and walked away.
July 31, 2018
I really, really love this book. It came early in the mail and I was excited to see it! I was also surprised at the size of it. It was kind of small. But, boy, does it have a lot of important stuff packed in there!
It wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I read the title and decided to buy it, but it turned out to be even better!
I was expecting maybe a lot of quotes and anecdotes and stories from or about atheists who had something to say to comfort people who had gone through experiences where a loved one died and were tired of hearing about religion and prayer from everyone around them. Maybe even a poem or two. Kind of like Chicken Soup for the Soul except without the soul bit.
Don't get me wrong, there was definitely some of that in there (no poems, though) but a lot of it was about the difference between secular ways of viewing and coping with death, our own and that of our loved ones (even our pets), and how it's possible to derive comfort from secular philosophies about life and death. About why we shouldn't concede the point of comfort to religion alone.
The author doesn't just say those things, though. She explains why she feels that way, and I think she makes very compelling arguments for that.
This book is not just written for people who are already secular. This is also a book I think religious people could find useful, as well. And indeed, it seems that the author intended it that way.
There's also a handy resource guide at the back of the book that gives you suggestions for looking into the subject matter further.
I'm definitely glad that I picked this up. It's a short read, reasonably-sized font, and doesn't take up a lot of time. At the same time, I think it's the kind of book that you'll put on your shelf and go back to many times. Definitely worth the buy and I'd certainly recommend it!
It wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I read the title and decided to buy it, but it turned out to be even better!
I was expecting maybe a lot of quotes and anecdotes and stories from or about atheists who had something to say to comfort people who had gone through experiences where a loved one died and were tired of hearing about religion and prayer from everyone around them. Maybe even a poem or two. Kind of like Chicken Soup for the Soul except without the soul bit.
Don't get me wrong, there was definitely some of that in there (no poems, though) but a lot of it was about the difference between secular ways of viewing and coping with death, our own and that of our loved ones (even our pets), and how it's possible to derive comfort from secular philosophies about life and death. About why we shouldn't concede the point of comfort to religion alone.
The author doesn't just say those things, though. She explains why she feels that way, and I think she makes very compelling arguments for that.
This book is not just written for people who are already secular. This is also a book I think religious people could find useful, as well. And indeed, it seems that the author intended it that way.
There's also a handy resource guide at the back of the book that gives you suggestions for looking into the subject matter further.
I'm definitely glad that I picked this up. It's a short read, reasonably-sized font, and doesn't take up a lot of time. At the same time, I think it's the kind of book that you'll put on your shelf and go back to many times. Definitely worth the buy and I'd certainly recommend it!
October 22, 2016
I had a mixed response to this book. It has good ideas, and makes good points, but I found the writing somewhat flat and hard to remember. I like Greta Christina, and think she's a good speaker, but the prose in this book lacked punch and, for such a short book, suffered from too much repetition. Nonetheless, I still believe that plenty of people may well get a lot out of this book -- I'm not necessarily saying you shouldn't read it (the prose may not strike you the same way). Some of the stronger points she makes are that religion may not comfort people facing death as much as they think it will (because instead of actually providing comfort, it may let believers push off thinking about it until later -- and she mentions studies to back that up); that the prospect of hell takes a lot away from the supposed comfort that believers get from their belief; and that the atheistic / naturalistic perspective can provide its own varieties of comfort (a comfort based on a more realistic understanding of the world, to boot), though without denying the painful and frightening sides of dealing with death. She also informs the reader about resources specifically aimed at non-believers, resources which create a space for them which don't require making excuses or having to pretend they believe in angels, etc. It certainly deals with death from an unapologetically atheistic perspective, but it also has the questioning believer in mind, too.
August 31, 2024
One of my faves. A slim 100-pager that contains exactly what it promises: comforting thoughts about death that have nothing to do with God. Greta Christina is an atheist who has confronted her mortality and talks openly about how it’s changed her, about the fear that is avoidable, and the fear that is inevitable. In a secular landscape that seems divided into atheists afraid to face their mortality, and atheists (apparently) unperturbed by it, it’s special to find someone offering a third option: openly and honestly examining their finitude and then sharing their secular comforts with other atheists. In doing so, she is making atheism a “safe place to land” for other skeptics, and for those letting go of (or questioning) their faith.
“Like anyone who rejects the dominant culture, and who rejects the default answers to hard questions that get spoon-fed to us by this culture, we’ve had to come up with our own answers. The same way that LGBT people are forced to think about sexuality and gender; the same way that vegetarians are forced to think about the ethics of food . . . atheists are forced to think about death, and what kind of value life might have when it’s brief and finite.”
“Like anyone who rejects the dominant culture, and who rejects the default answers to hard questions that get spoon-fed to us by this culture, we’ve had to come up with our own answers. The same way that LGBT people are forced to think about sexuality and gender; the same way that vegetarians are forced to think about the ethics of food . . . atheists are forced to think about death, and what kind of value life might have when it’s brief and finite.”
March 23, 2020
Nice to revisit Greta Christina's work in audio book format and this was no exception. Read by the author, whom I've seen present in person. It was an interesting, secular perspective on death and mourning, one that I largely share as a fellow atheist. Having recently lost my father due to complications from surgery, it held a special resonance for me, prompting me to think about the totality of my Dad's life, what he meant to me....and to reflect on how hard his life was and his many struggles personal and professional. One could almost say this was the right book at the right time for me personally. Greta always writes with great clarity and sincerity and I lament her apparent retreat from the active blogging scene.
February 27, 2015
I love Greta Christina, and this little book is as great as you'd expect her work to be. Because it's composed of a number of essays that appeared separately, there's a lot of repetition in phrasing that got on my nerves, but I think I'm just being picky. It makes perfect sense for one paragraph of an essay/post/whatever to cover ideas in a very similar was as another piece by the same author on the same topic, but when they're all brought together in one place, it can feel strange. Some great tidbits in this very short collection, and I think it would have the biggest impact on someone who hasn't thought all that much about atheism, or who might be on the fence.
July 29, 2019
One of the hardest things about atheism is dealing with the presumed fact (for want of compelling evidence otherwise) that we only have this one life to live--no afterlife, no reincarnation. The author goes through a number of ways in which not only can we take comfort from our belief in just one life, but sometimes taking more comfort in our convictions than our religious counterparts. This book won't shake unshakeable faith, but for those with minds open to evidence and logic may find much of interest here even if they are not de-converted. Another winning book by Greta Christina. Well-written and the thoughts are well-organized and presented.
December 19, 2015
Wie geistig verarmt unsere Zeit ist, merkt man zum an dem Kindergartenniveau der Kontroverse zwischen "Religion" und "Atheismus". Daran sind weniger Atheistinnen schuld als die Religiösen. Manchmal sehne ich mich, was das Reden über Letzte Dinge betrifft, ins 19. oder 17. oder meinetwegen auch ins 5. Jahrhundert zurück. Oder ins 5. Jahrhundert vor Christus. Das war alles gehaltvoller als dieses blöde "Gott gibts gar nicht!" "Do-och!" "Gar nicht!", auf das die Debatte heute meistens hinausläuft.
January 10, 2018
This is an incredible book with enormous depth of comfort and perspective. While it is unabashedly atheist, it presents ways of looking at our existence that I had never considered. If you are an atheist, you must read this book. If not, you may find it interesting if you can look past the atheist bent.
Read
April 15, 2015For a buck 50 one audible it was the the shortest but maybe most important books to help cope with with death in a world where I am conscious about reality.
September 9, 2015
I read this book about mourning in an attempt to compare an atheist philosophy on death and mourning with a Christian philosophy/theology of mourning as found in C.S. Lewis' A Grief Observed, which I read together with Greta Christina's work. This review and my review of Lewis' book should be read in parallel.
The author has two missions with this book, the first is to put forth an atheist philosophy on death and grief and to be critical of Christian approaches to death and Christian disrespect toward atheists who are mourning. She definitely has an axe to grind as far as Christians are concerned. I think the book is shallow on the philosophy side because the author never bothers to engage with the vast amount that has been written by philosophers over the ages. Wouldn't one want to quote Aristotle, Aquinas, anybody? But she does little of this, reasoning on her own and making logical errors along the way. At least show your manuscript to someone with a degree in philosophy for editing...
Christina writes that loss and death mark the passing of time, they're necessary for progress. If things stayed as they were then we would have no new technology, no new points of view. Death, then, is essentially the opposite side of the coin of progress. We want a progressive world that changes, and death is what makes it possible.
There is "no meaning" to death, and the atheist can "take comfort" in this. To an atheist there is no objective meaning to life-- we are all just a collection of molecules which will one day be spread about the universe. There is no soul, no afterlife, no eternity that we'll consciously be a part of. She writes that "We create our own meaning for life." A glaring weakness of the book is that she does not deal with the logical conclusion from that statement-- why, then, does anyone have a right or a purpose to live? Maybe I think your meaning for life is incorrect, when we all create our own "meaning" then there is no objective measure. Why do we bother trying to rescue or resuscitate someone we've found in a suicide attempt? To follow Christina's logic, the proper thing to do would be to allow that person to assign their own value and meaning to life and allow them to die since they obviously assigned less value to living than they did dying.
Similarly, perhaps I have power and deem you to be a threat to my value of life, your molecules are not as good as mine. Then why shouldn't I simply scatter your molecules abroad without consequence? Atheist physicist/philosopher Alan Lightman at least presents this contradiction in his book The Accidental Universe-- he wants to believe that his daughter's life is precious and means something, but then remembers that she came from random molecules and will return to scattered molecules-- nothing more. Christina does not seem that well-read or have had a course on logic, she doesn't understand that not all ideas are equally valid. She, like Lightman, writes that "life is precious" but does not explain why-- if life and death have no absolute meaning then how can she call it "precious?" That's illogical. (She mentions Christian philosopher William Lane Craig but appears not to have read him.)
Yet, somehow for the author the "finality of death gives meaning and motivation to life." I suppose this means you are living to die? Is the goal to mark as much off your "bucket list" as possible? But again, life is absurd if we're simply a random collection of molecules who happen to exist in a state we consider "consciousness" for a brief moment of time. Why obey anyone's laws if I think I know better than they do? What right do you have to tell me otherwise? If I truly have no fear of the consequences of my actions because there is no eternity to deal with them, then I am likely to take actions that Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins argue radical Christians and Muslims take in the name of religion.
Christina is correct to point out that Christians seem logically inconsistent in their grieving, which is one reason I wanted to explore a theology of mourning (and found C.S. Lewis' book rather satisfying). Why do Christians mourn the loss of fellow Christians if they think they're in a heavenly paradise? Why do they take such extreme measures to keep people like Terry Schiavo alive? In some cases, the author suffers from fundamental attribution error-- the sample of Christians she has seen may not be representative of the whole. Christians know that we do not mourn as those who have no hope (1 Cor. 13), and that we have a promise of a better future. We can grieve because we see daily reminders of the consequence of sin-- that is why death exists in the first place. But we ultimately embrace the promises of Romans 8, that God is working everything for His glory, our good, and that He knows best. But she cites an interesting study suggesting a negative correlation between after-life belief and end-of-life medical expenditures, wills, and living wills. If true, it suggests hypocrisy among believers, a callousness toward the costs their deaths will impose on loved ones.
The author ultimately errs, like many Americans, in making her starting point theologically to be herself. "If God loves us, how can he do ______, because _____ hurts me." They cannot reconcile why "bad things happen," and reject or become angry with God. The Bible that Christians read says that God does things to bring glory to Himself and that man exists to glorify God and(by) enjoy(ing) Him forever. The starting point our theology should be God and not ourself. The author clearly errs and accuses God of being a "cosmic jerk," to put it mildly-- she's pretty profane in her accusations. This extends to her understanding of the Christian afterlife, she agrees with Christopher Hitchens that heaven "sounds like North Korea," where people must be brainwashed to be ignorant or unmindful of their loved ones who supposedly are burning in hell for eternity. This, again, makes our comfort and happiness above that of God's. It is difficult to comprehend, I agree, but the Bible shows us that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. Our love for Him and satisfaction in His glory, is such as to outweigh the pain we might feel-- here in this life or there. God wipes away every tear (Rev 21). (There is also much written about eternally learning and exploring the new earth, it's not like we're not still growing holistically after we die).
The author fully acknowledges the fear of death by atheists as "natural," it's biological instinct towards self-preservation. But atheists ultimately have it easier, death is just death and there are no consequences to think about. But she rejects her understanding of the Christian view of the afterlife. She cites many examples of Christians who were callous towards atheists who had died, ignoring their explicit written wishes not to be eulogized by a pastor, for example. She does show a misunderstanding of the Gospel, that we do nothing to merit God's grace and our sins are forgiven because of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. He has conquered death, so it has no "sting" (1 Cor. 15:55). So, in many areas she is attacking a straw man of a false gospel.
Paul wrote in Romans 1, and Christians therefore believe, that creation is evidence of God's power and provision for all, so that no man has an excuse for not believing in God. Christina admonishes the Christian that this simply isn't true-- the "no atheists in foxholes" bit is a lie. When she is grieving the loss of someone, she simply does not want some rude Christian to tell her what he thinks she's actually thinking. I respect her statement, my own youthful callousness comes to mind. As C.S. Lewis writes, grief is not a state but a process, and that process deserves respect and not a sermon. But I have to side with Romans 1, ultimately. If your statement that "life is precious" logically contradicts your statement that life has no objective meaning or value and therefore "death has no meaning," then I think you are ignoring the contradictions-- suppressing truth.
In all, I give this book 2 stars out of 5. I might give it to someone to illustrate an example of shallow and incomplete philosophy with logical contradictions and whose conclusions are unsatisfying to me. It doesn't matter if it comes from a physicist with a PhD or a well-meaning woman who makes valid points about the logically inconsistent behavior within the sample of religious people she has encountered. I'd love to invite her to experience life for a while with those who believe they have found it more abundantly (John 10:10).
The author has two missions with this book, the first is to put forth an atheist philosophy on death and grief and to be critical of Christian approaches to death and Christian disrespect toward atheists who are mourning. She definitely has an axe to grind as far as Christians are concerned. I think the book is shallow on the philosophy side because the author never bothers to engage with the vast amount that has been written by philosophers over the ages. Wouldn't one want to quote Aristotle, Aquinas, anybody? But she does little of this, reasoning on her own and making logical errors along the way. At least show your manuscript to someone with a degree in philosophy for editing...
Christina writes that loss and death mark the passing of time, they're necessary for progress. If things stayed as they were then we would have no new technology, no new points of view. Death, then, is essentially the opposite side of the coin of progress. We want a progressive world that changes, and death is what makes it possible.
There is "no meaning" to death, and the atheist can "take comfort" in this. To an atheist there is no objective meaning to life-- we are all just a collection of molecules which will one day be spread about the universe. There is no soul, no afterlife, no eternity that we'll consciously be a part of. She writes that "We create our own meaning for life." A glaring weakness of the book is that she does not deal with the logical conclusion from that statement-- why, then, does anyone have a right or a purpose to live? Maybe I think your meaning for life is incorrect, when we all create our own "meaning" then there is no objective measure. Why do we bother trying to rescue or resuscitate someone we've found in a suicide attempt? To follow Christina's logic, the proper thing to do would be to allow that person to assign their own value and meaning to life and allow them to die since they obviously assigned less value to living than they did dying.
Similarly, perhaps I have power and deem you to be a threat to my value of life, your molecules are not as good as mine. Then why shouldn't I simply scatter your molecules abroad without consequence? Atheist physicist/philosopher Alan Lightman at least presents this contradiction in his book The Accidental Universe-- he wants to believe that his daughter's life is precious and means something, but then remembers that she came from random molecules and will return to scattered molecules-- nothing more. Christina does not seem that well-read or have had a course on logic, she doesn't understand that not all ideas are equally valid. She, like Lightman, writes that "life is precious" but does not explain why-- if life and death have no absolute meaning then how can she call it "precious?" That's illogical. (She mentions Christian philosopher William Lane Craig but appears not to have read him.)
Yet, somehow for the author the "finality of death gives meaning and motivation to life." I suppose this means you are living to die? Is the goal to mark as much off your "bucket list" as possible? But again, life is absurd if we're simply a random collection of molecules who happen to exist in a state we consider "consciousness" for a brief moment of time. Why obey anyone's laws if I think I know better than they do? What right do you have to tell me otherwise? If I truly have no fear of the consequences of my actions because there is no eternity to deal with them, then I am likely to take actions that Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins argue radical Christians and Muslims take in the name of religion.
Christina is correct to point out that Christians seem logically inconsistent in their grieving, which is one reason I wanted to explore a theology of mourning (and found C.S. Lewis' book rather satisfying). Why do Christians mourn the loss of fellow Christians if they think they're in a heavenly paradise? Why do they take such extreme measures to keep people like Terry Schiavo alive? In some cases, the author suffers from fundamental attribution error-- the sample of Christians she has seen may not be representative of the whole. Christians know that we do not mourn as those who have no hope (1 Cor. 13), and that we have a promise of a better future. We can grieve because we see daily reminders of the consequence of sin-- that is why death exists in the first place. But we ultimately embrace the promises of Romans 8, that God is working everything for His glory, our good, and that He knows best. But she cites an interesting study suggesting a negative correlation between after-life belief and end-of-life medical expenditures, wills, and living wills. If true, it suggests hypocrisy among believers, a callousness toward the costs their deaths will impose on loved ones.
The author ultimately errs, like many Americans, in making her starting point theologically to be herself. "If God loves us, how can he do ______, because _____ hurts me." They cannot reconcile why "bad things happen," and reject or become angry with God. The Bible that Christians read says that God does things to bring glory to Himself and that man exists to glorify God and(by) enjoy(ing) Him forever. The starting point our theology should be God and not ourself. The author clearly errs and accuses God of being a "cosmic jerk," to put it mildly-- she's pretty profane in her accusations. This extends to her understanding of the Christian afterlife, she agrees with Christopher Hitchens that heaven "sounds like North Korea," where people must be brainwashed to be ignorant or unmindful of their loved ones who supposedly are burning in hell for eternity. This, again, makes our comfort and happiness above that of God's. It is difficult to comprehend, I agree, but the Bible shows us that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. Our love for Him and satisfaction in His glory, is such as to outweigh the pain we might feel-- here in this life or there. God wipes away every tear (Rev 21). (There is also much written about eternally learning and exploring the new earth, it's not like we're not still growing holistically after we die).
The author fully acknowledges the fear of death by atheists as "natural," it's biological instinct towards self-preservation. But atheists ultimately have it easier, death is just death and there are no consequences to think about. But she rejects her understanding of the Christian view of the afterlife. She cites many examples of Christians who were callous towards atheists who had died, ignoring their explicit written wishes not to be eulogized by a pastor, for example. She does show a misunderstanding of the Gospel, that we do nothing to merit God's grace and our sins are forgiven because of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. He has conquered death, so it has no "sting" (1 Cor. 15:55). So, in many areas she is attacking a straw man of a false gospel.
Paul wrote in Romans 1, and Christians therefore believe, that creation is evidence of God's power and provision for all, so that no man has an excuse for not believing in God. Christina admonishes the Christian that this simply isn't true-- the "no atheists in foxholes" bit is a lie. When she is grieving the loss of someone, she simply does not want some rude Christian to tell her what he thinks she's actually thinking. I respect her statement, my own youthful callousness comes to mind. As C.S. Lewis writes, grief is not a state but a process, and that process deserves respect and not a sermon. But I have to side with Romans 1, ultimately. If your statement that "life is precious" logically contradicts your statement that life has no objective meaning or value and therefore "death has no meaning," then I think you are ignoring the contradictions-- suppressing truth.
In all, I give this book 2 stars out of 5. I might give it to someone to illustrate an example of shallow and incomplete philosophy with logical contradictions and whose conclusions are unsatisfying to me. It doesn't matter if it comes from a physicist with a PhD or a well-meaning woman who makes valid points about the logically inconsistent behavior within the sample of religious people she has encountered. I'd love to invite her to experience life for a while with those who believe they have found it more abundantly (John 10:10).
August 5, 2018
I wouldn’t say I feel altogether comforted by this short read, but there were some interesting points to ponder—the fact that you will one day be gone doesn’t take away from the fact that you were once here, something that will never change; using your inevitable death as a motivator to not put things off for “one day”; the infinitely small odds that you would have been born in the first place and how statistically lucky you are. My main criticism is the author seems to spend more time pulling apart reasons why religion is (in her view, falsely) comforting to people than focusing on the comforts that can be found outside of religion. She also gets very defensive about others’ views on atheists but sees nothing hypocritical in attacking other’s world views. I’m not a very religious person myself, but I’ve always envied the religious when it came to times of difficulty including death. If it brings another comfort, whether or not it is in fact true, it just seems mean to poke holes in the logic. Let’s face it, we’re all scared of death, why don’t we comfort each other in whatever manner helps?
April 1, 2023
230331: cuick, concise, comic, this is exactly as the title says. comforting, as in reasonable arguments against gods. comforting, peering over our human rationality, find the basic arguments- if you want more, deeper:
The Atheist's Primer
Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives
Faith In Faithlessness: An Anthology of Atheism
The Philosophy of Religion and Advaita Vedanta: A Comparative Study in Religion and Reason
The Atheist's Primer
Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives
Faith In Faithlessness: An Anthology of Atheism
The Philosophy of Religion and Advaita Vedanta: A Comparative Study in Religion and Reason
September 22, 2025
Let me save you the few hours it takes to read this fumbling, poorly written book.
The author is a maladjusted individual who is angry about religious people believing comforting thoughts about death. She thinks that everyone alive is “lucky” to be born and that she wouldn’t believe the plot of a movie depicting her own trauma, that is- the death of her father shortly followed by receiving a (treatable without chemo or radiation) cancer diagnosis.
This book is a cringe read, much like a trainwreck of a book that you can’t quite look away from though you wish you could make better use of your time. It leaves the reader with no new ideas but a feeling of pity for her anger and lack of acceptance that some people believe different things about death and religion.
Through various attempts to disparage religious people, she demonstrates a lack of understanding that comfort can come in all forms. While I do not disagree with some of her points, she presents them in a hostile manner that elicits pity for angry approach.
The author is a maladjusted individual who is angry about religious people believing comforting thoughts about death. She thinks that everyone alive is “lucky” to be born and that she wouldn’t believe the plot of a movie depicting her own trauma, that is- the death of her father shortly followed by receiving a (treatable without chemo or radiation) cancer diagnosis.
This book is a cringe read, much like a trainwreck of a book that you can’t quite look away from though you wish you could make better use of your time. It leaves the reader with no new ideas but a feeling of pity for her anger and lack of acceptance that some people believe different things about death and religion.
Through various attempts to disparage religious people, she demonstrates a lack of understanding that comfort can come in all forms. While I do not disagree with some of her points, she presents them in a hostile manner that elicits pity for angry approach.
April 1, 2025
I definitely misunderstood what this book was going to be about. I was hoping conversations about dealing with grief without a religious context, instead this book is a debate about atheism vs. religion. Much of it is explaining why religion is fake and attempting to trap religious thinking into these "gotcha" moments of proving why their logic doesn't make sense. The author is talks about her experience leaving religion and I feel that this book is geared more towards religious people who are questioning their faith than it is to actual non-believers looking for words of comfort. I am non-religious in the sense that I never grew up with religion, which now feels wildly different from the atheism the author is talking about; which is people who left religious spaces.
I was looking for a comforting read in a time of grief, instead I got repetitive arguments and sometimes frustrated rants about the flaws of religious thinking.
I was looking for a comforting read in a time of grief, instead I got repetitive arguments and sometimes frustrated rants about the flaws of religious thinking.
September 1, 2025
My therapist recommended this book to me, and in the first chapter I thought it was exactly what I needed. But the entire collection of comforting thoughts about death that have nothing to do with religion is contained in that first chapter - the rest of the book is specifically about how religion actually isn’t very comforting, and why we shouldn’t feel bad that we’re not religious.
The thing is that I’ve comfortably been an atheist my entire life, so 90% of this book meant nothing to me. I grew up in Australia where religious people are the minority, so all the anecdotes about atheists being harassed by deists were completely lost on me.
This book is more about accepting your own atheism than anything else, so probably only holds much meaning for people who live in the south where everyone is aggressively religious, or people having a crisis of faith and looking for comfort.
The thing is that I’ve comfortably been an atheist my entire life, so 90% of this book meant nothing to me. I grew up in Australia where religious people are the minority, so all the anecdotes about atheists being harassed by deists were completely lost on me.
This book is more about accepting your own atheism than anything else, so probably only holds much meaning for people who live in the south where everyone is aggressively religious, or people having a crisis of faith and looking for comfort.
July 3, 2025
I found the "comforting thoughts" quite helpful and relevant when I read this three months after my Mom died - ideas such as how death gives us a "deadline" so to speak - that without us having limited time on Earth most of us probably wouldn't accomplish much. But there was more about God than I wanted....I guess the author felt like they had to reference the religious comments people often make after death [and people did say them to me too - "she's in a better place now," etc) as a counterpoint to the thoughts the author was positing, but I would have preferred they just focus on the merits of their own arguments and not try to disprove anyone else. 3.5 stars
January 25, 2025
This author's argument against the claim that there are no atheists in fox-holes is that that is insensitive to say at a time of grieving. She weaponizes her grief as a reason to be angry with others and push her atheist worldview against her theistic friends and family.
Frankly, that's unhealthy.
I kept on expecting more from this book. Perhaps... something profound, unifying, and non-partisan from any perspective, but all I discovered was reactionary bigotry and tit-for-tat unsubstinative intellectual-sounding solipsism.
Move on. Nothing very deep here.
Frankly, that's unhealthy.
I kept on expecting more from this book. Perhaps... something profound, unifying, and non-partisan from any perspective, but all I discovered was reactionary bigotry and tit-for-tat unsubstinative intellectual-sounding solipsism.
Move on. Nothing very deep here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2018
Half about seeking comfort from death as a non-believer, and another half debunking the argument that religion offers comforting thoughts about death. Really enjoyable and comforting - though I think a bit repetitive at times. I particularly like the idea of death as being a deadline and how this way of thinking can motivate us to reach our goals faster and stop procrastinating. More motivation for moving to Madagascar :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews