Godless: 150 Years of Disbelief

by Chaz Bufe (Editor), Chaz Bufe (Editor)

Godless is a compilation of wide-ranging texts, both hilarious and horrifying, on atheism, belief, and religion. The selections in the book appeared in various formats from the late nineteenth century through the early twenty-first, and their authors were often active in the anarchist, Marxist, or radical leftist movements of their day. Derived from printed pamphlets, periodicals, and newspaper pieces that were mass-produced and widely distributed, these texts serve as freethinking propaganda in a media war against morbid authoritarian doctrines. With both a sophisticated analysis of inconsistencies in deistic beliefs and a biting satirical edge, Godless gives ammunition to those fighting fundamentalist bigotry—and more than a few reasons to abandon Christianity. Readers previously familiar with the authors’ political polemics will be rewarded in contemplating another side of their remarkable literary output. Contributors include Emma Goldman, Ambrose Bierce, Chaz Bufe, E. Haldeman-Julius, Earl Lee, G. Richard Bozarth, Johann Most, Joseph McCabe, Matilda Gage, Pamela Sutter, S.C. Hitchcock, and Sébastien Faure.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Philosophy

256 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2019

Reviews

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the finer books about atheism out there. It brings the careful considerations, relentless probing and often scathing commentary about the pillars of religious belief. While the focus is mainly on the Christian god, a few writers make statements about Judaism and Islam as well. The tone ranges from light hearted to caustic as each writer points out what’s wrong with religious belief: the inconsistencies, sexual repression, torture, seeming helplessness of a supposedly omnipotent deity, et al.

The language is concise (the editor trimmed wherever necessary), the essays easy to understand and the arguments very convincing. If you’re an atheist looking for new arguments to rebut that pushy theist friend of yours or perhaps a believer willing to keep an open mind, this book is a stellar look into an age-old question.

[Danny Brzozowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very poorly edited. This is a collection of historical essays but they are not presented with their dates or contexts. some of this information is included in an afterward but it's not where you need it when you need it, so the collection reads like a chaotic jumble.