[Hac-announce] Book Group Announcements

[Dan Blinn]

The Book Group will be meeting tomorrow (Saturday) at 3:00 pm to discuss "The
Life You Can Save" by Peter
Singer.<http://www.amazon.com/Life-You-Can-Save-Poverty/dp/0812981561/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377266934&sr=1-1&keywords=the+life+you+can+save>
This is a very short book and it is not too late to pick up or
download a
copy and read it.  Also, while we ordinarily encourage everyone coming to a
discussion to read the book, I think that everyone can get a lot from the
conversation whether they have read the book or not.  I suggest that, if
you have not read the book but want to attend, you might check out Singer's Ted
Talk<http://blog.ted.com/2013/03/01/effective-altruism-peter-singer-at-ted2013/>on
this subject.  also suggest that those who have not read  In order to
understand what Singer is advocating, you might check out the website
<http://www.thelifeyoucansave.org/>for the book.  I look forward to what
promises to be a lively conversation.

We will also be announcing the date for our September book tomorrow.  We
will be selecting one of 3 books.  In order to vote, you will need to go to
our Survey <http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QKNR26P>.

"Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related
Subjects" by Bertrand
Russell<http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Essays-Religion-Related-Subjects/dp/0671203231/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366300558&sr=1-1&keywords=why+i+am+not+a+christian>

Dedicated as few men have been to the life of reason, Bertrand Russell has
always been concerned with the basic questions to which religion also
addresses itself -- questions about man's place in the universe and the
nature of the good life, questions that involve life after death, morality,
freedom, education, and sexual ethics. He brings to his treatment of these
questions the same courage, scrupulous logic, and lofty wisdom for which
his other work as philosopher, writer, and teacher has been famous. These
qualities make the essays included in this book perhaps the most graceful
and moving presentation of the freethinker's position since the days of
Hume and Voltaire.  "I am as firmly convinced that religions do harm as I
am that they are untrue," Russell declares in his Preface, and his reasoned
opposition to any system or dogma which he feels may shackle man's mind
runs through all the essays in this book, whether they were written as
early as 1899 or as late as 1954.

"The Bonobo & The Atheist: In Search for Humanism Among The Primates" by
Frans de Waal<http://www.amazon.com/Bonobo-Atheist-Search-Humanism-Primates/dp/0393347796/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377266307&sr=1-2&keywords=bonobo+and+the+atheist>

In this lively and illuminating discussion of his landmark research,
esteemed primatologist Frans de Waal argues that human morality is not
imposed from above but instead comes from within. Moral behavior does not
begin and end with religion but is in fact a product of evolution.  For
many years, de Waal has observed chimpanzees soothe distressed neighbors
and bonobos share their food. Now he delivers fascinating fresh evidence
for the seeds of ethical behavior in primate societies that further cements
the case for the biological origins of human fairness. Interweaving vivid
tales from the animal kingdom with thoughtful philosophical analysis, de
Waal seeks a bottom-up explanation of morality that emphasizes our
connection with animals. In doing so, de Waal explores for the first time
the implications of his work for our understanding of modern religion.
Whatever the role of religious moral imperatives, he sees it as a
“Johnny-come-lately” role that emerged only as an addition to our natural
instincts for cooperation and empathy.  But unlike the dogmatic neo-atheist
of his book’s title, de Waal does not scorn religion per se. Instead, he
draws on the long tradition of humanism exemplified by the painter
Hieronymus Bosch and asks reflective readers to consider these issues from
a positive perspective: What role, if any, does religion play for a
well-functioning society today? And where can believers and nonbelievers
alike find the inspiration to lead a good life?  Rich with cultural
references and anecdotes of primate behavior, *The Bonobo and the
Atheist* engagingly
builds a unique argument grounded in evolutionary biology and moral
philosophy. Ever a pioneering thinker, de Waal delivers a heartening and
inclusive new perspective on human nature and our struggle to find purpose
in our lives.

"Faitheist:How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious" by Chris
Stedman<http://www.amazon.com/Faitheist-Atheist-Common-Ground-Religious/dp/0807014397/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377266668&sr=1-1&keywords=faitheist+how+an+atheist+found+common+ground+with+the+religious>

The stunning popularity of the “New Atheist” movement—whose most famous
spokesmen include Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and the late Christopher
Hitchens—speaks to both the growing ranks of atheists and the widespread,
vehement disdain for religion among many of them. In *Faitheist*, Chris
Stedman tells his own story to challenge the orthodoxies of this movement
and make a passionate argument that atheists should engage religious
diversity respectfully.  Becoming aware of injustice, and craving
community, Stedman became a “born-again” Christian in late childhood. The
idea of a community bound by God’s love—a love that was undeserved,
unending, and guaranteed—captivated him. It was, he writes, a place to
belong and a framework for making sense of suffering. But Stedman’s
religious community did not embody this idea of God’s love: they were
staunchly homophobic at a time when he was slowly coming to realize that he
was gay. The great suffering this caused him might have turned Stedman into
a life-long New Atheist. But over time he came to know more open-minded
Christians, and his interest in service work brought him into contact with
people from a wide variety of religious backgrounds. His own religious
beliefs might have fallen away, but his desire to change the world for the
better remained. Disdain and hostility toward religion was holding him back
from engaging in meaningful work with people of faith. And it was keeping
him from full relationships with them—the kinds of relationships that break
down intolerance and improve the world. In *Faitheist*, Stedman draws on
his work organizing interfaith and secular communities, his academic study
of religion, and his own experiences to argue for the necessity of bridging
the growing chasm between atheists and the religious. As someone who has
stood on both sides of the divide, Stedman is uniquely positioned to
present a way for atheists and the religious to find common ground and work
together to make this world—the one world we can all agree on—a better
place.
Please rank these books in your order of preference by Sunday morning.  We
will announce the book selection and the date for the discussion by Monday.

Happy reading!

Dan Blinn
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