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HomeShop at BookSurgeArchitectureHistoryModern (late 19th Century to 1945)The Atheist Camel Chronicles: Debate Themes & Arguments for the Non-Believer (and those who think they might be) |
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101 of 106 found the following review helpful:
 Clever, Thoughtful, Informative...a good read! Jul 10, 2009
By Louisey
I spend a lot of time discussing (arguing) with Evangelicals at work. Mostly it's them spouting their prepackaged proselytizing. I'm amazed to see how many religious topics this author covers that have been tossed at me in one form or another by the Born Agains, and the tidbits of information he has collected that I wish I had had at my disposal sooner.
As an example, the chapter where he discusses the Christians need to appeal to "context" every time they are faced with some really horrible biblical verse that they can't weasel out of. The author makes some excellent points about how the escape clause of "context" doesn't work too well when you ask "In what context is it good and right that a God kills 42 children with wild beasts to teach them a lesson?" or in what context is God's demand that a wife's hand be chopped off because she touched the genitals of her husband's attacker while helping fend off the attack?
Or the chapter on absurd laws that God supposedly gave to the Hebrews. So often I hear Christians say Jesus did away with the laws. But as the author points out, so many of those laws were just inexplicably stupid to begin with ( like no cross breeding of cattle, no blending of fibers in garments). He rightly points out that whether the old laws were satisfied by Jesus' sacrifice or not, the laws themselves were important enough for a so called supreme being to outlaw hybrid animals, and cross pollinating plants, things that could have benefited civilization had their God had any scientific knowledge at all.
Lots of similar discussions stimulated my thinking, and better prepared me for fending off the tired tripe that Christians never give more than a passing thought to, if that. Mr. Hump is really funny, obviously well read, and entertainingly sarcastic. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of his wrath in debate. A good read and worth the money I plan to buy another just to leave on my desk!
58 of 62 found the following review helpful:
Review of Atheist Camel Chronicles Jul 12, 2009
By NewEnglandBob
"Atheist Camel Chronicles" by Dromedary Hump contains clear, concise pearls of wisdom via the process of critical thinking that takes the reader to an oasis of logic, reason and sanity.
These essays can be used as debating themes or they can help non-believers and skeptics clarify the injustices and intolerance perpetrated in the name of religion during the last several thousand years. The strong introduction sets the stage for the book in a bold way.
Not every one of these 105 essays is equal. The overwhelming majority is well written and can be used to explain and counteract the illogical tenets of religion and irrationality of faith. I found two essays to be logically weak and need deeper explanation and one essay is a strident rant that needs to be rethought.
Several of these essays can profoundly affect the reader. Two of my four favorite chapters demonstrate the absurdity of religion ("Letter from God to a Chosen Believer", "Following God's Orders: How Far Would They Go?"). One shows the positive methods that atheism uses to replace belief ("Gods I Can Accept"). My other favorite emphasizes the illogical stance of accommodation ("On Belief and Respect").
It is relevant that the cover uses the large "Scarlet A" of the Richard Dawkins "Out Campaign" because this book makes it clear what atheism represents as well as the prefix of the "A" signifying the antithesis of theism which is a major theme throughout.
Written in plain language, this book is a delight to read. Forceful and witty, the author often provides citations and web links for readers to follow for completeness.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who has an open mind.
53 of 58 found the following review helpful:
A Thoughtful Camel Jul 01, 2009
By Tracey
The Atheist Camel Chronicles is a collection of religious debate topics by an Atheist camel named Dromedary Hump. If you're an Atheist and enjoy a good, in-depth discussion on theological matters, this is the book for you. If you are a believer and would like to get inside the mind of an Atheist, this is also the book for you. Though a majority of the debates are of an Atheist vs. Abrahamic pantheon nature, the Camel doesn't shy from other beliefs. Any religion whose tenants are oppressive, or whose clergy uses the tenants as a means of oppression or manipulation are fodder for the Camel. The debates are well presented, based in life experiences in many instances, and those based in science or fact provide citations to let the reader know the Camel isn't just spitting verbiage at them. I highly recommend this book.
24 of 26 found the following review helpful:
DON'T NEED TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO LIKE THIS BOOK! Jul 08, 2009
By J FROM OK
Just finished this book. I have to say it's one of the few atheist books I've read that doesn't require a Phd. in biology or quantum mechanics to understand and actually apply in everyday discussions with the religiously possessed.
These chapters are short and to the point. They disarm all those common, and some not so common, shoot from the hip, not from the brain, remarks that Christians have been trained to use from birth. The ones they invariably return to when they try and convert you to ignorance.
I keep my copy by my computer while surfing the chat rooms and blogs and refer to it for answers and zingers, and to refresh my memory on historical religious info. Besides, this camel is a riot. He's a cross between Andy Rooney's curmudgeonly persona, and Conan's Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, if Triumph was a heathen and had rabies.
I enjoyed it, laughed, and learned a lot.
18 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Excellent Debate Primer - No Holds Barred Atheism Jul 18, 2009
By David Nichols
"Island Dave"
Hump has compiled some of the very best posts from his blog ([...]) from 2008 and the first months of 2009 and published them in this edition. Irreverent, passionate, and insightful, these nuggets of Hump's views are excellent primers for any would-be atheist debater, or for anyone who needs to counter the arguments made by true-believers and apologists.
Many of the 100+ themes handled in the book will be new to the average atheist reader and deal with situations the author himself has experienced. Hump covers a lot of ground here, but the beauty is that each episode (chapter) averages about 3 pages. The reader can quickly absorb the points and move on to the next one. This makes for an excellent primer and should promote retention of the material as well. Because the episodes are taken directly from Hump's blog, they are quickly digested and stand alone without a deep need to hold hundreds of pages of argument to comprehend them. New atheist readers will find this very approachable, and experienced readers will almost certainly find the style well-suited for brushing up and expanding one's argument repository.
I love Hump's style, but I know some readers will find his stance overly-aggressive. He offers no solace to the believer and rails from all angles against the nature of belief in myths and false reality. Don't expect to find any measure of conciliation from the author toward believers, Hump makes it clear that he wastes no efforts on comforting the delusional.
There aren't a ton of books on the market that read quite like this one. The short chapters and highly-focused dialog make this a quick read which should have strong sticking power for the reader. Hump wastes no time trying to prove his points but presents them for the reader to believe or not on her own. A small complaint would be that I would love to have seen a proper sourcing for the information contained in the book (there are some references within the text, but many points are not sourced at all), but on the subjects with which I was already familiar, Hump's information was mostly spot on, so I trust his nose for reality.
All in all, this was an unexpectedly enjoyable read and offered information and support for atheistic arguments beyond what I expected. While all these posts are available for free on the blog, the readings make for an excellent book worth owning in any decent atheism collection. So, The Atheist Camel Chronicles is highly recommended to anyone wanting no-frills, engaging reads on atheist counterattacks. Five stars.
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