The Young Atheist's Handbook Quotes

“In many ways, accepting there is no God to provide meaning and purpose to our lives can, I believe, force us to create meaningful purposes ourselves.”
― Alom Shaha, The Young Atheist's Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life Without God

“Religion allows people to ignore the needs of real beings in favour of the supposed wishes of a being that does not exist.”
― Alom Shaha, The Young Atheist's Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life Without God

“Religion allows people to ignore the needs of real beings in favour of the supposed wishes of
a being that does not exist.”
― Alom Shaha, The Young Atheist's Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life Without God

“It's an insidious idea, this notion that there is life after death. The promise of a reward in the afterlife has been used as an excuse to deny help to the poor, helpless and oppressed; to explain away human misery rather than deal with it. It is an idea that is used to encourage young men and women to kill themselves, and others, so that they can become martyrs. It allows victims of injustice to be told not to worry because justice will be done in the afterlife. It depresses me to think that so many people on the planet live their lives with this notion. Can we truly fulfill our potential as a species as long as we hold on to, and encourage, the perpetuation of the lie of life after death?”
― Alom Shaha, The Young Atheists Handbook

“In fact, I would even suggest that reading the holy books of the world’s major religions is necessary for anyone who wishes to develop an understanding of human culture in general. However, we must resist the inclination to give them a status beyond that which they genuinely deserve. Instead, we should embrace the notion, sacrilegious to some, that there is greater knowledge, deeper wisdom, and more profound truths to be found in other, no less fictional, books.”
― Alom Shaha, The Young Atheist's Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life Without God

“It’s an insidious idea, this notion that there is life after death. The promise of a reward in the afterlife has been used as an excuse to deny help to the poor, helpless, and oppressed; to explain away human misery rather than deal with”
― Alom Shaha, The Young Atheist's Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life Without God

“Not only had I eaten bacon, but I had done so in front of one of my Muslim friends. This seemingly insignificant act was incredibly liberating, allowing me to leave behind years of an unsettling discomfort in thinking of myself as Muslim. That morning, I underwent my own small but significant rite of passage — and I have never had a full English breakfast without bacon since.”
― Alom Shaha, The Young Atheist's Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life Without God