[.ca] The Irrational Atheist: Dissecting the Unholy Trinity of ... (ISBN 1933771364)

Critical Mass:
"I'm not an academic, I'm a gamer. First you taunt. Then you kill. Then you loot." Vox Day, http://voxday.blogspot.com/, February 3rd, 2008. Mr. Day is a self-described non-denominational Christian Libertarian. Due to this, there is material in this book related to both parts of that description, but if you are looking for a Christian apologetic, this is not for you. If certain images make you squeamish, you may have to temporarily avert your mental eye in some small parts. " The Irrational Atheist" is a polemic, the purposes of which are all clearly explained in the preface and first section of the first chapter. These are vital to remember as you read ahead. Besides skewering the arguments of the Unholy Trinity of the title, Mr. Day throws in a bonus by examining the argument of philosopher Daniel Dennet and the infamous but rational French atheist, Michael Onfray. In his doing so, we are provided with humourous as well as academic footnotes, an examination of Hitler, The Inquisition, The Crusades, Aztec human sacrifice, and a Cosmology based on computer game design techniques and the concepts of artificial intelligence. In the chapter entitled Occam's Chainsaw, the author lists 10 standard atheist arguments that you will most often encounter and their refutation. He goes on to explain why atheism in general is irrational, but then demonstrates that there are in fact, 3 types of atheism that are at least partly rational: morale parasitism, Nietzschean atheism, and post-Nietzschean atheism. In the section on Aztec sacrifice, an institution even more frightening than religion is revealed. In knowing Mr. Day is a Libertarian, it should not be too shocking. All in all, an informative and entertaining read, but with this warning: You may have to use a dictionary. This shouldn't be a stumbling block, as these days, you don't even have to get up from the your computer to do that. This book will also introduce you to a style of intellectual criticism you probably have never encountered in your mainstream schooling. Read and learn.