Irreligion: A Mathematician Explains Why the Arguments for God Just Don't Add Up

Written by John Allen Paulos

Narrated by Dick Hill

A lifelong unbeliever finds no reason to change his mind.

Are there any logical reasons to believe in God? Mathematician and bestselling author John Allen Paulos thinks not. In Irreligion he presents the case for his own worldview, organizing his book into twelve chapters that refute the twelve arguments most often put forward for believing in God's existence. The latter arguments, Paulos relates in his characteristically lighthearted style, "range from what might be called golden oldies to those with a more contemporary beat. On the playlist are the first-cause argument, the argument from design, the ontological argument, arguments from faith and biblical codes, the argument from the anthropic principle, the moral universality argument, and others." Interspersed among his twelve counterarguments are remarks on a variety of irreligious themes, ranging from the nature of miracles and creationist probability to cognitive illusions and prudential wagers. Special attention is paid to topics, arguments, and questions that spring from his incredulity "not only about religion but also about others' credulity."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Feb 15, 2008
• ISBN: 9781400176304

John Allen Paulos

John Allen Paulos is a professor of mathematics at Temple University. His books include the bestseller Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences (H&W, 1988), Irreligion: A Mathematician Explains Why the Arguments for God Just Don't Add Up, A Mathematician Plays the Stock Market, and A Mathematician Reads the Newspapers.

Reviews for Irreligion

[razinha-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This won't convince anyone not already convinced, but Paulos does apply a mathematical edge to the analysis.



The most telling chapter was the last - Athiests, Agnostics, and "Brights". I agree with Paulos in that I am also not too fond of the name "Brights", but maybe it'll catch on. The statistics are disturbing in how others view atheists and non-believers. The stigma is still hard to overcome.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

John Allen Paulos has written a breezy, but cogent, debunking of most of the "logical" arguments for the existence of God. Most of Paulos's arguments come down to Occam's razor. Positing the existence of God is not necessary to explain any of the phenomena discussed and is usually just an extraneous step in the ostensible argument. Some of the arguments for God's existence are merely logical ledgermain [sorry Anselm] that don't have God as a valid conclusion.This book, like the recent efforts of Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Richard Dawkins, is important in our absurdly pious and largely hypocritical political campaign. He seems to be saying to Americans, "Hasn't anyone here heard of the Enlightenment?" He quotes one of Voltaire's most telling epigrams: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." His final chapter is an exhortation to other infidels to make themselves heard since there are plenty of them, even though they are members of one of the least trusted categories of people in American society.(JAB)

[devil_llama · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sounds like it should be better than it is. The arguments are sound, but somehow it just isn't compelling reading.

[quantum_flapdoodle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sounds like it should be better than it is. The arguments are sound, but somehow it just isn't compelling reading.

[satyridae · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's me, over here in the choir robes. Nothing in this book I didn't already embrace, I mean. The geeky mathematical angle was a huge bonus. I found this audio book fun, funny and comforting. If you like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing you like. And I do.

[tnilsson_24 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Paulos makes some points I have not read elsewhere. And it was worth reading for those. But such points are few. The book is a bit light and I feel that others (such as Dawkins and Hitchens) have done a more thorough job addressing this subject.

[gcorrell_2 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Surprisingly thin. Paulos' earlier works are meaty, slim volumes on innumeracy. This one covers the territory but rambles; enjoyable if taken as the notes from an interesting dinner conversation with a smart guy, but isn't structured well enough for the lay reader. And the omission of Popperian falsifiability is astonishing.

[fakelvis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Meh.Using mathematical logical to argue against the belief in God(s). Treading old ground with a more rigorously logical approach. Could have been far better if it went further, but for the arguments presented, it does a good job.