Homemade Atheist cover

Homemade Atheist

by Betty Brogaard

Like so many all-American girls, Betty Brogaard was raised to be a good Christian. By the time she was 20 years old, she had been indoctrinated into an extreme fundamentalist church. She even met and married a young man who became a minister in this cultlike congregation. The Homemade Atheist shares her step-by-step search for the honest answers that freed her from the mental slavery of extreme religion and allowed her to find a true happiness. Without malice, The Homemade Atheist invites readers to analyze why they believe what they believe (or don't believe) — exactly as the author did over a period of many years. It was no quick-and-easy step from faith to reason for the author, but her transformation provides a wealth of insights she now shares with readers. The book details why Betty and her husband left the fundamentalist congregation, and how she then belonged to an orthodox church for 15 years until her ongoing questioning and searching convinced her that religion holds no truth. Relating her years of research in an enjoyable-to-read manner better suited for kitchen table talk than academic publications, The Homemade Atheist offers readers a path to a satisfying nonreligious way of life.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?