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In this new anthology critiquing Christianity, John Loftus--a
former minister and now a leading atheist--has brought together an
outstanding group of respected scholars who focus on the harms
caused by the world's leading religion.
The contributors begin by dissecting the many problematic aspects
of religious faith generally. They repeatedly demonstrate that,
with faith as a foundation, almost anything can be believed or
denied. And almost any horrific deed can be committed. The authors
then take a good hard look at many of the most important political,
institutional, scientific, social, and moral harms committed in the
name of Christianity. These range from the historical persecutions
of the Inquisition and witch hunts to the current health hazards of
faith healing.
Finally, the authors answer three common Christian retorts to
criticisms from nonbelievers: (1) that atheists cannot judge a
harmful action without an objective moral standard; (2) that
atheists need faith to solve the world's problems; and (3) that
atheists cannot live a good life without faith.
Loftus and the contributors generally conclude that, given both
the well-documented historical record and ongoing problems raised
by the faith, Christianity decisively fails empirical tests of its
usefulness to humanity.
For about two decades John W. Loftus was a devout evangelical
Christian, an ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and an
ardent apologist for Christianity. With three degrees--in
philosophy, theology, and philosophy of religion--he was adept at
using rational argumentation to defend the faith. But over the
years, doubts about the credibility of key Christian tenets began
to creep into his thinking. By the late 1990s he experienced a
full-blown crisis of faith.
In this honest appraisal of his journey from believer to atheist,
the author carefully explains the experiences and the reasoning
process that led him to reject religious belief. The original
edition of this book was published in 2006 and reissued in 2008.
Since that time, Loftus has received a good deal of critical
feedback from Christians and skeptics alike. In this revised and
expanded edition, the author addresses criticisms of the original,
adds new argumentation and references, and refines his
presentation. For every issue he succinctly summarizes the various
points of view and provides references for further reading. In
conclusion, he describes the implications of life without belief in
God, some liberating, some sobering.
This frank critique of Christian belief from a former insider will
interest freethinkers as well as anyone with doubts about the
claims of religion.
Fostering mutual understanding by viewing religion from an outsider
perspective Depending on how one defines religion, there are at
least thousands of religions in the world. Given such religious
diversity, how can any one religion claim to know the truth?
Nothing proposed so far has helped us settle which of these
religions, if any, are true--until now. Author John W. Loftus, a
former minister turned atheist, argues we would all be better off
if we viewed any religion--including our own--from the informed
skepticism of an outsider, a nonbeliever. For this reason he has
devised "the outsider test for faith." He describes it as a
variation on the Golden Rule: "Do unto your own faith what you do
to other faiths." Essentially, this means applying the same
skepticism to our own beliefs as we do to the beliefs of other
faiths. Loftus notes that research from psychology, anthropology,
sociology, and neuroscience goes a long way toward explaining why
the human race has produced so many belief systems, why religion is
culturally dependent, and how religion evolved in the first place.
It's important that people understand these findings to escape the
dangerous delusion that any one religion represents the only truth.
At a time when the vast diversity of human belief systems is
accessible to all, the outsider test for faith offers a rational
means for fostering mutual understanding.
Perhaps the most persistent question in human history is whether or
not there is a God. Intelligent people on both sides of the issue
have argued, sometimes with deep rancor and bitterness, for
generations. The issue can't be decided by another apologetics
book, but the conversation can continue and help each side
understand the perspectives of the other.
In this unique book, atheist John Loftus and theist Randal Rauser
engage in twenty short debates that consider Christianity, the
existence of God, and unbelief from a variety of angles. Each
concise debate centers on a proposition to be resolved, with either
John or Randal arguing in the affirmative and the opponent the
negative, and can be read in short bits or big bites. This is the
perfect book for Christians and their atheist or agnostic friends
to read together, and encourages honest, open, and candid debate on
the most important issues of life and faith.
In this anthology of recent criticisms aimed at the reasonableness
of Christian belief, a former evangelical minister and apologist,
author of the critically acclaimed Why I Became an Atheist, has
assembled fifteen outstanding articles by leading skeptics,
expanding on themes introduced in his first book. Central is a
defense of his "outsider test of faith," arguing that believers
should test their faith with the same skeptical standards they use
to evaluate the other faiths they reject, as if they were
outsiders. Experts in medicine, psychology, and anthropology join
Loftus to show why, when this test is applied to Christianity, it
becomes very difficult to rationally defend. The book then
demonstrates errors and superstitions throughout the Bible, exposes
the immorality of the biblical God, and focuses on why it is
unreasonable to believe that Jesus is the risen son of God.
Finally, three popular Christian claims are dispatched. The
contributors show why Christianity does not provide the basis for
morality, atheism was not the reason Hitler murdered so many, and
Christianity was not responsible for modern science. Collectively,
these articles reveal that popular Christian beliefs tend to rely
on ignorance of the facts. Drawing together experts in diverse
fields, including Hector Avalos, Richard Carrier, David Eller, and
Robert Price, this book deals a powerful blow against Christian
faith.
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