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Book The Outsider Test for Faith

Download or read book The Outsider Test for Faith written by John W. Loftus and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2013-03-19 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Book The Outsider Test for Faith

Download or read book The Outsider Test for Faith written by John W. Loftus and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John W. Loftus is the author of Why I Became an Atheist and the editor of The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails and The End of Christianity. He also cowrote the book God or Godless (with Dr. Randal Rauser). In addition, he maintains a blog at http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com. Book jacket.

Book Why I Became an Atheist

    Book Details:
  • Author : John W. Loftus
  • Publisher : Prometheus Books
  • Release : 2012-10-10
  • ISBN : 1616145781
  • Pages : 1047 pages

Download or read book Why I Became an Atheist written by John W. Loftus and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2012-10-10 with total page 1047 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Book The Reason for God

    Book Details:
  • Author : Timothy Keller
  • Publisher : Penguin
  • Release : 2008-02-14
  • ISBN : 1101217650
  • Pages : 352 pages

Download or read book The Reason for God written by Timothy Keller and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008-02-14 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times bestseller people can believe in—by "a pioneer of the new urban Christians" (Christianity Today) and the "C.S. Lewis for the 21st century" (Newsweek). Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics, and even ardent believers, have about religion. Using literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and potent reasoning, Keller explains how the belief in a Christian God is, in fact, a sound and rational one. To true believers he offers a solid platform on which to stand their ground against the backlash to religion created by the Age of Skepticism. And to skeptics, atheists, and agnostics, he provides a challenging argument for pursuing the reason for God.

Book The Christian Delusion

    Book Details:
  • Author : John W. Loftus
  • Publisher : Prometheus Books
  • Release : 2010
  • ISBN : 1616141689
  • Pages : 428 pages

Download or read book The Christian Delusion written by John W. Loftus and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2010 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this anthology of recent criticisms aimed at the reasonableness of Christian belief, former evangelical minister and apologist Loftus has assembled fifteen outstanding articles by leading skeptics, expanding on themes introduced in Loftus' first book.

Book The End of Christianity

    Book Details:
  • Author : John W. Loftus
  • Publisher : Prometheus Books
  • Release : 2011-07-12
  • ISBN : 1616144149
  • Pages : 495 pages

Download or read book The End of Christianity written by John W. Loftus and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2011-07-12 with total page 495 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this successor to his critically acclaimed anthology, The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails, a former minister and now leading atheist spokesperson has assembled a stellar group of respected scholars to continue the critique of Christianity begun in the first volume. Contributors include Victor Stenger, Robert Price, Hector Avalos, Richard Carrier, Keith Parsons, David Eller, and Taner Edis. Loftus is also the author of the best-selling Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity. Taken together, the Loftus trilogy poses formidable challenges to claims for the rationality of the Christian faith. Anyone with an interest in the philosophy of religion will find this compilation to be intellectually stimulating and deeply thought provoking.

Book A Stranger in the House of God

Download or read book A Stranger in the House of God written by John Koessler and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-08-30 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Growing up the son of agnostics, John Koessler saw a Catholic church on one end of the street and a Baptist on the other. In the no-man’s land between the two, this curious outside wondered about the God they worshipped—and began a lifelong search to comprehend the grace and mystery of God. A Stranger in the House of God addresses fundamental questions and struggles faced by spiritual seekers and mature believers. Like a contemporary Pilgrim’s Progress, it traces the author’s journey and explores his experiences with both charismatic and evangelical Christianity. It also describes his transformation from religious outsider to ordained pastor. John Koessler provides a poignant and often humorous window into the interior of the soul as he describes his journey from doubt and struggle with the church to personal faith

Book Christianity Is Not Great

Download or read book Christianity Is Not Great written by John W. Loftus and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2014-10-21 with total page 558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Book Doubting

    Book Details:
  • Author : Alister McGrath
  • Publisher : InterVarsity Press
  • Release : 2006-12-05
  • ISBN : 0830833528
  • Pages : 313 pages

Download or read book Doubting written by Alister McGrath and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2006-12-05 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We are taught to doubt but commanded to believe. Somehow we think that admitting to doubt is tantamount to insulting God. But doubt is not a sign of spiritual weakness--rather it's an indication of spiritual growing pains, says Alister McGrath. He explores the origin and nature of doubt and the specific doubts that often plague Christians in a postmodern culture.

Book Why I Rejected Christianity

Download or read book Why I Rejected Christianity written by John W. Loftus and published by Trafford. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a cumulative case against Christianity by a former defender of it. It shares both the personal experiences and the powerful intellectual arguments that changed his thinking.

Book How to Defend the Christian Faith

Download or read book How to Defend the Christian Faith written by John W. Loftus and published by Pitchstone Publishing (US&CA). This book was released on 2015-11-01 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book on Christian apologetics written by a leading atheist figure that teaches Christians the best and worst arguments for defending their faith against attack The Christian faith has been vigorously defended with a variety of philosophical, historical, and theological arguments, but many of the arguments that worked in an earlier age no longer resonate in today's educated West. Where has apologetics gone wrong? What is the best response to the growing challenge presented by scientific discovery and naturalistic thought? Unlike every work on Christian apologetics that has come before, How to Defend the Christian Faith is the first one written by an atheist for Christians. As a former Christian defender who is now a leading atheist thinker, John Loftus answers these questions and more. He shows readers why Christian apologists have failed to reach the intelligent nonbeliever and offers practical advice for Christians, whether they want to better defend their faith against atheist arguments, or actively convert more individuals to Christianity.

Book Thy Kingdom Come

    Book Details:
  • Author : Randall Balmer
  • Publisher : Basic Books
  • Release : 2007-03-09
  • ISBN : 0465003710
  • Pages : 272 pages

Download or read book Thy Kingdom Come written by Randall Balmer and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2007-03-09 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For much of American history, evangelicalism was aligned with progressive political causes. Nineteenth-century evangelicals fought for the abolition of slavery, universal suffrage, and public education. But contemporary conservative activists have defaulted on this majestic legacy, embracing instead an agenda virtually indistinguishable from the Republican Party platform. Abortion, gay marriage, intelligent design -- the Religious Right is fighting, and winning, some of the most important political battles of the twenty-first century. How has evangelical Christianity become so entrenched in partisan politics? Randall Balmer is both an evangelical Christian and a historian of American religion. Struggling to reconcile the contemporary state of evangelical faith in America with its proud tradition of progressivism, Balmer has headed to the frontlines of some of the most powerful and controversial organizations tied to the Religious Right. With a skillful combination of grassroots organization, ideological conviction, and media savvy, the leaders of the movement have mobilized millions of American evangelical Christians behind George W. Bush's hard-right political agenda. Deftly combining ethnographic research, theological reflections, and historical context, Balmer laments the trivialization of Christianity -- and offers a rallying cry for liberal Christians to reclaim the noble traditions of their faith.

Book Test of Faith

    Book Details:
  • Author : Lauren Pond
  • Publisher : Center for Documentary Studies
  • Release : 2017
  • ISBN : 9780822370345
  • Pages : 0 pages

Download or read book Test of Faith written by Lauren Pond and published by Center for Documentary Studies. This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Test of Faith Lauren Pond, Winner of the Honickman First Book Prize in Photography, documents a Signs Following preacher and his family in rural West Virginia, offering a deeply nuanced, personal look at serpent handling that invites a greater understanding of a religious practice that has long faced derision and criticism.

Book The Non existence of God

    Book Details:
  • Author : Nicholas Everitt
  • Publisher : Psychology Press
  • Release : 2004
  • ISBN : 9780415301077
  • Pages : 358 pages

Download or read book The Non existence of God written by Nicholas Everitt and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arguments for the existence of God have taken many different forms over the centuries: in The Non-Existence of God, Everitt considers all the arguments and examines the role that reason and knowledge play in the debate over God's existence.

Book Meet The Skeptic

    Book Details:
  • Author : Bill Foster
  • Publisher : New Leaf Publishing Group
  • Release : 2012-03-01
  • ISBN : 1614581436
  • Pages : 145 pages

Download or read book Meet The Skeptic written by Bill Foster and published by New Leaf Publishing Group. This book was released on 2012-03-01 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christian faith almost always meets skepticism. Are you equipped to effectively handle the skeptic’s questions and debates? Meet the Skeptic is a new approach to equipping believers to engage the non-believing culture. Author Bill Foster takes the multitude of objections and reduces them to four basic categories. Understanding these categories will enable you to effectively share your hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ and clarify the skeptic’s root objection. Foster offers pop culture references and biblical support so that you can: Recognize the Red-Flag Words that prop up objections Ask probing questions and acquire an ear for opportunities Develop an understanding of the skeptics ideas and better fulfill the Great Commission. This easy to read approach to apologetics and evangelism is a field guide to faith conversations. It is written for teens, college students, and adults and can be used as a group study with the leader’s guide and workbook.

Book Ten Tough Problems in Christian Thought and Belief

Download or read book Ten Tough Problems in Christian Thought and Belief written by David Madison and published by Tellectual Press. This book was released on 2016-08-07 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An all-powerful God who permits unspeakable horrors and sent a Son who threatened more to come, forever, to those who don't believe in him. An inspired holy book that turns out to be full of archaic nonsense, moral failures, and contradictions. A world of disagreement not just between Christians and other religions, but within Christianity itself. Blood sacrifice and a tale of the walking dead as the very foundation of faith. These are just a few aspects of Ten very Tough Problems that David Madison describes in this wonderfully deep yet humorous dismantling of his former faith. Combining rigorous scholarship with engaging personal reflections and refreshing wit, he offers understanding and even some laughs while walking with readers past the gravestones of Christian thought and belief.

Book Why I Became an Atheist

Download or read book Why I Became an Atheist written by John W. Loftus and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a companion volume for my book, Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2008). It presents some personal reflections and additional arguments not covered in that other book.