Author: John W. Loftus
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1616149574
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 558
Book Description
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.
God Is Not Great
Author: Christopher Hitchens
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
ISBN: 1551991764
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
Christopher Hitchens, described in the London Observer as “one of the most prolific, as well as brilliant, journalists of our time” takes on his biggest subject yet–the increasingly dangerous role of religion in the world. In the tradition of Bertrand Russell’s Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris’s recent bestseller, The End Of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he documents the ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our origins in the cosmos. With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope’s awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix.
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
ISBN: 1551991764
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
Christopher Hitchens, described in the London Observer as “one of the most prolific, as well as brilliant, journalists of our time” takes on his biggest subject yet–the increasingly dangerous role of religion in the world. In the tradition of Bertrand Russell’s Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris’s recent bestseller, The End Of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he documents the ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our origins in the cosmos. With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope’s awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix.
Christianity Is Not Great
Author: John W. Loftus
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1616149574
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 558
Book Description
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.
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1616149574
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 558
Book Description
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.
The Christian Delusion
Author: John W. Loftus
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1616141689
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 428
Book Description
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.
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1616141689
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 428
Book Description
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.
Is Christianity Good for the World?
Author: Christopher Hitchens
Publisher: Canon Press & Book Service
ISBN: 1591280532
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 74
Book Description
"This debate appeared originally in Christianity today, and is re-printed in this format with permission"--T.p. verso.
Publisher: Canon Press & Book Service
ISBN: 1591280532
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 74
Book Description
"This debate appeared originally in Christianity today, and is re-printed in this format with permission"--T.p. verso.
Why I Became an Atheist
Author: John W. Loftus
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1616145781
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 1047
Book Description
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.
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1616145781
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 1047
Book Description
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.
What Christianity Is Not
Author: Douglas John Hall
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1621895416
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 182
Book Description
What really is Christianity? If all the religious packaging in which it is wrapped were removed, what would remain? These were Bonhoeffer's questions, and they must be ours today--even more urgently! For in many quarters Christianity is being so narrowly identified with some of its parts, cultural associations, and past ambitions that like all militant religion, it represents a threat to the planetary future. We may no longer speak clearly of the essence of Christianity, as von Harnack and other nineteenth-century thinkers did; but perhaps we may still have a sufficiently shared sense of the kerygmatic core of this faith to be able, in the face of these misrepresentations of it, to say what Christianity is not.
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1621895416
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 182
Book Description
What really is Christianity? If all the religious packaging in which it is wrapped were removed, what would remain? These were Bonhoeffer's questions, and they must be ours today--even more urgently! For in many quarters Christianity is being so narrowly identified with some of its parts, cultural associations, and past ambitions that like all militant religion, it represents a threat to the planetary future. We may no longer speak clearly of the essence of Christianity, as von Harnack and other nineteenth-century thinkers did; but perhaps we may still have a sufficiently shared sense of the kerygmatic core of this faith to be able, in the face of these misrepresentations of it, to say what Christianity is not.
What's So Great About Christianity
Author: Dinesh D'Souza
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1596985410
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 346
Book Description
Is Christianity true? Can educated, thinking people really believe the Bible? Or, do the athiests have it right? Has Christianity been disproved by science and discredited as a guide to morality? Best-selling author Dinesh D'Souza (What's So Great About America) approaches Christianity with a skeptical eye, but treats the skeptics with equal skepticism. The result is a book that will challenge the assumptions of doubters and affirm that there really is, indeed, something great about Christianity.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1596985410
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 346
Book Description
Is Christianity true? Can educated, thinking people really believe the Bible? Or, do the athiests have it right? Has Christianity been disproved by science and discredited as a guide to morality? Best-selling author Dinesh D'Souza (What's So Great About America) approaches Christianity with a skeptical eye, but treats the skeptics with equal skepticism. The result is a book that will challenge the assumptions of doubters and affirm that there really is, indeed, something great about Christianity.
If Christianity Is So Good, Why Are Christians So Bad?
Author: Mark Coppenger
Publisher: Christian Focus
ISBN: 9781527107748
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
It is reasonable to expect that the followers of Jesus Christ would exude the same sort of moral goodness that he did. But what does it mean to be good? What does it mean for the reality of the Christian faith that Christians fail to live up to the standards set by the Bible? Mark Coppenger engages with these questions. Contents include: Introduction A Few Questions About the Question I Suppose We Asked For It Some You Might Have Missed The Bible Tells Me So Are You Sure About That? The Problem of False Professors Are You Sure About That? Doubtful Narratives Who's Counting? Antibodies: Devotional and Congregational Antibodies: Beyond Home and Congregation Environmental Protection The Rest of the Story Each chapter includes a summary of the main points. The Big Ten: Critical Questions Answered is a Christian apologetics series which addresses ten commonly asked questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity. Each book, while easy to read, is challenging and thought-provoking, dealing with subjects ranging from hell to science. A good read whatever your present opinions.
Publisher: Christian Focus
ISBN: 9781527107748
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
It is reasonable to expect that the followers of Jesus Christ would exude the same sort of moral goodness that he did. But what does it mean to be good? What does it mean for the reality of the Christian faith that Christians fail to live up to the standards set by the Bible? Mark Coppenger engages with these questions. Contents include: Introduction A Few Questions About the Question I Suppose We Asked For It Some You Might Have Missed The Bible Tells Me So Are You Sure About That? The Problem of False Professors Are You Sure About That? Doubtful Narratives Who's Counting? Antibodies: Devotional and Congregational Antibodies: Beyond Home and Congregation Environmental Protection The Rest of the Story Each chapter includes a summary of the main points. The Big Ten: Critical Questions Answered is a Christian apologetics series which addresses ten commonly asked questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity. Each book, while easy to read, is challenging and thought-provoking, dealing with subjects ranging from hell to science. A good read whatever your present opinions.
The Faith of Christopher Hitchens
Author: Larry Alex Taunton
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN: 0718022181
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 220
Book Description
2016 Winner of the Gospel Coalition Book Awards At the time of his death, Christopher Hitchens was the most notorious atheist in the world. And yet, all was not as it seemed. “Nobody is not a divided self, of course,” he once told an interviewer, “but I think it’s rather strong in my case.” Hitchens was a man of many contradictions: a Marxist in youth who longed for acceptance among the social elites; a peacenik who revered the military; a champion of the Left who was nonetheless pro-life, pro-war-on-terror, and after 9/11 something of a neocon; and while he railed against God on stage, he maintained meaningful—though largely hidden from public view—friendships with evangelical Christians like Francis Collins, Douglas Wilson, and the author Larry Alex Taunton. In The Faith of Christopher Hitchens, Taunton offers a very personal perspective of one of our most interesting and most misunderstood public figures. Writing with genuine compassion and without compromise, Taunton traces Hitchens’s spiritual and intellectual development from his decision as a teenager to reject belief in God to his rise to prominence as one of the so-called “Four Horsemen” of the New Atheism. While Hitchens was, in the minds of many Christians, Public Enemy Number One, away from the lights and the cameras a warm friendship flourished between Hitchens and the author; a friendship that culminated in not one, but two lengthy road trips where, after Hitchens’s diagnosis of esophageal cancer, they studied the Bible together. The Faith of Christopher Hitchens gives us a candid glimpse into the inner life of this intriguing, sometimes maddening, and unexpectedly vulnerable man. “If everyone in the United States had the same qualities of loyalty and care and concern for others that Larry Taunton had, we'd be living in a much better society than we do.” ~ Christopher Hitchens
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN: 0718022181
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 220
Book Description
2016 Winner of the Gospel Coalition Book Awards At the time of his death, Christopher Hitchens was the most notorious atheist in the world. And yet, all was not as it seemed. “Nobody is not a divided self, of course,” he once told an interviewer, “but I think it’s rather strong in my case.” Hitchens was a man of many contradictions: a Marxist in youth who longed for acceptance among the social elites; a peacenik who revered the military; a champion of the Left who was nonetheless pro-life, pro-war-on-terror, and after 9/11 something of a neocon; and while he railed against God on stage, he maintained meaningful—though largely hidden from public view—friendships with evangelical Christians like Francis Collins, Douglas Wilson, and the author Larry Alex Taunton. In The Faith of Christopher Hitchens, Taunton offers a very personal perspective of one of our most interesting and most misunderstood public figures. Writing with genuine compassion and without compromise, Taunton traces Hitchens’s spiritual and intellectual development from his decision as a teenager to reject belief in God to his rise to prominence as one of the so-called “Four Horsemen” of the New Atheism. While Hitchens was, in the minds of many Christians, Public Enemy Number One, away from the lights and the cameras a warm friendship flourished between Hitchens and the author; a friendship that culminated in not one, but two lengthy road trips where, after Hitchens’s diagnosis of esophageal cancer, they studied the Bible together. The Faith of Christopher Hitchens gives us a candid glimpse into the inner life of this intriguing, sometimes maddening, and unexpectedly vulnerable man. “If everyone in the United States had the same qualities of loyalty and care and concern for others that Larry Taunton had, we'd be living in a much better society than we do.” ~ Christopher Hitchens
Not God Enough
Author: J.D. Greear
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310337860
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
Pastor and author J. D. Greear reveals that the secret to a robust, passionate faith isn't getting all the right answers about God, but seeing God as the awesome, glorious, and infinite presence that He is. We like God small. We prefer a God who is safe, domesticated, who thinks like we think, likes what we like, and whom we can manage, predict, and control. A small God is convenient. Practical. Manageable. For us, thinking of God as so infinitely greater and wiser than we are and who would cause us to tremble in his presence is a leftover relic from an oppressive, archaic view of religion. But what if this small version of God we've created is holding us back from the greatest experience of our lives--from genuine, confident, world-transforming faith? In Not God Enough, J.D. reveals how to discover a God who: is big enough to handle your questions, doubts, and fears is not silent is worthy of worship wants to take you from boring to bold in your faith has a purpose and mission for you on earth is pursuing you right now The truth: God is big. Bigger than big. Bigger than all the words we use to say big. Only a God of infinite power, wisdom, and majesty can answer our deepest questions and meet our deepest longings. God is not just a slightly better, slightly smarter version of you. God is infinite and glorious, and an encounter with Him won't just change the way you think about your faith. It'll change your entire life.
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310337860
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
Pastor and author J. D. Greear reveals that the secret to a robust, passionate faith isn't getting all the right answers about God, but seeing God as the awesome, glorious, and infinite presence that He is. We like God small. We prefer a God who is safe, domesticated, who thinks like we think, likes what we like, and whom we can manage, predict, and control. A small God is convenient. Practical. Manageable. For us, thinking of God as so infinitely greater and wiser than we are and who would cause us to tremble in his presence is a leftover relic from an oppressive, archaic view of religion. But what if this small version of God we've created is holding us back from the greatest experience of our lives--from genuine, confident, world-transforming faith? In Not God Enough, J.D. reveals how to discover a God who: is big enough to handle your questions, doubts, and fears is not silent is worthy of worship wants to take you from boring to bold in your faith has a purpose and mission for you on earth is pursuing you right now The truth: God is big. Bigger than big. Bigger than all the words we use to say big. Only a God of infinite power, wisdom, and majesty can answer our deepest questions and meet our deepest longings. God is not just a slightly better, slightly smarter version of you. God is infinite and glorious, and an encounter with Him won't just change the way you think about your faith. It'll change your entire life.