John loftus why i became an atheist review

Some might think that I'm being too critical about superficial matters. Some might say that one shouldn't be too concerned about style and presentation. But I think that atheists would be wise to try and put out quality products if they want to be taken seriously. Within my own lifetime it has become cheaper and easier for anyone to produce a more slick and sophisticated-looking product.

These days Creation Science organizations and fundamentalist Christian groups are able to produce the kind of attractive, professional-looking books and magazines that are a far cry from some of those cheap-looking, primitive tracts from the old days.

But it's not just a matter of attractive exteriors - these Christian apologetical books and magazines are being written and edited by professionals who keep the writing at a high standard of presentation so as to be able to impress and win the respect of the average reader.

As much as I despise books like Lee Strobel's apologetical series, I have to admit that he and his publisher know how to articulate their message clearly, effectively, and with a certain amount of polish. It doesn't matter how implausible and misleading some of Strobel's ideas might be, his tone and style of presentation are enough to give them enough of an air of credibility for people to take them seriously.

Compared with those apologetic books, a book like Why I Became An Atheist comes off as an amateurish draft, as if Loftus submitted his unedited notebook for printing. Despite the fact that Loftus is trying to have a more intelligent discussion than what you'll find in a Strobel book, Why I Became An Atheist is a difficult read and off-putting in a way that will frustrate readers and make them lose interest.

According to some polling studies atheists are the least trusted minority group in America today. In light of that fact, atheists can't afford to do anything but try and put their best foot forward when presenting their case to a largely hostile pubic Jul 17, Lori rated it it was amazing.

This is another book on my short list of must-reads for anyone that wants to better understand Christianity. In fact, for people that are interested in understanding the Christian Bible, Christian apologetic, philosophical Christianity, and some scholarly refutations of each of those matters, John Loftus brings it to them here.

Christians that want to be informed about how highly educated non-Christians see their religion owe it to themselves to read this book, as does any non-Christian that thi This is another book on my short list of must-reads for anyone that wants to better understand Christianity.

Christians that want to be informed about how highly educated non-Christians see their religion owe it to themselves to read this book, as does any non-Christian that thinks Christianity might just have some validity to it. If there is any criticism to make of this book, it is that it is very long and incredibly detailed. This makes it take a very long time to read it, and so in places, it seems to drag on. This isn't because the writing is boring, however, and I lay the blame directly at the feet of the many centuries over which Christianity and its apologists have gone on and on formulating and reformulating the same nonsense in different ways in order to get around the kind of cursory examination that might dismantle it.

Near the beginning of this book, Loftus lays out what he calls his "outsider's test" for religious faith, and it is by and large the most important contribution of this book. It is also a deeply personal matter for Loftus since he grew up and was highly educated in evangelical Christianity. Quite literally, it is an atomic bomb dropped on religious faith, and even if someone is uninterested in the detailed dismantling of Christian dogma, doctrine, and scripture that Loftus is able to deliver in the rest of the book, this element of the first part is well worth the read on its own.

If you're a Christian or want to know more about Christianity, I can't recommend a serious read of this book too highly. If it fails to change your thinking, you either are already a very well-educated nonbeliever on these matters or, if a believer, refusing to face your faith honestly.

Jul 09, Jc rated it liked it. While I found Loftus' approach interesting, this book would certainly not be for everyone. For one thing, he carefully is focusing his arguments to the conservative evangelical or similar Protestant christian If your background is otherwise, much of what he is debunking here would sound too weird and extreme even without prior to Loftus' discussions.

On top of that, he needed some editing help -- while his arguments are good, he has some odd errors that could be confusing e. However, the arguments and approach are generally sound. For a better discussion of some of same material, try Natural Atheism by David Eller bad title, good book. Jun 26, Elaine rated it liked it Shelves: religion , humanity , studies , nature , autobiography , science , history.

This book has excellent excerpts and if I had nothing better to do I would love devouring the mountain of research and information that must have gone into creating it.

I gave it just over 50 pages and I'm ready to move onto re-reading The Blind Watchmaker. Apologetics just aren't my thing. The field to me seems to comprise of circular arguments that are never going to convince "one side" or "the o This book has excellent excerpts and if I had nothing better to do I would love devouring the mountain of research and information that must have gone into creating it.

The field to me seems to comprise of circular arguments that are never going to convince "one side" or "the other. Jan 22, Allison Butler rated it it was amazing Shelves: religion , commentary.

This is a most well written and respectful analysis of Christianity, from the perspective of someone who has a deep history with faith and an honest account of why that faith could not stand up to critical analysis.

It's often hard for those who never had faith I'm looking at Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, etc.. And while I still appreciate so much of their work, even when snarky and disrespectful, this This is a most well written and respectful analysis of Christianity, from the perspective of someone who has a deep history with faith and an honest account of why that faith could not stand up to critical analysis.

And while I still appreciate so much of their work, even when snarky and disrespectful, this book was a refreshing look at things from a perspective I hold, and a path that I also took. Apr 08, Taylor Grace rated it it was amazing. Loftus' explains the journey of the man from ordained minister to atheist. When I picked up the book, I had questions, mainly, I wondered what it would take for someone to do such a change in their beliefs.

Loftus explains just that without trying to convince the reader. This book isn't an attempt at indoctrination, rather an explanation of why someone changed their mind in such a profound way. I found it fascinating. Feb 26, Matt Quail rated it it was ok. The Christian-to-Atheist journey for the rationalist.

For a book so heavy on the philosophy, it keeps you engaged, mostly. Jan 10, J Cook rated it liked it. A bit wordy and technical. Jul 05, Tim Elston rated it it was amazing Shelves: religion. I'm giving this five stars, not because it can be considered the final word on every matter it deals with or is the most enjoyable content to read but because Loftus does a fine job arguing his points across the major contentions at issue.

I have a similar personal history to Loftus's, insofar as I was a Christian minister for seventeen years and then became an atheist as a result of my biblical studies. Although no other person's experience or research can exactly mirror my own history and reas I'm giving this five stars, not because it can be considered the final word on every matter it deals with or is the most enjoyable content to read but because Loftus does a fine job arguing his points across the major contentions at issue.

Although no other person's experience or research can exactly mirror my own history and reasons for concluding the unreliability of the biblical witness, Loftus's compendium of reasons deals with many of the issues that ultimately led me to realize that my faith in the biblical witness was not reasonably justifiable.

Unlike Loftus, after my deconversion I dropped out of my PhD program in New Testament studies and have not continued research in the field, let alone picked up a Bible for the last nineteen years. I didn't altogether want to read this book, because I have no interest in occupying my time or mind in preparation for endless debates with Christians about their flawed source of faith.

It's a long book and I don't know why I ground on to finish a book about something that conjures up a lot of painful memories for me, but I do want to give credit to Loftus for a well composed, well argued work. I doubt many Christians have read it, except Christian apologists whose motive is to argue against it, but at least it is out there and available to inform any Christians who have doubts but don't necessarily have the research background to resolve their questions without assistance.

This book is complete enough to serve as a one-stop compendium of information that can address those questions directly, or at least it is a starting point. I don't necessarily agree with every conclusion at which Loftus arrives, but as he said in his introduction, it is not about the points in isolation but about the weight of evidence to which those points amount, taken together. The evidence against the reliability of the Bible is overwhelming, taken as a whole, and if you have any interest in exploring that evidence, this book is an excellent place to start or to visit along the path of your own personal history.

Aug 05, Alan Bevan rated it really liked it. Whilst too detailed for me, this would have been brilliant at an another stage in my life when I was inside the Christian tent. Loftus' "outsider test" should be compulsory for anyone belonging to any particular creed - would you join this group if you ere on the outside looking at the evidence? Loftus applies the test to Christianity with devastating insight. The one bit of the book where I was less convinced however was his comments about Deism more generally, where he reaches for the multivers Whilst too detailed for me, this would have been brilliant at an another stage in my life when I was inside the Christian tent.

The one bit of the book where I was less convinced however was his comments about Deism more generally, where he reaches for the multiverse theory in order to avoid any sort of intelligence in the creation of our universe. There is no more evidence for a multiverse than the is evidence for a creative intelligence so why choose one over the other? But other than that, i'd want all mu Christian friends to read this book - and then let's talk!

Jun 19, Natalee rated it it was ok. Always good to understand the critical points of these de-conversion stories, and to consider the arguments addressed. Some good food for thought here, and easy to read. However, also quite unconvincing to me for a lot of reasons--this was not the airtight manifesto I was expecting to challenge me.

There are some logical fallacies here, and a lot of quick, short arguments that others have made before. This book also argues against a rather different view of God than I believe most orthodox Chris Always good to understand the critical points of these de-conversion stories, and to consider the arguments addressed. This book also argues against a rather different view of God than I believe most orthodox Christians actually have, so it loses some of its punch there for me as well.

Still glad I read it, but might not recommend. Mar 07, Timmy rated it really liked it. Jul 10, Joshua Wright rated it it was amazing. This is a very big book, but definitely worth the read. I'm lucky to know the author personally, he's a great guy and great at what he does! Wow Wow a great book it made me think about things I've taken for granted about Christianity since I was a kid.

Dec 15, Justin rated it it was ok. Around page , I started to wonder whether the abundance of misspelled names of cited authors was some kind of challenge to see how many I would notice. Do I win a prize? Aug 01, Eric rated it it was amazing.

Well reasoned and thought provoking. Jun 11, Benjamin Thompson rated it liked it. Loftus does an excellent job of summarizing the main criticisms of the Christian faith. I suppose that is my problem with this book. Loftus tries to cover way to much ground in very little space, s Loftus does an excellent job of summarizing the main criticisms of the Christian faith. Loftus tries to cover way to much ground in very little space, so its mostly a surface level discussion. For instance, in critiquing the teleological argument Loftus makes some odd arguments.

Loftus responds that the Trinity is very complex no matter how you slice it. This is true, but only from an epistemological standpoint. His main objection is that to support the PSR via experiences of causes and effects in the world around us is to commit the fallacy of composition. I do think this fallacy would be committed if this were used as a deductive argument, but as an inductive argument it hardly does. One could say its weak support that the universe has a cause of its existence, which is true, but its support nonetheless.

For instance, if there exists something that does not have a cause, then this would entail that it is possible for something to come to exist without the potential to do so. If one thinks about this it immediately becomes apparent that to say something came into existence is to say that there was the capacity for it to do so.

But if there was no cause and nothing to bring this thing about then there was no capacity to begin with, so how can there both be and not be a capacity for something to exist at the same time and in the same sense? It makes no sense. Now perhaps you could merely accept the idea that something cannot come from nothing and discard the notion that everything needs an explanation but then you end up with the same problem, what caused the universe to exist?

Sep 15, James Lindsay rated it it was amazing. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. The author is trying to show that logical inconsistency by itself is enough to throw out a Christians worldview, but, perhaps all ontological foundations lead to contradictions. I just recently read it and it seems to me that most of the authors who cite it including this author did not read it with as much diligence as I did. They seem to not really understand it and I would recommend any one should read it and not rely on misleading summaries.

The author quotes Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason" which I've just recently listened to through audible. Kant does a much more effected job at defending atheism by his antinomies than this book does. In the end, Kant appeals to the moral within man for his proof of God's existence. Look, authors of Atheism books, expect your listeners to have read the books you are citing, because some of us really, really want to understand. Give us something worth knowing beyond the superficial distractions that fill most of what permeates the easily accessible media or popular books!

Overall, I would recommend Bart Ehrman's many fine but detailed lectures or books on many of the topics which were not covered nearly as well in this book.

I don't really dislike this author and he probably wrote a decent book for somebody who cares about inside Bible arguments, but in the future I hope the author learns it's okay to teach us things that are complicated and not to be afraid to talk above us. I want to learn, and the Bible offers me almost nothing I really enjoy Ecclesiastes and therefore it can teach me something more than nothing.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not? I really don't understand why authors don't take more time choosing a narrator, this one is so boring with almost monotone range of voice. Makes it so hard, you have to concentrate since it is very droning. I think I'm only going with the author as narrator from now on.. Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Buzz Kemper? Or a narrator with a lot more personality and vocal range; this one is like a rap singer with about a 4 note range..

If this book were a movie would you go see it? Not to mention the contradictions and serious unanswered questions that are uncovered when objectively studying the "Holy" bible. I liked the audio version but the print would probably be better.

There is a ton of information provided which will keep you entertained. Worst editing of any audiobook I've ever read. Multiple takes in every chapter. There were even times when the narrator said "ah I'm running out of breath" and it was left in.

The book itself is good. It's awfully long for the point being made, and much of the back half does much less good as an audiobook, because it's mostly a set of biblical refutations - a reference manual, not a novel. Also Loftus goes out of his way to question the stance of those who have shown that it's more probable there was no historical Jesus.

That itself is fine, but then the bulk of his reasoning for being an Atheist is, almost word for word, the same reasoning presented by the Jesus mythicists. Had he just omitted his opinion of the Jesus myth argument, he'd have been fine otherwise. This author explains simply and clearly the many things wrong with the Holy Bible.

You will see it all very differently and hear answers you Mary have not heard before. I definitely recommend this book. I always enjoy this type of reading from former Christians. You know they have been on the other side and truly understand. Must-read book for believers and atheists alike. Mispronunciations and undeleted VO pickups sprinkled throughout point to inattention on the quality-control end. Not unlistenable, though. This is a gem in my modest collection of books on atheism.

Loftus covers every blade of grass when it comes to the arguments for and against the existence of God, with absolutely tons of references to boot. Incredibly persuasive arguments for the non-existence of a god. Any honest believer reading this coming away with just as firm a belief as before is suffering from cognitive dissonance on a grand scale. The narration was great, although there were many many repeated phrases, which were obviously the result of a careless edit.

Add to Cart failed. Please try again later. Add to Wish List failed. Remove from wishlist failed. Adding to library failed. Please try again. Follow podcast failed. There were just too many individual problems that I had to balance, like spinning several plates on several sticks, in order to keep my faith. Jerry never called me to talk to me, or pray with me, or comfort me. I am now freed of the internal censors. I can now write as I think. Jeff, was pastor of another church in the Pleasant Lake area that Loftus felt more comfortable in attending.

As best as I can tell, Jeff was suspicious of my motives—my own cousin! Without going into great detail, he and his wife Lurleen suspected that I was secretly trying to oust him to become the pastor there. Apologists beware! There is more than reason, arguments, and evidence involved in people coming to faith as well as in people leaving the faith. It involves a free choice by a sinful human being who the Bible says is in rebellion with God Psa.

Loftus admits the same in his above testimony. It is noteworthy that his first step away from God was adultery. To be sure, an unloving Christian community did not help matters. But how he responded to this was his personal responsibility.

At this point it will be more instructive to hear the rest of the story. Loftus did not jump directly from theism to atheism. First, he chose to become a Deist. I struggled to believe in God. It was probably a Kierkegaardian leap of faith for me , which also made me an Existentialist, a Deistic Existentialist.

Then The Answer Hit Me. Chance events can produce order. We know this. So in the end, I do have a reason for what I believe. Nature is ultimate. There is no God. And there is at least one reason for me not to believe in God, and that is because the universe is absurd when we try to figure it out.

What is Life Without God? This is the logical and last question with which Loftus deals. Life is good—very good! I feel better about it now than I ever have! One can only wonder how someone can feel better about things when they are really so bad. There is no real purpose for life; the world is absurd, and there is nothing after this—nothing! It would appear that this is a good example of what Freud defined as an illusion, namely, something one wishes to be true, even if there is no rational ground for believing it is.

Why then do so many people believe in God? Of course, we may ask why we cannot. Is it not possible that this God-sized vacuum was created by God, and that the soul is restless until it finds its rest in God? Loftus also has problems with why Christianity is so widely accepted in the world, particularly if there is no reality behind it.

His answer also rings hollow in view of the strong historical evidence for the Christian Faith. This, however, overlooks the fact that the great early spread of Christianity, as well as its greatest spread today, is under oppression of anti-Christian governments like China. Loftus seems blissfully unaware that the Christian view of God and creation is the very foundation of science. Further, most of the founders of modern science believed in the biblical doctrine of creation.

What is more, the strong influence of Christianity through people like Wilberforce in England and the Wesleys in America was crucial in the liberation of slaves. Of course, there have been people who claimed to be Christian who engaged in witch hunts, inquisitions, KKK, and the like.

Certainly, no atheists would consider that this is a legitimate argument against atheism. In an enlightening statement, Loftus faces the final question and gives a brutally frank answer to it.

What then? Well, then I will go to hell, however conceived, when I die. And what did I do to deserve to go to hell? Whose fault would this be? Again, his response has an empty sound. Maybe he is playing tricks on me, making me think my doubts are honest ones, when they are not? Again, his question is good and his answer disappointing, shifting the blame to God rather than to take responsibility for his own decision.

Of course, this is to assume, contrary to Scripture 1 Cor. Further, it is to assume that God will overpower a human will to accomplish His desire, but this is also contrary to Scripture and good reasons. This section deals with the reasons Loftus gives against Christianity and for atheism which, admittedly, were not the initial reasons that brought on His unbelief see Part 1. The discussion here need not be long for several reasons.

First, his unbelief was not initiated by reason, as he admits. Rather, it was his rejection by friends and the lack of Christian love see above. Second, there is nothing really new here that has not already been answered elsewhere see my Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics.

John W. In part 1 of this review I provided evidence that while Loftus stopped being a Christian, he remained a fundamentalist. But what kept him a fundamentalist? Interestingly, the book itself provides some tantalizing clues to explain […].

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