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Why I Became an Atheist #1
Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity
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.
428 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2006
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August 18, 2020
I really didn't find this book very edifying. I don't think I came across anything that I didn't already know. My rule of thumb, if you're going to write a 30 plus hour book, tell me things I don't already know. The bible was created by man, it has really weird stuff in it, superstition is superstition no matter when, a God that punishes his Son for the sin that a talking snake tricked a man into, and Zombies roaming Jerusalem it's all too impossible to believe. But, the one thing I don't want to have to do is listen to hours of Bible quotes and using the myth believers' sources in order to refute the myth believers. I just refute it by ignoring a special pleading by anyone who thinks their Book is special and offer no proof for that whatsoever.
I just recently read Spinoza's "Tractatus" (it's available for free at LibriVox). One of the arguments this author (Loftus) made against Christianity is that Jesus invokes Beelzebub (the devil) in his argument against the Pharisees when they claim that Jesus is in league with the devil, and Jesus responds "that he can't be of the devil since a house can't stand divided against itself". Spinoza makes the point that those critics who claim that Jesus is accepting the reality of the devil miss the point of the argument. Jesus is only giving a proof by contradiction (or as this author, Loftus, says brilliantly earlier in the book, "opposites can't happen"). Look Spinoza made that point 350 years earlier can't Loftus at least acknowledge that in his discussion.
I really hate wasting my time in inside baseball or in this case inside Bible discussion points. All one has to do is listen to a clever Jesuit (who actually I love listening to) or a clever Orthodox Rabbi to know that if you assume their starting points you won't be able to win the arguments on points. It's books like this one that enable Jehovah Witnesses to argue their absurd points and to win converts.
I want to clarify. This book is not horrible, but it's really using the wrong approach to defend atheism (in my opinion). There is actually almost no science in this book whatsoever. I only mention that because the one book that liberated me from religious thought more than any other was "The 4% Universe". It opened my mind and led to hundreds of other science books and than ultimately philosophy and theology books. (I would recommend learn the science before delving into religion).
Logic can only take you so far. I'll give an example outside of the scope of this book, but relevant to why I didn't like this book. Quantum physics is characterized most succinctly by three statements, 1) at the most fundamental level particles are characterized as waves and particles simultaneously (wave particle duality), 2) cause and effect break down at the quantum level (that darn cat!), and 3) superposition (particles are everywhere and no where at the same time). Each of these are fundamental violations of one of the three rules of logic but we still accept quantum physics to be true. Logical inconsistency by itself is not enough to throw out all of physics (nor should it be). 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.
The one book that's mentioned more often by the books I read than any other except for the Bible is Galileo's "Dialogs Concerning Two Chief World Systems". 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 effective 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).
I just recently read Spinoza's "Tractatus" (it's available for free at LibriVox). One of the arguments this author (Loftus) made against Christianity is that Jesus invokes Beelzebub (the devil) in his argument against the Pharisees when they claim that Jesus is in league with the devil, and Jesus responds "that he can't be of the devil since a house can't stand divided against itself". Spinoza makes the point that those critics who claim that Jesus is accepting the reality of the devil miss the point of the argument. Jesus is only giving a proof by contradiction (or as this author, Loftus, says brilliantly earlier in the book, "opposites can't happen"). Look Spinoza made that point 350 years earlier can't Loftus at least acknowledge that in his discussion.
I really hate wasting my time in inside baseball or in this case inside Bible discussion points. All one has to do is listen to a clever Jesuit (who actually I love listening to) or a clever Orthodox Rabbi to know that if you assume their starting points you won't be able to win the arguments on points. It's books like this one that enable Jehovah Witnesses to argue their absurd points and to win converts.
I want to clarify. This book is not horrible, but it's really using the wrong approach to defend atheism (in my opinion). There is actually almost no science in this book whatsoever. I only mention that because the one book that liberated me from religious thought more than any other was "The 4% Universe". It opened my mind and led to hundreds of other science books and than ultimately philosophy and theology books. (I would recommend learn the science before delving into religion).
Logic can only take you so far. I'll give an example outside of the scope of this book, but relevant to why I didn't like this book. Quantum physics is characterized most succinctly by three statements, 1) at the most fundamental level particles are characterized as waves and particles simultaneously (wave particle duality), 2) cause and effect break down at the quantum level (that darn cat!), and 3) superposition (particles are everywhere and no where at the same time). Each of these are fundamental violations of one of the three rules of logic but we still accept quantum physics to be true. Logical inconsistency by itself is not enough to throw out all of physics (nor should it be). 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.
The one book that's mentioned more often by the books I read than any other except for the Bible is Galileo's "Dialogs Concerning Two Chief World Systems". 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 effective 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).
February 21, 2014
I first heard of Loftus after listening to a debate between him and evangelical heavy hitter D'Souza. At the end of the debate he motivated the audience to buy both his and D'Souza's books and "get the information from the horse's mouth". I'm glad I did, because as a believer, most of what I get are arguments that authors claim are still being used by their opponents followed by their counterargument. It's a protective shell, full of straw men and outdated information that I find frustrating to sift through. All sides are guilty of this, and at times it's unintentional (information naturally becomes outdated as discoveries are made and new authors jump in the ring).
Loftus is able to present his case, and then brings in the opposing viewpoint and addresses it as well. This is helpful because I am able to branch out to other resources and add them to my to-read list. There are occasions where I feel like he has misunderstood or misrepresented the opposition, but I won't know for sure until I take his suggestion to heart and "read it from the horse's mouth". He presents some serious Biblical issues that do need to be addressed in great detail, and I wish that my side would take them seriously, instead of explaining them away with structurally flimsy positions or simply ignoring them completely (as many inerrantists have done with the Documentary Hypothesis).
The structure of the content is a little off, but it's understandable considering that it's a collection of essays.
One thing I do appreciate about Loftus is that his tone is sympathetic to his audience (those being the more fundamentalist Christians). Hitchens and Dawkins have an attitude similar to atheist street preachers. Loftus, however is a great deal more respectful. The general assumption in my circle is that people stop believing because they want to live without any rules or moral limits. This is an absurd assumption and one I usually respond with "if they wanted to change their spiritual rules, they could have just changed denominations!". The truth is that most Ex-Christians experienced a lot of pain and depression as they struggled with their faith. Some of them desperately held on to it until they ran out of resources. Loftus is one of many who really tried to hold on. He was a pastor and one of William Lane Craig's students and pursued his research and studies with the full confidence that "all truth is God's truth". The results of his research are personally troublesome, to say the least.
Loftus is able to present his case, and then brings in the opposing viewpoint and addresses it as well. This is helpful because I am able to branch out to other resources and add them to my to-read list. There are occasions where I feel like he has misunderstood or misrepresented the opposition, but I won't know for sure until I take his suggestion to heart and "read it from the horse's mouth". He presents some serious Biblical issues that do need to be addressed in great detail, and I wish that my side would take them seriously, instead of explaining them away with structurally flimsy positions or simply ignoring them completely (as many inerrantists have done with the Documentary Hypothesis).
The structure of the content is a little off, but it's understandable considering that it's a collection of essays.
One thing I do appreciate about Loftus is that his tone is sympathetic to his audience (those being the more fundamentalist Christians). Hitchens and Dawkins have an attitude similar to atheist street preachers. Loftus, however is a great deal more respectful. The general assumption in my circle is that people stop believing because they want to live without any rules or moral limits. This is an absurd assumption and one I usually respond with "if they wanted to change their spiritual rules, they could have just changed denominations!". The truth is that most Ex-Christians experienced a lot of pain and depression as they struggled with their faith. Some of them desperately held on to it until they ran out of resources. Loftus is one of many who really tried to hold on. He was a pastor and one of William Lane Craig's students and pursued his research and studies with the full confidence that "all truth is God's truth". The results of his research are personally troublesome, to say the least.
June 25, 2011
Why I Became an Atheist by John Loftus
"Why I Became an Atheist" is one man's personal journey from being a devout evangelical Christian to an ardent atheist. What sets this book apart from other personal journeys is the information-rich content and Mr. Loftus's ability to convey compelling arguments against Christianity. This 428-page book is composed of the following three major parts: Part 1: The Basis for my Control Beliefs, Part 2: The Biblical Evidence Examined, and Part 3: What I Believe Today.
Positives:
1. An excellent, well-written, meticulously researched book that provides sound arguments against Christianity.
2. As a former evangelical minister and a PhD in the philosophy of religion, John Loftus pulls no punches on why he rejects Christianity.
3. Fascinating, insightful look at a most interesting journey written in an engaging accessible prose.
4. Outstanding philosophical arguments.
5. Reference quality book. Sound arguments throughout this book and you don't need to be a philosopher or stay at a Holiday Inn to comprehend it.
6. John Loftus uses the best tool against Christianity, the Bible. And does so thoroughly and repeatedly yet somehow it never gets old.
7. A thorough look at morality.
8. Each chapters ends with notes that are a testament to how well researched this book is.
9. Faith versus reason...I "think" I know which one is superior.
10. Pascal's wager, really?
11. Innovative outsider test for faith.
12. The main arguments for "God" debunked.
13. Sound look at the conflict between science and religion. "If science cannot answer some ultimate question, what makes anybody think that religion can?"
14. Scientific evidence against "God".
15. The truth of miracles and the problems of historical research.
16. The strength of the argument of the unanswered prayer. Hey I got this book, does that count?
17. Great quotes abound in this book.
18. The problem of evil...the rock of atheism.
19. The power of a society without "Gods".
20. A great read from cover to cover.
Negatives:
1. It requires an investment of time, but it's an investment that pays major dividends at the end.
2. No links to references.
In summary, "Why I Became an Atheist" is one of the best arguments against Christianity. It is sound, reasoned and conveyed in a lucid manner. I highly recommend this book!
Further recommendations: "Godless..." by Dan Barker, "Christian No More" by Jeffrey Mark, "50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God" by Guy P. Harrison, "Decoding the Language of God" by George C. Cunningham, and "Society without God" by Phil Zuckerman.
"Why I Became an Atheist" is one man's personal journey from being a devout evangelical Christian to an ardent atheist. What sets this book apart from other personal journeys is the information-rich content and Mr. Loftus's ability to convey compelling arguments against Christianity. This 428-page book is composed of the following three major parts: Part 1: The Basis for my Control Beliefs, Part 2: The Biblical Evidence Examined, and Part 3: What I Believe Today.
Positives:
1. An excellent, well-written, meticulously researched book that provides sound arguments against Christianity.
2. As a former evangelical minister and a PhD in the philosophy of religion, John Loftus pulls no punches on why he rejects Christianity.
3. Fascinating, insightful look at a most interesting journey written in an engaging accessible prose.
4. Outstanding philosophical arguments.
5. Reference quality book. Sound arguments throughout this book and you don't need to be a philosopher or stay at a Holiday Inn to comprehend it.
6. John Loftus uses the best tool against Christianity, the Bible. And does so thoroughly and repeatedly yet somehow it never gets old.
7. A thorough look at morality.
8. Each chapters ends with notes that are a testament to how well researched this book is.
9. Faith versus reason...I "think" I know which one is superior.
10. Pascal's wager, really?
11. Innovative outsider test for faith.
12. The main arguments for "God" debunked.
13. Sound look at the conflict between science and religion. "If science cannot answer some ultimate question, what makes anybody think that religion can?"
14. Scientific evidence against "God".
15. The truth of miracles and the problems of historical research.
16. The strength of the argument of the unanswered prayer. Hey I got this book, does that count?
17. Great quotes abound in this book.
18. The problem of evil...the rock of atheism.
19. The power of a society without "Gods".
20. A great read from cover to cover.
Negatives:
1. It requires an investment of time, but it's an investment that pays major dividends at the end.
2. No links to references.
In summary, "Why I Became an Atheist" is one of the best arguments against Christianity. It is sound, reasoned and conveyed in a lucid manner. I highly recommend this book!
Further recommendations: "Godless..." by Dan Barker, "Christian No More" by Jeffrey Mark, "50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God" by Guy P. Harrison, "Decoding the Language of God" by George C. Cunningham, and "Society without God" by Phil Zuckerman.
December 29, 2012
An interesting book that tends toward high density, abstract arguments. Norman Geisler, author of A General Introduction to the Bible and The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics says it "is a thoughtful and intellectually challenging work, presenting arguments that every honest theist and Christian should face." "Thoughtful and intellectually challenging" are simultaneously this book's strengths and the things that make it sometimes rather dull.
When reading this book, one should not forget that this is an explanation of why the author rejected Christianity. The book contains philosophical arguments, but they are the ones that convinced the author that Christianity is false. It is not meant to be an exhaustive catalog. The arguments generally focus on Christianity. Some of them may generalize to other religions, but arguing the implausibility of other religions was not the author's main goal.
In my opinion, the most interesting part of the book is the "Outsider Test For Faith". In general, what is convincing to an insider is not necessarily convincing to an outsider. Many arguments that seem flawless from the insider are laughable from the outside. This is true for any division of the world into "inside" and "outside".
The outsider test for faith asks you to "[t]est your beliefs as if you were an outsider to your faith." How would an outsider's view be different from an insider's view? First, it would take into account that there are many religions in the world, all of them faithfully believed. Does the sincere belief of those believers convince you that the religion they follow is true? If not, than the mere existence of your own faith cannot be expected to make a convincing argument. In an similar vein, an outsider viewpoint would take into account that for the vast majority of believers, the religion they follow is determined by their cultural, temporal, and geographic context.
Another feature of the outsider's viewpoint is that purely internal evidence is not convincing. For example, if one claims, without other arguments, that the Bible is true because it is authenticated by the Holy Spirit and that the feeling that you call the Holy Spirit is true and trustworthy because the Bible says it is, your claim will not pass the outsider test. Similarly, if you say that one should give their life over to Jesus because he is the son of God who died for our sins (according to the Bible), your claim also does not pass the outsider test. In both of these cases, the statement has nothing to stand on if one does not already accept the premises that would make them an insider.
The outsider test may sound like a harsh stance to take, but it is the stance you take toward every religion where you are an outsider. If you follow a certain faith, you are just applying the same standards to your own beliefs that you are applying to the beliefs of others.
Of course, no one can truly take on an outsider's perspective. Human beings are almost not capable of fully abandoning their own beliefs. Even so, the exercise can still lead to insights. And even if you are not willing to try the outsider's test for faith, acknowledging the difference between an insider's perspective and an outsider's perspective can, hopefully, help you understand why something that is so convincing to you is completely unconvincing to someone else.
When reading this book, one should not forget that this is an explanation of why the author rejected Christianity. The book contains philosophical arguments, but they are the ones that convinced the author that Christianity is false. It is not meant to be an exhaustive catalog. The arguments generally focus on Christianity. Some of them may generalize to other religions, but arguing the implausibility of other religions was not the author's main goal.
In my opinion, the most interesting part of the book is the "Outsider Test For Faith". In general, what is convincing to an insider is not necessarily convincing to an outsider. Many arguments that seem flawless from the insider are laughable from the outside. This is true for any division of the world into "inside" and "outside".
The outsider test for faith asks you to "[t]est your beliefs as if you were an outsider to your faith." How would an outsider's view be different from an insider's view? First, it would take into account that there are many religions in the world, all of them faithfully believed. Does the sincere belief of those believers convince you that the religion they follow is true? If not, than the mere existence of your own faith cannot be expected to make a convincing argument. In an similar vein, an outsider viewpoint would take into account that for the vast majority of believers, the religion they follow is determined by their cultural, temporal, and geographic context.
Another feature of the outsider's viewpoint is that purely internal evidence is not convincing. For example, if one claims, without other arguments, that the Bible is true because it is authenticated by the Holy Spirit and that the feeling that you call the Holy Spirit is true and trustworthy because the Bible says it is, your claim will not pass the outsider test. Similarly, if you say that one should give their life over to Jesus because he is the son of God who died for our sins (according to the Bible), your claim also does not pass the outsider test. In both of these cases, the statement has nothing to stand on if one does not already accept the premises that would make them an insider.
The outsider test may sound like a harsh stance to take, but it is the stance you take toward every religion where you are an outsider. If you follow a certain faith, you are just applying the same standards to your own beliefs that you are applying to the beliefs of others.
Of course, no one can truly take on an outsider's perspective. Human beings are almost not capable of fully abandoning their own beliefs. Even so, the exercise can still lead to insights. And even if you are not willing to try the outsider's test for faith, acknowledging the difference between an insider's perspective and an outsider's perspective can, hopefully, help you understand why something that is so convincing to you is completely unconvincing to someone else.
November 25, 2025
How about an outline to inform the reader about how you plan to set up and discuss your approach… your thinking, plan of attack, references that you have actually read and it’s even okay to say you will discuss how you feel, how religion in a lonely world can make people feel, belief in something anything as a higher power can make someone feel, how religion can provide a purpose for existence vs criticism of why man says why ‘god’s did create.
What would a young girl who has been raped, molested, passed around with no concern for her being would do if she couldn’t turn to a god and support of a church towards love and guidance of forgiveness do? Look out world! What would Muslim women do if they could read their ‘holy book’
I did appreciate all of his Bible references and he does bring up the ago old discussions. The book is why to long and becomes monotonous ugh why is he still rambling on… perhaps he is still fighting within himself that the blue he was taught is really orange, just accept the blue because the truth of orange will only make you angry!
What would a young girl who has been raped, molested, passed around with no concern for her being would do if she couldn’t turn to a god and support of a church towards love and guidance of forgiveness do? Look out world! What would Muslim women do if they could read their ‘holy book’
I did appreciate all of his Bible references and he does bring up the ago old discussions. The book is why to long and becomes monotonous ugh why is he still rambling on… perhaps he is still fighting within himself that the blue he was taught is really orange, just accept the blue because the truth of orange will only make you angry!
August 16, 2010
While lengthy and repetitive in some areas, John Loftus makes an excellent case against the belief in a deity; specifically with regards to Christianity. A former preacher, Loftus is familiarized with the Bible and religious teachings in ways that many are not. In this book, he begins by listing the multitude of arguments in defense of Christianity (ranging from philosophical, to evidential, to historical; and beyond) from which he systematically refutes their plausibility. Brilliantly executed, Loftus’ particular approach highlights the specifics; evidential and historical failures (copious examples from the Bible and the Gospels), philosophical arguments (from Aristotle, to Kant, to Craig, and back again), and the ultimate analysis underneath it all.
This book is not for religious beginners and requires extensive background knowledge of the Bible and Christian history for complete understanding. While Loftus makes incredible and irrefutable points, the discussion is held on a more advanced level than, say, the discussions of Sam Harris or Dan Barker. While all equally credible and remarkable, Loftus requires a dedication of the reader and speaks to an audience already familiarized with the intricacies of religious debate.
The detail and absolute thoroughness with which Loftus executes his arguments makes this book an informational gold mine. I was extremely impressed and would recommend this book to anyone seriously interested in the intricacies of the evidence; or lack thereof.
This book is not for religious beginners and requires extensive background knowledge of the Bible and Christian history for complete understanding. While Loftus makes incredible and irrefutable points, the discussion is held on a more advanced level than, say, the discussions of Sam Harris or Dan Barker. While all equally credible and remarkable, Loftus requires a dedication of the reader and speaks to an audience already familiarized with the intricacies of religious debate.
The detail and absolute thoroughness with which Loftus executes his arguments makes this book an informational gold mine. I was extremely impressed and would recommend this book to anyone seriously interested in the intricacies of the evidence; or lack thereof.
November 29, 2012
It was very thorough and thought provoking and most importantly, written in a non-inflammatory tone making it digestible for those who come from an opposing perspective. It definitely confirmed my beliefs and changed my life.
April 14, 2014
A very good journey from Christianity to Atheism. He's also has editor a number of books that show why Christianity is not true.
February 11, 2009
I have mixed feelings about this book. To be honest, if I cared more about arguing Biblical issues, I might take issue with a few of Loftus' conclusions, but on the whole, I found his thorough treatment of evangelical and fundamentalist arguments to be entertaining. I felt like John was a little out of his element trying to thoroughly deal with more philosophical issues like the cosmological, teleological, and ontological arguments for god. I wrote a full review here: http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/2009...
April 20, 2020
I read this book for a Christian apologetics course I took this Spring, and I will start by saying that this is a very heavy book, and slow to slough through. It is also one of the most challenging books I have ever read. I didn’t appreciate his tone in every area, but in general, Loftus was thorough and thoughtful, as well as heavily footnoted. He definitely left me with some things to think through and a bibliography a mile high to read in order to more thoroughly understand my faith. All Christians who want to understand the arguments against Christianity (and some of the roots of the intellectual side of atheism) should grapple with many of the questions this book raises.
November 15, 2020
“Why I Became An Atheist” (WBA) was revolutionary for me. I first read it in 2016 when I was 18 years old. I had been doubting my faith for awhile and came across a lot of different resources debating atheism vs theism. One day I was watching The David Pakman show and he interviewed John Loftus. I used to minister to youth groups in high school. So, seeing someone like Loftus who was once all in for Jesus, become an atheist intrigued me. Out of curiosity, I decided to purchase WBA.
It was the final nail in the coffin for my faith and has led to my ever growing interest in religion in politics than I’m engaged in to this day. I grew up in a Pentecostal Church. My faith in Jesus meant the world to me. I read the Bible cover to cover in High School, I prayed daily, and I wanted to help bring people to the Lord. I was a genuine believer at heart.
When I first read WBA, I was blown away by the level of knowledge that Loftus had on Christianity. I had never seen anything like it before. I enjoy the book so much that I’m reading it for a third time. I’ve also read and reviewed several other John Loftus books. I believe that this is his best work.
If anyone comes across this that knows me personally (or a Christian who may scoff at the idea of atheism), then I ask that you read this book with an open mind. That is all. At least that way you have a better understanding of why I and others have left the Christian Faith for good. If you read the book and don’t agree, great! That means your faith should come out stronger than before. However, if you come out and no longer believe (or have serious doubts) then you will know that your faith was either a lie or you can understand why people like Loftus, myself, and others no longer believe. In this review I will give a brief summary of every chapter with some personal thoughts of my own. I hope this encourages you to read the book, or at least share it with someone else.
Foreword
This is by Edward T. Babinski who has written chapters in other Loftus books before. I enjoy his foreword because he reminds readers doubting their faith that they’re not alone. At the same time he ponders what Christians believe today because there’s so many differences among them. This was a good way to get people thinking before Loftus starts!
Introduction
Every Loftus book that I have read has had a great introduction. In this one he encourages Christians to read this book with an open mind to see if what they were taught to believe is actually true. He also gives some background information about his education and former Christian ministry. I think he does a great job of being respectful and encouraging the reader to give the book a chance. I believe everyone reading this should as well!
A Personal Opening Chapter
Chapter 1: My Christian Conversion and Deconversion
This is is John’s story of how he became a Christian and then an atheist. What I respect the most about it is his honesty. He tells it like it like it is, faults and all. I think this will be an eye opener for Christians.
Part 1: Christianity From The Outside
Chapter 2: Faith, Reason, and My Approach to Christianity
This is where the arguments against Christianity begin. Loftus is setting the tone for what is to come. I like how he differentiates between viewing Christianity from the outside vs the inside. The specifics of this become more apparent later. Chapter 2 goes into the philosophy of religion and the many defenses used by apologists to defend the faith. Loftus argues that faith is never a good position to take and that we should always have good evidence for our beliefs. The chapter ends with Loftus giving his cumulative case method for how he’ll argue against Christianity. He clearly explains what he’s going to do and why it’s significant. This creates a lot of momentum going into the arguments that follow.
Chapter 3: The Outsider Test for Faith
This is one of my favorite chapters because this concept alone is at the root of Loftus’s critiques. A good way to paraphrase the Outsider Test for Faith (OTF) is to “do unto your faith what you would do unto other faiths.” In others words, the same skepticism you apply to the religions you don’t believe in should be applied to your own! I don’t need to defend the OTF here because Loftus already does that in this chapter. However, I do think it’s important for me to note that this concept goes beyond the book. Loftus also defends it in “The Christian Delusion” and “The End of Christianity.” He even has a whole book named “The Outsider Test for Faith.” I believe if a Christian reads this chapter with an open mind then the rest of the book will serve it’s purpose.
Chapter 4: Does God Exist?
This chapter gets into the philosophical questions about God’s existence. Many Christian apologists begin their case for the truth of Christianity with some type of argument for a vague, philosopher’s God. Loftus takes the challenge head on and pokes holes in some of the most popular theistic arguments. He makes his case against ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments for God’s existence.
Chapter 5: Does Morality Come from God?
This is one of the most important chapters in the book. Christians often say that society will collapse if there’s a godless ethic in place. Loftus starts off by showing the philosophical issues of a God based morality. He then gets into the specifics of the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) and shows how many things in it are immoral by today’s standards.
The next major portion of the chapter addresses Christian responses to a godless ethic. Loftus first shows how secular societies today perform better than religious ones in areas such as crime, healthcare, poverty, and so on. A common objection theists have is to point to 20th century regimes led by atheist dictators such as Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot. Loftus does a great job of responding to these concerns.
Finally, the chapter is concluded with some great arguments and examples of secular ethics making the world a better place. After reading this it’s hard to justify how a Christian society is a better one!
For more on this topic, check out Loftus’s anthology titled “Christianity is Not Great.”
Chapter 6: The Lessons of Galileo, Science, and Religion
The conflict between faith and science exists. Loftus starts us off with a history lesson on the trial of Galileo and shows how the church was impeding on scientific progress. He shows how the Bible is anti-science. This is a great read for showing what science has accomplished that the Christian religion has not been able to do. For more on this topic check out another anthology by Loftus titled “Christianity in the Light of Science.”
Chapter 7: The Poor Evidence of Historical Evidence
Chapter 7 opens up by showing the flaws in ordinary historical research. Loftus then builds on this by talking about the alleged miracles in the Bible and the historical evidence behind it. The evidence is not strong and honestly God (if he exists) did not provide great evidence. Combine this with how one’s eternal destiny is on the line. These factors make God seem either incompetent or uncaring to provide the best evidence of Christianity possible for people (especially since Hell is a serious threat). Loftus provides many examples of evidence that God could have used but aren’t there. Finally, the chapter concludes by mentioning some historical moral failures of the church.
Chapter 8: The Question of Miracles
Miracles are brought up so often in religious contexts. Not only in the Bible but in everyday life as well. Most people probably know someone who has claimed to experience a miracle in their life. This chapter does a great job of arguing against the likelihood of miracles occurring. For more on this read “The Case Against Miracles” which is another great anthology edited by John Loftus!
Chapter 9: The Self-Authenticating Witness of the Holy Spirit
Prominent and perhaps most well known Christian Apologist William Lane Craig uses several arguments to defend Christianity. There’s one that stands out though. It’s not actually a piece of evidence to show others that Christianity is true. This is known as the “inner witness” of the Holy Spirit. Craig claims that believers have this “inner witness” which confirms the truth of Christianity for themselves. Loftus dedicates this chapter to refuting that claim. This is a great read to know how to respond to believers when they shift the conversation from evidence to faith based reasoning.
Chapter 10: The Problem of Unanswered Prayer
I think that unanswered prayer is one of the best arguments against Christianity. This chapter nails the argument. I don’t see how anyone can refute the material. Loftus responds to several of the justifications Christians use to explain unanswered prayer. None of these rationalizations make sense and this chapter ends the debate. Towards the end of the chapter there is an interesting test for prayer that every Christian should try!
Chapter 11- The Problem of Suffering: My Specific Case
This might be the most brought up topic in religious discussions/debates. It’s significant and troubling for both believers and non-believers. Loftus goes through the many examples of horrendous suffering seen in the world all throughout history to the present. He makes a great case showing how an all good, all powerful, all knowing God couldn’t exist given these circumstances. There’s so many things God could have done differently to address these problems and show that he’s present. That hasn’t happened.
Chapter 12- The Problem of Suffering: Objections Answered
Loftus builds on the previous chapter by responding to the Christian apologetic answers to the problem of suffering. He goes in great detail to refute their claims. Both chapters 11 and 12 are intellectual juggernauts and something new can be learned every time they are read. As of this writing, Loftus is working on a new anthology that deals with the problem of suffering in greater detail. Stay tuned for that!
Part 2: Christianity From The Inside
I believe that this part of the book is where the most serious damage is done to the Christian Faith.
Chapter 13: The Strange and Superstitious World of the Bible
This is the longest chapter in the book and for good reason. There are so many examples of superstition in the Bible. Loftus goes through these examples in depth and exposes the Bible for it’s mythical elements.
Chapter 14: Who Wrote the Bible?
Loftus goes through the Old Testament first. He disputes a lot of its credibility and argues that some of the alleged events in it didn’t even happen. He also discusses the New Testament and shows how it is not credible either. The New Testament has forgeries in it and the whole process of how the Bible came to be was flawed. This chapter alone might be enough to de convert a believer.
Chapter 15: Science and the Genesis Creation Accounts
There are many different interpretations of the creation accounts in Genesis. The problems this causes are dealt with by Loftus. In the end, he makes a good case for why the creation accounts in Genesis are mythical.
Chapter 16: Adam, Eve, Cain, and the Noah Chronicles
When I was a Christian, the stories in Genesis 1-11 were some of the hardest for me to try and defend rationally when objections were brought up. This chapter exposes these stories as mythical and shows how they contradict modern science.
Chapter 17: Prophecy and Biblical Authority
After reading this chapter, I’ve come to the conclusion that “fulfilled” prophecy is the weakest apologetic for Christianity. Loftus exposes the alleged prophecies in the Bible and shows how they aren’t actually fulfilled prophecies as Christians will claim. He also talks about the failed return of Jesus. This is still relevant today considering how many Christians preach that Jesus is coming back soon even after 2,000 years.
Chapter 18: Was Jesus Born of a Virgin in Bethlehem?
This chapter addresses the alleged miracle of the Virgin birth of Jesus. Loftus makes a good case showing that this didn’t happen. Whether Jesus existed or not is irrelevant. What matters is if his birth was miraculous or not. After reading this chapter I think it’s safe to say that the Virgin birth probably didn’t happen.
Chapter 19: Was Jesus God Incarnate?
Christians like to separate their religion from all the others in a unique way. They claim that Christianity is the only religion where God comes down in human flesh and lives, suffers, and has human experiences with his creation. In reality, this concept makes no sense whatsoever. Loftus does what he always does and goes into great detail showing the problems with this view.
Chapter 20- The Passion of the Christ: Why Did Jesus Suffer?
Why did Jesus have to suffer for our sins? Why couldn’t God just forgive us? These are questions that both believer and non-believer alike have. This chapter shows that the atonement has no good justification for it. My favorite thing is that Loftus discusses many different Christian theories of the atonement and uses them to argue against each other. This not only exposes the atonement, but Christian theology in general.
Chapter 21: Did Jesus Bodily Rise from the Dead?
I’ve mentioned a lot of chapters that I thought were really important (they all are for that matter). However, I mean it when I say this is the MOST important chapter in the book. Why? Because if the resurrection didn’t happen, then the Christian Faith is not true (1 Corinthians 15:14). Loftus uses this chapter to dismantle the major arguments and evidence used to justify Christ rising from the grave.
Chapter 22: The Devil Made Me Do It!
This is a short chapter but it does a great job of showing how “Satan” as a concept evolved throughout the Bible. In short, the Devil/Satan is a mythical figure.
Chapter 23: Hell? No!
Loftus discusses four major views of Hell here. He argues that Hell is a mythical place. He also points out that if Christians had viewed Hell as mythical in the past, then the effectiveness of converting people probably wouldn’t have been as strong.
A Personal Concluding Chapter:
Chapter 24: Why I Became An Atheist
Loftus wraps the book up with some closing arguments and revisits a few things he discussed earlier in the book. He ends by talking about why he became an atheist instead of an agnostic, deist, etc.
There is a commitment page at the end. If this book changes your mind or positively influences you, then I want to encourage you to play your part and advance the cause of secularism!
It was the final nail in the coffin for my faith and has led to my ever growing interest in religion in politics than I’m engaged in to this day. I grew up in a Pentecostal Church. My faith in Jesus meant the world to me. I read the Bible cover to cover in High School, I prayed daily, and I wanted to help bring people to the Lord. I was a genuine believer at heart.
When I first read WBA, I was blown away by the level of knowledge that Loftus had on Christianity. I had never seen anything like it before. I enjoy the book so much that I’m reading it for a third time. I’ve also read and reviewed several other John Loftus books. I believe that this is his best work.
If anyone comes across this that knows me personally (or a Christian who may scoff at the idea of atheism), then I ask that you read this book with an open mind. That is all. At least that way you have a better understanding of why I and others have left the Christian Faith for good. If you read the book and don’t agree, great! That means your faith should come out stronger than before. However, if you come out and no longer believe (or have serious doubts) then you will know that your faith was either a lie or you can understand why people like Loftus, myself, and others no longer believe. In this review I will give a brief summary of every chapter with some personal thoughts of my own. I hope this encourages you to read the book, or at least share it with someone else.
Foreword
This is by Edward T. Babinski who has written chapters in other Loftus books before. I enjoy his foreword because he reminds readers doubting their faith that they’re not alone. At the same time he ponders what Christians believe today because there’s so many differences among them. This was a good way to get people thinking before Loftus starts!
Introduction
Every Loftus book that I have read has had a great introduction. In this one he encourages Christians to read this book with an open mind to see if what they were taught to believe is actually true. He also gives some background information about his education and former Christian ministry. I think he does a great job of being respectful and encouraging the reader to give the book a chance. I believe everyone reading this should as well!
A Personal Opening Chapter
Chapter 1: My Christian Conversion and Deconversion
This is is John’s story of how he became a Christian and then an atheist. What I respect the most about it is his honesty. He tells it like it like it is, faults and all. I think this will be an eye opener for Christians.
Part 1: Christianity From The Outside
Chapter 2: Faith, Reason, and My Approach to Christianity
This is where the arguments against Christianity begin. Loftus is setting the tone for what is to come. I like how he differentiates between viewing Christianity from the outside vs the inside. The specifics of this become more apparent later. Chapter 2 goes into the philosophy of religion and the many defenses used by apologists to defend the faith. Loftus argues that faith is never a good position to take and that we should always have good evidence for our beliefs. The chapter ends with Loftus giving his cumulative case method for how he’ll argue against Christianity. He clearly explains what he’s going to do and why it’s significant. This creates a lot of momentum going into the arguments that follow.
Chapter 3: The Outsider Test for Faith
This is one of my favorite chapters because this concept alone is at the root of Loftus’s critiques. A good way to paraphrase the Outsider Test for Faith (OTF) is to “do unto your faith what you would do unto other faiths.” In others words, the same skepticism you apply to the religions you don’t believe in should be applied to your own! I don’t need to defend the OTF here because Loftus already does that in this chapter. However, I do think it’s important for me to note that this concept goes beyond the book. Loftus also defends it in “The Christian Delusion” and “The End of Christianity.” He even has a whole book named “The Outsider Test for Faith.” I believe if a Christian reads this chapter with an open mind then the rest of the book will serve it’s purpose.
Chapter 4: Does God Exist?
This chapter gets into the philosophical questions about God’s existence. Many Christian apologists begin their case for the truth of Christianity with some type of argument for a vague, philosopher’s God. Loftus takes the challenge head on and pokes holes in some of the most popular theistic arguments. He makes his case against ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments for God’s existence.
Chapter 5: Does Morality Come from God?
This is one of the most important chapters in the book. Christians often say that society will collapse if there’s a godless ethic in place. Loftus starts off by showing the philosophical issues of a God based morality. He then gets into the specifics of the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) and shows how many things in it are immoral by today’s standards.
The next major portion of the chapter addresses Christian responses to a godless ethic. Loftus first shows how secular societies today perform better than religious ones in areas such as crime, healthcare, poverty, and so on. A common objection theists have is to point to 20th century regimes led by atheist dictators such as Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot. Loftus does a great job of responding to these concerns.
Finally, the chapter is concluded with some great arguments and examples of secular ethics making the world a better place. After reading this it’s hard to justify how a Christian society is a better one!
For more on this topic, check out Loftus’s anthology titled “Christianity is Not Great.”
Chapter 6: The Lessons of Galileo, Science, and Religion
The conflict between faith and science exists. Loftus starts us off with a history lesson on the trial of Galileo and shows how the church was impeding on scientific progress. He shows how the Bible is anti-science. This is a great read for showing what science has accomplished that the Christian religion has not been able to do. For more on this topic check out another anthology by Loftus titled “Christianity in the Light of Science.”
Chapter 7: The Poor Evidence of Historical Evidence
Chapter 7 opens up by showing the flaws in ordinary historical research. Loftus then builds on this by talking about the alleged miracles in the Bible and the historical evidence behind it. The evidence is not strong and honestly God (if he exists) did not provide great evidence. Combine this with how one’s eternal destiny is on the line. These factors make God seem either incompetent or uncaring to provide the best evidence of Christianity possible for people (especially since Hell is a serious threat). Loftus provides many examples of evidence that God could have used but aren’t there. Finally, the chapter concludes by mentioning some historical moral failures of the church.
Chapter 8: The Question of Miracles
Miracles are brought up so often in religious contexts. Not only in the Bible but in everyday life as well. Most people probably know someone who has claimed to experience a miracle in their life. This chapter does a great job of arguing against the likelihood of miracles occurring. For more on this read “The Case Against Miracles” which is another great anthology edited by John Loftus!
Chapter 9: The Self-Authenticating Witness of the Holy Spirit
Prominent and perhaps most well known Christian Apologist William Lane Craig uses several arguments to defend Christianity. There’s one that stands out though. It’s not actually a piece of evidence to show others that Christianity is true. This is known as the “inner witness” of the Holy Spirit. Craig claims that believers have this “inner witness” which confirms the truth of Christianity for themselves. Loftus dedicates this chapter to refuting that claim. This is a great read to know how to respond to believers when they shift the conversation from evidence to faith based reasoning.
Chapter 10: The Problem of Unanswered Prayer
I think that unanswered prayer is one of the best arguments against Christianity. This chapter nails the argument. I don’t see how anyone can refute the material. Loftus responds to several of the justifications Christians use to explain unanswered prayer. None of these rationalizations make sense and this chapter ends the debate. Towards the end of the chapter there is an interesting test for prayer that every Christian should try!
Chapter 11- The Problem of Suffering: My Specific Case
This might be the most brought up topic in religious discussions/debates. It’s significant and troubling for both believers and non-believers. Loftus goes through the many examples of horrendous suffering seen in the world all throughout history to the present. He makes a great case showing how an all good, all powerful, all knowing God couldn’t exist given these circumstances. There’s so many things God could have done differently to address these problems and show that he’s present. That hasn’t happened.
Chapter 12- The Problem of Suffering: Objections Answered
Loftus builds on the previous chapter by responding to the Christian apologetic answers to the problem of suffering. He goes in great detail to refute their claims. Both chapters 11 and 12 are intellectual juggernauts and something new can be learned every time they are read. As of this writing, Loftus is working on a new anthology that deals with the problem of suffering in greater detail. Stay tuned for that!
Part 2: Christianity From The Inside
I believe that this part of the book is where the most serious damage is done to the Christian Faith.
Chapter 13: The Strange and Superstitious World of the Bible
This is the longest chapter in the book and for good reason. There are so many examples of superstition in the Bible. Loftus goes through these examples in depth and exposes the Bible for it’s mythical elements.
Chapter 14: Who Wrote the Bible?
Loftus goes through the Old Testament first. He disputes a lot of its credibility and argues that some of the alleged events in it didn’t even happen. He also discusses the New Testament and shows how it is not credible either. The New Testament has forgeries in it and the whole process of how the Bible came to be was flawed. This chapter alone might be enough to de convert a believer.
Chapter 15: Science and the Genesis Creation Accounts
There are many different interpretations of the creation accounts in Genesis. The problems this causes are dealt with by Loftus. In the end, he makes a good case for why the creation accounts in Genesis are mythical.
Chapter 16: Adam, Eve, Cain, and the Noah Chronicles
When I was a Christian, the stories in Genesis 1-11 were some of the hardest for me to try and defend rationally when objections were brought up. This chapter exposes these stories as mythical and shows how they contradict modern science.
Chapter 17: Prophecy and Biblical Authority
After reading this chapter, I’ve come to the conclusion that “fulfilled” prophecy is the weakest apologetic for Christianity. Loftus exposes the alleged prophecies in the Bible and shows how they aren’t actually fulfilled prophecies as Christians will claim. He also talks about the failed return of Jesus. This is still relevant today considering how many Christians preach that Jesus is coming back soon even after 2,000 years.
Chapter 18: Was Jesus Born of a Virgin in Bethlehem?
This chapter addresses the alleged miracle of the Virgin birth of Jesus. Loftus makes a good case showing that this didn’t happen. Whether Jesus existed or not is irrelevant. What matters is if his birth was miraculous or not. After reading this chapter I think it’s safe to say that the Virgin birth probably didn’t happen.
Chapter 19: Was Jesus God Incarnate?
Christians like to separate their religion from all the others in a unique way. They claim that Christianity is the only religion where God comes down in human flesh and lives, suffers, and has human experiences with his creation. In reality, this concept makes no sense whatsoever. Loftus does what he always does and goes into great detail showing the problems with this view.
Chapter 20- The Passion of the Christ: Why Did Jesus Suffer?
Why did Jesus have to suffer for our sins? Why couldn’t God just forgive us? These are questions that both believer and non-believer alike have. This chapter shows that the atonement has no good justification for it. My favorite thing is that Loftus discusses many different Christian theories of the atonement and uses them to argue against each other. This not only exposes the atonement, but Christian theology in general.
Chapter 21: Did Jesus Bodily Rise from the Dead?
I’ve mentioned a lot of chapters that I thought were really important (they all are for that matter). However, I mean it when I say this is the MOST important chapter in the book. Why? Because if the resurrection didn’t happen, then the Christian Faith is not true (1 Corinthians 15:14). Loftus uses this chapter to dismantle the major arguments and evidence used to justify Christ rising from the grave.
Chapter 22: The Devil Made Me Do It!
This is a short chapter but it does a great job of showing how “Satan” as a concept evolved throughout the Bible. In short, the Devil/Satan is a mythical figure.
Chapter 23: Hell? No!
Loftus discusses four major views of Hell here. He argues that Hell is a mythical place. He also points out that if Christians had viewed Hell as mythical in the past, then the effectiveness of converting people probably wouldn’t have been as strong.
A Personal Concluding Chapter:
Chapter 24: Why I Became An Atheist
Loftus wraps the book up with some closing arguments and revisits a few things he discussed earlier in the book. He ends by talking about why he became an atheist instead of an agnostic, deist, etc.
There is a commitment page at the end. If this book changes your mind or positively influences you, then I want to encourage you to play your part and advance the cause of secularism!
March 20, 2017
Fair to good content marred by bad editing.
I don't know what the author of Why I Became An Atheist and it's publisher, Prometheus Books, were thinking when they sent this one to the presses. For all the good content the book has to offer, the book itself is a mess.
The various chapters vary widely in terms of their depth, style, and quality of argument. For example, chapter three ("Faith, Reason, and the Cumulative Case Method") and chapter five ("Does God Exist?") are fairly heavy-going, in-depth discussions that involve esoteric philosophical content. Some of this content (especially the ontological discussion in chapter five) seems a bit too technical and academic for the average reader (even the average reader with a college education, the kind of person Loftus says he wrote this book for. Just because somebody went to college doesn't mean they studied metaphysics). By way of contrast, chapters such as 7:1 ("Pseudonymity in the Bible") and 7:2 ("Archaeology, Exodus, and the Canaanite Conquest") read not so much like chapters as they do chapter sketches. Instead of in-depth and heavy, the discussion here is rather light, brief, and sparsely argued (chapter 7:2 is barely three pages of content).
Loftus tone and style are inconsistent throughout this book shifting between formal and informal speech even within a single chapter. The quality of arguments are equally inconsistent. It's clear that Loftus is at his best when he's arguing philosophy, but when it comes to other subjects outside of his area of expertise (such as history or archaeology) the quality of the arguments falls off noticeably.
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...
I don't know what the author of Why I Became An Atheist and it's publisher, Prometheus Books, were thinking when they sent this one to the presses. For all the good content the book has to offer, the book itself is a mess.
The various chapters vary widely in terms of their depth, style, and quality of argument. For example, chapter three ("Faith, Reason, and the Cumulative Case Method") and chapter five ("Does God Exist?") are fairly heavy-going, in-depth discussions that involve esoteric philosophical content. Some of this content (especially the ontological discussion in chapter five) seems a bit too technical and academic for the average reader (even the average reader with a college education, the kind of person Loftus says he wrote this book for. Just because somebody went to college doesn't mean they studied metaphysics). By way of contrast, chapters such as 7:1 ("Pseudonymity in the Bible") and 7:2 ("Archaeology, Exodus, and the Canaanite Conquest") read not so much like chapters as they do chapter sketches. Instead of in-depth and heavy, the discussion here is rather light, brief, and sparsely argued (chapter 7:2 is barely three pages of content).
Loftus tone and style are inconsistent throughout this book shifting between formal and informal speech even within a single chapter. The quality of arguments are equally inconsistent. It's clear that Loftus is at his best when he's arguing philosophy, but when it comes to other subjects outside of his area of expertise (such as history or archaeology) the quality of the arguments falls off noticeably.
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...
July 17, 2019
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 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.
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.
July 9, 2010
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.g., forgetting to put "not" in a sentence). 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).
July 2, 2009
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. However the topic - WHY Christians are misinformed - just isn't relevant to my life as an Atheist. 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 other." Why can't we just focus more on commonalities than on why we all disagree?
March 1, 2016
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.. here) to be respectful of a mindset they have not experienced and therefore can't take seriously. 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.
It's often hard for those who never had faith (I'm looking at Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, etc.. here) to be respectful of a mindset they have not experienced and therefore can't take seriously. 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.
April 8, 2018
'Why I became an Atheist; by John W. 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. Mr. 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.
February 26, 2012
The Christian-to-Atheist journey for the rationalist. For a book so heavy on the philosophy, it keeps you engaged, mostly.
January 11, 2013
A bit wordy and technical
December 15, 2020
Around page 300, 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?
July 6, 2021
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 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.
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.
September 21, 2023
Dans ce livre, Loftus un ancien pasteur évangélique (baptiste je suppose, je ne sais pas si calviniste/réformé baptiste?) donne à la fois
1) Une réfutation du christianisme en s'attaquant à ses dogmes spécifiques (la Trinité, l'Incarnation, la substitution pénale, la résurrection du Christ, les prophéties)
2) Une défense de l'athéisme : plutôt comme il le dit lui-même d'un scepticisme (il ne sait lui-même en vrai plus trop quoi choisir comme courant de pensées) avec les arguments classiques comme le problème logique/empirique du mal, le problème du Dieu caché, la trop grande diversité des croyances religieuses contradictoires, etc.
Il montre qu'il connaît bien la littérature académique dans les différents sujets qu'il aborde pour ses objections et arguments : philosophie de la religion (bien au fait des philosophes de pointe comme Plantinga, Swinburne, Copan...), archéologie, critique textuelle, exégèse (un des seuls athées qui va citer Henri Blocher!, Gordon Wenham, Gleason Archer, James Dunn et des libéraux comme E. P. Sanders).
Cela dit il y a un peu de tout, des bons arguments classiques et d'autres que j'ai vraiment trouvés faibles/ou que je n'ai tout simplement pas compris les problèmes qu'ils présentaient ? Assez souvent, il ne s'attaque pas aux meilleures défenses des positions auxquelles il s'attaque. Par exemple, dans le problème pour montrer la cohérence des deux natures de Christ, il se prend principalement à des théories contemporaines comme celles de William Lane Craig qui pourtant sont considérées hétérodoxes par beaucoup, au lieu de s'attaquer aux articulations les plus traditionnelles et solides comme la défense thomiste de Thomas d'Aquin...
Il faut noter que le livre date un peu (2008 déjà), depuis l'auteur très prolifique a abordé des versions plus abouties des arguments qu'il rejette dans de nouveaux livres ou son blogue personnel où il écrit très souvent.
Pour résumer, c'est une bon livre pour avoir un ensemble de toutes les objections qu'un non-croyant peut poser sur la table face aux croyants chrétiens.
1) Une réfutation du christianisme en s'attaquant à ses dogmes spécifiques (la Trinité, l'Incarnation, la substitution pénale, la résurrection du Christ, les prophéties)
2) Une défense de l'athéisme : plutôt comme il le dit lui-même d'un scepticisme (il ne sait lui-même en vrai plus trop quoi choisir comme courant de pensées) avec les arguments classiques comme le problème logique/empirique du mal, le problème du Dieu caché, la trop grande diversité des croyances religieuses contradictoires, etc.
Il montre qu'il connaît bien la littérature académique dans les différents sujets qu'il aborde pour ses objections et arguments : philosophie de la religion (bien au fait des philosophes de pointe comme Plantinga, Swinburne, Copan...), archéologie, critique textuelle, exégèse (un des seuls athées qui va citer Henri Blocher!, Gordon Wenham, Gleason Archer, James Dunn et des libéraux comme E. P. Sanders).
Cela dit il y a un peu de tout, des bons arguments classiques et d'autres que j'ai vraiment trouvés faibles/ou que je n'ai tout simplement pas compris les problèmes qu'ils présentaient ? Assez souvent, il ne s'attaque pas aux meilleures défenses des positions auxquelles il s'attaque. Par exemple, dans le problème pour montrer la cohérence des deux natures de Christ, il se prend principalement à des théories contemporaines comme celles de William Lane Craig qui pourtant sont considérées hétérodoxes par beaucoup, au lieu de s'attaquer aux articulations les plus traditionnelles et solides comme la défense thomiste de Thomas d'Aquin...
Il faut noter que le livre date un peu (2008 déjà), depuis l'auteur très prolifique a abordé des versions plus abouties des arguments qu'il rejette dans de nouveaux livres ou son blogue personnel où il écrit très souvent.
Pour résumer, c'est une bon livre pour avoir un ensemble de toutes les objections qu'un non-croyant peut poser sur la table face aux croyants chrétiens.
August 19, 2023
"This is the best antitheological book I have ever read or experienced. It's refreshing to find someone in our modern age who is well-informed about the most basic tenets to the comprehensive dogmas of the Christian faith before rejecting it. This is particularly a scholarly work as the author quotes from a variety of thinkers including Aristotle, Rene Descartes, St. Thomas Aquinas to modern evangelicals or apologists such as RC Sproul and William Lane Craig. Moreover, the author treats the subject with dedication, sincerity and respect that this work is even recommended by the late American systematic theologian, Norman Geisler.
If you're a believer, approach this book with a critical mind and your inquisitiveness would be rewarded and satisfied.
If you're an unbeliever, you are then welcomed and treated with one of the most pedagogical and professional literature on philosophical unbelief since JL Mackie's Miracle on Theism."
If you're a believer, approach this book with a critical mind and your inquisitiveness would be rewarded and satisfied.
If you're an unbeliever, you are then welcomed and treated with one of the most pedagogical and professional literature on philosophical unbelief since JL Mackie's Miracle on Theism."
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July 29, 2024It pains me to give a pro-atheist book zero stars, but this book is unreadable. I had to quit about page 89. Yes, it's on an important subject and yes, this has been praised to the skies, but as a reading experience it sucks.
This is because Loftus is not writing for the average person, or even the average Christian. He's writing to philosophers and apologetistists (sp?) This is chock full of jargon, alphabet soup, and names that you never heard of before and probably never will again.
There are many, many well-written books about why it's stupid to believe in and God, let alone the Judeo-Christian version. This is not one of those books.
If you are willing to give this a go -- and good luck to you if you do -- two editions are currently up on The Open Library.
This is because Loftus is not writing for the average person, or even the average Christian. He's writing to philosophers and apologetistists (sp?) This is chock full of jargon, alphabet soup, and names that you never heard of before and probably never will again.
There are many, many well-written books about why it's stupid to believe in and God, let alone the Judeo-Christian version. This is not one of those books.
If you are willing to give this a go -- and good luck to you if you do -- two editions are currently up on The Open Library.
November 7, 2024
An extremely comprehensive treatment of the ‘why’. Many who lost their faith but aren’t certain why are likely to find help here in solving the issue. Many who would like to understand their faith in the face of a secular world — the only kind of world worth living in — will find a lot to chew on. Loftus presents arguments for atheism given faith, but doesn’t demand that you follow his path. It is perfectly possible to retain faith while fully comprehending his arguments, and the faith you retain is likely to be more tolerant, more accepting, and more faithful to Jesus than whatever is being spouted by evangelicals, who’ve forgotten how to love, for the most part. When 4/5 evangelicals vote for a felon/rapist/narcissist, they’re pretty far from Jesus.
June 19, 2021
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 Christians actually have, so it loses some of its punch there for me as well. Still glad I read it, but might not recommend.
August 28, 2025
I was raised Catholic and have deconstructed over the last 10+ years. I've come to terms that I am now an atheist/humanist. That said, I found much of what Loftus shared as findings I've identified and conclusions I've already reached. Several times, he presented some arguments I've heard already in new lights I hadn't considered, which only affirmed my atheism. This book is thoroughly researched. He gets in the weeds and gets really dense. If you're not a fan of deep biblical analysis preferring more passive paraphrasing, this book will be overdoing it in some places. But overall, a good book that explains why atheism makes the most sense.
June 26, 2025
Tried to read this years ago and made it about a third of the way through when the son of a woman at our church was reading and being challenged by it. The arguments herein are either not very strong or are not well understood (or at least articulated) by the author and, again, with so many good works critical of Christianity out there, this just isn’t really a good use of my time, so I gave up on it.
April 13, 2022
Very thorough but there’s no argument presented that’s not presented in every other book of its kind. I do pay more attention to books defending atheism that are written by former theists. I respect the intellectual honesty of people who, like myself, examine their own beliefs.
March 7, 2017
reasonable but biased.
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