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...

Just as intelligent design is not a legitimate branch of biology in public educational institutions, nor should the philosophy of religion be a legitimate branch of philosophy. So argues acclaimed author John W. Loftus in this forceful takedown of the very discipline in which he was trained. In his call for ending the philosophy of religion, he argues that, as it is presently being practiced, the main reason the discipline exists is to serve the faith claims of Christianity. Most of philos...

Fostering mutual understanding by viewing religion from an outsider perspective Depending on how one defines religion, there are at least thousands of religions in the world. Given such religious diversity, how can any one religion claim to know the truth? Nothing proposed so far has helped us settle which of these religions, if any, are true—until now. Author John W. Loftus, a former minister turned atheist, argues we would all be better off if we viewed any religion—including our own—fro...

In this new anthology critiquing Christianity, John Loftus-a former minister and now a leading atheist-has brought together an outstanding group of respected scholars who focus on the harms caused by the world's leading religion. The contributors begin by dissecting the many problematic aspects of religious faith generally. They repeatedly demonstrate that, with faith as a foundation, almost anything can be believed or denied. And almost any horrific deed can be committed. The authors then...

John W. Loftus has an impressive back catalog of books that thoroughly debunk the belief in (the Judeo-Christian) God. Though it is not easy to add much more to his voluminous work, here Loftus, in Part I, pieces together debate openers that he has written over his career as an atheist author and debater. In powerful written form, where they stand on the merit of their content, they provide a series of effective arguments to disprove the existence of such a god.Added to these openi...

Just as intelligent design is not a legitimate branch of biology in public educational institutions, nor should the philosophy of religion be a legitimate branch of philosophy. So argues leading atheist thinker and writer John Loftus in this forceful takedown of the very discipline in which he was trained. In his call for ending the philosophy of religion, he argues that as it is presently being practiced, the main reason the discipline exists is to serve the faith claims of Christianity. ...

For as long as the idea of "miracles" has been in the public sphere, the conversation about them has been shaped exclusively by religious apologists and Christian leaders. The definitions for what a miracles are have been forged by the same men who fought hard to promote their own beliefs as fitting under that umbrella. It's time for a change.Enter John W. Loftus, an atheist author who has earned three master's degrees from Lincoln Christian Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinit...

The first book on Christian apologetics written by a leading atheist figure that teaches Christians the best and worst arguments for defending their faith against attackThe Christian faith has been vigorously defended with a variety of philosophical, historical, and theological arguments, but many of the arguments used in an earlier age no longer resonate in today's educated West. Where has apologetics gone wrong? What is the best response to the growing challenge ...

Perhaps the most persistent question in human history is whether or not there is a God. Intelligent people on both sides of the issue have argued, sometimes with deep rancor and bitterness, for generations. The issue can't be decided by another apologetics book, but the conversation can continue and help each side understand the perspectives of the other.In this unique book, atheist John Loftus and theist Randal Rauser engage in twenty short debates that consider Christianity, the ...

The coauthors of Unholy Trinity uncover a wide-ranging, international conspiracy against the Jews from WWI to the Reagan administration.Drawing on thousands of declassified documents and numerous insider accounts, attorney John Loftus and investigative reporter Mark Aarons expose nearly a century of clandestine operations against Israel and the Jews, carried out by Western countries such as the United States and Great Britain. Professed allies of Israel on ...

To most people on the planet, the existence of Jesus is a given: “Of course he did!” They take it for granted that he existed simply because it reaffirms their faith. But to the rest of us who don't believe in a supernatural Jesus, the question of the historicity of Jesus is not simple. There are thousands of different ideas about to what extent the Jesus tales were based on a real man, or men, or woman… Did Jesus even exist, and if not, what best explains the rise of such a character in t...

A political epic based on the early life of Eleanor Dulles–sister of John Foster Dulles, Secretary of State, and Allen Dulles, the first head of the CIA–and the secret beginnings of modern Israel.The Witness Tree interweaves years of classified research by co-author and Nazi war crimes investigator John Loftus with a perilous love story–the result is a sweeping novel of a diplomatic dynasty, born in the hope and treachery that defined the twentieth century...