Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity: Revised & Expanded

“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.ForewordThis 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!IntroductionEvery 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 ChapterChapter 1: My Christian Conversion and DeconversionThis 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 OutsideChapter 2: Faith, Reason, and My Approach to ChristianityThis 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 FaithThis 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 ReligionThe 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 EvidenceChapter 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 MiraclesMiracles 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 SpiritProminent 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 PrayerI 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 CaseThis 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 AnsweredLoftus 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 InsideI 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 BibleThis 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 AccountsThere 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 ChroniclesWhen 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 AuthorityAfter 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 AtheistLoftus 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!

Although I believe that God probably does exist, I can relate to the arguments in this book. I think Loftus left the faith for the right reasons, even as I think some Christians remain in the faith for the wrong ones. I cannot imagine how any caring person can witness the suffering that exists in this world and not either get angry at God or question his existence. For instance, Loftus givesexamples of intense animal suffering and asks what possible point it could serve. I for one cannot imagine how it serves any point at all. How can I square this with my belief that there probably is a God? I can't. There are a lot of things I can't square with a belief in God. I think in a universe ordered by a God who wishes to remain hidden, it will always appear as if He may not exist. Moreover, I believe that intelligent life that springs from purely natural processes would almost certainly be inclined to attribute their existence to a supernatural cause. In other words, if God exists AND wishes to be hidden, we're bound to think He may not exist. On the other hand, if we exist independently of a God we are bound to invent Him. Loftus makes the case that we invented him. He has a good case.I am also intrigued by his thoughts on protest theology--the idea that even if God exists we ought not to worship Him in view of all of the suffering He allows. I find it hard to argue with this idea; after all, no-one chose to be born. We were all forced into existence. If this existence is filled with incredible pain, why should we be morally obliged to worship our Creator? I believe a strong case can be made that it is immoral to worship a God who orchestrates such misery. It can also be argued that no-one would if not out of cowardice.Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that Christians are cowards and atheists are heroes. I think we are all motivated by a mixture of reasons--both good and bad. I am simply suggesting that the usual conservative evangelical posture towards atheists--that they are "suppressing the truth in unrighteousness"--is simplistic. There are good reasons to doubt.I love the outsider test of faith. Christians should be honest with themselves. No matter what they believe, they are going to someone else's hell. Some other CHRISTIAN'S hell. Given this fact, it is a marvel to me that Christians can unite against Loftus, who would have no-one be damned, even as they are damning each other. In other words, Loftus might oppose my beliefs as a Christian, but he would not have me consigned to eternal torment. Other CHRISTIANS, however, would consign me to hell. Then who is my real enemy?At any rate, those are just a few of my thoughts with regard to this book. It's a great read and I highly recommend it.

John Loftus is a former preacher; the one thing this book doesn't do is preach. Definitely not from the Dawkins school of atheism!If you're looking for an easy read, go elsewhere. If you're looking for a rewarding read, this is the book for you. The breadth & depth of the writer's knowledge of Christianity make for a very long book & it's a book which demands that the reader be prepared to think, not just read passively. A book best read a few pages at a time - as another book says, " read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest".Challenging, thought-provoking & comprehensive. Well worth reading!

The first part of this book covers Loftus' deconversion but the remainder of the book covers the various apologetical arguments he's run into over the years and counter arguments to those apologetics. This book is incredibly valuable and if you want to be able to argue atheism effectively this is a definitely must have.

Muy útil para comprender al Cristianismo.Muestra la mayoría de los errores en los que caen los creyentes.Lo recomiendo a la mayoría de los cristianos: por estar desinformados de su fe.

A brilliant book. The quality of research, and critical thinking, that has gone into this book, is a pleasure to behold; a work of art!

The author makes a very good case as to why he left the Christian Faith. I am only sorry that he did leave. This book should be read by both believers and non-believers. Certainly a believer should understand how it is so easy to lose someone where something has gone wrong.