"The Christian Delusion" Books are Being Shipped Now

My book can be ordered here. Amazon USA is shipping them beginning today. I received mine yesterday from Prometheus Books and it looks like everything I had pictured. The contributors did an excellent job on their chapters. It's sure to debunk Christianity and cause Christian apologists to scramble in defense of their faith.

John Shook on the Psychology of Religion

Below is part one. The others can be found at YouTube:

Christopher Hitchens on Real Time: The Pope is a Criminal

See the video below:

The 138th Carnival of the Godless is Up.

One of my posts on The Trouble with Natural Theology can be found there, along with an article by Hector Avalos, which is referenced by him in my just released edited book, The Christian Delusion. Check out the 138th CoG here.

Do You Want to Be a Christian Apologist?

Since it seems as though Christian wannabe apologists are now a dime a dozen then here's a challenge for them. Publish critiques of my two books, Why I Became an Atheist, and The Christian Delusion. Be the first on your block to do so. If you do well, then you'll get noticed by other recognized apologists. ;-)

Of The Christian Delusion, Dr. Dale C. Allison, Jr., author of Resurrecting Jesus: The Earliest Christian Tradition And Its Interpreters wrote:

Forget Dawkins. If you are looking for a truly substantial, well-informed criticism of the Christian religion, this is your book. Defenders of the faith will do believer and unbeliever alike a disservice if they do not rise to the challenge and wrestle with the thought-provoking arguments of Loftus and company.

Is Satan a Catholic?

Pat Condell again:

Doug Krueger On My Debate Strategy

Doug Krueger is a philosopher, debater, and author of the book What Is Atheism?: A Short Introduction. He responded to an email I sent him recently:

"The Christian Delusion" Books Have Been Printed!

Over a year ago I began working on this book. It's been a lot of work too. So you can imagine my excitement at hearing that the books have been printed and are being sent out to the stores. Be the first on your block to get a copy. Here is the official website. I think it's a great book myself, sure to be in print for as long as I live. Spread the news if you would.

The Pope is a Joke! "Only God Can Fire the Pope"

Top Vatican officials — including the future Pope Benedict XVI — did not defrock a priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys, even though several American bishops repeatedly warned them that failure to act on the matter could embarrass the church, according to church files newly unearthed as part of a lawsuit. Link.

Now we're hearing that only God can fire a Pope. How does God go about doing this? The Pope is a joke. The Catholic church was created by men for power over others, period.

Barack Obama, the Antichrist?

An appalling ignorance of Hebrew is being used to perpetrate an absurd theory. This is one of the most sordid uses of Hebrew linguistics to support the claim that Barack Obama is the Antichrist. I would not spend much time on it, except that even some recognized "news" organizations are giving it coverage. In any case, this ridiculous argument comes from a YouTube video: YouTubeVideo

More Discussion About My Debate with David Wood

See this link.

My Response to a Pro Israeli Bible Thumper

Here is a response to a Bible thumper espousing a Pro Israel political view. He wrote:

New Study on "Why are Atheists so Disliked?"

A new study "strongly suggests that distrust of atheists is mostly due to fear of 'others'." As a result "all those bus ads may well be serving a useful function, even if they're unlikely to convert anyone. If they normalize atheism, then they should also help to change the lot of atheists in the USA from social pariahs to trusted community members." See what you think.

Nightline Face-Off: "Does God Have a Future?"

Deepak Chopra and Jean Houston face-off against Michael Shermer and Sam Harris on this question: Link.

"What I Think of the New Atheists"

Lukeprog tells us what he thinks about them when he was recently interviewed on the Oklahoma Atheists Godcast. Link. He mentions me a few times. See what you think.

I'm Not Saying It's Impossible, Only Let's Be Reasonable

I don't say God's existence is impossible, nor that miracles are impossible, nor that a good God must eliminate all pain, nor that methodological naturalism logically entails ontological (or metaphysical or philosophical) naturalism. Nor am I a hyper-skeptic simply because I'm a skeptic. Nope. Get the views of atheists right. It's just that we should be reasonable with the evidence, that's all. We're looking for what is most probable. Christian apologists participate in special pleading way too often. And they argue from a prior conclusion rather than to one. Point. Get. The.

My Opening Statements Against Dinesh D'Souza and David Wood

Regardless of how you think my recent debates went, what do you think of my opening statements against Dinesh and David? First check them out: Contra D'Souza, and Contra Wood.

Obama's Health Care Bill Passes: Religion in America Just Took a Big Hit!

It's widely acknowledged that when people don't need God they believe less. With the passage of President Obama's historic health care bill America just became more secularized. America is following in the footsteps of many European countries. It's about time. What skeptics have been wanting just happened in one fell swoop. Link

Why Did You Leave the Fold?

I left the Christian fold mainly because I began to doubt the reliability of the Genesis creation accounts in the face of the age of the universe. Hector Avalos and Robert Price left it because of biblical criticism, both OT and NT respectively. Exapologist left it because of the failed prediction that Jesus was to return in his generation. Ken Pulliam left it because there was no cogent explanation of the atonement. William Dever left it because of biblical archaeology. Bart Ehrman left it because of the problem of suffering. My claim is that people leave the fold for so many different reasons because there are so many different reasons to do so. What other former Christian authors/scholars do you know and why did they leave the fold? Why did you?

Woooo Hoooo! Now DC is Being Hailed as "A Controversial Atheist Blog"

I've been called different things before but I especially like being hailed as having a "controversial atheist blog." This is intended as a compliment in a post of Widely Read Atheist Blogs. For such an honor I want to thank my Mom for birthing me, my wife for well, everything else, my Basset Hound dog, and yes, my mighty pool stick. Got game anyone?

Christian, What Would You Believe if the Bible Didn't Exist?

Tell us. What would you believe? THAT is the question. My claim is that biblical criticism is an undercutting defeater for what Christians believe such that without the Bible they would become agnostics and then afterward possibly atheists. At that point they would see the arguments for the existence of God as little more than a shell game.

Six Part Video Series by Prof. John Walton on Genesis as Ancient Cosmology

This is pretty good stuff although he doesn't draw the correct conclusion that religions simply evolve. In any case, there is no creation ex nihilo here:

Joe Holman's Book is Now Available on Amazon

I recommend his book Project Bible Truth. His arguments are rock solid and Biblically based. In it you'll read one of the most complete deconversion stories in print. Get it.

I Don't Care If God Exists.

Luke at Common Sense Atheism sums my position up well. What he's describing is called "Hume's Stopper." It stops Christians dead in their tracks. This highlights what I consider the trouble with natural theology

Excerpt From My Book on Child Sacrifice

I've received more than one email from Christians who say that of all the issues I write about in my book the most troubling one concerns child sacrifice in the Bible (imagine that!?). Here's the excerpt below (from pp. 136-37). What d'ya think?

Muslims vs Christians: The New Wars of the Future

It's true that Islam and Christianity are growing exponentially around the world. Christianity is growing in the southern hemisphere and Asia, while Islam is growing in Europe. What alarms me is that in maybe in 50-100 years Europe will be dominated by Muslims while the southern parts of the world will be dominated by Christians. If so there could be wars. America is following in the footsteps of Europe by becoming more secular. If America steps in between them she will have to deal with the might of Europe aimed at the Christian tribes in the south. Then all hell will break loose with another World War. And in this war these countries will have more advanced weapons of warfare. It could happen. We have just a small window of opportunity.

Daniel Dennett on Preachers Who Do Not Believe

Yep, that's right. There are preachers who don't believe. That's what Dennett's study explored in a recent study.

Finally, My Book Made it on a Top Ten List at Amazon.co.uk

I say "finally" because it hasn't gotten much attention over there. Check it out.

The Evolution of Sin

My claim is that religion and morality both evolve. Since the canonical Bible was written over a period of about 1200 years or so, we can see this evolution in the Bible itself. Professor Gary Anderson tells us of the evolution of ideas about sin in this interview.

How to Undercut Christianity at a Fundamental Level

I am not arguing to please skeptics. They are not my target audience. And devout Christians will think my arguments are weak. But I am making a difference. Maybe people should think about that. Maybe I do know what I'm doing?

David Wood vs John W. Loftus: Does God Exist?

See what you think.

Notes From Stephen Law's Debate on the Existence of God

He recently debated Hamza Andreas Tzortzis and he concludes a bit like me:

We may not be able to answer the question “Why is there something rather than nothing?” But we can be rightly confident the answer isn’t “Because a supremely powerful and evil person made it.” So why can’t we be equally confident that the answer isn’t “Because a supremely powerful and good person made it”? Link

Why Do My Arguments Not Convince Devout Believers?

I merely offer up good arguments against their faith. That's all I can do. Devout believers (my target audience) won't seriously consider them until such time as they have some sort of crisis in their lives that cannot be adequately explained by a good God. They'll seriously consider them at that time. My arguments are like seeds of doubt ready to sprout if and when they experience that crisis. Since many believers do experience some kind of crisis in their lives there will be a certain percentage of believers who, having been previously exposed to my arguments, will leave their faith at that time. It's a waiting game.

Celebrating Life Beyond Belief

LIKE revivalists from an alternative universe, 2500 hardcore believers in the absence of religion packed into the Global Atheists Convention in Melbourne last weekend to give a hero's welcome to the high priest of belief in unbelief, Richard Dawkins. Link. Read more about this event From the Australian

Either the Garden of Eden Test Was a Sham or a Myth

In a previous post of mine I argued that the "supposed" test in the Garden of Eden was a sham. Then along comes my friend Dr. Dan Lambert who argued that we atheists have it wrong because "The Garden story is a myth invented to explain why people sin. Simple. End of story." At least Dan understands it for what it is. But if he's correct then how does this save his faith from refutation? Whether it's a sham test or a myth it doesn't matter. Why should any intelligent person base his faith on ancient myths? And there are lots of them in the Bible.

The Open Scrutiny of the Internet Kills Religions

HT (Hat Tip) to Andrew Atkinson for the video below:

Loftus vs Wood Debate: My Opening Statement

Below is my 20 minute opening statement against David Wood at the Virginia Regional Apologetics Conference. The question we debated was this: "Does God Exist?" See what you think.

The Test in the Supposed Garden of Eden Was a Sham

If under the same initial test conditions in the supposed Garden of Eden every human being would fail that test, then either, 1) God created us faulty in some way, or 2) The test was a sham. And since a fair test would mean some of us would not have sinned, then some human beings are being punished in this world for something they never would have done in the first place. This is just one of many problems that keeps me from believing.

I'm Back. I'll Be Headed Out to the Virginia Regional Apologetics Conference on Saturday

From what I understand several atheists are coming to the debate between David Wood and myself. That's encouraging.

I Accept Submissions From Christians

I accept submissions from published Christian philosophers and apologists here at DC. If you want feedback on some argument of yours then click on my Blogger profile and send me an email. Don't send me any links, just send me your text. I've published items from William Lane Craig, Kenneth Howell, Craig Blomberg, John F. Haught, Douglas Groothuis, James F. Sennett, and some others.

My Stepfather John Died Friday

I arrived in Reno, Nevada, to see John (his name) two hours before he died. He looked comfortable until the end. They said he waited until I arrived to hear my voice and that with no blood pressure he shouldn't have survived Thursday night. It was bittersweet. I'm now helping my Mom work through her grief along with some legal and funeral decisions. My brothers both live out here, one in Reno and another in Sacramento, CA, so she'll be in good hands. John's remains are going to be cremated, just like my Dad was, and just as I plan on being. Below is a rough draft of what I plan on saying during the memorial planned at his Presbyterian Church later this week.

I'm Headed For Nevada To Visit My Family

As I wrote before my stepfather is probably on his death bed. I just heard from my Mom that his legs are purple and he has no blood pressure. So I'm flying out early in the morning to be there. Continue to enjoy the discussion here at DC while I'm gone. An anonymous Christian reader of this blog has helped me with expenses, for which I'm very grateful. Any additional financial help is always welcome. Thanks in advance for your kind thoughts.

Christopher Hitchens On the Ten Commandments With Better Ones

I have previously written about the Ten Commandments here. Christopher Hitchens talked about them recently in an eight minute video. Why can't believers see them for what they are? And why didn't an omniscient creator come up with better ones? See what you think:

Bill Maher On the Historic Atheist Meeting With President Obama

Watch it below.

Conversations From the Pale Blue Dot

Recently Luke at Common Sense Atheism interviewed Hector Avalos, James Sennett and Matt McCormick among others. I'm jealous. It's great stuff. Luke is a great interviewer. Link.

Did Napoleon Ever Exist?

At best history gives us only scant evidence for some of our most firmly held conclusions. Scant evidence then is at best what we can hope to find. But scant evidence is also easy to deny. "In the interest of conservative theology, to reduce to an absurdity the purely negative tendencies of the rationalistic criticism of the Scriptures then in vogue" Jean-Baptiste Pérès (1752 - 1840) wrote a book called Did Napoleon Ever Exist?.

It generated a lot of discussion. That's because there is only scant evidence for historical claims. But come on, do we really want to deny that Napoleon existed? We are then FORCED to accept scant evidence for historical claims or else we may end up denying such things like Napoleon's existence. What Pérès failed to realize is that if he can deny Napoleon ever existed then how much more so can I deny the extraordinary historical claims of the Bible.

Given the scant nature of historical evidence I think that when it comes to ORDINARY claims, disregarding for the moment EXTRAORDINARY ones, the burden of proof is on the person who denies what any ancient document says. I must grant that the textual evidence is prima facie reliable until shown otherwise. You see, that's what we MUST do with scant historical evidence. And I do not think the mythicists have met that burden of proof with regard to Jesus. [When it comes to EXTRAORDINARY claims the burden of proof is reversed].

Theist Friendly Books

I made it on a list of theist friendly books, see here, although I'm not sure about a couple others.

On the Difference Between Affirming and Denying Something

I don't yet think some Christians understand the difference between affirming a claim and denying one, especially extraordinary ones. Let me take the example of who killed Jon Bene Ramsay, that decade or two long ago tragic murder. There are several scenarios and suspects. But to act with certainty that you know who did it is different, much different, than someone who says I just don't know, or someone who denies your claim. Either position seems much more defensible than to know with certainty who did it. Let's say that there are five suspects (I don't know if there are). If I deny that one of them is the killer then I may have an 80% chance of being right in my denial, you see. I say "may" because it depends on the evidence. But when we talk about an extraordinary claim coming from an ancient set of documents this problem is magnified a hundred fold, for there is no evidence of such things as a talking serpent, an axe head that floated, or a talking ass. The probability that these things did not happen is on my side.

Vinny on "Why I Am Agnostic About the Historical Jesus"

Although I hesitate to do this again, here we go. See what you think. What am I missing?

Proof That Jesus Existed: They Found the Nail Used to Crucify Him!

The four-inch long nail is thought to be one of thousands used in crucifixions across the Roman empire. Archaeologists believe it dates from either the first or second century AD. The nail was found last summer in a decorated box in a fort on the tiny isle of Ilheu de Pontinha, just off the coast of Madeira. Pontinha was thought to have been held by the Knights Templar, the religious order that was part of the Christian forces which occupied Jerusalem during the Crusades in the 12th century. The knights were part of the plot of Dan Brown's best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Bryn Walters, an archaeologist, said the iron nail's remarkable condition suggested it had been handed with extreme care, as if it was a relic.

Atheist Agenda "Smut for Smut" Campaign

What a Hoot!!! HT: Atheist Media Blog

What Are Your Favorite Skeptical Books?

I've listed ten of my favorites right here. Let me add to this list David Eller's book, Atheism Advanced: Further Thoughts of a Freethinker, and Jason Long's book, The Religious Condition: Answering And Explaining Christian Reasoning. As you can see, my favorite skeptical books are not scientifically or philosophically related primarily because of what I think about Natural Theology. There are many others. What others are your favorites?

A Christian Drive By

More and more Christians notice DC and then proceed to make a lot of comments on some of the posts here as if they had the answers to all of the questions posed. It's an interesting phenomena, really. Some of them move on thinking they shot "holes" through all of our arguments. Others get in our cross-fire and stay longer. We've got another one today named bfniii. Let's give him or her a big DC welcome. ;-)

We Must Require Hard Evidence to Believe

Christians, you do realize that there are many believers in different religious sects who are just as convinced of their faith as you are, don't you? You see, brainwashed people do not know that they are brainwashed. The ONLY way to know whether you're one of the brainwashed or not is to subject your own faith to the same level of skepticism that you use to evaluate the other faiths you reject. You must require hard evidence for that which you accept. Hard evidence convinces others. What else is there?

Dr. Hector Avalos on Darwin and Nazi Ideology

I just uploaded a two part essay of Hector's on this subject since he refers to it in chapter fourteen of The Christian Delusion. If you haven't read it yet check it out. BTW: TCD is being printed as we speak and will be available on time. A Kindle version at Amazon will follow, but I can't say when.

Death is the Final Enemy

I hate death. It's the final enemy. The older I get the more I think this way. I hope in the future people really can live to be 160 years old with their minds who can be productive in their final years. I hope someday that if we have an incurable disease we can be frozen and later revived and then healed so we can see the future. I hate the fact that I'll never see what human beings have done on this planet in 100 or 200 or 1,000 years. I hate the fact that I'll never see my Dad again. I hate it. My stepfather of about eighteen years has just been given two weeks to live. Maybe the doctors are wrong. But I'm here in Indiana. He and my Mom are in Nevada. I may never talk to him again. He's only responding with touch right now. He's 80 years old.


We are mere mortals. This life is all we have. It's mere delusion to think otherwise. But knowing the truth hurts. What would actually hurt more is to think there is a God who is punishing him with death because of what some curious bastards did in some Garden. What would actually hurt more is to think he'll end up in hell. Since he is a liberal Presbyterian some Christians think he will. I raise my middle finger to people like that and to their concept of God. And I raise it to death itself.

Here's How Christian Evangelist/Apologists Can Impress Me

Christians are claiming their faith is growing around the world, and it is in the Southern Hemisphere and Asia. Big deal. You want to really impress me? Then put a rubberband around my two books Why I Became an Atheist, and The Christian Delusion, and give them to prospects before they decide (or similar books). Also give them any two Christian apologetics books. Have them translated into their languages if needed. Then give these prospects a couple of weeks or more to decide. If they choose to believe THEN I'll be impressed. Until then I remain unimpressed.

AC Grayling: Religion Is In its 'Death Throes' / ABC Lateline

Check it out. Hat Tip: Atheist Media Blog

A Real Christian Apologetics Conference!

I've been asked to remind people that on March 13th I'm debating David Wood at the 2010 Virginia Regional Apologetics Conference. You'll notice that attending can cost you $49 and it's at a church. But the fee for people who just want to attend the debate is $10, should you be interested. In any case this is what an apologetics conference should look like to any Christians out there interested in putting one together. Have an "apologetics in action" debate in it.

David and I previously debated the problem of evil. I responded to Mary Jo Sharp's criticisms later.

Three Interesting Blog Entries

Three blog entries came to my attention this morning. Here is a pretty comprehensive entry on Why I Am an Atheist. Another one criticizes some trends among atheists, although you'll see I don't agree with everything Bud says. A third one concerns atheist morality. Enjoy.