John Loftus - The Premiere Debunker of Christianity

I have often asked atheists who were once Christian who their favorite debunker of Christianity is. Usually I get a mixed bag of answers. A lot will say that Richard Dawkins is still their favorite. I have heard Hitchens and Russell several times. I think all of these are fine choices, but for me (I was never really a believing Christian, but still) the number one person has to be John Loftus. Loftus is often overlooked in these conversations and I think that's a real shame. To be clear, I do think that Hitchens, Dawkins, Dennet et al. have had a profound effect and deserve their reputation. Maybe in some aspects they are better than John, but my focus in this post is more narrow: I focus on the field of debunking Christianity, not religion or irrational thinking in general. In this field, John is the best for several reasons.

Why John is the Best 

It goes without saying that John has all the bona fide credentials (former Christian minister, student of William Lane Craig, several masters degrees, PhD work) that people value in an author in this field, so that's a big plus. Having been one of those trained to keep the sheep in the fold, John is an apologist's worst nightmare. They admit it too. Unlike say Dawkins, who is a lifelong atheist not really knowing what it's like to be even moderately religious, John was brought up to combat people like Dawkins. John knows exactly what and why believers believe and what keeps them believing. 

First and foremost, for me John's exhaustive style is what makes him so formidable. Literally, if there is an argument for Christianity someone has thought of, John has addressed it somewhere. If not in his books and interviews, then on his blog or on social media. He will leave no space for apologetics to thrive. All flavors of Christianity are equally debunked in his work.

Secondly, his no-nonsense style. Unlike the high-brow self-styled "philosophical atheists", John is not interested in endlessly arguing about what the Bayesian probability of talking donkeys is. These philosophical debates, in fact, serve to only give the impression that there is more to a delusion than meets the eye. If you see two supposed intellectuals engaged in a seemingly high level exchange often involving confusing math-y looking symbols, you may think they are equally matched and both their positions are respectable. But one of them believes in reality and the other in talking snakes and invisible beings. John just calls a spade a spade: It doesn't matter how many obscure symbols you use, you are still trying to justify a delusion.

And finally, his goals. John is upfront and honest about the fact that he seeks to change minds. John wants to do the right thing, free people from their delusion. He is not interested in merely sitting around and coming up with clever arguments, he wants to see results. Christianity is a delusion, and why should we not use all our resources to try and free as many people from this delusion as possible? After all, John himself managed to get out of it. And who better to change minds of a delusional person than someone who was once an expert in that delusion.

My Recommendation of John's Books

All of John's books are worth reading, but to make things interesting, I'll give my personal top 3, in no particular order. 

• 1) The Christian Delusion - This is an anthology (a work containing contributions from multiple authors) with chapters by John himself and others by competent debunkers hand picked by John. This book, at least for me, really set the standard for what a book aiming to debunk Christianity should look like. Rather than trying to "further the dialogue" (as is fashionable to claim from more politically correct atheologists), John is trying to end it.There is no dialogue to be had: Christianity is a delusion and the faster people wake up, the better it is. This unapologetic tone is what really defines John's unique style. LINK
• 2) Why I Became An Atheist - This one John calls his magnum opus, and it's not hard to see why. This book was written a bit earlier and it came to define the exhaustive style: leaving no argument unaddressed. It's a really good book that deals with John's biography and carefully goes through every single argument an evangelical might try to cling to. LINK
• 3) God and Horrendous Suffering - Another anthology. This one really not only debunks Christianity, but also exposes philosophy of religion for the bastion of apologetics it has become. John, and his handpicked authors, show us how "the problem of evil" should have been talked about before. LINK