Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist

Looking at some of the other reviews, it's obvious that this book polarizes readers, being rated either very highly or very poorly. I'm not surprised. The high ratings are to be expected - there's a real shortage of good quality material for former Christians. That, too, is understandable since America frowns so mightily on unbelievers. That brings us to the negative reviews, frowning mightily.Personally, I appreciate Barker very deeply. I came to the same conclusions via a slightly different path. I was also a devout Christian, though never a preacher. I was Washed in the Blood of the Lamb at 16, Sanctified and Born Again. I had a personal friend in Jesus. I also had a thirst for understanding, so I studied the Bible for years and took everything to the Lord in prayer. I studied and prayed until one day I realized that I didn't believe anymore.No tragedy; no rebellion; just realization. It was only after I came to grips with this change in worldview that I came to understand just how much Christianity warps a person's thinking, denigrating reason and elevating faith. It's been a long climb up from the muck, but it's great to be clean now. Christians reading that will be as outraged by the thought as they would be by reading Barker's book. Former Christians know precisely what I'm talking about.This is an excellent book for recovering Christian.

There is one word that can sum up the effect of this book for me: "powerful". Most of the books I have read about religion have been pro-religion and this is very different from the old "We need religion to fill the spiritual side of ourselves" claims they always make about it. These books produced a response from my heart, but this book produced a response from my mind. It makes the claim that there is no more evidence of God than there is of Zeus, or any other god that humans have created for their stability throughout history, and it is very effective in proving this claim. It is about time someone cries out for the intellectual awakening of people instead of one more emotional one.Dan Barker was an evangelical minister and missionary who did everything from writing songs and skits for children to working with youth groups to preaching street sermons to adults. However, somewhere in the course of this career he began to be aware of the fact that his religious beliefs were in serious conflict from his intellectual knowledge about our scientific world.This book brought many negative aspects of Christianity to light that had been completely ignored, conveinently explained away, or totally unknown to me in my super-religious past. I never realized the Bible was so anti-family and that the various qualities we attribute to God are so self-contradicting. It also further examined some parts of the Bible I had already wondered about, such as its blatant sexism and racism, and its inaccuracy in accordance to history, although I had been told by every preacher out there that it was correct.If you are from a Christian religious background I can only imagine the response my little book review is illiciting, and I totally expect to receive self-righteous hate mail under the guise of loving Christianity. However, I completely understand, for if I had read a book review like this during my very devoutly religious stage, I would have felt the same way. All I can ask you to do is read the book for yourself. If you read it and disagree with my conclusions, that's great and there is no harm done. I think that if anyone can truthfully answer to themselves the questions that this book raises about religion and can still say that it is in accordance with what they feel is moral and intellectual, their faith will only be strenghtened. But if you have ever been able to sing along with good old Alanis "In the name of the father, the skeptic, and the son, I have one more stupid question..."- in other words, if you have had some doubts about religion that you would like to explore but have never known a way to do this, you will really appreciate this book. All I can say is that it totally changed my perception of religion and I was as strong a believer as anyone out there, having been in church since I was an infant and continuing it in my youth by going on many mission trips to foreign countries. I was not an atheist who picked up

I have read, enjoyed and reviewed this book. I found it an excellent articulation of the answers to my own questions. The fact that, at the time of this writing, there are 49 reviews of the book, both praising and condemning it, are testament to the fact that my man Dan has struck a chord, that people care about what he has to say, that his message is being heard if not always embraced.It interests me that those who promote the bible as an alternative to critical thinking believe that one must be a believer to win the right to evaluate the it. This is akin to a lawyer demanding a jury believe in his clients innocence before being impaneled. What we see as absurd in the courtroom some feel it is appropriate in matters of faith.Several elements leap from Dan's text. First is the difficulty he had in coming to grips with his own doubts. Second, the seriousness with which he undertook a radical rethinking of what was clearly central to his life. Third is an acknowledgment of the very real price he paid in alienation from friends, family and social connections as a result. Finally there is the strength with which he embraces his new convictions.It is not a book for everyone. Those who do not want their beliefs challenged, who fear they will begin to ask the same questions Dan did, others who do not believe in forgiveness for anyone who accepts reason over faith or who simply don't want to be bothered would not find Losing Faith in Faith to be pleasant reading. The rest of us can read, learn and even embrace what Dan has to say.

Dan Barker, a man not afraid use his mind, tells us of his transition -out of the mental confounds of Christianity -into the nationally acclaimed freethinker he is today.Barker says "It is interesting to read the Bible now, with new `eyesight' so to speak. I used to read all the ugly parts of the Bible, but for some reason they were invisible, even beautiful. I was taught that God was perfect, loving and righteous -so there could be no question in my mind of his character. Any apparent contradictions or ugliness could be ignored in the faith of the `mystery' of Gods ways. I'm glad those days are over."In his book, Dan provides strong historical and logical evidence against the myths dispelled by religion. In chapter 29 [Dear Believer], Dan wonderfully sums up the vary essence of Christianity and it's `merciful' God. Barker writes >><p>"Dear Believer, You ask me to consider Christianity as the answer for my life. I have done that. I consider it untrue, repugnant, and harmful... The Biblical god is a macho male warrior. Thou he said "Thou shall not kill", he ordered death for all in opposition (Exodus 32:27), wholesale drowning and mass exterminations; punished offspring to the fourth generation (Exodus 20:5); ordered babies to be smashed and pregnant women to be ripped up (Hosea 13:16) demanded animal and human blood to appease his angry vanity; is partial to one race of people; judged women inferior to men; is the sadist who created a hell to torture unbelievers; created evil (Isaiah 45:7)... sent bears to devour forty-two children who teased a prophet (II Kings 2:23-24); punished people with snakes, dogs, dragons, drunkenness, swords, arrows, axes, fire, famine, and infanticide; and said fathers should eat their sons (Ezekiel 5:10) Is that nice? Would you want to live next door to such a person?...Do you see why I do not respect the biblical message? It is an insulting bag of nonsense. You have every right to torment yourself with such insanity --but leave me out of it."<p>I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an open mind and whom sincerely seeks genuine truth.<p>Truly,