__Honest debate on the big questions of faith__ 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 probably won't be decided by another book, but when we engage in civil conversation, we can begin to understand each other's point of view.  
  
In this unique book, atheist and former pastor John Loftus and theist and professor Randal Rauser engage in twenty short debates that consider Christianity, the existence of God, and unbelief from a variety of angles. This is the perfect book for Christian, atheist, and agnostic friends to read together, and it encourages honest, open, and candid discussions on the most important issues of life and faith.  
  
  
"In God or Godless?, Randal Rauser and John Loftus provide bite-sized discussions on a variety of topics. The discussions are very readable and provide helpful overviews. This book is an enjoyable and informative read that will challenge you to think about the issues discussed."--__Michael R. Licona__, associate professor of theology, Houston Baptist University; author of Paul Meets Muhammad   
"This is not a quarrel, nor one of those flame wars of the deaf that rage across cyberspace then spill angrily into print, nor even that stuffy, artificial creation known as a 'religious dialogue.' What we have here is conversation: at times witty, at times tendentious, often humorous, and almost always engaged on emotional as well as intellectual levels. Rauser is master of parables with a philosophical point; Loftus makes an art form of heart-on-his-sleeve pragmatism. Both land blows, yet the book contains hardly a trace of bitterness. At its best, it reaches the level of a mythical, Platonic debate in a pub. Almost no one will fully agree with either writer, nor fail to enjoy the rhetorical flow."--__David Marshall__, author of The Truth Behind the New Atheism "This is a fascinating and sometimes humorous intro to twenty common debates between atheists and theists. You'll find countless rambling and confused versions of such debates online. But here you will find a clear, concise, well-written exchange on each. Keeping it short, the authors can't include every point to be made, but they make a good show of where each side stands on these questions and why. If you want to continue these debates further, start with this."--__Dr. Richard Carrier__, author of Sense and Goodness without God "The argument between skeptics and Christians has existed since the beginning of Christianity. Randal Rauser and John Loftus continue that argument with gusto, conciseness, and civility. This book should be the first stop for readers shopping for dueling voices from two of the most articulate advocates for Christianity and atheism."--__Dr. Hector Avalos__, professor of religious studies, Iowa State University

John W. Loftus is a former Christian minister and apologist with degrees in philosophy, theology, and the philosophy of religion from Lincoln Christian University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He also did PhD studies at Marquette University in theology and ethics. John is the founder of an influential blog called Debunking Christianity (https://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/). He is the author of Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity and the editor of The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails, and The End of Christianity. He lives in Indiana.   
  
Randal Rauser (MCS, Regent College; PhD, King's College London) is associate professor of historical theology at Taylor Seminary, Edmonton, Canada. He is the author of several books, including Finding God in the Shack, You're Not as Crazy as I Think, and The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver, and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails. He is a popular speaker and gifted communicator who seeks to bring the truth of Scripture to bear on the real-life issues of today and who blogs regularly at www.randalrauser.com. He lives in Alberta.

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 existence of God, and unbelief from a variety of angles. Each concise debate centers on a proposition to be resolved, with either John or Randal arguing in the affirmative and the opponent the negative, and can be read in short bits or big bites. This is the perfect book for Christians and their atheist or agnostic friends to read together, and encourages honest, open, and candid debate on the most important issues of life and faith.

An atheist (and former pastor) and a theologian engage in a series of short and lively debates on Christianity, the existence of God, and unbelief.

Loftus, John W. ;Rauser, Randal

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgments

An Irreverent, Interesting, and Somewhat Informative Introduction

1 If There Is No God, Then Life Has No Meaning

2 The Biblical Concept of God Evolved from Polytheism to Monotheism

3 If There Is No God, Then Everything Is Permitted

4 The Biblical God Required Child Sacrifices for His Pleasure

5 Science Is No Substitute for Religion

6 The Biblical God Commanded Genocide

7 God Is the Best Explanation of the Whole Shebang

8 The Biblical God Does Not Care Much about Slaves

9 If There Is No God, Then We Don’t Know Anything

10 The Biblical God Does Not Care Much about Women

11 Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, but Only if God Exists

12 The Biblical God Does Not Care Much about Animals

13 Everybody Has Faith

14 The Biblical God Is Ignorant about Science

15 God Is Found in the Majesty of the Hallelujah Chorus

16 The Biblical God Is Ignorant about the Future

17 God Best Explains the Miracles in People’s Lives

18 The Biblical God Is an Incompetent Creator

19 Jesus Was Resurrected, So Who Do You Think Raised Him?

20 The Biblical God Is an Incompetent Redeemer

The Last Word

Notes

About the Authors

Back Cover

One Christian and one former preacher turned atheist tackle 20 controversial questions from both sides of the fence

An Irreverent, Interesting, and Somewhat Informative Introduction

1\. If There Is No God, Then Life Has No Meaning  
2\. The Biblical Concept of God Evolved from Polytheism to Monotheism  
3\. If There Is No God, Then Everything is Permitted  
4\. The Biblical God Required Child Sacrifices for His Pleasure  
5\. Science is No Substitute for Religion  
6\. The Biblical God Commanded Genocide  
7\. God Is the Best Explanation of the Whole Shebang  
8\. The Biblical God Does Not Care Much About Slaves  
9\. If There Is No God, Then We Don’t Know Anything  
10\. The Biblical God Does Not Care Much About Women  
11\. Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, but Only if God Exists  
12\. The Biblical God Does Not Care Much About Animals  
13\. Everybody Has Faith  
14\. The Biblical God Is Ignorant About Science  
15\. God Is Found in the Majesty of the Hallelujah Chorus  
16\. The Biblical God Is Ignorant About the Future  
17\. God Best Explains the Miracles in People’s Lives  
18\. The Biblical God Is an Incompetent Creator  
19\. Jesus Was Resurrected, So Whop Do You Think Raised Him?  
20\. The Biblical God Is an Incompetent Redeemer

The Last Word  
Recommended Readings

‘God or Godless’ is an honest and vibrant conversation between an ex-Christian and a Christian, discussing 21 hot topics on the most important issues of life and faith.

Academic buddies, John Loftus &amp; Randal Rauser, decided to write a light-hearted, introductory book on the faith debate. Each intellectual heavyweight chose 10 debate statements. The person who made the statement first has the opportunity to argue their case, while the other is left to scramble a case together to counter it. Randal (the Christian) debates for living with God and John (the Atheist) debate for living Godless.

The topics they cover include:  
• The Meaning of Life  
• Biblical move from Polytheism to Monotheism  
• Moral Responsibility  
• The Cruel God of the Old Testament  
• Science vs. Religion  
• Doesn’t Everyone have a Faith?

Both sides land significant blows, yet the dialogue contains no bitterness, malice or close-mindedness. So pull up a comfy chair, pour yourself the drink of choice and join the pair in wrestling with the age old question: should I go with God or Godless?

John W. Loftus is a former Christian minister and apologist with degrees in philosophy, theology, and the philosophy of religion from Lincoln Christian University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He also did PhD studies at Marquette University in theology and ethics. John is the founder of an influential blog called Debunking Christianity. He is the author of Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity and the editor of The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails, and The End of Christianity.

Randal Rauser (MCS, Regent College; PhD, King's College London) is associate professor of historical theology at Taylor Seminary, Edmonton, Canada. He is the author of several books, including Finding God in the Shack, You're Not as Crazy as I Think, and The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver, and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails. He is a popular speaker and gifted communicator who seeks to bring the truth of Scripture to bear on the real-life issues of today.

“The discussions are very readable and provide helpful overviews. This book is an enjoyable and informative read that will challenge you to think about the issues discussed.” – Michael R. Licona, associate professor of theology, author of ‘Paul Meets Muhammad’

“This is not a quarrel, nor one of those flame wars of the deaf that rage across cyberspace then spill angrily into print, nor even that stuffy, artificial creation known as a ‘religious dialogue.’ What we have here is conversation: at times witty, at times tendentious, often humorous, and almost always engaged on emotional as well as intellectual levels.” – David Marshall, author of ‘The Truth Behind the New Atheism’

“Keeping it short, the authors can’t include every point to be made, but they make a good show of where each side stands on these questions and why. If you want to continue these debates further, start with this.” – Dr. Richard Carrier, author of Sense and Goodness without God

“This book should be the first stop for readers shopping for dueling voices from two of the most articulate advocates for Christianity and atheism.” – Dr. Hector Avalos, professor of religious studies, Iowa State University

The Good Book Stall

Wow, what an excellent book, a real conversation / argument between an atheist (who once was a believer) and a believer who love to have philosophical debates. In fact some of us may even have had similar conversations in our lives, but what is so good about this book is that is deals with the philosophical differences between the two and shows the reasoning differences in a manner that is much cooler than most arguments and differences between the two opposing sides. I think what I also found noteable about it is that in many ways it doesn't come down in favour of one side of the argument or the other, thus it is a book for both sides to read and in doing so there may be some concrete dialogue and opening of hearts and minds beyond what you would expect. I think this is a book for anyone to read and would make a foundational discussion starter. I could see it working well in a college / university chaplaincy setting or with any group of questioning individuals. A top book for the atheist / Christian debate but not the usual one and that's why it's so important.

God or Godless?

God or Godless? [eBook]

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