Losing Faith in Faith

This is a book any freethinker will enjoy from cover to cover.  Barker is one of America’s leading atheist debaters and is well-known for his work with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, centered in Madison Wisconsin.  This was his first book for adult freethinkers.  It contains a series of articles and devastating critiques detailing his life as a Christian minster, his long path leading to de-conversion, and his subsequent efforts for rationality and freethought.  Few other books offer such an insightful and conclusive indictment of religion.

The story of Barker’s de-conversion is especially intriguing as it counters the numerous books penned by devout believers claiming to have once been atheists.  As he began to question certain doctrines and biblical passages, Barker found himself seeing more and more of them as metaphorical, from the prodigal son to Adam and eve, and finally to god “him”self.  As he relates: “It was like peeling back the layers of an onion—to find the core; I just kept peeling until there was nothing there.”

The section on the Bible as a guide to morality is exceptionally good.  In it, Barker tells us that the words “morality” and “ethics” are not contained in scripture, and so the question of whether or not the so-called “good book” is in fact a good moral guide must originate outside of the Bible.  Moreover, since the behavior demanded of us therein invariably benefits god and the priestly class at the expense of the rest of humankind, Barker rightly asks whether such a book is promoting morality or merely subservience.

Barker also points out that, as a minister, he was considered to be an expert on both the Bible and on Christianity.  But now, as an atheist, all this amounts to naught in the eyes of believers, who cast aside all his knowledge as mere foolishness.  In other words, he is no longer telling them what they want to hear.  This proves just how fragile this thing called faith really is.  And how intellectually dishonest.

Most of the philosophical justifications for belief are covered here as well.  Too often, other atheist authors have made their refutations needlessly abstruse.  Barker never falls into this trap.  This makes Losing Faith invaluable for those wishing to refute these claims in a clear and concise manner.

Barker’s writing style is immensely readable as well as intellectually stimulating.  Few other books in this genre can claim as much.  Don’t miss it!