Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists by Dan Barker

Dan Barker . Unknown Year . English

After 19 years as an evangelical preacher, missionary, and Christian songwriter, Dan Barker 'threw out the bathwater and discovered there is no baby there.' Barker, who is now co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (America's largest organization of atheists and agnostics), describes the intellectual and psychological path he followed in moving from fundamentalism to freethought. The four sections in Godless--Rejecting God, Why I Am An Atheist, What's Wrong With Christianity, and Life is Good!--include chapters on bible problems, the historicity of Jesus, morality, the Kalam Cosmological argument, the unbelievable resurrection, and much more. Barker relates the positive benefits from trusting in reason and human kindness instead of living in fear of false judgment and moral condemnation. Godless expands the story told in Dan's 1992 book, Losing Faith in Faith--the two books overlap about 20%--but a lot has happened in 16 years, and Dan updates the story with four new chapters, including 'The New Call' (lessons from the debate circuit), 'Adventures in Atheism,' and 'We Go To Washington' (FFRF's Supreme Court lawsuit, in which Dan was a plaintiff).

Categories: Fantasy

About the Author

Dan Barker (1949-), a former preacher, is co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, co-host of Freethought Radio, and co-founder of The Clergy Project. After 19 years as an evangelical minister, Dan "saw the light" and announced his atheism in 1984. His first public appearance as an atheist was on Oprah Winfrey's "AM Chicago." He travels extensively, lecturing and performing on college campuses, and has participated in more than 130 public debates. A former composer of Christian music (for which he still receives royalties), Dan is now a jazz pianist and writer of freethought music, including the albums Beware of Dogma and Adrift on a Star. Dan has 5 children, 10 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, and lives with his wife (and co-president) Annie Laurie Gaylor in Madison, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Lenape (Delaware) tribe of American Indians. (Photos: outdoor, Ingrid Laas; window, Tim Buchanan; microphone, Bruce Press; piano, Brent Nicastro.)

Books from Similar Categories

Books from the Same Genre

Download BookR now and choose mindful reading!

Download Now!