Cross Examined: Putting Christianity on Trial by John W. Campbell
Christianity is more than just a religion. It is a social organism that affects the lives of every person on earth in significant ways, even if they are not Christians themselves. In the United States its influence is pervasive with often profound influence on public policies, but it is largely unchallenged as a belief system, relegated to that quarantined area outside the zone of polite conversation. Despite much academic ink being allotted to the weaknesses of Christianity as a valid belief system, the general public remains unaware of these flaws. In Cross Examined, John Campbell applies his almost thirty years of experience as a trial lawyer to dissecting Christianity and the case of apologists for the Christian God. He addresses the best arguments for Christianity, those against it, and the reasons people should care about these questions. His purpose is to fill a void in books on atheism and Christianity by systematically taking Christian claims to task and making a full-throated argument for atheism from the perspective of a trial lawyer making a case. Editorial Reviews 08/02/2021 Trial lawyer Campbell debuts with a resounding and meticulous refutation of Christianity. Starting with the premise, Christianity should be singled out because of its unique cultural and sociopolitical significance, Campbell demonstrates that there are no good, compelling reasons to accept the claims of Christianity and many compelling reasons to reject them for naturalism. Campbell's criticisms fall into two categories: contradicting apologetical arguments with empirical evidence, and analyzing the logic gaps within biblically inspired beliefs. For example, when discussing cosmological arguments for God (which assert that, since everything must have a cause, God must be the uncaused cause), Campbell points out that quantum mechanics can offer just as satisfying an explanation--and that even if such a supernatural entity existed, it would not necessarily resemble the Christian god: The very concept of the scientific method, with its implicit refutation of dogma and insistence on following the evidence wherever it leads, is the antithesis of Christian epistemology, which relies on divine revelation. The conclusions Campbell hopes his audience will reach is that much of the Bible is simply useless baggage that should be quickly discarded and that misguided Christian beliefs have led to enormous harm. This provocative work rests comfortably next to works by E.O. Wilson, Richard Dawkins, and Robert Ingersoll. Even those who disagree with Campbell will find his arguments worth engaging with. (Sept.) - Publishers Weekly Empirical truth claims in science differ from mythic truth claims in religion, but many Christians today claim that their myths are, in fact, real, and that they have the evidence and arguments to make their case. They don't, as many scientists have demonstrated. The real venue for this debate, however, is not a lab of science but a court of law, and attorney John Campbell lays out the case against Christianity in this, the most comprehensive treatment of all the arguments and refutations I've ever seen. It takes a rightful place on my bookcase of classic works of skepticism. --Michael Shermer, Publisher, Skeptic magazine, Presidential Fellow Chapman University, author of The Moral Arc, Heavens on Earth, and other books When Clarence Darrow argued cogently against the biblical fundamentalism of William Jennings Bryan in the infamous Scopes Trial, he helped demonstrate to the public that when it comes to empirical reality, science, not Christianity should be our guide. John Campbell has now taken up the torch in his comprehensive new book putting Christianity on trial. From a scientific perspective, Christianity has been through numerous trials for 2000 years and has lost every case. But this hasn't stopped billions of people continuing to believe in the myths of Christianity. Maybe Campbell's new definitive legal brief can help push the popular compass a little closer in the direction of reality. --Lawrence M. Krauss, theoretical physicist, President of the Origins Project Foundation, and author of numerous bestselling books including A Universe from Nothing, and most recently, The Physics of Climate Change Like a skillful archeologist, attorney John Campbell methodically exposes two thousand years of accumulated obfuscation, fables, and dark history to the penetrating sunlight of critical analysis. The result is an original, extraordinary, and liberating masterwork. Hallelujah! --Sean B. Carroll, author of A Series of Fortunate Events This is the kind of book that is missing from the vast atheist literature, and it should be read by everyone who wants to really understand the absurdity of Christianity. --Christer Sturmark, CEO of Fri Tanke, editor-in-chief of Sans magazine, and author of To Light The Flame of Reason - From the Publisher
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Binding: Hardcover
Published by: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.: , 2022
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ISBN: / 1633886840
624 pages.
Book Condition: Very Good
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