The John W. Loftus House of Waffles

 

 

From Minister to Honest Doubter, p. 7.

And for good reason, God turned my life around.  For this reason alone I will always be grateful for the message of Christian salvation.

 

From Minister to Honest Doubter, p. 9.

Eventually I began to feel as if I was possessed by some demonic being, so one night back in my home town when I needed to talk to someone I went over to an older lady’s house, named Cathy (aged 25 at the time, I believe), who had spoken to me earlier about Jesus.  She led me to I accept Jesus into my heart when I was 18.  I felt free and forgiven for the first time in my life.

[Inset box: I accepted Jesus into my heart.  I felt free and forgiven for the first time in my life.]

 

From Minister to Honest Doubter, p. 10.

And yet I do believe God helped me back then, but I can’t be certain of it.        But my life radically changed.”

 

From Minister to Honest Doubter, p. 10.

“... we serve a miracle-working God who answers prayer, and who intervenes on our behalf.”

 

From Minister to Honest Doubter, p. 4.

I believe God is pleased with intellectual integrity even if it leads a person like myself to honest doubt.

 

From Minister to Honest Doubter, “What if I’m Wrong?” pp. 171-173.

Well, I’m simply not consciously aware of any attempt to rebel against God, nor am I consciously aware of any attempt to deceive myself at all.

 

From Minister to Honest Doubter, “The Struggles of Faith,”

July 8th 2005, 05:10 PM http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1104928&postcount=5

Does God Answer Prayer?

I no longer try to figure things out, because I no longer have a faith that says God is in it. All I can say is that God will give you strength to bear up under life's tragedies. But I no longer say that God can allow or disallow anything that happens in our lives for some greater purpose.

 

June 26th 2005, 11:55 PM http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1088871&postcount=44

That's why I started this thread. I have said “no” to the claims you make about Jesus, and I have said “no” to the Christian faith. So where does that leave me?

 

June 29th 2005, 08:29 PM http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1092708&postcount=56

But just to be sure. I'm beyond help. I've rejected Christianity, having been a former apologist for it with three masters degrees.


That's me when it comes to Christianity. I cannot bring myself to even entertain the idea anymore. It's simply an incorrect theological system, no matter who's doing the interpreting.

What I don't know is the correct view of the reality which we experience, and alas, I fear that it's beyond my knowing. I actually think that if there is a God, then he should want to communicate to us in ways that human history can readily understand--but about this I'm not even sure. I just suppose that if it were me, I would, so I project that unto a hypothetical God. But since God does not communicate to us then he doesn't exist. But about this I'm not sure either.

 

June 30th 2005, 02:50 AM http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1093244&postcount=60

You, your arguments, and your God are not worth my time anymore.

 

July 2nd 2005, 10:43 PM

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1097162&postcount=1

Does God Answer Prayer?

I noticed in the "Chaplain's Office" people are praying for my wife who has been diagnosed with cancer. Thank you very much for your concern, and I sure would like to think it can help, but I really don't think so.

 

My contention here that the promise of answered prayer “dies the death of a thousand qualifications,” so to speak. There is no reason to think that God, if he exists, will answer our requests.

 

August 8th 2005, 06:31 PM

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1143861&postcount=22

Doubting John's wife

Praise God.
I never said I don't believe in prayer. I pray with hope and that's all. My hopes seem to have been borne out and I do not discount the prayers of the people here on TWEB.

 

July 4th 2005, 10:16 PM

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1098841&postcount=1

The God of the Bible Doesn't Exist

One thing is sure to me. The God in the Bible simply cannot be describing the God that exists. That God is a hateful, racist and sexist God.

 

July 6th 2005, 08:05 PM http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1101797&postcount=41

The God of the Bible Doesn't Exist

I however, think there is a standard of goodness that even the God of the Bible must follow. That's why I say that the God of the Bible doesn't exist. That God does not behave himself with good deeds, and that is the standard for believeing [sic] whether or not this God exists. I say he doesn't.

 

 

July 5th 2005, 03:46 AM http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1099167&postcount=23

Can a Historical Religion Be Believed?

To experience a true and undeniable miracle might take away the force of my arguments. One of the major reasons I doubt all claims to miracles is because I personally have never experienced one, even as a former Christian minister. I'll admit this. I don't deny that they cannot occur. I just have an overwhelming sense that they do not occur.

 

From Minister to Honest Doubter, pp. 9-10:

On the night I first accepted Jesus in my heart my friend Scott was with me.  As we left Cathy’s house he told me he believed in Satanism.  He wanted to show me the power of Satan too, so he told me he was going to make it rain that night.  He asked me to pull into the carwash and he sprayed my car down with water.  As we left the carwash it began to sprinkle, and then to rain!  Now I didn’t know anything about Jesus except what I learned as a kid, and I learned that you could call out to God and he would do things for you.  So without hesitation I held my hand up to the roof of the car and said, “In the name of Jesus I command it to stop raining!  And don’t rain the rest of the night!”  I still don’t know why I said those words, but I did.  And guess what?  It stopped raining immediately!  I was overwhelmed.  “It’s true.”  I said to myself.  “It’s true!”  And it didn’t rain the rest of the night, either.”

 

July 12th 2005, 02:33 AM

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1109794&postcount=11

Does God Answer Prayer?

I would have to deny reality to not believe in God.


I understand.


I actually don't know if God answers prayer. I pray with hope, especially for my wife.

           

July 26th 2005, 04:50 AM

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1128816&postcount=34

Parting Thoughts From Doubting John

The most interesting thing I’ve learned is how that most of the Christians on TWEB that I talked to insisted that I was never a well-grounded Christian in the first place, so that part of my book will definitely get upgraded. And I did describe my book as poison on the back cover, but pedophilia? That’s way out of line. TWEBbers had their chance to stop me, but with their lame arguments and the way they treated me, they blew it.

 

It was not written for the express purpose of trying to deconvert anyone. I was just explaining the reasons why I deconverted, because a great many people that I have ministered to over the years were completely bewildered by my change. Although, I knew in advance that those reasons could be posion [sic] to the traditional Christian person's faith, so I warned them to be careful before they even considered buying it--on the back cover. And I expressed an appreciation for that Christian faith and a gratitude for that message which changed my life when I was young.

 

http://dynamicdeism.org/library/ministertodoubter.htm

“If you want only one book to hand to your friends that will dismantle traditionally [sic] Christianity, this is it.” 

 

 

 

James 1:2-8
    2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

 

 

 

Psalm 14:1
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

 

 

 

Psalm 53:1
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

 

 

More Waffles ...

 

September 6th 2005 , 05:46 AM

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1185609&postcount=412

Re: Ancient People Aren't Stupid, Just Superstitious!

Tophet,
I done with you. You can't make intelligent comments nor ask intelligent questions.

September 12th 2005 , 01:17 PM

 

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=1193571&postcount=1

Informal Fallacies Ain't Always So....

Just so some people see this post, I'll call their attention to it: Tophet, CaptainOrchre, MountainMan, SalvationFound, ApologiaNick, Sparko. I'm not saying all of these named people are guilty of this. I just wanted to call it to their attention for comment.