John W. Loftus, “The Outsider Test for Faith: How to Know Which Religion Is True” (Prometheus Books, 2013)

With so many religions in the world, how can you tell which one is correct? John W. Loftus tackles this question in his new book, The Outsider Test for Faith: How to Know Which Religion Is True (Prometheus Books, 2013). In order to take on this perplexing question, John Loftus argues for a simple test called the Outsider Test for Faith, where believers – even if hypothetically – try to consider what their faith looks like to someone from the outside. There may be similar strands running through many religions, but there are also irreconcilable differences. It is easy for a Christian to explain why they do not believe in Vishnu, for example, and Loftus utilizes this approach to try to get believers to analyze their own faith as easily as they do others’. Loftus also deals with the Religious Dependency Thesis, which points out that what religion one holds is usually the result of where and to whom you were born. By applying the skepticism that many already have toward most gods, Loftus hopes that the OTF will aid those to let go of one more. Loftus’ blog can be found at here.

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