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John W. Loftus

2022-09-25T13:30:57Z

SKWills: Added for Clarity. I do not want the Known and Demonstrable Facts to be called into Question over the less Reputable one.

[[File:Militant atheist image.jpg|thumb|350px|An internet [[meme]] image, depicting [[militant atheism|militant atheists]], produced by [[Ken Ammi]] of [[True Freethinker]], in response to a [[cartoon]] created by John W. Loftus who criticized the term.]]
'''John W. Loftus''' (born 1954) is an American atheist author who writes about his conversion from [[Christianity]] to [[atheism]].<ref>[http://www.tektonics.org/ezine/loftusindex.html John Loftus, Why I Became an Atheist -- Detailed Refutation] by [[JP Holding]]</ref> He also engages in atheist apologetics.

==Education ==
Loftus earned a bachelor's degree (B.R.E.), from Great Lakes Christian College in 1977. Subsequently, he obrained two master's degrees, M.A. and M.DiV., from Lincoln Christian University under the guidance of James D. Strauss and a Masters of Theology degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

== Career in Christian ministry ==

Loftus is said to have been an ordained as a minister in the [[Church of Christ]], though This Church has No Ordained Clergy, and He taught [[Christian apologetics]] for Great Lakes Christian College and Lincoln Christian University, as well as teaching philosophy/ethics at College of Lake County, Kellogg Community College and Trine University.

== John W. Loftus' Debunking Christianity website: Loss of Google referral traffic ==

''See also:'' [[Internet atheism]]

[[File:Debunking Christianity Google referral traffic SEMRush 7-28-2022.png|thumbnail|center|1200px|John W. Loftus' Debunking Christianity website lost a very large proportion of its Google referral traffic since its peak amount of Google referral web traffic according to the leading web marketing website SEMRush.
<br />
<br />
Google uses over 200 factors to evaluate the quality and the relevance of a website to various topics.]]
{{clear}}

== John Loftus and the no true Scotsman fallacy ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and the no true Scotsman fallacy]]

The [[ex-atheists|ex-atheist]] Darrin Raspberry formerly wrote for the atheist John Loftus’ blog site ''Debunking Christianity''.<ref>[https://jamesbishopblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/arguments-for-gods-existence-leads-former-christ-hater-darrin-rasberry-to-christ-follower/ Arguments for God’s existence leads former “Christ-hater,” Darrin Rasberry, to Christ follower] by James Bishop</ref> After Raspberry became a Christian Loftus said that Raspberry “was never an atheist in the first place.”<ref>[https://jamesbishopblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/arguments-for-gods-existence-leads-former-christ-hater-darrin-rasberry-to-christ-follower/ Arguments for God’s existence leads former “Christ-hater,” Darrin Rasberry, to Christ follower] by James Bishop</ref>

== John Lotftus' commentary about fellow atheist PZ Myers ==

John Loftus cites John Draper (a Canadian atheist blogger), saying about prominent atheist [[PZ Myers]]: "According to PZ you either agree with him or you are the scum of the earth. If anyone is giving atheists a bad reputation it's PZ - he shows no tolerance or respect for anyone other than himself."<ref>[http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2012/07/can-pz-myers-change-his-ways-should-he.html Can PZ Myers Change His Ways? Should He?] By John W. Loftus at 7/30/2012</ref>

== Books ==

*''Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity''

*''Why I Became an Atheist: Personal Reflections and Additional Arguments.''

*''The Outsider Test for Faith''

*Co-author of ''God or Godless'' with Randal Rauser as a co-author

== See also ==

*[[Atheist deconversion stories]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.tektonics.org/ezine/loftusindex.html John Loftus, Why I Became an Atheist -- Detailed Refutation] by [[JP Holding]]

==References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Atheists]]

Talk:John W. Loftus

2022-09-25T13:29:26Z

SKWills: I Explained Why I Changed The Article Relating My Knowledge Re Churches Of Christ

I altered the Article. I Grew up in The Churches of Christ, and they do not have Ordained Ministers. Nor do they have a Single Man Who Runs the Church as a Pastor or other Clergyman would. All Baptised Men have Equal Authority in Council rather than One Man being seen as leader. The preacher is not the Head of the Local Church, and has no Greater Authority, and Any Baptised Man can Preach. This is also Why I find Parts of Loftus's Narrative of his So-Called "De-Conversion" to be less than Reliable. That, and he say he is a Former Evangelical. The Churches Of Christ are not Evangelical.

[[User:SKWills|SKWills]] ([[User talk:SKWills|talk]]) 09:29, September 25, 2022 (EDT)

John W. Loftus

2022-09-25T13:26:12Z

SKWills: I Grew Up in The Churches of Christ. They do not have ordained Ministers.

[[File:Militant atheist image.jpg|thumb|350px|An internet [[meme]] image, depicting [[militant atheism|militant atheists]], produced by [[Ken Ammi]] of [[True Freethinker]], in response to a [[cartoon]] created by John W. Loftus who criticized the term.]]
'''John W. Loftus''' (born 1954) is an American atheist author who writes about his conversion from [[Christianity]] to [[atheism]].<ref>[http://www.tektonics.org/ezine/loftusindex.html John Loftus, Why I Became an Atheist -- Detailed Refutation] by [[JP Holding]]</ref> He also engages in atheist apologetics.

==Education ==
Loftus earned a bachelor's degree (B.R.E.), from Great Lakes Christian College in 1977. Subsequently, he obrained two master's degrees, M.A. and M.DiV., from Lincoln Christian University under the guidance of James D. Strauss and a Masters of Theology degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

== Career in Christian ministry ==

Loftus is said to have been an ordained as a minister in the [[Church of Christ]], though This Church has No Ordained Clergy, and taught [[Christian apologetics]] for Great Lakes Christian College and Lincoln Christian University, as well as teaching philosophy/ethics at College of Lake County, Kellogg Community College and Trine University.

== John W. Loftus' Debunking Christianity website: Loss of Google referral traffic ==

''See also:'' [[Internet atheism]]

[[File:Debunking Christianity Google referral traffic SEMRush 7-28-2022.png|thumbnail|center|1200px|John W. Loftus' Debunking Christianity website lost a very large proportion of its Google referral traffic since its peak amount of Google referral web traffic according to the leading web marketing website SEMRush.
<br />
<br />
Google uses over 200 factors to evaluate the quality and the relevance of a website to various topics.]]
{{clear}}

== John Loftus and the no true Scotsman fallacy ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and the no true Scotsman fallacy]]

The [[ex-atheists|ex-atheist]] Darrin Raspberry formerly wrote for the atheist John Loftus’ blog site ''Debunking Christianity''.<ref>[https://jamesbishopblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/arguments-for-gods-existence-leads-former-christ-hater-darrin-rasberry-to-christ-follower/ Arguments for God’s existence leads former “Christ-hater,” Darrin Rasberry, to Christ follower] by James Bishop</ref> After Raspberry became a Christian Loftus said that Raspberry “was never an atheist in the first place.”<ref>[https://jamesbishopblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/arguments-for-gods-existence-leads-former-christ-hater-darrin-rasberry-to-christ-follower/ Arguments for God’s existence leads former “Christ-hater,” Darrin Rasberry, to Christ follower] by James Bishop</ref>

== John Lotftus' commentary about fellow atheist PZ Myers ==

John Loftus cites John Draper (a Canadian atheist blogger), saying about prominent atheist [[PZ Myers]]: "According to PZ you either agree with him or you are the scum of the earth. If anyone is giving atheists a bad reputation it's PZ - he shows no tolerance or respect for anyone other than himself."<ref>[http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2012/07/can-pz-myers-change-his-ways-should-he.html Can PZ Myers Change His Ways? Should He?] By John W. Loftus at 7/30/2012</ref>

== Books ==

*''Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity''

*''Why I Became an Atheist: Personal Reflections and Additional Arguments.''

*''The Outsider Test for Faith''

*Co-author of ''God or Godless'' with Randal Rauser as a co-author

== See also ==

*[[Atheist deconversion stories]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.tektonics.org/ezine/loftusindex.html John Loftus, Why I Became an Atheist -- Detailed Refutation] by [[JP Holding]]

==References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Atheists]]

Talk:Absolute monarchy

2022-09-25T13:24:11Z

SKWills: Just a Note.

"An absolute monarchy is a country that is ruled by a hereditary monarch, with little or no democratic or other forms of limitation to his powers. "
An example for an absolute monarchy in Europe is the [[Vatican City]], where the monarch, i.e. the [[pope]] is elected... So, being hereditary isn't necessary for the existence of an absolute monarchy.
[[User:DiEb|DiEb]] 12:12, 1 August 2008 (EDT)

I do not want to leave it as is, and do think an example of a bad Absolute Monarch should be Included. But, King John was not an Absolute Monarch.
[[User:SKWills|SKWills]] ([[User talk:SKWills|talk]]) 01:16, June 24, 2022 (EDT)
:Wasn't his rule so authoritarian that the [[Magna Carta]] was a rebellion against it?--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 01:23, June 24, 2022 (EDT)

Actually, No. It is a Popular Historical Myth that King John was Forced to Sign The Magna Carta as an Absolute Monarch Who Abuseed His Power. It is also usually Depicted as an Event as King John Agreeing for the First Time in at least Cultural History to have Limited The Power of The King, and as a sort of Proto-American Constitution lifted by "The People". But, it was actually Issued by The Barons, and did not Extend to Them Greater Rights and Freedoms, but Merely Reasserted the Feudal Rights they Already Had that The King had Ignored. The Justification for The Revolt and Why The Pope Himself supported it rested on The King's Actions being Illegal, as he Overstepped his Authority. This is Quiet different from being an Absolute Monarch. Especially since if You Read His Biography, While King John did Overstep his Authority, He even then had Limits he did not transgress in what Proved to be a Futile Attempt to not Rile the Barons and Council (Precursor to Parliament) to much.

Also, sorry this took a bit to say but I did not Know You had Replied to Me.

[[User:SKWills|SKWills]] ([[User talk:SKWills|talk]]) 09:24, September 25, 2022 (EDT)

Talk:Absolute monarchy

2022-06-24T05:16:14Z

SKWills: King John Was Not An Absolute Monarch

Absolute monarchy

2022-06-24T05:14:36Z

SKWills: King John Not Absolute Monarch

An '''absolute [[monarchy]]''' is a form of [[government]] where a [[country]] that is ruled by a [[monarch]] who has little or no [[democratic]] limitation to his [[power]]s. Quite rare in the modern [[world]], examples include: [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Brunei]] and, until recently, [[Kuwait]] and [[Nepal]]. There have been good absolute monarchs, for example, [[Israel|Israel's]] [[King David]], and bad ones.

Contrary to popular opinion, absolute monarchies were never the norm in [[Medieval Europe]], but [[Feudalism|feudal]] monarchies. What happened was that ''after'' the end of the medieval period, some monarchies sought to increase their power, the prime example being [[France]], which had indeed become an absolute monarchy by the 17th century. [[Louis XIV]] of France epitomizes the rule of an absolute monarch with his declaration ''"L'etat c'est moi. ('I am the state')"''.

In [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] (from 1801 the [[United Kingdom]]), on the other hand, went in totally the opposite direction, and the monarchs were gradually stripped of their powers until very few remain today.

The [[Roman Empire]] evolved into an absolute military [[dictatorship]]. Whether it was ever a hereditary monarchy, however, is debatable at best. While certain families did manage to found dynasties that lasted for two or three generations, the vast majority of [[emperor]]s either came to power by a military [[coup]], or in a few cases were appointed on merit by their predecessor.

==See also==
* [[Constitutional monarchy]]
* [[Aristocracy]]
* [[Oligarchy]]
* [[Elitism]]

[[Category:Forms of Government]]
[[Category:Dictatorships]]
[[Category:International Political Terms]]
[[Category:Political Ideologies]]