Cross Examined: Putting Christianity on Trial

Trial lawyer Campbell debuts with a resounding and meticulous refutation of Christianity. Starting with the premise, “Christianity should be singled out [among religions] 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.)