Landon Haynes

A Justified Faith Landon Haynes

What do we all know? What can we all agree upon as common objective fact as we gaze out at a beautiful sunset, and then turn to observe one animal devouring another? Surely, it's the fact that there is a universe, of some kind. What we postulate and hypothesize beyond that simple fact is where we differ and where the facts become less clear. I have written this book to challenge what appears to me the deeply unjustified faith of the majority around me, Christianity, and to express an alternative that I will argue actually is a justified faith to hold in this world, taking account of all of its facts, which is secular humanism (a belief in the potential of humanity, achieved through reason, science, and compassion). Given the fact that faith in Christianity is still so pervasive, despite its centuries long humbling decline, it will be necessary to spend the majority of this book laying out just how unjustified this faith is. The reasons range from moral to factual, from the content of the history and scripture of the religion to issues of science and the nature of the universe we observe. Throughout my analysis, I will conversely support my contention of the far greater justifiability of the "faith" that I hold, and I will conclude the work by laying it out in full detail. This is my contribution to the dialogue and to progress, and an expression of years of learning and reflection.