Have you read "Letter to a Christian Nation" by Sam Harris? What did you think of it?

Question

Please only answer if you have actually read it and not based on what someone told you, etc. To read about it go to: http://www.samharris.org/.

Harris' first book (which is much longer than "Letter ...") on this subject was "The End of Faith". I've read that this 2nd book was written in response to all of the hate mail he got from Christian fundamentalists in response to "The End of Faith".

To Aldavion: I think that your view that - the lack of an assumption that God exists is itself an assumption - is flawed. The symmetry that you appear to see between these two doesn't exist. Harris takes the approach of Science wherein one starts with a blank slate and makes as few assumptions as possible to explain observed phenomena. This is consistent with a basic scientific principle called "Occam's Razor", which was articulated in the 1500's.

Answer 1

yes I have. I love it. Although he's almost uncompromisingly hard-hitting, which makes it doubtful that he'll actualyl convince most dyed-in-the-wool believers, I think his case is powerful. It lays bare the root issues with a clarity that should make this country feel positively embarassed for itself.

Answer 2

I read his book "The End of Faith"? Does that count?

I think the man makes a lot of sense. That said, I found myself getting really defensive throughout the book. I had a very religious upbringing, and it's difficult for me to read an author who insists my parents' religion is helping to cause widespread ignorance/intolerance/violence. I'm even an atheist and it was still a little off-putting at times.

On the other hand, I think it is a message of hope, in a way (hokey, but true). If people did manage to abandon their divisive religious beliefs and to unite in the pursuit of the greater good (what's best for all of us, rather than what's best for those who share our personal religion), what a wonderful world this would be. Sticking to our dogmatic "guns" certainly isn't getting us anywhere.

By the way, Richard Dawkins just put out a documentary that espouses a lot of the same ideas. You can find it on YouTube (I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head).

Answer 3

Eloquently put but essentially based upon an assumption; that there is no God. Therefore he places himself in the same position as those he rails against who assume there is a God. He is merely the other side of the same coin.

Most depressingly his world view offers no real hope other than hoping humanity will come to its collective senses and sort itself out. Humanity's track record is hardly encouraging in this regard.