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/....

To those of you who haven't read it but are bad-mouthing it, PLEASE READ IT. It's very short. Read it carefully, consider its points. If you can find cogent rebuttals to his points, it should strengthen your faith. Of course, I don't believe that there are any cogent rebuttals. People have to learn to think critically for themselves and not just swallow the dogma they are spoon fed. I really believe that the future of the planet depends on it!

I was raised as a Christian and I was indoctrinated. They (the church) attempted to brainwash me, but it didn't take, or at least it didn't last.

TO: James: Please read the book. That review you read gave you the wrong impression. The book is extremely well researched and reasoned. Many sources are cited. The author states at the outset that it is adressed to Christian fundamentalists. He doesn't claim that all Christians believe these things. On the other hand many of his points do apply to all Christians.

Answer 1

It's marvelous, a true testimony to christians about their fallacies. In christ's days Sam Harris wouldn't be a living man right now(he'd have been a heretic - AND STONED TO DEATH). It goes to show that society has diminished it's original religious beliefs and changes the beliefs and laws to adapt to today's society.

Here is his Prologue:or as you Christians say "The Genesis"

Forty-four percent of the American population is convinced that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead sometime in the next fifty years. According to the most common interpretation of biblical prophecy, Jesus will return only after things have gone horribly awry here on earth. It is, therefore, not an exaggeration to say that if the city of New York were suddenly replaced by a ball of fire, some significant percentage of the American population would see a silver lining in the subsequent mushroom cloud, as it would suggest to them that the best thing that is ever going to happen was about to happen—the return of Christ. It should be blindingly obvious that beliefs of this sort will do little to help us create a durable future for ourselves—socially, economically, environmentally, or geopolitically. Imagine the consequences if any significant component of the U.S. government actually believed that the world was about to end and that its ending would be glorious. The fact that nearly half of the American population apparently believes this, purely on the basis of religious dogma, should be considered a moral and intellectual emergency.The book you are about to read is my response to this emergency...

Answer 2

I haven't read the book, but I did read the review of the book written by the publisher on the site. I would have to disagree with his asessment that Christians think the end of the world is a good thing. The return of Jesus is a good thing, but the carnage that will take place on the earth will not be. This is a common thing for non-Christians to do: associate many beliefs (of Chrisitians)together out of context.

I am a Christian. I recycle. Do you believe it? I really do. The Bible says that man is a steward over the earth. Most Christians really do care about the state of world affairs. The problem is that unbelievers will never figure out the problem is that they are sinners who don't want to turn from the sins that make the world the mess that it's in.

I must add: After reading another's answer to this question, he said that Sam Harris would have been called a heretic and probably killed (that's one of the things they did with unrepentant heretics). The problem with that statement is that most of the 50 million or more heretics killed in last 1500 years or more were killed by the Catholics and the victims (heretics) were, for the most part, Christians. Most of these p[eople just don't know history outside of what Hollywood tells them.

Answer 3

I don't have to be IN a train wreck to know it's a bad idea. Your author there doesn't get more than two sentances into his book before displaying his total ignorace of Christianity as a whole. And if he knows nothing about God, what does he fill his book with? Nonsense.

PS: The funny thing about JugglingSuns' rebuttal is that he assumes Christians DON'T still kill heretics. What else was the point of the Iraq war other than to exterminate a bunch of nonbelievers? Sheesh.

Answer 4

Sorry I haven't read it, nor do I intend to. I did go to your link and read about it, and read an exerpt of it. I very much respect the right of non-believers to say what they choose to say and not believe in the promises of God. Sad though, that when Jesus does return, many people, such as this author, will be rendered speechless.