Letter to a Christian Nation
by Sam Harris
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Book Reviews of Letter to a Christian Nation
Book Review: Full offensive into Christianity
Summary: 4 Stars
Sam Harris pulls no punches in his assault on Christianity. As a British citizen who sometimes visits the states and listens to the cretins on the Christian radio, I can see why there is the need in America. America seems increasingly divided between the enlightened seaboards and the thickening shroud of superstition hanging over the middle states.
Harris aligns himself with the likes of Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins in his criticisms of Christianity, overlapping with Hitchens in taking pot shots at the Ten Commandments. Where he is particularly compelling is in making the case against Christianity's blocking of scientific progress (in stem cell research), and also in the way that moderate religious beliefs act as a protector for extremist beliefs by preventing them from opening the windows of their doctrine to the cool, icy blast of reason and rigorous intellectual challenge.
If he addresses this book to Christians, it is clear that Harris reserves even more venom for Islam, strongly linking the Muslim religion to the indoctrination of suicide bombers (why are there no Palestinian Christian suicide bombers?).
Harris makes a powerful case for demanding that religion be treated in a hostile manner (intellectually) by insisting that its tenets be exposed to the demands of evidence and enquiry in the same way as everything else.
It is a short, packed read that can be read through in a single sitting but deserves at least one re-reading.
Book Review: Harris is a strong thinker
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an outstanding little book that you can read through in one sitting. Indeed, you won't want to put it down if you're in the freethought camp because Harris taps into much of what freethinkers see wrong with Christian and other forms of superstition. Without going into specifics, one of the key points you should glean from this book is that Christians, and indeed religious people generally, become extremely hostile whenever their precious dogma is critcized. Why is that? For people who understand how thought systems survive and replicate (in a memetic sense), it's clear that beliefs based on religious superstition are "set up" to cause a hostile reaction in the "host" whenever they are challenged. This ties in very closely with the idea of Hell, where people are frightened into both believing and then not abandoning those beliefs even though they don't jive with common sense (and I speak very much from personal experience here). I think it would be interesting to know what percentage of believers are believers because of Pascal's wager. This is a number you could never get, but I would speculate that it is a high one.
One final observation: In this book, Harris is addressing the more fundamentalist side of Christianity, although he argues that "moderates" are to blame for essentially providing cover for fundamentalists. This is a crucial point and one I think readers should consider carefully. Paul Gehrman, Author, Kaleidoscope
Book Review: Brutally Frank
Summary: 5 Stars
This little book by Sam Harris packs a powerful punch that hits with the fury of a ton of bricks.
Mr. Harris pounds away at the belief system of many Americans. It is a wonder he hasn't released this book as a free download somewhere on the Internet in order to spread the word farther and quicker.
Each section has a message that should cause any reader to question his or her morality, spirituality and faith while weighing each of those qualities against the virtual hypocrisy of the nation as a whole. Whether it be the religious intolerance of Christians, the poor academics of Christians regarding the need for both birth control, or even the fundamental irresponsibility of those people that have prevented modern medicine from utilizing stem-cell research to better the lives of living humans, Harris' book hits hard enough to shake the foundations of America's affection with the mythology of the Christian religion.
This book should be read by every American that can read and think. Understanding that this book was written in response to criticism of his earlier book, prompts me to read 'The End of Faith' sooner rather than later. Certainly this is one book I will buy multiple copies of in order to pass them around to other readers in an effort to lead them to understanding the moral issues brought up by Harris and the immorality of the Christians that don't know thier own god-belief well enough.
Book Review: The Narrow Road to Pertition...
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll try to make this review quick.
I'm a young, undergraduate college student, electrical engineering major, always with a great passion for learning.
I admit that many of the books I have read in the past only reaffirmed, or never challenged my evangelical Christian faith. I am born and raised a "Pentecostal" Evangelical Christian.
Then I challenged myself to read something out of my comfort zone - this "letter" to a Christian nation.
After finishing the book, I felt compelled to reading Dr. Harris' The End of Faith, and Moral Landscape, as well as Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World since they came as highly recommended all over the web.
Unwilling to accept such secular/atheistic views, I sought guidance from my pastors, however was received with great hostility and contempt when expressing my doubts. As an example at one point my pastor said my questions were "forged in the depths of hell by the Satan himself", I was utterly offended.
Then I decided to take some extracurricular courses in philosophy as well as spend some months researching on the subject, I have come to the conclusion that I can no longer be a religious person in any way, shape of form. If my family knows that I am in deep trouble.
If you call yourself a Christian you must get this book. Dr. Harris is daring and insightful. I highly recommend it!
Book Review: Short Easy Book For Newbies
Summary: 5 Stars
I usually suggest this , The God Delusion or Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism to "newbie skeptic" friends of mine. If they are leaning toward the "probably favorable" side of religion i suggest this one first. If they are fairly skpetical but still pretty solidly in the middle, i suggest The God Delusion, and if they are fairly heavily leaning to the skeptic side i suggest Atheist Universe first. If political minded, this one comes first, then the other two.
This is a 5 star book no question, although lacking in the depth of the other two, but a very easy read. Also its a bit more soft-handed toward belivers in general (although not religion)this one focuses more on the political / social negatives of religion rather than the "proofs".
A longer-form treatment of the same subject , I'd suggest Hitchens God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything , Harris own End of Faith is a good read, and i'd say required reading for more "hardcore" skeptics, but Hitchens book is a better choice between the two.