Letter to a Christian Nation (Vintage) | 
| Author: Sam Harris
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $11.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  613 reviews
Sales Rank: 3037
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 144
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.2 x 0.5
ISBN: 0307278778
Dewey Decimal Number: 277.3083
EAN: 9780307278777
ASIN: 0307278778
Publication Date: January 8, 2008
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Product Description
From the new afterword by the author:
Humanity has had a long fascination with blood sacrifice. In fact, it has been by no means uncommon for a child to be born into this world only to be patiently and lovingly reared by religious maniacs, who believe that the best way to keep the sun on its course or to ensure a rich harvest is to lead him by tender hand into a field or to a mountaintop and bury, butcher, or burn him alive as offering to an invisible God. The notion that Jesus Christ died for our sins and that his death constitutes a successful propitiation of a “loving” God is a direct and undisguised inheritance of the superstitious bloodletting that has plagued bewildered people throughout history. . .
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| Customer Reviews: Read 608 more reviews...
Well-founded arguments but unpersuasive September 1, 2008
I agree with Mr. Harrs on all his points. I have read these points before, and I still stand by them.
Regardless of how correct Mr. Harris is, his book misses the mark. As a letter to Christians, it fails miserably. I would be surprised to learn of any Christian reading this book and saying, "Oh, I've been doing it all wrong then."
The reason for this is Mr. Harris's tone. As an atheist, even I cringed at tactlessness. I would imagine that a Christian--often someone who holds his belief near and dear to his heart--would overlook the good points Mr. Harris made and simply see, "Dumb Christian, dumb Christian, dumb Christian." This book will not persuade anyone. The only people who would see Mr. Harris's wisdom are those who already recognize it. Ironically, Mr. Harris is "preaching to the choir." The book does succeed in cataloguing the many flaws of religion; what took me several months of discussion forums and web surfing can be found concisely packaged in "Letter to a Christian Nation."
Although, I must concede that perhaps Mr. Harris was not trying to convince Christians of anything. In his conclusion, Mr. Harris states that this book is "the product of failure." As a society, we have failed to prevent superstition and mysticism from governing our lives. In that regard, this book boils down to simply being a rant. There is nothing in this book that you can't find in the discussion forums. But then, little in the forums achieve the eloquence of Mr. Harris, so that is in the book's favor.
In summary, this is a great book for non-Christians, who can seek affirmation from someone who has been in their shoes. It is a good book for Christians too, but not many Christians will realize this fact over the distracting cries of "dumb Christians". I can only suggest that a Christian try to read it from another point of view. As Mr. Harris points out, a Christian can easily see why Islam is clearly a false religion. It doesn't take a very large step to view Christianity in the same light.
At the very least, any Christian who succeeds in not throwing the book away in disgust may have something new to ponder over--something that could either eliminate his false faith or make his true faith even stronger.
 Gloves off! August 16, 2008
This "letter" is short, sweet and deliciously direct. Harris comes out swinging and sustains his rational assault on the contradictions and absurdities of religion and religious belief from start to finish.
That said, such an aggressive approach will likely be ineffective with religious believers as it will instantly drive them to a defensive posture. Think of a cornered animal; they will respond as a threat to their very existence. Most of us were indoctrinated as children to feel dirty by merely thinking that maybe it's all nonsense, and that's not an easy thing to shake.
This book is a compact expose (compared to the more rigorous analyses by Hitchens and Dawkins) that will confirm the conclusions of unbelievers (preaching to the choir, if you will), but even those who are on the fence, who deep down feel that they've been hoodwinked, are reluctant to come out and say "I don't believe in God." Depending on your family, business, and cultural environment, admitting that you are an atheist can be a social death sentence.
The charlatans who administer the world's religions have too much to lose by doing anything less than unreservedly repudiating logical arguments such as Harris'. I hate to admit it, but I'm afraid that their worldwide influence and control are so pervasive that the heroes of reason who would pull back the curtain on their fraud will always be popularly perceived as evil, when in fact the opposite is true.
 The War Against Religion August 15, 2008
0 out of 14 found this review helpful
it comes to no surprise that these anti-religious loons are trying to convert as many people to atheism and humanism when events like 9/11 were sparked by religious fundamentalism. It is fundamentalism that is the problem, not religion itself. However, these people who have limited understanding of God seek to do damage which is not supposed to be the role of individuals but rather a collective of people who seek to prove that they are right and everyone else who is not like them is wrong. These secular fundamentalists are no different nor any better than their religious counterpart, I find it interesting how much they have in common yet they hate each other.
This war on religion should be more so focused upon the war against fundamentalism, not religion, nor God. These inspired texts have caused much conflict, no one can deny it, but they have also cause people to reach potentials never before reached. Could it be that fundamentalism is the problem being that fundamentalism is what has caused religion to be used for war and personal gain? These critics of religion should be willing to help their religious heretical counterparts in breaking down dogmatic fundamentalism. Instead they dont, they attack all of religiosity as if it was the full problem. These books and others like them are based on ignorance.
Sam Harris' "Little White Book" August 11, 2008
3 out of 18 found this review helpful
After reading this book I have gathered two conclusions pertaining to Sam Harris. One, he is a very good writer and should teach an English class on rhetoric. Two, while Harris is at Stanford it may do him some good to take a couple theological classes. Below are the reasons I came up with for my assertions. Because time is short I will only give a few of my reasons.
Harris begins the book declaring that Christians are atheists towards all other religions. Well this isn't exactly true. In fact if you would take Islam, Judaism, and Christianity what you would see is remarkable similarities, it is the atheist who is in fact the odd man out. When a Christian rejects Islam we are not rejecting everything about Islam. However when one asserts atheism they are rejecting all components of religion. Religions accept and understand why 93% of those around the world have some instinctive sense that God exists. Some atheists meanwhile fail to shrug of their childhood tendencies while calling each other "Brights".
Harris proceeds in addressing Old Testament Ethics. One thing is beyond clear is the idea that Harris believes the only approach to hermeneutics is a static approach. Yet from the time of Augustine through the Reformation there have been theologians who have questions this approach. My point is his entire argument on Old/New Testament Ethics is ill-relevant for those who do not take a static approach to scripture. For those who take a redemptive hermeneutics approach, such as William Webb who wrote, "Slaves, Women, and Homosexuality", would find Harris' argument a Strawman. Peter Enns and his book, "Inspiration and Incarnation" also allows for a different hermeneutic approach that deals with the Old Testament stories and the science behind them, Harris ignores this hermeneutic approach as well. These approaches are held by many Christians not simply because it allows them to escape Harris' static approach but quite frankly make the most sense if we consider who God is and how he speaks to those around him. If Harris wants to take on the task of addressing Old-Testament ethics he needs to not be lazy about it and address the hermeneutics of scripture.
Harris then attacks the leaders of Christianity suggesting that it is their faith that caused them to do such acts. Pertaining to Christianity it is beyond obvious that all followers of Christ are sinners, what Harris has to do is show how Luther, Calvin, and Augustine were not products of their culture but rather Christ taught the need for inquisitions to be done by people who follow him. Harris does no such thing. Then Harris goes on to suggest that Hitler may have been a Christian or sympathized with Christianity during one of his speeches in his early years. After reading up on Hitler this was more than obvious that this was not Hitler's true ideas but rather political rhetoric. Here is a private quote that show his true nature.
"The heaviest blow that ever struck humanity was the coming of Christianity. Bolshevism is Christianity's illegitimate child. Both are inventions of the Jew. The deliberate lie in religion was introduced into the world by Christianity. Bolshevism practices a lie of the same nature, when it claims to bring liberty to men, only to enslave them....The decisive falsification of Jesus's doctrine was the word of St. Paul."
He then makes the "Red State/Blue State" argument. Name any city with a high crime rate and you will quickly see that those cities aren't loaded with Republican mayors and Republican city councilmen. Can anyone say Detroit? However this is well besides the point. No Christian should say atheists, in general, are more dangerous than Christians. If they do they don't understand the grace associated with Christianity. And this lead me to my last point.
Harris spends a large amount of time claiming objective morality and the errors of morality in Christianity. However this is where he is weakest. No where does he give an ontological basis for his morality. Harris claims pleasure/pain creates a basis morality. Okay, who's pleasure and who's pain and on what basis am I obligated to concern myself with someone else's nerve endings? There is no basis and this is where his book stinks like rotten eggs. He brings up slavery so I will use slavery as my example. Given atheism where am I obligated to concern myself with the slave.
The point is beyond clear. And for those who were "shocked and awed" by Harris and are no longer "devout" Christians I truly wonder what your definition of devout is?
Short and to the point August 8, 2008
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
I read this in about an hour at my library; it's very short, but gets to the point: the dangers of Christianity, mainly fundamentalism. So Christians, read this! It won't take long, and it'll give you some things to think about.
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