Product Description

A hard-hitting polemic against religious fundamentalism -
Foreword by Richard Dawkins

` Thousands of people have written to tell me that I am wrong not to
believe in God. The most hostile of these communications have come from
Christians. This is ironic, as Christians generally imagine that no faith
imparts the virtues of love and forgiveness more effectively than their
own. The truth is that many who claim to be transformed by Christ's love
are deeply, even murderously, intolerant of criticism. While we may want to
ascribe this to human nature, it is clear that such hatred draws
considerable support from the Bible. How do I know this? The most disturbed
of my correspondents always cite chapter and verse.'
So begins Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris's hard-hitting rebuttal
of religious fundamentalism and blind belief . With deceptively simple
arguments, he demolishes the myths on which Christianity was built,
challenges believers to open their eyes to the contradictions of their
faith and warns us of the dangers of America's ever increasing unification
of Church and State.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3116 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-12
• Binding: Hardcover
• 112 pages

Richard Dawkins
I dare you to read this book ... it will not leave you unchanged. Read it
if it is the last thing you do.

Roger Pemrose
Sam Harris's elegant little book is the most refreshing and
wonderful source of ammunition for those who, like me, hold to no religious
doctrine

Desmond Morris
Sam Harris is a brave, intelligent, clear-sighted author whose brilliant
essay should be read by every adult who has ever believed that a religious
faith can solve the world's problems.

Customer Reviews

Should be read by every Christian without exception
Speaking as a former Christian (and now an ardent secularist), I can say without hesitation that this book should be read by EVERY person who considers themself to be a Christian.

I have bought more copies of this book than any other as I regularly give copies to friends and family members, as I am that confident that their lives would be bettered by considering the issues it raises.

A copy of this book should reside in every hotel room across the Western world.

A succint warning for secularists
Harris had written this book primarily for secularists so as to defend against the threats posed in the U.S. by the Christian Right. Unlike "The End of Faith", he says little about other religions, in particular Islam. This book was shorter and more about what I am familiar with.

Preaching to the choir? Undoubtedly to large extent but unlike "The End of Faith" I do not expect many secularists will feel he is unfairly extreme: this time he seems to be speaking well to address the concerns of many of us including those liberal and moderate Christians (and even conservative Christians) who do not feel well served by the political activities of the Christian Right.

Harris comments that "atheism" isn't any more necessary as a label than having to have "words for people who doubt that Elvis is still alive...". Anti-Elvisians? But would it be rude to the memory of Elvis, who, despite reported problems, was indeed a great performer? I did see and enjoy his movies. Perhaps Elvisism deserves founding, perhaps it already has been. Perhaps I could become a Elvisian apologist. Just show one of the movies or concerts and I'd have no trouble finding believers? Would you join? Pledge? Agree with me that Elvis not only lived but that I could speak for him. And that Elvis did not want your children learning about evolution in public schools. Or maybe gravity.

Foolish? Harris writes toward the end of this book "Clearly, it is time we learned to meet our emotional needs without embracing the preposterous". Harris expresses understanding: he writes that he does not "doubt that your acceptance of Christ may have coincided with positive changes in your life". He expresses no wish to discount those experiences but points out that many people now and before have had what seemed to him similar experiences in many ways, religious and otherwise. But he also believes that such experiences can be misinterpreted as one may do for those of other faiths. Claims that one's own religion is that different seems extraordinary and, as Carl Sagan popularized, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".

I, for one, can see no good reason why I would deny that Elvis lives if credible existence of that existed, especially if it promised me some life after death in Blue Hawaii, an opportunity to frolic with a youthful Ann-Margaret for eternity. I would gladly read the books of Elvisian apologists if I felt uncertain. It would all seem silly if there were not efforts underway at this moment in the U.S. to discredit evolution in public school science textbooks and even to establish a Christian nation with Old Testament laws.

Harris says it far better than I can, he's forceful but succinct (less than 100 pages). He concludes with a list of ten recommended book (I've only read five of them to date) that would make for good next reading steps. You may also consider registering with the Brights' Network (see their web site).

Short. Sharp. Brilliant. Devastating.
It is sometimes said that the pen is the sharpest of weapons when used correctly. In no book I have read has this been more true. This book is a mere 90 very small pages, even slow readers will make it through in a couple of hours, and the arguments are completely devastating all the way through, I was an out-an-out atheist before reading it, and I've always been so, but this book makes the points so well that I almost felt sorry for any true believers reading it, they must be crying when they finish this, but if so, it should be tears of joy and understanding.

Challenge every believer you know to read this book.