Letter to a Christian Nation in Atheists and Skeptics

Nov 05, 2007 Steve rated it it was amazing

Shelves: atheism, favorites, non-fiction

I agree with other reviewers that there are no new or surprising arguments here. He goes over ground which is thoroughly familiar to those who think critically of religion. What makes the book so worthwhile is not, therefore, any (ahem) great revelations.

What I found thrilling about this book, as an atheist of 50 years, was the startling, forceful simplicity, directness, beauty, and artistry with which he made his points. Consider one quote: "If the Bible is an ordinary book, and Christ an ordin ...more

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Oct 02, 2007 Obscuranta Hideypants added it

Shelves: readanddisliked

In his later work, Letter to a Christian Nation, Harris takes up Christianity and the Bible directly. It is notable, however, that Harris never discusses Christians or the “Christian world” with the same language that he directs against Muslims.

There is an incredible level of dishonesty involved here. Even if one were to accept Harris’ premises—that it is primarily religions belief that is responsible for acts of violence—one must, if looking at the situation objectively, conclude that the most In his later work, Letter to a Christian Nation, Harris takes up Christianity and the Bible directly. It is notable, however, that Harris never discusses Christians or the “Christian world” with the same language that he directs against Muslims.

There is an incredible level of dishonesty involved here. Even if one were to accept Harris’ premises—that it is primarily religions belief that is responsible for acts of violence—one must, if looking at the situation objectively, conclude that the most dangerous force in the world is the United States, propelled by the Christian fundamentalism that permeates the entire American government, and particularly the Bush administration, which has taken great strides in the direction of theocracy. After all, the number of people killed by the US in the course of the war in Iraq by itself dwarfs the number killed in the attacks of September 11.

This dishonesty is particularly repugnant coming from someone claiming to be a scientist (Harris, according to the biography on the cover of his book, is currently working on a doctorate in neuroscience by “studying the neurological basis of belief, disbelief, and uncertainty”), as it flagrantly disregards any observance of the scientific method. Harris tends to leave out any evidence that does not lead to the conclusions he prefers to draw.

However, Harris’ principal targets are Muslims, largely because this focus provides a rationale for American foreign policy. In his Letter to a Christian Nation Harris makes statements, to take a couple of examples, that “insofar as there is a crime problem in Western Europe, it is largely the product of immigration. Seventy percent of the inmates of France’s jails, for instance, are Muslims,” he writes (pp. 43-44). Thus we are to conclude that Muslims in France are a bunch of criminals, and Harris says nothing about the repression and racism directed against the Muslim population and encouraged by the French government.

Later we read, “Throughout Europe, Muslim communities often show little inclination to acquire the secular and civil values of their host countries, and yet they exploit these values to the utmost, demanding tolerance for their misogyny, their anti-Semitism, and the religious hatred that is regularly preached in their mosques. Forced marriages, honor killings, punitive gang rapes, and a homicidal loathing of homosexuals are now features of an otherwise secular Europe, courtesy of Islam.” This is just a repetition of the chauvinist and racist ideology of the extreme right in Europe.

A call for reason is indeed needed at this time—perhaps more than ever before—but the tendencies expressed by Harris do not constitute this call. ...more

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Jul 18, 2009 Ash rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, spirituality

An exceptional critique of religion in general and Christianity in particular. At points Harris can really be biting, but he is never petty. When critics complain of him being "shrill", what they are alluding to are very direct and effective arguments that cut to the core of religious faith. Harris simply does not give permission to believe in things for which there is no evidence or to deny things for which there is a great deal of it. Many people of faith expect such permission and Harris does ...more

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Nov 19, 2009 Coyle rated it liked it

Not even sure where to start with this one...
Let's see, the pros:
Harris does a wonderful job of highlighting real problems in religion in general and Christianity in particular, both present and historical. Christians in fact have been and can be violent, close-minded, oppressive, and morally reprehensible.
Harris is likewise eloquent and passionate, in an age when both are fairly uncommon. He also has a clear grasp on the important issues, and rarely gets lost in the non-essentials.

The cons:
Y ...more

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Jul 13, 2007 Krishan rated it liked it

Shelves: science-math-and-philosophy

Letter to a Christian Nation falls short of the high
mark Harris set for himself in The End of Faith.
Here he makes the same case as in that book, specifically directed toward Christians in the US.
My main problem with Letter is that Harris continually refers to ridiculous statistics about the beliefs of Americans. Harris cites Gallup polls that "reveal that 53% of Americans are actually creationists". I suppose that one could interpret these statistics that way. But I think that the real truth is ...more

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Feb 29, 2008 Keith rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction

This book provides a great definition of Atheism:

"The entirety of atheism is contained in this response. Atheism is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply an admission of the obvious. In fact, "atheism" is a term that should not even exist. No one ever needs to identify himself as a "non-astrologer" or a "non-alchemist". We do not have words for people who doubt that Elvis is still alive or that aliens have traversed the galaxy only to molest ranchers and their cattl ...more

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Jan 17, 2008 Richard rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Beautifully written, impeccably logical, calmly soft-spoken.

Almost an ode to Reason, not unlike Carl Sagan's The Demon Haunted World, but more concise and more specifically focused on religion. ...more

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