Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.98 You Save: $5.97 (46%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $5.95 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Letter to a Christian Nation
Book Review: Listened to the audiobook version...
Summary: 5 Stars
I listened to the audio version of this book, and while I didn't like it as much as Dawkins' The God Delusion, it's a cogent and to-the-point criticism of theism, and primarily Christianity due to the intended audience's bent. I like how Sam Harris has an ability to sharply criticize while remaining affable yet serious.I also like how he tackles a few different subjects that the other atheist best sellers don't touch on as much, such as the abortion issue. I like how he goes right for the anti-choice movement's primary, religion-based arguments, and shows them to be morally bankrupt.
Overall, I liked this book because it's Sam Harris plainly asking the reader/listener to just stop for a minute, find center, and think. Judging by the response books Mr. Harris's book has received - many of which try to ape his success by ripping off his cover and title designs - I think very few people his criticisms are aimed at are interested in listening to what he actually says than pumping out more apologetics to compensate for lost book sales and shelf space.
This is a quick must-read from a clear thinker and advocate.
Book Review: How can you remain religious after reading this?
Summary: 5 Stars
To the person on this board who states that "it is much more logical to believe that God created the world (possible, but not provable) than believe that something (the universe) came from nothing (absolutely impossible)", you are not seeing that this erroneous statement has one major problem - Who created God then? It folllows, quite logically, that the theist who uses this kind of reasoning must believe that God came from nothing, or did someone create him too? Your solution to the universe's complexity just creates a bigger problem than the one we had in the first place.
"A Letter to a Christian Nation" is completely brilliant. How any religious person can remain so after reading this little book is beyond me. And I loved his point that all religious people already know what it is like to be an atheist, for the Christian doesn't believe in tenants of Islam, the Jew does not believe Christ was devine, The Muslim does not believe in Zeus, etc. Religious people - Come on already, take your irrational beliefs one step further!
Book Review: A Must Read For Everyone!
Summary: 5 Stars
Summed up in 90 pages, Sam Harris addresses rising concerns about the dangers of the Christian faith and how the widespread belief in god does not ensure a healthy society.
"Many Western European countries that are non-religious are amongst the most accomplished societies in the world, in terms of life expectancy, literacy, income, education, gender equality, crime rate, and infant mortality. On the other hand, those areas characterized by religious adherence, such as America, are plagued with indicators of social dysfunction: high rate of homicide, abortion, teen pregnancy, STDs, and infant mortality."
Additionally, I enjoyed the section about rejecting the morality of the Bible and how Atheists are the most charitable group of individuals in the world.
Harris recommends ten books for supplemental reading in the appendix, as well including a list of citations used in the writing of his Letter.
A must read for Atheists, Christians, and anyone curious about questioning the Bible.
Book Review: Holy Moley
Summary: 5 Stars
A must read for all Americans with more than a few brain cells. Sam Harris stakes out how crazy our society is for putting so much effort, stock, and energy, into Christian religious beliefs, and how such an enterprise is bad for all of us. Any objective assessment demonstrates that Christian beliefs are a hodge- podge of stories, than in any other context should have as much relevance to society as fairy tails. However so many, who subscribe to these beliefs, force their cherry picked standards from bibles they have not read, from codes that are clearly man- made, in a way that is antithetical to a democratic society. Sam wants Christians to wake up and take a rational look at themselves and lays out the case that they have no more legitimacy to impose their fantastical delusions upon America than any other religious belief system. This little book is a clarion call for everyone who is sick of the Christian right forcing their agenda onto the public discourse.Book Review: Read this book and open your mind.
Summary: 5 Stars
A well-prepared little book with a well-rounded overlook at some fallacies behind religion. Harris tackles issues surrounding religions in the format of a letter. It is a slight book that is quickly read, but don't underestimate the power behind these few words. Harris says, "While believing strongly, without evidence, is considered a mark of madness or stupidity in any other area of our lives, faith in God still holds immense prestige in our society. Religion is the one area of our discourse where it is considered noble to pretend to be certain about things no human being could possibly be certain about." Everyone should read this book. Christians, Muslims, and others should at least be open to considering other ideas before rejecting them. Harris has rejected religion, but he has not done so without great thought. In his summary, he states, "Clearly, it is time we learned to meet our emotional needs without embracing the preposterous."