|
Letter to a Christian Nation | 
| Author: Sam Harris
Publisher: Bantam Press
Category: Book
List Price: £10.00
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Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 4210
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 112
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.2 x 4.6 x 0.8
ISBN: 0593058976
EAN: 9780593058978
ASIN: 0593058976
Publication Date: February 12, 2007
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Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
 A Tribute to Christian Hate Mail November 4, 2008
Brian Griffith (Toronto, Canada)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Here, Harris responds to the thousands of mostly indignant letters he got for writing "The End of Faith". We might assume he is attacking a stereotype of Christianity, as a fanatically intolerant relic of the Dark Ages. But it seems these Christian letter writers really did convince him, quoting chapter and verse, that their religion stands for bigotry.
To me, Harris's letter sounds roughly like an argument between two Americans, one a critical thinker, and the other some kind of super-patriot who actually insists that everything said or done in American history has been God's will, because America is God's country. That would roughly compare to claims of inerrancy for the Bible's vast record of ancient Middle Eastern civilizations.
Harris makes reasonable arguments against the delusions of thinking we speak for God. We would all applaud his efforts if he was a Saudi Arabian or Iranian doing likewise against Islamic fanaticism. Harris knows this, and uses our current fear of Islamists to discredit similarly fanatical Christians. But most Christians and Muslims both will feel he depicts their religions as believed by their stupidest members.
--author of "Different Visions of Love"
 A fantastic critique of a big problem for mankind....RELIGION September 29, 2008
R. Liggett (liverpool)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
A book that did not leave me unchanged....my only concern is that Mr Harris may be the antichrist
Concise and well put Christian Polemic. September 7, 2008
Alex Ireland
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is really suited to someone who wants to get the key arguments against Christianity without having to spend a long time reading something like 'The God Delusion' or 'The End of Faith'. It's very short and could be read in a day or even in a single reading.
Most head-in-the-sand Christians won't read anything that would challenge their faith but I would hope that a simple, short book like this would make that simple task more feasable. By reading this book, a Christians would certainly have some questions and be forced into a bit of thinking. But if their faith is genuine, honest and real why fear this?
Surely they'd come out the other side with a deeper, stronger faith.
I'd certainly applaud Harris for going out of his way for making it as easy as possible for a Christian to challenge their beliefs - a crucial part of any objective thinking.
Harris makes some excellent points. Among them:
1. Four of the most revered Theologians Augustine, Aquainus, Calvin and Luther were mad men who advocated torture and all sorts of hardship.
Does this mean that the Joe average Christian, who one would assume would abhor such perniciousness, can understand scripture better than the most influential thinkers in the history of Christianity?
2. Objections to stem cell research from hardline Christians is preventing research into the most promising science that offers hope to so many cruel and life debilitating ailments.
3. The problem of evil - how could a loving God preside over such a cruel world. Theodicy cannot answer this.
4. The number of world conflicts emanating from regions with disparate religious groups:
- Palestine (Jews V Muslims)
- Balkans (Orthodox Serbians V Catholic Croatians V Bosian Muslims)
- Northern Ireland (Protestants V Catholics)
- Kashmir (Muslim V Hindus)
- Sudan (Muslims V Christians and animists)
- Nigeria (Muslims V Christians)
- Ethiopia (Muslims V Christians)
- Ivory Coast (Muslims V Christians)
- Sri Lanka (Sinhalese Buddhists V Tamil Hindus)
- Philippines (Muslims V Christians)
- Iran and Iraq (Shiite V Sunni Muslims)
- Caucasus (Orthodox Russians V Chechen Muslins, Muslims Azerbaijanis V Catholic and Orthodix Armenians).
It can't all be a coincidence. Surely there's something dangerous about religion that any rational person should be able to observe.
Is the Bible a fail safe guide to morality? It certainly has some extremely disturbing passages such as stoning your bride to death if she is not a virgin.
Is Christianity the number one religion for love and compassion? Even a cursory examination of Jainism would show that not to be the case.
But why are so many Christians adamant they have the moral highground, the truth and pretty much everything you need unless you are one of them?
It really is a great little book.
They thought we could never end slavery... What about religion? August 27, 2008
Mr. Simon C. Blower (England)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is outstanding. The only problem I have with these kind of books, is that they do not give an easy answer to all our problems; unlike another book I know of. As Sam Harris suggests we have a monster problem to face, and the time do something about it is now...
Religious or not, if you care about our world and the people in it, you can start by reading this book.
Should be read by every Christian without exception June 19, 2008
Daniel Grosvenor (Wales)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
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.
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