This morning I read Sam Harris' new book, Letter to a Christian Nation. For those of you who don't know Mr. Harris, he is tha author of the NYT best seller, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason.
Letter to a Christian Nation, also a NYT best seller, was written in response to thousands of emails he received from people telling him he was wrong not to believe in God. Although End of Faith focuses on all religions, the most hostile communications came from Christians. Ironic that a religion that is supposedly based on the virtues of love and forgiveness fosters individuals with such hatred towards any criticism of there belief.
I found both of Sam's books both enlightening and depressing. I have been a non believer for many years and, even though I was always amazed that intelligent people could buy into man made religions, I felt that they were just brain washed as children (as I was) and that most of them were harmless. The relatively recent aboration of Islamic fanaticism and terrorism and the meteoric rise of the Religious Right in our own country and its intrusion into our government and businesses has changed my mind. When I look at the percentages of people in this world who believe in some form of this nonsense and who are ready to defend their beliefs to the death I am extremely concerned.
Mr. Harris' books can enlighten you with excellent research and logic and perhaps make a small difference in trying to stop this dangerous trend.
The fact that these books have made it to the top few places on the best seller list means a fair number of people have read them. One can only hope.
BTW, How about that Ted Haggard! A Christian Evangelical leader having gay sex (not that there's anything wrong with that) and buying crystal methamphetamine (of course he threw the meth away and didn't use it.)
Paul
Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation
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Paul Tjaden
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Re: Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation
I'll have to pick that book up--thanks for the recommendation.Paul Tjaden wrote:This morning I read Sam Harris' new book, Letter to a Christian Nation. For those of you who don't know Mr. Harris, he is tha author of the NYT best seller, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason.
Letter to a Christian Nation, also a NYT best seller, was written in response to thousands of emails he received from people telling him he was wrong not to believe in God. Although End of Faith focuses on all religions, the most hostile communications came from Christians. Ironic that a religion that is supposedly based on the virtues of love and forgiveness fosters individuals with such hatred towards any criticism of there belief.
I found both of Sam's books both enlightening and depressing. I have been a non believer for many years and, even though I was always amazed that intelligent people could buy into man made religions, I felt that they were just brain washed as children (as I was) and that most of them were harmless. The relatively recent aboration of Islamic fanaticism and terrorism and the meteoric rise of the Religious Right in our own country and its intrusion into our government and businesses has changed my mind. When I look at the percentages of people in this world who believe in some form of this nonsense and who are ready to defend their beliefs to the death I am extremely concerned.
Mr. Harris' books can enlighten you with excellent research and logic and perhaps make a small difference in trying to stop this dangerous trend.
The fact that these books have made it to the top few places on the best seller list means a fair number of people have read them. One can only hope.
BTW, How about that Ted Haggard! A Christian Evangelical leader having gay sex (not that there's anything wrong with that) and buying crystal methamphetamine (of course he threw the meth away and didn't use it.)
Paul
Being an agnostic myself, I too am very suspect of most organized populist religions. However, I firmly believe in the right of religion as a fundamental exercise in freedom of beliefs--and is as essential as any freedom of speech. I also believe that where religion goes wrong is when the "our way or the highway" mentality becomes pervasive--in other words, unless you see God (OUR God) as we do, you are a sinner and must be either be brought into the fold or, in extreme cases, be exterminated as an enemy of God.
I believe that the latter interpretation--as is gaining widespread popularity with the fundamentalist Islamic factions all over the world and occassionally embraced by Christian extremists (even Hitler thought he was doing the bidding of a vengeful God) really is exemplary of man's tendancy to interpret God in man's image--and really serving man's purposes. Thus the ultimate sin of killing your fellow man is not only justified--but is really doing God's will.
If you haven't yet seen it--get the fantastic movie "Kingdom of Heaven" directed by Ridley Scott--who also directed "Gladiator." One of the best movies I've seen in the past 5 years--and has some very timely commentary on the nature of religion and man's belief system's.
I'm something of an idealist and believe that most religion--and practioners-- have good intentions--and that a doctrine based on death ultimately will fail.
marc
Great Googly-moo!
)Well, I just got back from giving a hang gliding talk to 3 classes of 1st graders at a local elementary school. Before going outside to where I had Rich's Falcon set up, I told them what it was like to hang glide. These kids were eating it up. At one point I was talking about just how high you can get on a hang glider. One of the little girls asked if I had seen God when I was flying. Naturally, I told her that God is everything, so yup, I saw God. Heck, maybe we'll get more pilots into the sport from the Christian right if the word gets out.
Christy
Christy