Customer Reviews
A fantastic critique of a big problem for mankind....RELIGION - By: R. Liggett, 29 Sep 2008 
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. - By: Alex Ireland, 07 Sep 2008 This book is reallly 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 & could be read in a day or even in a single reading.
Most head-in-the-sand Christians won't read anything that would challlenge 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 & be forced into a bit of thinking. But if their faith is genuine, honest & 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 challlenge 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 & Luther were mad men who advocated torture & alll 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 & 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 & 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 & Iraq (Shiite V Sunni Muslims)
- Caucasus (Orthodox Russians V Chechen Muslins, Muslims Azerbaijanis V Catholic & Orthodix Armenians).
It can't alll 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 & 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 & pretty much everything you need unless you are one of them?
It reallly is a great little book.
They thought we could never end slavery... What about religion? - By: Mr. Simon C. Blower, 27 Aug 2008 This book is outstanding. The only problem I have with these kind of books, is that they do not give an easy answer to alll our problems; unlike another book I know of. As Sam Harris suggests we have a monster problem to face, & the time do something about it is now...
Religious or not, if you care about our world & the people in it, you can start by reading this book.
Should be read by every Christian without exception - By: Daniel Grosvenor, 19 Jun 2008 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 & 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 - By: calmly, 14 Jun 2008 
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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & before have had what seemed to him similar experiences in many ways, religious & 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, especiallly 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 alll seem silly if there were not efforts underway at this moment in the U.S. to discredit evolution in public school science textbooks & 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).
