Letter to a Christian Nation [Import] [Hardcover]

Sam Harris (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Alfred A Knopf (2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0593058976
• ISBN-13: 978-0593058978
• Product Dimensions: 4.8 x 0.6 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,318,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great little book, straight to the point, December 6, 2011

By 

B. Deakin "The Action Geek" (Kernow (Cornwall)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Letter To A Christian Nation (Kindle Edition)

Unlike Harris's earlier book, The End Of Faith, this is very concise and gets straight to the point. After a brief foreword by Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) the remaining 90 or so pages are directed as a rebuttal of religious fundamentalism and blind faith. His arguments are simple and elegant, contrary to what one other reviewer has stated, they are also well rounded. Clearly there will always be disagreement on any title dealing with religion, but I fail to see how anyone can fail to find sense in Harris's words, even if they don't agree with every point. All in all, a great little book - and an easy introduction to the subject for readers who have not yet read The End Of Faith.

Bill Deakin - Author of The Atheist's Guide To The Bible - Evil Bible Quotes

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars logic, September 24, 2007

By 

tahoemom "tahoemom" (tahoe) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Letter to a Christian Nation (Hardcover)

Too bad thoughtful, intelligent, logical thinking isn't more prevalent in this country. I'm so glad atheists are starting to speak out. Religion is not a beneficial or neutral force and this is eloquently and clearly explained by Mr. Harris.

In our professional and social lives, we are forced to 'respect' the magical thinking of others'. This book shows why we should NOT do this, it's a disservice to humanity.

17 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing little book, but lacks objectivity and realism, August 24, 2007

By 

Tom (scotgar @ hotmail.com) (Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letter to a Christian Nation (Hardcover)

I found this book in the library (at the full price of £10.00 it's a rip-off, given that it holds less than 100 pages, and fairly large print). I sat down and read it in one go. Fascinating reading - I was enthralled.

Harris does make some good points. Christians aren't nearly critical enough about their beliefs, and they need to be challenged every now and then about their rigid beliefs, how their views affect others, etc. So, to the extent that this is a challengling little read, then I welcome it. Further, Harris's section on stem-cell research I found wonderfully illuminating, and I believe it has even helped to change my thoughts on the subject. There are other sections which I personally found helpful.

But often, like Dawkins, Harris doesn't seem to attempt to hide his detestation of monotheistic religions, and Christianity in particular. He is too angry for his own good, thus clouding his judgement and weakening his arguments.

Clearly Harris is an atheist fundamentalist of incomparable proportions. He quite openly, and repeatedly (especially in 'The End of Faith', but also in this book) calls out for eradication of religion! In this he sounds frighteningly like the autocratic and intolerant ranting of someone like Stalin, Pol Pot or Hitler.

The book is written in the first person, directly to the Christian believer. Thus Harris tells the reader (who he assumes to be a Christain) what he or she believes. This can be rather presumptous and sometimes simply wrong. At a number of places, I found myself saying - 'No, I don't believe that'. He can tell me what he believes, but Not what every Christain believes.

For example, he spends consideralbe time talking about 'criminal' attitudes of 'Christians', such as their shunning of birth control, etc. Here, he completely fails to mention that the majority of the world's Christian believers (hundreds of millions of evangelicals and and many, many Catholics, too) have no aversion to the use of condoms etc. It is simply not an issue to them.

One very notable aspect of the book is that, numerous times when Harris seeks to provide evidence of religion being intolerant, or violent, etc - he gives NO examples from Christianity, but instead makes reference to Islamic thought and Islamic terrorist activities! These are referred to again and again. Yet this is a book supposedly aimed at 'a Christian Nation'. In these instances, Harris is completely unable to find Any parallels in Christianity. To say that this weakens his overall argument is an understatement! It becomes rather farcical. His book might better be called 'Letter to an Islamic Nation'.

In any case, even when Harris does succeed in pinpointing a less than honourable incident from 'Christian' history - e.g. the Crusades of a Millennium ago - this simply goes to show how Un-Christian such an act was - contrary to the teaching and spirit of Christ. To show that Christians - assuming they were Christians, because calling yourself a Christian doesn't, in itself, make you one - have done wrong - in no way proves that Christianity itself is wrong. It only shows that mankind is prone to wrongdoing, which is precisely a root teaching of Christianity (which also teaches that it is solely through dying to self in Christ that we can conquer that fleshly nature). In no way, unfortunately, does being a Christian, of itself make believers immune to wrongdoing.

There are many good points in this book, and I'm glad I read it. But Harris's overt bias and lack of sound reasoning make this little book impossible to take on board. Far worse, the author seems completely unaware that a world with no-one but atheists would by no means be a peaceful one (how naive to even think it!). Man is greedy and power-lusting and, despite his intelligence, often foolish. Atheism is unable to quench these base natures. The teachings and Spirit of Christ, on the other hand, speak directly and constantly to these human failings. A world with a universal atheistic worldview - full of fundamentalist ahteists like Dawkins or Harris - would surely be hell on earth. Besides, it is absurd to think that it will ever happen. Man is a spiritual being with a natural propensity to believe in 'something out there'. Always has been, and, I believe, always will be