Book review: Letter to a Christian Nation

June 30, 9:55 PMMinneapolis Atheism ExaminerD. A. Ross

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Letter to a Christian Nation, by Sam Harris

For those who are new to atheism, for those who have been atheists for decades, or for those who are (still) believers, there is now a wealth of atheist literature available at local book stores, which has been steadily increasing in popularity over the last ten years or so. Some of these books are good, some are not as good; some are strikingly profound and witty, while others are dull and dry. To help steer you to the right selection at Half Price Books, I will review a different atheist book each week – books that I feel best extol the virtues of free-thinking and freedom from religion.

This week’s pick is short but sweet, which makes it a great first read for those new to this realm:

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris

In Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris certainly wastes no words, succinctly challenging the long-held Christian beliefs of this nation (to be more precise, the ultra-conservative Christian Right). In his pithy treatise, Harris debates what he considers to be many of the fallacies and flaws of the Christian faith, and the harm, he feels, these beliefs have done to our country. For example, on Christianity’s claim to spawning morality, Harris quotes numerous passages from the Old Testament illustrating God's seemingly utter wrath and hatred for those who do not believe in Him, offering no punishment for non-believers other than death, and juxtaposes those passages with the oft-lauded "Golden Rule" from the New Testament. How can Christianity honestly proselytize, using both justified murder and treating others with respect as their code for morality? This is an obvious logical incongruity and certainly confusing when trying to teach children moral values.

One has to give credit to Harris for doing his homework, as it is clear he spent considerable time with the Good Book before lambasting it (though, as he makes very clear, it is easy to cherry-pick the Bible to find supportive statements for any argument).

Harris certainly makes it difficult for Christians to defend many of the more deplorable aspects of the faith's history, and it seems unlikely he will accept any excuses. Harris obviously knows humans are fallible and prone to mistakes, but what he has no tolerance for is the continued ignorance and lack of progress of Christianity, especially on such issues as condom use and stem-cell research. Harris even argues, on the hot topic of abortion, that (drum roll, please) God is the most prolific abortionist in history, citing the numerous accounts of still-births and naturally-terminated pregnancies as evidence for his claim.

Harris' tone is a trifle smug, arrogant, and, at times, snide (though, certainly not to the degree of fellow atheist writer Christopher Hitchens), which I think may detract from his overall credibility. One can make arguments without resorting to blatant condescension. Perhaps it is just Harris' strong convictions permeating his writing, but as the saying goes, one attracts more flies with honey than vinegar.

(Actually, perhaps Harris has it right, using vinegar to attract more flies than honey, as his book has been read and reviewed by as many Christians as atheists - if not more - despite the obvious hatred he has for Christian beliefs.)

In the end, what Harris is really trying to preach is intellectual reasoning, leading the nation away from antiquated, primitive notions of how the world works. Faith can no longer be tolerated as a motive for one's actions or beliefs, and should be replaced with tangible evidence. Learn to question what you see and hear, and strive to continue learning, rather than accepting that things are the way they are because it is "God's will."

Letter to a Christian Nation is actually a follow-up to Harris’ hypercritical first book The End of Faith, in which Harris essentially calls for a systematic dismantling of all religion. Letter to a Christian Nation is the response Harris wrote to the throngs of angry e-mails he received from Christians upon publication of The End of Faith.

At a mere 100 pages, Letter to a Christian Nation should take but an hour or two to complete, but hopefully the impact of Harris’ message will simmer with the reader for a long time to come.