Letter to a Christian Nation

Harris makes one specious argument after another, oblivious to his dubious assumptions. The most glaring mistake: His assertion that the Bible contradicts itself about how to get to heaven. He claims the Bible says in places that keeping the law is required but elsewhere only faith in Jesus saves. How many Christians did he have review the book before it was published? He's right about his claim, but didn't realize that he was staring not a contradiction, but rather the gospel, in the face. He missed that you could in theory be justified by works, but since no one in reality lives a life without sin, the only practical solution is forgiveness through faith in Christ. Harris holds a secular humanistic presupposition, which he uses to support his arguments, for example that the first four of The Ten Commandments are not related to what he calls morality. He oversimplifies history, ignoring the commuting of sentences the trade-off of slavery vs. other options for captured attackers. This skewed perspective underpins his case against the Old Testament law. Harris assumes God does not work through practical means, in particular those that can be scientifically observed. Anything short of a giant hand reaching down from the sky he regards as essentially outside of God's domain. The more complicated view, but the one actually true to the doctrine attempts to refute, that it is right for God to be both pleased and angry, to judge with blessing and cursing, and to do so through rather ordinary means because he controls whatever detail he so chooses - this level of sophistication is entirely beyond the scope of the book. Only fairly simple issues, such as problems with Roman Catholicism and Islam were covered well. Too bad, because proving a thoughtful rebuttal to the claims of religion, especially Christianity, were the purpose of the book - a purpose left unfulfilled.

Opinionated. He talks about things he doesn't really understand and confuse everyone thinking that peace would be achieved through atheism. Bet if everyone reads this, the world will all the more be worse than it is today. Just saying.

Hard Truths about religion in the world of today. Brilliant mastery of research and speech give no doubt on the work put into writing this book. You need an open mind.