I picked up a rather interesting book from the library today. It's called Letter To A Christian Nation.
I was reading through Christianity Today magazine, which I don't normally read - but they had a couple of interesting articles, and then I saw that there was a book that came out by an atheist, and then a subsequent book as a response to the criticism and threats that he received from Christians. I knew right then that I had to read it. Thankfully the library had one out of three copies available, and I picked it up.
I've only read the first chapter so far, and it certainly makes for interesting reading. The author, Sam Harris, exhibits some of the same snobbish, eltist type of characteristics as another atheist, Richard Dawkins, (I was not surprised to find out that Dawkins wrote the foreword to the second edition of this book that came out this year) but he does have some good points so far. I think it's important for Christians to: (1) read, first and foremost. Too many Christians and people I know don't read anything, and I think that's a shame; and (2) read books and literature that present other, even opposing, points of view. I would recommend that for every "Darwin's Black Box" and "The Case For Christ" that you read, that you would also read "The End Of Faith" and "The God Delusion".
Here is the very interesting first paragraph from "Letter To A Christian Nation":
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Since the publication of my first book, The End of Faith, thousands of people have written to tell me that I am wrong not to believe in God. The most hostile of these communications have come from Christians. This is ironic, as Christians generally imagine that no faith imparts the virtues of love and forgiveness more effectively than their own. The truth is that many who claim to be transformed by Christ's love are deeply, even murderously, intolerant of criticism. While we may want to ascribe this to human nature, it is clear that such hatred draws considerable support from the Bible. How do I know this? The most disturbed of my correspondents always cite chapter and verse.
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Wow.
2 comments:
Wow is right.
I can't say that totally surprises me. Sadly, it seems that we use the Bible as a weapon "to prove others wrong"
I think the first book would be interesting to read also to see what he has to say and what my own personal reaction to him would be.
I think he has some good points so far - especially the stem cell debate. He asks why Christians think it's okay to let a seven-year-old girl burn victim die but a ten-cell plastocyte (stem cells) has to "live".
Interesting.
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