Member Reviews

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  1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 2 stars

  “While I share Harris' view of history as often defined by the battles, either violently or verbally expressed between those claiming to speak for God, I find his inability to separate spirituality or a belief in some higher force from his negative projection of the word God, and so he presents the kind of argument typical of those whose intellect and spirituality in opposition. It’s a typical limited response by the kind of intellects or neuroscientists who seem to need to hold such black and white beliefs. I must admit that I also found the writing spotty and repetitive, so at a certain point I began skipping towards the end, finding little I had not gleaned in earlier chapters. He demonstrated the capacity to do so in his "Letter to a Christian Nation," which at 112 pages gets to the point right away and credits us with the ability to get it without overkill.”

  Sally F wrote this review Saturday, November 3 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 5 stars

  “The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason is one of those books that readers will either absolutely love or absolutely detest. This book takes a serious look at the side effects of religious beliefs both in the past and in the present (with a focus on terrorist activities including 9/11). In these examinations, the author notes that belief, intolerance, and violence seem to be perpetually intertwined.
  
  I think most individuals would agree that much pain and suffering has been done in the name of religious belief, both in the past and in modern times. Of course, while many people find it easy to point to other religions as perpetrators of violent acts, they find it almost impossible to see that their own beliefs are just as potentially dangerous. I don't know if I agree with the author's opinion that the only way to solve this deadly dilemma is to get rid of religion entirely. I can see the potential for any system filling this void as having the same explosive potential as people seek questions that aren't explained by this new set of beliefs. It's definitely not a simple question and definitely something that each one of us needs to explore in detail.
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  Dr. Tami Brady wrote this review Sunday, September 2 2007. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )
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  1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 5 stars

  “This book is brilliant, articulate and well-reasoned. All thinking people should read this.”

  raimster wrote this review Sunday, November 26 2006. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “This books delves into the rightness of religious belief, supernaturalism in particular. And it shows an ugly scene - religious extremism is widespread and much of our world's hurt can be traced directly to it.
  
  The author shows that religion is not a benign force - so often it is detrimental to world peace and happiness. The author's observations do not just apply to Osama Bin Laden and his ilk, but also to President Bush and like-minded evangelical Christians. ”

  Lilian Chisca wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “Although I don't share Harris's pessimism about religion in general, he does draw some pretty compelling links to certain believers specifically. An eye opening book.
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  Michael T wrote this review Tuesday, September 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “Although I recommend this book and although Harris makes an important point on past and present religious terror, he does fail in one point, known in theological circles as "The Problem of Evil." How can evil exist if God is all-powwerful and all-lovng? either "he" is not powerful or he is not loving. Harris thinks this issue is settled. It is, but not in his favor. We are called to love. In order to do so we must be able to not love .. to even commit atrocities against love. That can lead to evil. Having said this, I do not think that God gives a rat's ___ if people believe in him or not. What is important is that we live a life of love. Faith is not intellectual assent to someone's doctrine.”

  Yogarific wrote this review Saturday, August 16 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “Sam Harris is a self-admitted atheist, but this book is not about atheism. It is about the destructive nature of religion in the Twenty-first Century and how it affects terrorism, government and culture. Harris calls for more open discussion about religion and an end to the political correctness of the subject. Whether you are religious or not, it is a very well-written, engaging book that should change your perspectives on religious acceptance and the dangers of Fundamentalism. ”

  Scott D wrote this review Friday, August 15 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “A great criticism of religion in general and the dangers it can pose.”

  Jason F wrote this review Tuesday, July 15 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “Difficult to read but very interesting though. He speaks out what many of us think but not dare to talk about. Very brave, especially when you live in the midst of puritans. Great book!”

  mackie wrote this review Sunday, June 29 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “Fantastic book, Sam Harris is great. I didn't find it 'blunt' or 'hard hitting' at all, but then again, I don't really mind people challenging my ideas and beliefs. I think this is a book that most open-minded religious people can read without getting offended or upset - although 'open-minded' and 'religious' don't often go hand in hand, so I guess that's a small group.”

  tubesocksandals wrote this review Tuesday, June 17 2008. ( reply | permalink )