Without exploring the depths and meanings of Nietzsche's philosophy, I will keep this review succinct. This was my introduction to the writings of NieWithout exploring the depths and meanings of Nietzsche's philosophy, I will keep this review succinct. This was my introduction to the writings of Nietzsche, and I found it to be profoundly insightful, witty, clever, eloquent; and at times obtuse, long-winded, and cynical; but undeniably brilliant. Nietzsche explores a vast array of topics, from war and friendship to Christianity and his seeming infatuation with dance.
Editor and translator Walter Kaufmann also provides an excellent preface and introduction, providing background information about who Nietzsche was, as well as ample analyses of most of the included writings. I am looking forward to re-reading this and exploring the essays and full works in more detail....more
I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it fell flat in many respects. I think Ehrman's writing suffers from his being an academic, which keptI wanted to like this book more than I did, but it fell flat in many respects. I think Ehrman's writing suffers from his being an academic, which kept me from truly immersing myself in the material. A lot of his arguments -- though fascinating and thought-provoking -- are, at times, clearly speculative, and he tends to repeat himself. This book likely could have been reduced to a 20 page essay and been just as effective.
Nonetheless, a worthy read for those looking to delve into the historical (in)accuracies of the Bible and the times of Jesus, and how the stories were shaped over the span of 15 centuries....more
It comes as no surprise that this book (and books of its ilk) continues to receive such disparate reviews, as it either conforms to one's worldview, oIt comes as no surprise that this book (and books of its ilk) continues to receive such disparate reviews, as it either conforms to one's worldview, or it differs drastically. With that said, it took me some time to finally pen a review of my own - having read it a few weeks ago - because I wanted to do my best to take an objective approach to the material and give as unbiased an opinion as possible (something I think more reviewers should at least TRY to do).
In Letter to a Christian Nation, a rebuttal, of sorts, directed to the throngs of angry readers of his previous book The End of Faith, Sam Harris wastes no words, succinctly challenging the long-held Christian beliefs of this nation (to be more precise, the ultra-conservative Christian Right). In this pithy treatise, Harris debates what he considers to be many of the fallacies of the Christian faith, such as morality, by citing direct passages from the Bible, and pointing out their less-than-favorable intentions. Harris is often found quoting passages that demonstrate God's seemingly utter wrath and hatred of those who do not believe in Him, offering no punishment or tolerance for non-believers other than death, and juxtaposes it with the oft-lauded "Golden Rule." How can Christianity proselytize with both justified murder and treating others with respect? This is an obvious logical incongruity.
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 their 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 God is the most prolific abortionist in history, citing the numerous accounts of still-births and naturally-terminated pregnancies.
Harris' tone might be construed as smug, arrogant, and at times snide in nature (though, not to the degree of fellow "Four Horsemen" Christopher Hitchens), which could 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 accept that things are the way they are because it's "God's will."
Believe what you will, Letter to a Christian Nation is well-written, beautifully concise and should (though, unlikely will) challenge one's thoughts on the merits of the Christian religion. It will probably not sway you one direction or the other, but Harris will definitely be there to give you that extra little push....more
David Mills, a soft-spoken, southern gentleman, Baptist-turned-atheist, seems an unlikely boxer in the heated battle over the existence of God, but hiDavid Mills, a soft-spoken, southern gentleman, Baptist-turned-atheist, seems an unlikely boxer in the heated battle over the existence of God, but his good-natured attitude serves his writing well, the reason for which Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person’s Answer to Christian Fundamentalism may be the most accessible of all atheist literature.
Having been a pious, devout religious follower in his youth, Mills is incredibly well-versed in both sides of the “to believe” or “not to believe” argument. The answers provided by science were ultimately far more compelling for the young Mills, rather than the witches and dragon stories of the Bible (Mills provides over a dozen Biblical references to witches, dragons, unicorns and other L. Ron Hubbard-inspired creatures). This change of worldview has led Mills on a quest to disprove nearly every conceivable argument for the existence of God.
Each chapter of Atheist Universe is devoted to a different scientific and religious question – from reconciling Genesis with science and the origins of the universe, to the numerous purported miracles that “prove” God’s meddling in human life – giving Mills a chance to demonstrate his sharp understanding of physics, evolution, astronomy and philosophical reasoning. Mills does an excellent job dismantling the more preposterous claims of Christianity, providing clear, solid logic and supportive evidence for the argument of science.
Here are a few of the issues addressed by Mills:
• Early Christians, in seeking the establishment of a legal holiday for Christ’s birth, chose December 25 – the pagan celebration of the winter solstice under the Julian calendar. For astronomical reasons, the calendar was eventually revised by Pope Gregory XIII, moving the winter solstice to December 21, but Christians kept December 25 as the day Jesus escaped the virgin birth canal.
• The Hebrews adopted many customs and myths from their Babylonian captors. Among the plagiarized myths were Creation Story (i.e., the Babylonian "Adam and Eve") and the Epic of Gilgamesh (i.e., the Babylonian "Noah").
• The Gospels of Matthew and Luke offer glaringly different genealogies of Jesus, starting from his father, Joseph, going back to King David. According to Matthew, there are roughly 26 generations between Christ and David, whereas Luke claims some 41. Besides raising the issue of historical accuracy, this noteworthy discrepancy also begs the question: if Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, how could He possibly have a paternal lineage through Joseph?
Mills loses steam towards the end, starting with the myth of Hell, followed by a brief tangent on the “dangers” of internet porn, but he still manages to posit several solid arguments right up to the book’s conclusion.
Sprinkled within Atheist Universe are humorous quotes from (in)famous atheists throughout history, such as A.A. Milne, creator of Winnie the Pooh, saying, “The Old Testament is responsible for more atheism, agnosticism, disbelief – call it what you will – than any book ever written,” and writer Kurt Vonnegut stating, “The study of anthropology confirmed my atheism, which was the faith of my fathers anyway. Religions were exhibited and studied as the Rube Goldberg inventions I’d always thought they were.”
Perhaps not a tour-de-force of writing, Atheist Universe will still provide atheists with plenty of ammunition against the arguments made by Christian believers, forcing Christians to re-think their position on many key issues of their faith. ...more
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