Thursday, August 19, 2004

The End of Faith

by Sammuel Harris

Here are excerpts from his new book. You can explore more about him and his book at
http://www.samharris.org

"It seems that if our species ever eradicates itself through war, it will not be because it was written in the stars but because it was written in our books; it is what we do with words like "God" and "paradise" and "sin" in the present that will determine our future."

"Tell a devout Christian that his wife is cheating on him, or that frozen yogurt can make you invisible, and he is likely to require as much evidence as anyone else, and to be persuaded only to the extent that you give it. Tell him that the book he keeps by his bed was written by an invisible deity who will punish him with fire for eternity if he fails to accept its every incredible claim about the universe, and he seems to require no evidence whatsoever."

"Our world is fast succumbing to the activities of men and women who would stake the future of our species on beliefs that should not survive an elementary school education. That so many of us are still dying on account of ancient myths is as bewildering as it is horrible, and our own attachement to thse myths, whether moderate or extreme, has kept us silent in the face of developments that could ultimately destroy us. Indeed, religon is as much a living spring of violence today as it was at any time in the past."

You can purchase the book via the link to the left, if you so choose.





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