Letter to a Christian Nation

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[[File:Letter to a Christian Nation.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Front cover of an edition of ''Letter to a Christian Nation''.]]
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'''''Letter to a Christian Nation''''' ({{Isbn|9780307265777}}) is a 2006 book, in essay form, by [[Sam Harris]], to serve as rhetorical ammunition against the arguments of [[Christianity]] — specifically, to refute the inaccuracies, inadequacies, and inconsistencies of [[America]]n religious [[fundamentalist]]s (i.e., the [[Christian Right]])  and is a response to criticism to his earlier book, ''The End of Faith''.

Given the timeframe, being post-[[9/11]] and during the second term of the [[George W. Bush]] administration, many of the arguments are directed at the hot-button issues of that period in history when [[compassionate conservatism]] was in heavy practice.

==Rhetoric==
In the beginning, Harris employs the use of binary [[logic]] to set up his assertions: for example, either the [[Bible]] is true, or it isn't; either [[Jesus]] is the savior of mankind or he isn't; either Christianity is the one true path to [[God]] or it isn't. While this set-up approaches [[false dilemma]], it is, in fact, the very same argument that [[theology|theologians]] would use, save that theologians don't recognize the possibilities of "isn't" in either case. In his preface as well as his first paragraphs, he explains that his argument is not directed towards the religious [[liberal]] or even the religious [[moderate]], but the religious [[conservative]]. More to the point — religious liberals/moderates offer up the ''possibilities'' of a spectrum of belief systems, whereas [[atheism]] and fundamentalism are mutually exclusive. Harris does not want a spectrum; he wants the debate to be over, with a clear winner and loser.{{fact}}

{{cquote|I have little doubt that liberals and moderates find the eerie certainties of the Christian Right to be as troubling as I do. It is my hope, however, that they will also begin to see that the respect they demand for their own religious beliefs gives shelter to extremists of all faiths… Even the most progressive faiths lend tacit support to the religious divisions in our world.|||Sam Harris<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Xw14RMGkLc0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=letter+to+a+christian+nation&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjsxvzJ1tnKAhWmsYMKHT0WAjQQ6AEIMDAA#v=onepage&q=letter%20to%20a%20christian%20nation&f=false ''Letter to a Christian Nation'', "Note to the Reader".]</ref>}}

Harris uses Bible quotes to show the target Christian the insanity or inanity of Christian beliefs, quoting passages that he assumes the average Christian has probably not read to show that their [[morality]] is not based in the [[Scripture]]s — for if it were, they would be killing friends and family members for [[blasphemy]] and [[apostasy]], delighting in the [[Spanish Inquisition]] and trading in [[slavery|slaves]], including one's own daughters (as in {{bible|Exodus|21|7-11}}).

He makes comparisons to other religions, such as [[Islam]] and [[Jainism]], whom both he and the fundamentalist Christian would ridicule, to show that Christianity is equally deserving of the aforementioned ridicule — but not before noting that some religions are inherently less violent than others; e.g., if Jainism is inherently less violent and judgmental than Christianity, then how can the Bible be the definitive guide to [[ethics|ethical]] conduct?{{fact}}

He blames fundamentalist Christianity for a lack of a [[consistent life ethic]], which not only prevents medical breakthroughs (particularly in regards to [[stem cell research]] and HPV [[vaccines]]) but also promotes [[death]] in undeveloped nations as well as [[pro-life|infringing upon the rights of pregnant mothers]] everywhere.{{fact}}

==See also==
*[[The United States as a Christian nation|The provocation]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [[Special:Booksources/0-307-26577-3|ISBN 0-307-26577-3]]
* ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=PTVEmEjwP7UC&printsec=frontcover&dq=letter+to+a+christian+nation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=y_g5T9KpCcrO2wWE1qixCg&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=letter%20to%20a%20christian%20nation&f=false Letter to a Christian Nation]'' on Google Books

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[[Category:Books]]

Categories: Atheism, Books