Sam Harris wrote this book as a direct rebuttal to the religious backlash following his previous work. He addresses a demographic of American believers, arguing that faith in the divinity of the Bible is intellectually indefensible and socially dangerous. Harris examines specific scriptural passages regarding morality, sexuality, and the afterlife to demonstrate contradictions between religious dogma and scientific fact. He highlights how religious conviction influences public policy, specifically regarding embryonic stem-cell research, contraception, and the teaching of evolutionary biology in public schools.
This text attracts readers interested in secular humanism, atheism, and the separation of church and state. Those who find religious influence on legislation problematic use Harris’s logic to sharpen their own rhetorical stance against dogmatic arguments. The reader walks away with a repertoire of counterpoints regarding the historical inaccuracies of scripture and the specific ways that faith-based reasoning differs from empirical evidence. It provides a toolkit for engaging in debate with theists by using their own foundational texts to question the validity of organized religion.
Clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Evidence Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2006
- Language
- EN
