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January 07, 2007
Sam Harris on AlterNet.
In attempt to destroy not only Christianity, but all religious belief save his own--God bless that tolerance which violently attacks intolerance--Sam Harris attacks and, in my opinion, primarily attacks Christianity.
In his second book, "Letter to a Christian Nation," Harris says "civilians must evolve past churchgoing to 'modern spiritual practice'." Harris considers the virgin-birth a "sham." (link) He is "disdainful of 'wasting time' on Jesus." (link) AlterNet, in this story (found here), quotes Harris from his first book as saying,
"Society should demote Christian, Muslim and Jewish belief to an embarressment that 'disgraces anyone who would claim it'." (link)
Harris believes the world is "crazed by religion." (link) Harris believes, or says he believes, that it is time Americans stop "tolerating belief in the Rapture, the Resurrection and anything else not grounded in evidence." (Emphasis Mine; link) To which statement the only proper response might be: Americans should stop believing in Harris.
Now it seems clear to me that if Harris is so convinced Christianity is wrong, then surely he has an alternative equally compelling. At least, one would hope so. And in this Harris does not disappoint us. But what is this alternative for our Christianity which is ungrounded in evidence?
Harris offers, as an alternative to Jesus, "a menu of messiahs. There is Shankara, an avatar of the god Shiva whose water pot could stop floods." (link) Although one wonders if Shankara is so much better than Jehovah why didn't he stop the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina? Perhaps he was asleep? Or, maybe he was just angry with America? Continuing on, "there is Buddha and his 8th-century successor Padmasambhava. After materializing on a lotus leaf at age 8,"--Paddy, as he is affectionately known--"cast a spell that changed his friend into a tiger." (link)
Considering his raving for a religion which is only "grounded in evidence," I scarcely see why Americans have not cast off their "crazy" Christian ways and joined Harris in prostrating themselves before Paddy; who is so evidently obvious that, if he were a tiger, he might have bit us.
Harris, according to the article (link), "has picked and chosen what he likes from a religion." "Like any religious moderate." And the best parallel I can imagine is this. "Dr. Pancreas, being a scientific moderate, has done what they all do. He has picked and chosen what he likes from the laws of physics. Why just the other day," the story might go, "I saw him, with brilliant disregard for gravity, step off a ten-story building."
But unfortunately, the story would end there.
"Meditation, he says, will drive out whatever it is 'that leads you to lie to people or be intrinsically selfish." (link)
Now if this were true, I would meditate every single minute. For I am abominably selfish, and a notorious liar. Unfortunately, Mr. Harris does not heed his own advice. For when commenting on toture--which he supports--he says,
"'We should say we don't do it. We should say it's reprehensible.' And then do it anyway, he says." (link)
To claim views like this, which are obviously superior to Christianity, Sam Harris must be very enlightened indeed.
mOros | By Carl | 01:04 AM
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