Letter to a Christian Nation

"Letter to a Christian Nation" by Sam Harris is a concise, impassioned pamphlet detailing many arguments against religion. Billing itself as a response to the intolerant response that he received to his first book "The End of Faith," the small book is one ...of the strongest of the "New Atheist" writings. Harris is considered one of the "New Atheists," along with scientist Richard Dawkins and journalist Christopher Hitchens. All three argue for a more muscular, activist movement represented non-believers. Out of the three, I find Harris to be the strongest writer and thinker. Unlike Hitchens, who seems enamored of his own words, and Dawkins, whose egotism seems to overwhelm his writing, Harris takes a back-seat from his subject (a note- I have not extensively read Dawkins, but have formed my opinion from opinion pieces and articles). No less passionate then his counterparts, he shows more nuance in a movement that often lacks subtlety. For all of its flaws, I think this movement is deeply important, as the number of non-believers are increasing and find themselves seeking voices to articulate their feelings and furthermore, seeking to find a place in a world often hostile to them. His argument is for the most part compelling, arguing that one can be a good, moral person and contribute positively to society without believing in religion. His main target is Christianity and makes some compelling arguments against the uniqueness of Christian beliefs and morality. However, I do not agree with how far he goes in arguing against religion totally, especially his belief that moderates in religions give cover to fundamentalists and extremists. A strong, excellent work.