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Tanja Berg's Reviews > The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
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I was a bit surprised to find an atheist author that I had not read. This one gives moderate religious people a good bashing. It's quite interesting how much respect we endow on people of faith, regardless of what fait, or how ludicrous the content of their holy books. Of course, I am one of those respectful ones. What else could I be, if I want to keep my family?
It's also quite astonishing that many people don't know the atrocities described in these books, and how many insist every word is true. For all our sakes, I hope reason will replace religion and that soon.
Thankfully I live in one of the most unreligious countries of the world, Norway, but even here we *must* respect everyone's religious opinions. Plus a lot of government support is issued to religious institutions, which in some cases, means direct terrorist support. I had a friend who organized his own religion, the believers of Pi (3.14...) and had a massive party with the sum granted for a good number of years before it was cut out. I found this incredibly funny, although the naivety of the government in this regard is not.
It's also quite astonishing that many people don't know the atrocities described in these books, and how many insist every word is true. For all our sakes, I hope reason will replace religion and that soon.
Thankfully I live in one of the most unreligious countries of the world, Norway, but even here we *must* respect everyone's religious opinions. Plus a lot of government support is issued to religious institutions, which in some cases, means direct terrorist support. I had a friend who organized his own religion, the believers of Pi (3.14...) and had a massive party with the sum granted for a good number of years before it was cut out. I found this incredibly funny, although the naivety of the government in this regard is not.
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March 30, 2022
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March 30, 2022
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March 30, 2022
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March 31, 2022
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Apr 01, 2022 05:01AM
A wonderful review Tanja! I like Sam but his (podcast) personality sometimes feels like a trip to the dentist. lol Still, he is a voice of reason in this fog of fundamentalism that has engulfed my side of the Atlantic.
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Thanks Kevin! I have to admit that I actually fell asleep twice listening to this book. In my defense, I was on an airplane when this happened. 😆🙈
There is no doubt that from religious wars to human sacrifice to self-mutilation, a great deal of harm has been done to humanity in the name of religion. However, the record is not totally one-sided. Mother Teresa, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, among others, all considered their activities to be conducted in accord with the tenets of their various religious beliefs. I agree with you that reason and scientific analysis are more effective guides to human actions that trying to discern God's will, however I think that many atheists are too eager to throw out the baby of ethical instruction with the bath water of superstitious nonsense.
The ethical baby is much better off without religious birth water. Morality does not need religion.
Ooh boy. Gotta love it when atheism becomes so anti-religious it turns into its own dogma. Also Sam Harris (and a lot of his IDW buddies) are pretty misogynistic. You also realize he platformed the Bell Curve guy?
Which is to say- maybe Sam Harris isn’t all that reasonable either. I honestly don’t mean this to come across as an ad hominem attack. It’s more that Sam Harris‘s atheism can be the cover for a lot of nasty right-wing stuff and I find that at least as worrying as religious fundamentalism.
