The men who committed the atrocities of September 11 were certainly not "cowards," as they were repeatedly described in the Western media, nor were they lunatics in any ordinary sense. They were men of faithโperfect faith, as it turns outโand this, it must finally be acknowledged, is a terrible thing to be.
Sam HarrisSpiritual life can certainly follow the pattern one sees in the fake martial arts, with most teachers making nebulous and magical claims that never get tested, while their students derange themselves with weird ideas, empty rituals, and other affectations.
Sam HarrisChristians have abused, oppressed, enslaved, insulted, tormented, tortured, and killed people in the name of God for centuries, on the basis of a thelogically defensible reading of the Bible.
Sam HarrisIf Jesus does come down out of the clouds like a superhero, Christianity will stand revealed as a science . That will be the science of Christianity.
Sam HarrisReligious faith is the one species of human ignorance that will not admit of even the possibility of correction.
Sam HarrisI know of no society in human history that ever suffered because its people became too desirous of evidence in support of their core beliefs.
Sam HarrisThe same comparison holds true within the United States itself: Southern and Midwestern states, characterized by the highest levels of religious literalism, are especially plagued by [high rates of homicide, abortion, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, and infant mortality], while the comparatively secular states of the Northeast conform to European standards.
Sam Harris