I’ve had my share of exposure to the Christian world and pretty much decided I don’t belong there. I haven’t had very much to do with the atheist society, and so I’ve familiarized myself with the ideas through Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. Granted, when people write books for the mass market, it’s sometimes hard to know to what extent they really assert their own beliefs or whether they are just exaggerating on purpose.

Having seen Dawkins in a number of talks, I would say that he is very consistent in the ideas he expresses, and his book is true to this as well. Reading Dawkins I once again feel a little alienated, on several points. There is the notion of being atheist and proud of it which it isn’t at all convincing. It is nice to know that one isn’t alone in the world with some idea, but the whole thing of some kind of virtual march with banners telling people you’re *proud* of what you are just doesn’t register with me. Why would you be proud of the way god/evolution determined you would become? What is the accomplishment here? And the second thing is the black and white classification of all things religious. Dawkins won’t say that some beliefs are more harmful than others, he just wants to condemn everything under the banner of religion.

Sam Harris, on the other hand, takes a much more nuanced stance. In fact, while his book is provoking and inflammatory, I find his talks to be much more compelling, and the best reflection yet of what I could agree with wholeheartedly. In particular, this talk (transcript) is as close as anyone has ever come to write something I agree with completely.