[extropy-chat] Fwd: Sam Harris controversy

[Lee Corbin]

Damien passes on a message from Sam Harris:

> Sam Harris writes to his mailing list:
> 
> Dear Readers,
> 
> Some of you may have noticed an article about me that is now running on
> Alternet.org. The writer, John Gorenfeld, has taken a ninety minute
> telephone interview, along with selective passages from my books, and made
> of them a poisonous of mash of misquotation and paraphrasis for the purpose
> of portraying me as an evil lunatic...

A friend lent me a DVD featuring Sam Harris giving a speech concerning
the same themes that animate his terrific "The End of Faith".

As impressed as I had been with the quality of Harris's writing in "The
End of Faith", as I watched the DVD I was absolutely thunderstruck
and carried away by his unbelievably compelling eloquence.  It became
difficult to think that anyone except the most devout would remain
unconvinced by his clear logic and lucid presentation.

In fact, it was so good that---you'll find this hard to believe---my
disbelief in God was actually shaken.  For as I watched him speak, it
seemed that ancient prophesies were indeed coming to pass.  For who but
the Anti-Christ himself could be *that* convincing and *that* articulate?
It was uncanny, even inhuman, I tell you!

Fortunately, after I thought about it a while, my lack of faith firmed
itself up, and my faith in the non-existence of God returned.  But I
have to admit that I was shaken for a moment.  He's *good*! 

Or *bad*, whatever.

Lee