In this book, Sam Harris delivers a critical analysis of the clash between reason and religious faith in the modern world. He argues that religious beliefs, even moderate ones, can lead to dangerous consequences, such as terrorism, and that these beliefs are not grounded in empirical evidence. Harris draws on insights from neuroscience, philosophy, and Eastern mysticism to propose a secular and humanistic foundation for ethics and spirituality. The book is a call to action against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics and advocates for a rational approach to ethics based on human happiness and suffering.
In 'The God Delusion', Richard Dawkins argues that the belief in a supernatural creator, God, is almost certainly false and qualifies as a delusion. He examines God in various forms, from the Old Testament to the Celestial Watchmaker, and critiques the major arguments for religion. Dawkins discusses how religion fuels war, fosters bigotry, and abuses children, and he advocates for atheism as a morally and intellectually fulfilling worldview. The book also explores the relationship between religion and morality, suggesting that morality can exist independently of religion, and argues against the teaching of religion in schools as a form of indoctrination[2][3][4].
In this book, Sam Harris challenges the traditional separation between scientific facts and human values. He argues that morality can be understood in terms of human and animal well-being, and that science can provide objective answers to moral questions. Harris contends that moral relativism is false and that science can tell us how we ought to live to achieve the greatest well-being. He uses his expertise in philosophy and neuroscience to make a case for a science of morality, emphasizing that moral values should be grounded in empirical facts about what causes people to flourish.
In this episode, we examine a series of Sam’s conversations centered around religion, atheism, and the power of belief.
First, we hear the stories of three guests who have fled their respective oppressive religious organizations. We begin with Sarah Haider, founder of the advocacy group Ex-Muslims of North America, who details how her encounters with militant atheists catalyzed her journey to secularism. Then our narrator, Megan Phelps-Roper, walks us through her story of abandoning the Westboro Baptist Church. Finally, Yasmine Mohammed presents her harrowing account of escaping fundamentalist Islamism and Sam’s role in inspiring her public advocacy work.
We then tackle the concept of belief more broadly, diving into Sam’s understanding of atheism and what sets it apart from the views of other atheist thinkers like Matt Dillahunty and Richard Dawkins. We also revisit an infamous conversation between Sam and Jordan Peterson, wherein they attempt to come to some universal definition of the word “truth.”
The episode concludes with two Q&A portions from life events in which Sam addresses some real concerns about purpose and meaning in the absence of religion.
About the Series
Filmmaker Jay Shapiro has produced The Essential Sam Harris, a new series of audio documentaries exploring the major topics that Sam has focused on over the course of his career.
Each episode weaves together original analysis, critical perspective, and novel thought experiments with some of the most compelling exchanges from the Making Sense archive. Whether you are new to a particular topic, or think you have your mind made up about it, we think you’ll find this series fascinating.
Making Sense with Sam Harris 
