One of the most pernicious effects of religion is that it tends to divorce morality from the reality of human and animal suffering. Religion allows people to imagine that their concerns are moral when they are not--that is, when they have nothing to do with suffering or its alleviation. Indeed, religion allows people to imagine that their concerns are moral when they are highly immoral--that is, when pressing these concerns inflicts unnecessary and appalling suffering on innocent human beings.
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About Sam Harris

Sam Harris was a contemporary American neuroscientist and philosopher. Samuel Benjamin Harris is an American neuroscientist, philosopher, author, and podcast host. His work touches on a range of topics, including rationality, religion, ethics, free will, determinism, neuroscience, meditation, psychedelics, philosophy of mind, politics, terrorism, and artificial intelligence. Read more on Wikipedia →

Themes

  • God — Spiritual reflections on the divine, faith, and creation
  • Religion — Exploring belief systems, worship, and spiritual practice

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