Sam Harris Response

I found that the most interesting point of Sam Harris’s commentary on Islam was how closely some of the examples he used related to any other monotheistic religion. The most obvious parallels were the idea of repentance or punishment for sins, the degree of extremism amongst the religion, and most importantly, the use of the religious text as justification for actions.

Harris discusses the internal and external jihad that devout Muslims are expected to go through. External refers to waging war against others in defense of Islam, while internal refers to the inner “war” against personal sin (111). While not specifically stated in the Bible as Jihad, followers of many other faiths are also expected to satisfy some sort of punishment or repentance for their sins. Whether it be confession, denying oneself of normal pleasures, or personal prayer for forgiveness, repentance from sin is a common bond between most monotheistic religions. Harris then discusses the differing degrees of intensity of the Islamic faith, which also appears in numerous other religions. In Judaism, there is the Orthodox sect which is the most conservative, strict, and traditional; followed by a more moderate sect and lastly, by the Jewish reform sect, which is the most liberal and progressive. In the Christian religion, there are many different sects which all range from extremely conservative to completely free-spirited. Harris talks about the differences between fundamentalist Muslims and moderate Muslims in terms of the degree to which they agree with violent action as an acceptable practice, if necessary, to their faith (110). This is comparable, to a much lesser degree, to the divide in the Christian faith between more traditional sects and more Evangelical sects over issues such as abortion, gay marriage, etc. The most important parallel that can be drawn between Sam Harris’s commentary on Islam and other monotheistic religions is the use of religious text as justification for actions. Harris lists some quotes from the Koran that are used by many of the extremist Muslim groups as validation for attacks and bombings, for example, “Jihad is your duty under any ruler, be he godly or wicked.” and “A single endeavor (of fighting) in Allah’s cause in the forenoon or in the afternoon is better than the world and whatever is in it.” (112). These extremist Muslim groups look to these passages to rationalize their actions that most people see as inexcusable. Many other religious groups look to their religious texts for validation of their actions or beliefs. For instance, many Evangelical religious groups strongly oppose gay marriage, and they look to scriptures such as Leviticus to justify their beliefs.

Sam Harris’s commentary was clearly revealing his negative opinions on Muslims and the Islamic faith. I do not think negatively about any of the religions mentioned above, and I also don’t think that the similarities I pointed out are as radical as the ones discussed in the article. I do believe that between the monotheistic religions, there are many parallels in the way in which they live their lives.