What good is god?
This question, which would have been considered scandalous a generation ago, is voiced openly today by such religious skeptics as Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. Various spokespersons have responded with philosophical arguments and have engaged in public debate with leaders of the “new atheism” movement. As a working journalist, I take a different approach. In my latest book, I travel to six countries in search of an answer to the question of whether faith makes a positive difference. Looking back on my experiences, I conclude that it does, in significant ways. The failures of the Christian church (Crusades, Inquisition, Salem witch trials) have been widely reported, and rightly so. I highlight instead its positive contributions, many of which go overlooked. First, the Christian faith has an enormous influence on the broader culture. I remember my first trip to Sweden, soon after I had read historical accounts of the Vikings. For 250 years prayers in Europe ended
