Coincidentally, I have been learning to meditate myself, although I got into it largely for health reasons. I am hoping to benefit in other ways, too.
So he's kind of opposing Dawkins, in a way, whose God Delusion made the argument that atheists (well, I have to refer to us as something, it's kind of unrealistic to expect that, given current conditions, the need for a label will disappear) ought to oppose ALL religion, even the more moderate. I've never been entirely convinced by that, either, so Harris' argument resonates with me.
And, of course, how could we not cite this section on an LDS theme board?
First, these differences make all religions look contingent, and therefore silly. Consider the unique features of Mormonism, which may have some relevance in the next Presidential election. Mormonism, it seems to me, is—objectively—just a little more idiotic than Christianity is. It has to be: because it is Christianity plus some very stupid ideas. For instance, the Mormons think Jesus is going to return to earth and administer his Thousand years of Peace, at least part of the time, from the state of Missouri. Why does this make Mormonism less likely to be true than Christianity? Because whatever probability you assign to Jesus’ coming back, you have to assign a lesser probability to his coming back and keeping a summer home in Jackson County, Missouri. If Mitt Romney wants to be the next President of the United States, he should be made to feel the burden of our incredulity. We can make common cause with our Christian brothers and sisters on this point. Just what does the man believe? The world should know. And it is almost guaranteed to be embarrassing even to most people who believe in the biblical God.
What a bigot! ;)