From American Atheists' website:
Christopher Hitchens Live via Skype
"Due to his medical circumstances, Mr. Hitchens will NOT be able to get to Des Moines in person."
http://www.atheists.org/events/National_Convention
What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof.
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13 comments:
Religious or not, we are all human. A group of still evolving primates. Nothing more, but also nothing less. That being said, our learned responses and cynical barbs may reflect a tiny part of human nature. We learned these as we grew up in this culture.
Of course Hitch was talking about the extremist muslim's need to resort to violence and killing when he stated what you quoted. Ann, Mtleon and Peter hardly sound self-righteous or like they are in some sort of frenzy. Those people appear to be replying to someone who has obviously not acquainted themselves with their enemy-Hitch is an anti-theist.
I don't advocate rudeness in discussion, but to the religious, anything not validating their myth-laden beliefs is considered rude or criminal. Edmund Burke: all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men to nothing...is that your stance?
Hitch has repeatedly stated that monotheism is to be fought on every level, listen closer to his many youtube vids.
So maybe you think that being completely nice and accepting of everyone's position is a good thing. Just means you're a wallflower who doesn't want to get involved except to say, "Ouch, you're hurting feelings." So lead, follow, or in your case, get out of the way.
Paraphrasing Hitch when blasting Hanity on Fox, "...sorry to say you sound as if you haven't read a single argument against your position." Hitch routinely made D'Souza appear foolish in their debates. How can Hitch having cancer "empower" him to embrace his enemies-he is an ANTI-THEIST. He is against religion. Too bad your brainwashing doesn't include the necessity of showing up prepared-the false illusion that some dead jew is going to fix things for you...sad, sad, sad.
Claiming that the reason why someone doesn't agree with you is because they have a closed mind and closed heart, and not because your statements are completely and utterly absent of fact and evidence, is a sure sign that your heart and mind are impenetrably sealed against reality.
A little self-analysis would show that claiming that your personal feelings are all the fact and evidence needed to prove that a supernatural agent has created the universe and personally interferes in people's lives every second of every day, makes you an grotesquely self-righteous person.
From Hitch's recent Slate column: "The same old dreary formula: self-righteous frenzy married to a neurotic need to take offense;"
made me think immediately of the previous comments to this post. Are we stooping to the level of the ahem..religious, is it just a part of human nature to be so self-righteous, or are some people just rude and self-centered when they are grieving?
I have to wonder how the hell these anti-hitchens characters wind up on these pages, pages devoted solely to the production of his articles, his debates, his ideas. Have they nothing better to do with their worthless god loving lives? Or is it the common thread among all believers: the psychotic, obsessive impulse to either be compulsively hating or loving?
Wow, taking care of himself? How ignorant are you? How many times has he expressed that to write, to debate, is to live. I He is dying, panic or no panic.
Life is amazing but does not need to be attributed to a god(s). Mortals are in awe of everything without the need of the belief in a creator. Can we just agree that we do not know.
Firstly, those who use phrases like "just be open and have an open heart" in an argument often mean that they should put their critical thinking aside and just fantasize for a moment. It could lead to a beautiful fantasy but it is really extremely pointless to use it as an argument. If I have a really good case, if I make a claim that is not insanely stupid, my best arguments would be evidence. I would tell my listeners WHAT PROVES MY STATEMENT IS TRUE. That would be my strongest arguments, most likely to convince them.
Something I would NOT do is tell them to have an open mind, an open heart, just not be too sceptic, just imagine how noce it would be if it was true.... And so on. Under no circumstances would I have a reason to do that. UNLESS I was making a claim that was without evidence and without foundation in reality. Then I would do so, because it would be my only chance of convincing anyone.
The degree to which a fantasy is pleasant is no gauge of how true it is.
Lhutcherson3 you are a sinister and stupid person. Please take the time to fuck off.
---- the management
I'm starting to see exactly what Hitchens means when he calls pleadings like that "creepy."
Hey look....a clueless moron!
Mr. Hitchens. I want to first say how much I admire your superb writing ability. And, I am sorry about your illness. But I am even sorrier that it has not empowered you to recognize that there is something greater than ourselves that created all that we are, and everything around us.
The "amazingness" of creation screams out to us an awesome Creator! I feel very sorry for you that you cannot realize this...
Perhaps you should re-read Dinesh D'Souza's book "Life After Death." It could do you a world of good if you merely open your heart and mind.
Nobody panic, he's just taking care of himself, ok?
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