By Christopher Hitchens
"Reading Diarmaid MacCulloch's extraordinary and limpid new work Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years (a history informed by a general, if Anglican, sympathy for its subject), I came across the following passage from Cardinal John Henry Newman's classic statement of belief, his Apologia Pro Vita Sua:"
Read more (Slate)
12 comments:
Hitchens is not telling the truth. He claims to have 'come across' the Newman quote in the latter's Apologia. It is not to be found there (it's in Anglican Difficulties). Typical of Hitchens to pretend to have a read a book he hasn't. The rest has been pretty thoroughly debunked elsewhere as a quick google will show. Sad really - it seems that as death approaches Hitchens still prefers darkness.
Excuse me Mr. Know-it-all, but he states plainly he came across it in Diarmaid MacCulloch's book. Maybe you should look it up there before you get all huffy. Nit picking fool, And, besides, no one seems to deny that Newman is the source of that overblown silliness, so what IS your point? (Besides demonstrating to the world that you're a mean spirited little cur who wouldn't last two minutes in the arena with the Hitch.)
They shall know we are christians by our love indeed.
And as for the internet debunking this stuff, you have GOT to be kidding. Check out this link:
http://www.rememberthesurvivors.com/
I know about the McKeown case personally, because I attedned St. Ignatius in the 1990s. Ed Alberts, the priest who KNEW that McKeown was a child molester, and allowed him to interact with boys anyway HAS NEVER SUFFERED ONE BIT FOR THROWING THE CHILDREN OF HIS PARISH INTO THE ARMS OF THE SELF-ADMITTED MONSTER McKEOWN! He now has one of the largest, wealthiest parishes in the state--Holy Family of Brentwood.
They all knew about him, and did NOTHING to protect the children under thier care. I'm sorry there is no hell, because they all deserve to rot there.
I love it when people named Mr. Anonymous get all self-righteous and condemnatory in thier weasly web comments
If you mean the weasly a-hole who called C Hitchens a liar, I agree. There happens to be more truth in one column inch of that Slate piece than we've ever seen out of the church heirachy over the world wide, decades long, ever growing scandal over the violent sexual abuse of children. They've always been more concerned with protecting their reputations and bank accounts, than in justice for those whose lives have been ruined. (In Nashville, the bishop gave McKeowan 50K to go away and keep his mouth shut. He's now in jail for raping a 12 year old.) And this is what is suppose to pass for the one true faith? Yeah right.
To the angry person irritated by my first post.
I meant to point out Hitchen's sloppiness and pretence to scholarship. That DM's book is also sloppy doesn't change the matter. Let's have a look at the evidence:
First has Hitchens responded to this - it's been brought to his attention: http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0329.htm - yet he repeats his false claims.
His general ignorance is explored here: http://www.culturewars.com/2008/Hitchens.html
When you have read and absorbed these and examined the evidence then let me know. In the meantime, I will continue to hold that Hitchens is dishonest and unreliable, esp. on matters relating to Catholicism.
Yeah, let's look at the evidence. Thousands of children have been raped and abused by priests. These crimes have been committed all over the world, with every week bringing evidence of yet another horror. The Church is only now beginning to respond, and ONLY because journalists like Hitchens are bringing the truth to public scrutiny.
You can apologize all you like. I'm done with them. I just think it's pathetic that people like you are after those seeking justice like Hitchens, and not those who hurt children, and their enablers.
Well, as you haven't attended to the evidence or attempted to understand it there's no point in continuing. Many of us have been seeking justice well-before Hitchens - who seems only to have become interested in the issue as part of his general campaign against the Church.
Oh Please. To the church, "justice" hasn't even meant an informal verbal apology for most of the victims. People like you make me sick.
There are many many millions of people who are equally sickening. The world is as it is primarily because of this reason. Ignorance is rampant and pervasive all over this planet and to think otherwise is to express your being a part of the human condition. Developed intellects are few and far between and for the fortunate minority of those who are and have been in the social and economic position to benefit from measurable truth, the measure of reality as it relates to human behavior must be, to some degree, frustrating. Unfortunately for the religious, those in power who benefit from this form of ignorance ignorance and for the majority of those who cannot bring themselves to study and admit their mistakes, their world of obvious nonsense and superstition will be completely forgotten by generations to come.
Nice to see an Englishman remaining very suspicious of the Pope. It's a grand tradition. Bit of a shame a bohemian, thoroughly Americanized, expat atheist is leading the charge though. Steel's long gone out of John Bull's spine.
Perhaps admirers of Hitchens should read these pieces. Shame that Ch seems to be happy lying, esp. when he's so close to the grave. Let's hope he repudiates the habit soon.
http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/2010/04/09/christopher-hitchens-and-the-days-of-rage/
http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/2010/09/14/christopher-hitchens-and-the-days-of-rage-contd/
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