The rest of society doesn't cover up child abuse cases; if a plumber touches a kid, he goes to jail. The Church knew about these cases for years and did nothing, citing 'canon law' and other such BS, because 'the priests had confessed their sins'.
Does some otherworldly being exist? possibly. There's stuff that happens all the time that's far too coincidental. Do I need a bunch of weirdos sitting in a palace in Rome to tell me what that being thinks when there's literally no way they have any better idea than I do? #### no.
I went to church on Christmas eve. It was the first time i've been since easter. I noticed that a bunch of the basic rituals had been re-worded and took on a very exclusionary tone. Specifically, there was a line about Jesus' blood being shed for 'us and for many' or something similar. "For many" was what struck me... The Jesus I was raised on didn't come to save a group of people. He came to save EVERYONE. That's what made him Jesus. He was all-inclusive.
If the Church wants to go down a more exclusionary path... that's not how you win hearts and minds. I haven't had much reason to go to church outside of the big two holidays for the past six years, but now I'm good. I'm done. These are not people who are worthy of leading, they don't believe what I believe, and frankly, I'm tired of pretending like the Vatican is an organization that's somehow worthy of respect.
Well then you are not going to like to see this story then too.
Not much of a debate really,Craigs agenda was for Chris to "disprove" God but other than quoting the fairytales of resurrection had no interest of even trying to prove existence himself (color me surprised)
At about 1.30 in Hitch does his famous hitchslap and has Craig stuttering and shaking in his boots about other religions.
On June 8th, 2010, I was “in conversation” with Christopher Hitchens at the 92nd Street Y in New York in front of his customary sellout audience, to launch his memoir, Hitch-22. Christopher turned in a bravura performance that night, never sharper, never funnier, and afterwards at a small, celebratory dinner the brilliance continued. A few days later he told me that it was on the morning of the Y event that he had been given the news about his cancer. It was hard to believe that he had been so publicly magnificent on such a privately dreadful day. He had shown more than stoicism. He had flung laughter and intelligence into the face of death.
This was done about 5 weeks before Hitchens death but could easily have been as tribute done after. Hosted by one of my favorite people Stephen Fry, if you have the time watch it as it is a fantastic tribute to his life.
Stephen Fry & friends on the life, loves and hates of Christopher Hitchens
The Following User Says Thank You to Hanni For This Useful Post:
Five years ago today. Clearly, he's missed... his commentary on the current state of affairs is much needed.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to CorsiHockeyLeague For This Useful Post:
Like commonly happens, Hitchens reputation now exceeds the merit of his ideas and he's held up a bit too high as an infallible folk hero for some types.
He gave rise to a lot of very cheap imitations though, there is no one today who is quite at the same level or has as good a hold on language and debate.
Of anyone no longer with us he'd be among the very top in people I'd want to hear the opinion of regarding the current state of everything.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to PepsiFree For This Useful Post:
I always found him a bit too douchy. Not nearly as bad or offensive as Dawkins. He did make a lot of reasonable points though, but followed it up too often with things that were counter productive for having respectful debate.
Didn't he also want to turn Afghanistan into a parking lot? I don't think he would mind Trump that much.
__________________
"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
He could make his point and then just twist the knife a little.
I think where a lot of people go wrong with Hitchens is hilarious actually, they worship him a little too much, they dont hold Hitchens to his own professed standards!
Hes not always right, his word is not Gospel!
He was a brilliant debater, but part of that is tactics as well, being 'larger than life' allowed him to skirt some of the rules for polite debate and allowed him to forcibly move his points forward, but forcibly! Something that he himself claimed to detest was one of his greatest feats and common tactics.
It always makes me cringe a bit. Because I really like Hitchens, but when he engages in debates and drops the; 'crowd goes wild' bit when he bullies someone, I know the technique. Its so painfully obvious but equally painfully effective.
That being said, I think his point of view and the way he brought that to the world was absolutely fantastic and a breath of fresh air.
Dont just look and believe in what someone has put in front of you, actually learn and understand it and what it means and what it does and what that means to you. It doesnt matter how big the hat the person is wearing dont just take their word for it.
Its great advice, its very similar to advice I was given when I was very young. Ironically, by a Priest.
I find that to be an attitude thats sorely absent in a lot of places.
__________________ The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
The World Ends when you're dead. Until then, you've got more punishment in store. - Flames Fans
If you thought this season would have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Locke For This Useful Post:
He could make his point and then just twist the knife a little.
I think where a lot of people go wrong with Hitchens is hilarious actually, they worship him a little too much, they dont hold Hitchens to his own professed standards!
Hes not always right, his word is not Gospel!
He was a brilliant debater, but part of that is tactics as well, being 'larger than life' allowed him to skirt some of the rules for polite debate and allowed him to forcibly move his points forward, but forcibly! Something that he himself claimed to detest was one of his greatest feats and common tactics.
It always makes me cringe a bit. Because I really like Hitchens, but when he engages in debates and drops the; 'crowd goes wild' bit when he bullies someone, I know the technique. Its so painfully obvious but equally painfully effective.
That being said, I think his point of view and the way he brought that to the world was absolutely fantastic and a breath of fresh air.
Dont just look and believe in what someone has put in front of you, actually learn and understand it and what it means and what it does and what that means to you. It doesnt matter how big the hat the person is wearing dont just take their word for it.
Its great advice, its very similar to advice I was given when I was very young. Ironically, by a Priest.
I find that to be an attitude thats sorely absent in a lot of places.
Perfectly stated.
He was actually a very confusing person at times though. He claimed to be a socialist, but would sometimes convey messages that were more in line with neoconservatism. His final words "Capitalism. Downfall" do suggest that that he was a deep socialist at heart, but capitalism is also the backbone of modern the democracy that allows for secular government and freedom.
I think he was one of those people that realized controversy an being a smart ass sells and took full advantage of that.
His books are much more pleasant than his on air debates which were really just commercials for his books.
__________________
"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
