tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post3634170495974319685..comments2011-08-08T19:27:51.041+01:00AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00559413440743290550noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-15640022413590572142011-08-08T19:27:51.041+01:002011-08-08T19:27:51.041+01:00Jim,<br /><br />Hitchens was on the wrong side of the line in relation to the Iraq War. I cannot fathom his position. <br />But he never viewed it as a religious crusade and is on record as saying as much. He was not standing with religion but with US foreign policy which has little to do with religion regardless of what the raving right scream. That hardly makes his support any better but it more accurately describes it. <br /><br />Harris, in my view, is not half the writer/polemecist that Hitchens is. He has a scientific background but so does Dawkins - doesn&#39;t make either a particularly good writer. Hitchens is a brilliant writer. That many of his views suck is another matter. <br /><br />Galloway, a useful put down in a debate but apart from that ...AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00559413440743290550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-50791157371956735132011-08-08T16:59:02.028+01:002011-08-08T16:59:02.028+01:00Hitchens cynically supported George Bush, a confirmed right wing Christian fundamentalist fanatic, and kept his trap shut when the argument for war was expressed as &quot;a Crusade&quot; against an &quot;Axis of Evil&quot;. In other words, he is quite prepared to stand with &quot;The Religious&quot; when it suits his &quot;cause&quot;.<br /><br />Sam Harris is a much better writer on religioin and can actually talk knowledgeably about science - http://www.samharris.org/<br /><br />I love Galloway&#39;s decription of Hitchens - &quot;A Butterfly that turned into a slug&quot;.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03578828084688237495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-72366722914027610922011-08-08T14:04:21.433+01:002011-08-08T14:04:21.433+01:00Anthony a cara better boiled in oily water stops one becoming a &quot;sticky&quot; messmartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09814904389826171437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-84684719958901312862011-08-08T11:55:28.194+01:002011-08-08T11:55:28.194+01:00God Is Not Great<br /><br />Jim,<br /><br />‘Hitchens Lovefest’<br /><br />Wrong place. We have yet to see one.<br /><br />‘....this is a former trot turned neo-conservative who<br />fully backed George Bush&#39;s war policy and called for (and actively<br />supported) his re-election. By his own admission he acted as<br />an &quot;adviser&quot; throughout that period. He is also no friend of Irish<br />Republicanism in any of its forms.’<br /><br />Neither here nor there in terms of his take on religion.<br /><br />‘Kicking religion in the balls, that have been discredited since the writings of Karl Marx.’<br /><br />He does a much better job on religion than Marx. <br /><br />‘to compare him to Mencken is a stretch.’<br /><br />As far from Mencken as he might be, on religion who this century is closer to Mencken? <br /><br />Jim &amp; Marty,<br /><br />Thanks. I found it the same.<br /><br />The one true church can stand no other churches before it. So we Pastafarians are up against it. At least they have not stoned us yet. Our fate shall be to be slowly boiled in holy water!AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00559413440743290550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-16779822914294164012011-08-07T19:31:40.554+01:002011-08-07T19:31:40.554+01:00SMH,<br /><br />&#39;Many religions now come before us ...’ – a very apt Hitchens mode of expression.<br /><br />‘Real to me is God but UNREAL the so called godly leaders etc.’<br /><br />While I don’t agree I do see logic in that. What could Irish bishops possibly tell anybody about god? <br /><br />Fionnchú,<br /><br />You are right about Hitchens. He can make a great argument. A great polemicist. There is of course much to disagree with him on but that does not detract from his ability. It is a while since I have read Harris, just in the final pages of Dawkins at the minute, one by Dennett to read along with another Baggini. I have not read Wade or Onfrey. <br /><br />‘As you may recall, you and I share with a lot of TPQ readers a fascination with religion’ !!!<br /><br />More a fascination with getting rid of it. <br /><br />If something contradicts science then immediately we call it into question. If mice suddenly started catching cats we would say WTF. <br /><br />‘I approach it sometimes nowadays as if studying an alien life form.’<br /><br />That is a good take on it. The arguments some of them present have no earthly sense whatsoever. Some of the stuff John McGirr was coming out with before he left us just seemed unintelligible to me. I know there is faith but ...<br /><br /> I always like the thinking religious person who makes the case through reason like Hans Kung. <br /><br />Thanks for the links form the New Yorker and the NYTR. Plus your own. I will reread your review today.AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00559413440743290550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-70289474256398041202011-08-07T17:22:56.062+01:002011-08-07T17:22:56.062+01:00As a confirmed Atheist, let&#39;s not get too carried away with the Hitchens Lovefest....this is a former trot turned neo-conservative who fully backed George Bush&#39;s war policy and called for (and acitively supported) his re-election. By his own admission he acted as an &quot;adviser&quot; throughout that period. He is also no friend of Irish Republicanism in any of its forms. Kicking religion in the balls, that have been discredited since the writings of Karl Marx amongst others, is NO big deal! He writes well but to compare him to Mencken is a stretch. Myers or you old friend Thumper could give him a run in the bullshit department. Personally, I hold my nose when this lot are mentioned.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03578828084688237495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-39966912631975277482011-08-07T12:03:00.420+01:002011-08-07T12:03:00.420+01:00Alfie,<br /><br />a really discerning fellow!AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00559413440743290550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-61788099965463019342011-08-07T11:59:58.774+01:002011-08-07T11:59:58.774+01:00Anthony,<br /><br />Too right. Apparently, the Shit Man now refers to this blog as the Faecal Quill!!! He is also demanding access to the Boston College oral history archive. And I thought I was crazy...Alfiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16403732604779381173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-5142839843059834662011-08-07T11:37:35.622+01:002011-08-07T11:37:35.622+01:00Alfie, <br /><br />because I never read him I didn&#39;t know it was the author of paedos and piggies. Just thought &#39;uh, another one of these,&#39; Then when it was pointed out that &#39;the creep is back&#39; off he went - immediately!!AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00559413440743290550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-27583991875199864152011-08-07T10:30:20.836+01:002011-08-07T10:30:20.836+01:00I think we all know who &quot;IndiemediaIreland&quot; is. Welcome back, Brian Clarke!Alfiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16403732604779381173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-67906619756368092702011-08-07T04:03:18.080+01:002011-08-07T04:03:18.080+01:00He is likeable Hitchens - he strikes me as a brave man outside of writing skills i mean... I watched a doco interview on him recently... However I say God IS great but RELIGION (manmade constructs) and many BELIEVERS (rantin&#39; ravin&#39; judgemental, seeking to control/dictate) often are not... <br /><br />@ Anthony very cutting takes from you ahaha I did laugh because some of it is so dead on true. <br />BUT this was the best:<br />RE:&#39;Many religions now come before us with ingratiating smirks and outspread hands, like an unctuous merchant in a bazaar. They offer consolation and solidarity and uplift, competing as thy do in a marketplace. But we have a right to remember how barbarically they behaved...&#39; <br />How freaking true that last one. Cannot argue with that or put up a defence. It simply just is... Religion and constructs terrify/often revolt me but individuals with belief in God don&#39;t as long as they are seeking to live it out without imposing it on me. I got my belief in Jesus and not even poisoned, religious nutters can taint it. It is a private conviction thing and my business not religion or ritual or BS... Real to me is God but UNREAL the so called godly leaders etcSaint?MaryHedgehoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16562705541432632976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-85747433498570813022011-08-06T23:58:46.991+01:002011-08-06T23:58:46.991+01:00AM, as usual, you&#39;re in good spirits here so to speak. While I found Hitchens far less nuanced than the likes of Nicholas Wade, Julian Baggini, Daniel Dennett or even Michel Onfrey or Sam Harris, as with the inevitable tag-team Richard Dawkins, Hitch has a knack for the polemic page turner and more power to him for getting millions to read him and debate him and ponder his positions. <br /><br />As you may recall, you and I share with a lot of TPQ readers a fascination with religion; I love contemplating its impacts; others on TPQ I compare hate its impacts. I approach it sometimes nowadays as if studying an alien life form. <br /><br />Note these new case studies, from the New Yorker: <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_wright" rel="nofollow">&quot;The Apostate: Paul Haggis &amp; the Church of Scientology&quot;</a> and this NYT review: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/books/review/inside-scientology-and-render-unto-rome-book-review.html" rel="nofollow">Scientologists, Catholics &amp; more money than God</a><br /><br />I find as I grow more distanced from my cradle Catholicism it and other systems ironically or tellingly interest me all the more, in their rich combinations of inspirations, desperations, aspirations, and humiliations. <br /><br />P.S. <a href="http://fionnchu.blogspot.com/2008/03/christopher-hitchens-god-is-not-great.html" rel="nofollow">My 2008 review of &#39;god is not great&#39;</a>Fionnchúhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16616876266772470719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-33139210896968073412011-08-06T21:42:05.390+01:002011-08-06T21:42:05.390+01:00I just got two complaints, alledging discrimination, from a boiled egg and a pepper pot.<br /><br />When the only &#39;evidence&#39; a religion can provide is wee peasant girls halucinating or seeing jesus&#39; face on a gable wall or in her rice crispies; ask yourself, does that shit make you cringe? Well, that&#39;s as close as you&#39;ll ever get to what religion is selling.<br /><br />Faith is one thing, self delusion and desperation are another.larry hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837849309156970989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-87241224796966868812011-08-06T21:40:23.529+01:002011-08-06T21:40:23.529+01:00Great post, Anthony. God Is Not Great is excellent reading and easy reading.jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16003801088703023590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807238897188927967.post-57830971644753492612011-08-06T21:26:49.785+01:002011-08-06T21:26:49.785+01:00Super post Anthony, I,m a great fan of Hitchens and he puts his arguments foward in terms that even us ordinary mortals who are not Maynooth and theologicaly trained can follow, mind you I am a grat fan of the begatting in the bible it is a pity our church of FSM didnt have a begatting sect although that auld spaghetti can be really hard to hold on to when boiled unlike a good christian martyr or an alter boy!martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09814904389826171437noreply@blogger.com