Joe Sobran Wacks Hitchens's Knuckles
http://www.sobran.com/columns/2007/070508.shtml
An excerpt:
One might wonder the same about Dawkins, who, though he hastens to say that it did not affect him when as a boy he was encountered by a priest, he does make sure to mention it in his book.
Surely The Root of All Evil is a product of a root of bitterness.
An excerpt:
"After reading him, I’m always surer I know whom he hates (or, less often, loves) than what he thinks.
[...]
It may seem ironic that Hitchens, a fierce defender of the Iraq war, blames religion for war, when the last two popes have opposed both Iraq wars; but then, he also seems to blame the popes for opposing them. As Huck Finn might put it, and as Hitchens would surely agree, popes is mostly a bad lot.When you come right down to it, Hitchens’s case against religion is a more impersonal form of the old Phil Donahue argument, which may be summarized thus: Mean old nuns whacked my knuckles with a ruler, ergo God does not exist. This is less inductive reasoning than simple free association with a grudge."
One might wonder the same about Dawkins, who, though he hastens to say that it did not affect him when as a boy he was encountered by a priest, he does make sure to mention it in his book.
Surely The Root of All Evil is a product of a root of bitterness.
1 Comments:
I have to concede that it is true that many atheists have an ax to grind with religion that goes beyond objective argument. That is to be expected when belief systems clash, especially when one threatens the other with hell, damnation, and in earlier times, stoning and death. You must understand that. Your writings carry at least an equal vindictiveness towards atheism that goes well beyond your weak objective argument. Care to explain why?
Hitchens has put together a sometimes beautifully written ode against religion. It's strength, in my view is subjective, not objective. There are plenty of other atheist authors to make the objective case, that's not Hitchen's strength here. He will motivate many to action I think.
A problem with atheism in my opinion right now is that it is top heavy with Malcolm Xs and weak on Martin Luthor Kings. We need somebody that can persuade all sides in a non-threatening manner. People like Hitchens and Dawkins will never do.
In my case, I'm not against religion per se, but rather any belief system that places faith and dogma above reason, logic, and evidence. Most religions just happen to meet these unfortunate criteria.
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