Well, That Settles That, Then
By Mitch Berg
Every once in a while, I like to ponder the big mysteries. Where did we come from? Can the City Pages write so much stuff about Diablo Cody that even G-d can’t read it all?
And, speaking of which, what about God?
But Emily Condon apparently has all the answers. In the City Pages’ Artistes of the Year edition, she reviews Christopher Hitchens’ God Is Not Great, and, by way of lauding the pseudo-atheist thesis, notes (emphasis added):
Far from the vitriolic diatribe of a God-hating misanthrope like Richard Dawkins, Hitchens’s work is both appropriately respectful and right.
Hm.
The City Pages is the source of all knowledge, apparently.
Who knew?
I also wonder – will the Pages “Artist of the Year” have the same jinx as their “Best Band” award (the “winners” almost inevitably break up or fall on hard times or, in the case of last year’s “winner” Tapes ‘n Tapes, are boring and suck terribly)?
January 7th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
What?! Hitchens is right about God? All these years I’ve lived a moral life for a fantasy?
See ya ’round. I got a liquor store to rob.
January 7th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
You should read what Bill Mahar said about Christianity and Catholics. It’s amazing how a bigot like that still gets airtime. I guess it’s not like he called Christians “nappy haired hos”.
January 7th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I don’t get the Tapes n Tapes thing, either, except that there is a large segment of the Twin Cities music scene that seems to really enjoy and promote wimpy music.
Of the “new” atheists, Dawkins probably has some of the funniest comments, especially concerning the Holy Trinity.
Dawkins, Sam Harris and Hitchens all are at least fair in their blasting of Islam. These guys hate all religions – but they are at least honest enough about it to really jump up and down on the Koran. They’re worth reading for that fact alone.
January 7th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I haven’t read the Hitchens book, but I have read reviews (negative and positive) and heard him interviewed about it on various webcasts.
His arguments against religion seem to be that
A) Bad people are sometimes religious people.
B) How could a good God let bad things happen?
C) To believe in religion is to be irrational.
All of these topics have been hashed over for centuries by philosophers, pro and con religion.
The book seems to be more about Hitchens than it is about God. We learn that no creature, natural or supernatural, has a superior ethical instinct than Hitchens, for example.
I would ask Hitchens what Paleologus (paraphrased) asked of the Sultan (and was quoted by Benedict XVI a few months ago): “What has your atheism brought to the world that was both New and Good?”
January 7th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
The viewpoint of Hitchens, etc. is pretty much that religious faith has got to go, starting with Islam – because the beliefs these people hold is putting the world in jeopardy. Islamists, especially, are not afraid of death – so there goes that little bargaining chip. So, these authors reason, it is faith itself that must go, or be seriously watered-down by all of its adherents. Allah, etc. must go the way of Apollo and Zeus.
Their take on Christianity is that it’s already evolved. Most Christians don’t follow each and every stricture of the Scriptures, etc. It’s already, in practice, kind of been moderated. These atheists message is, that’s what has to happen to Islam – and they’re right about that.
The atheists hope that ultimately, all religions will be relics like totem poles and statues of Hercules, basically. Then, we’ll all get along, the thinking goes. Which, itself, takes a hell of a lot of faith.
January 7th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Paul, Dennis Prager has an interesting theory regarding the lack of Christian/Jewish faith. Most of western civilization is based on that. Even if you are an unchurched atheist today, you benefit from centuries of a society based in the Judeo-Christian values. Prager feels the real test will come after several generations that are removed from western religion.
Or in other words, an atheist views of right or wrong may be partly based on those grandparents who had strong faith, and the society that those people built. But a couple of more secular generations down the road, what’s right or wrong depends on what you feel like doing that day.
January 8th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
If we have no faith, how do we have the base for pointing out what is wring with Islam? Islam says that women are lesser than men, that homosexuals shouold be killed and dogs are unclean. I we have nothing to defend our belief that tehse things are untrue, we will be defenseless against Islam. Much like Europe is today.