Comments on: Brilliant brilliant brilliant

By: Jane Whittington

Jane Whittington — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 02:32:23 +0000

I heard Christopher Hitchens and his brother, Peter Hitchens, debate last night here in Grand Rapids. How can he be so right about the god thing and so wrong about the bush thing? It amazes me. It was a pretty left-leaning crowd (pretty odd for Grand Rapids), so Peter got applause on his opposition to Iraq and Christopher got applause on his opposition to religion.

Is there a Center for Inquiry where you live? I found one here in GR, and it has been my (excuse the expression) my salvation ! Susan Jacoby has spoken here twice in the last year along with Peter Kurtz and many other amazing secularists!

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:50:59 +0000

Thank you for posting the WP link. Aggressively dumb people make me nervous.

By: Lesley

Lesley — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:08:29 +0000

Dave K wrote: Lesley Not that I necessarily support Hitchens’ point of view; I was under the impression that he not so much supports Bush/Cheney as wants to keep any WMD out of fundamentalist hands.

________________

Dave K, Hitchens is fully committed to the idea of widespread Islamic terrorism. He’s bought into all the propaganda of the Bush-Blair doctrine. He’s also got some weird ass psychosexual issues and thinks the neocons are manly men who can get the tough jobs done i.e. mass murder and torture if it’s required. He’s a strange duck. I think the alcohol has messed up his brain.

By: Lesley

Lesley — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:57:29 +0000

Blurb: @Lesley, certainly one can change ones mind. And certainly, people can agree with a portion of what someone says and still disagree with another, different portion? Or is it an all or nothing proposition?
———————–

My point - and perhaps I’ve seen Hitchens in too many political debates - is that Hitchens supports an administration that empowered - over the past 8 years - a religious movement that has dumbed down the American education system, demonized the theory of evolution, and made abortion and birth control less available to women.

How can he rail against religion and support an administration that funds fundamentalists? He has not changed his mind about Bush and the neoconservatives. He’s as gung-ho for that asshole as ever. I find him despicable. That’s just my opinion.

By: GoGo

GoGo — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:18:23 +0000

I like your photos. I like your product reviews. What I most like, though to be fair the photos are awesome, is the political commentary and links. I’m always finding something new to read and its nice to see you add social consciousness to list of things to post about.

~gg

By: Elisa

Elisa — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:08:13 +0000

Religion/religious faith is tough stuff for many because it oftentimes sets a higher standard for living than people are willing to set for themselves. Anti-religious zealots are part of that “do anything say anything be anything…it’s all good” mindset and personally, I find that much more amoral.

Things and ideas are only poisonous when one doesn’t like the message that is being perpetuated. It’s all relative; I find the pervasive religion of liberalism to be poisonous, but I’m sure you would disagree.

By: SwissBarb

SwissBarb — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:51:33 +0000

I’m always amazed at how much politics and religion are intertwined in America. In Europe, I have the feeling no one really cares much. In Switzerland, we had our religious wars some centuries ago, came to the conclusion it was a waste of time and energy, and since then nobody cares if the people in high places are catholic, protestant, atheist or worshippers of the flying pink elephant with golden earrings.

Besides, personal faith and organized religion are two different, if related, things.
One can be a believer, and still have an open, critical, and tolerant mind, and a fair share of intelligence. Take me for example Ahem.

By: Mish

Mish — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:15:13 +0000

I keep berating myself for reading the same book for six months, but then I read a book at a friend’s house in one night. Thats what I used to do before blogs. Turns out the book was by a blogger, so wondered if I had just changed what I liked reading. I used to hate short stories. I am apparently addicted to them now. I love to find good blogs and read them from beginning to end. Currently on Violent Acres and Pioneer Woman. So am I reading a book? No, but I am reading. Does that count?

The anti-intellectualism is quite frightening when I think about it and as Bush was president Twice, it is quite obvious that it is rampant. People have always turned more toward religion during dark ages.

By: Karl

Karl — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:23:36 +0000

Blurb,

I don’t think it is an all or nothing proposotion.
However, I do find it interesting that “Cheneyistic amorality” is associated with a rise in anti-intellectualism, but you support your argument with a devout athiest who supports the ongoing efforts in Iraq and against Islamic Extremist.
Intellectual atheists support the war and accused-non-intellectual religious folk support the war.

Is there a common denominator ?

By: Dave K

Dave K — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:19:40 +0000

Wow, at first I thought you were going to reference something about Hitchens’ support for the war. I always suspected (hoped) that you and Heather were more than just “not mormon”.

@Mari & Karl “. . . anyone who is “religious” is an idiot” There are a lot of intelligent religious people, but why do they seem to suspend their analytical abilities when it come to (a) god?

@Lesley Not that I necessarily support Hitchens’ point of view; I was under the impression that he not so much supports Bush/Cheney as wants to keep any WMD out of fundamentalist hands.