Christopher Hitchens on Jefferson & Bush (7 of 8)

[pogopogopogo3]

available at fine amazon dot com everywhere

[WellConditionedChimp]

hmmm, so hitchens is capable of forgetting too

[KeepColdwithCoolidge]

Just in case you guys were wondering, Christopher Hitchens uses the word "Obsequies" at 6:09.

Definition from Webster's dictionary: funeral rites.

That's cool, man! I didn't know that word.:)

[darksmiles22]

I dunno what I think about CH's 100,000 years of heaven watching mankind only to reveal wisdom to the most backward part of the Middle East schtick though. After all literalists revise history to fit their fairy tale timeline and eliminate this argument.

His other stories are all the more powerful because they accept everything Christians say and just illuminate the darkness inherent in the story.

[Illimitus]

Is Hitchens ignorant of the influence of Zoroastrianism? What he calls Judaism and Christianity (a "plagiarism of Judaism") are in fact plagiarisms of Zorastrianism, with additional borrowings from Egypt and Babylon.

Mighty empires and great religions had already come and gone on the world stage before the Jews even existed as a people.

[GaiusIuliusTaberna]

@Illimitus I doubt it, I suspect he's trying not to complicate an already complex discussion by explaining the roots of Judaism .

[AnachronousRex]

@Illimitus I've actually done a lot of work on Zoroastrianism and my impression is that - while it certainly was the first to give rise to the more terrible apocalyptic elements in Christianity/Judaism - it did not arive at any sort of enforced orthodoxy or large-scale, state-backed intolorance until midway through the Sassanid dynasty in about 500 AD.

This it did largely as a reaction to the state-backed Christianity of Rome, so Hitchens point may still stand.

[switchsearch]

sometimes . . . some laughter . . . . stifles the, " wake the fuck up America" , or "amen" which really isn't civil. like the electorate Hitches speaks of, and the crowd who seem to laugh to much . . couldn't really give a crap. Wow, two words i rarely like using, in public, in ear shot. testy are we? lol? or do i dare? i am here to listen to Christopher Hutches . . . if i want to laugh, i shall. pissed and weepy a lot sillier in my opinion, in our sleep walking, pc, two party country.

[buckfushes]

Judaism is a plagarism of egyptian myth

[SurelyYewJest]

I too am sick of CH's audiences laughing at completely serious moments. You can tell how smart these audiences are by the number of times they laugh where there's no punchline. One would think they are trying to cover for their collective lack of knowledge I didn't realize this talk was prior to GING, so having listened to nearly everything he's done (video'd since that book) I've heard the necro/mauso/thanato line so many times I gag. Much as I like the guy he needs to update the schtick.

[darksmiles22]

@SurelyYewJest

I've heard CH repeat his lines about celestial North Korea & vicarious redemption (though I wish he would use the phrasing "abandonment of personal responsibility" more when explaining it) so many times that I gag too, but I do think they wake some people up each time.

Also on the upside I have the foundational conceits of Abrahamic religion committed to memory now, while I tend to forget consequent outrages of religion since there are just so many of them.

[luwala23]

@SurelyYewJest

I agree 100.00%, Great comment!

[countertreason]

@SurelyYewJest Haha, he repeats many of his jokes quite frequently. Lots of his arguments, too. However, the crowd always reacts like its a novel joke/argument, so therefore, I suppose most people don't follow him with as much dedication and he knows it.

[jbfla2006]

about religion: "who want's a celestial north korea" (5:00), too funny...

[TomPiltoff]

Am I the only one who hates the audience laughing at absolutely anything?

[hucklberrydoc]

no.

[Lion117]

i dunno i'm watching with 30% of my attention p:

[chrissup19]

Well, hitchens is so witty, people just expect he is being funny at times when he isn't, it's understandable.

[yRegal]

You are not alone

[soapfiction]

@TomPiltoff In that case, you should avoid Bill Maher's audience at all costs.