Hitchens on the morals of an atheist (part 2/2)

Christopher Hitchens talks about his book "God is not great" and why we don't need a god to be moral.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Christopher
• Hitchens
• atheism
• atheist
• religion
• god
• is
• not
• great
• morals

[Gautamiyer2]

How can anyone win against Hitchens in any debate? His knowledge and depth in literature is astounding. Not to mention his vast vocabulary and astute sense of how to mince his words effectively and thoroughly. Brilliant!

[jeffindenver2002]

After watching many Hitchens interview, I get the impression he's read every significant book ever written. How in the world does he have time for this!

[TheKevturner]

This is a guy with a motive, he was squirming just waiting to speak, you want a lesson on how to interview watch Charlie Rose. You are there to ask questions not makes stupid recycled points.

[zenqimaster]

Christopher Hitchens is the best interviewee I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

[Pyro25892]

@ciaochowbella It was a bit of a joke. I am surprised to know they don't check but I'm not judging him or anything.

[grozde]

@ciaochowbella

I started with saying that I agree with his main point - so how am I missing it?...

Hitchens mentions Japan and NK on more than a few occasions. And it makes disservice to his general point, because it's WRONG.

When asked 'Well, look at atheist tyrants", he'd say "Well, Stalin was an atheist, but Hirohito and KJI were gods...", thus panting the fanaticism of J&NK as religious! and this is WRONG.

[ciaochowbella]

@grozde You are dense.

COMPARING religious fanaticism with political fanaticism is NOT BLAMING RELIGION. He has repeatedly compared statism with religion and shown that it is the identical dynamic. However, that isn't laying the fault at the feet of religion.

And Hitch only mentions Japan and N. Korea in passing. I think you make entirely too much of it and miss the point in the process.

Just because YOU misundertand him doesn't mean he's wrong.

[grozde]

@ciaochowbella

How many times - and for how long - was the Son of the Skies deprived of his "godly power" by mere humans?

Some claim that the USA A-bombed Japan was because it wouldn't capitulate. Actually, "god" wanted to capitulate, but people wouldn't have it. Not an attitude you'd expect towards a god, don't you think?!...

NK has is atheistic by definition. The "god declaration" part is TOTAL NONSENSE!

COMPARING non-religious fanatics with religious would do him DISservice.So he wasn't

[ciaochowbella]

@grozde That's NOT Hitchens blaming religion for something it's not responsible for. That's YOU misunderstanding Hitchens.

Oh, and the Emperor of Japan was considered a living god since the 7th century. His every order and whim catered to. How is that not treating him as a god?

KJI is the declared god of N. Korea. Hitchens has been there and seen the fanaticism. Have YOU? I doubt it.

Hitch COMPARED religious fanaticism with political fanaticism. He didn't BLAME it on religion.

[grozde]

@ciaochowbella

Again, if you look at the HISTORY of JAPAN you'd see that the emperor WASN'T treated as god! Repeating that he was wouldn't change it!

And calling KJI "the official god" in NC is total ignorance about the situation there. Although I don't believe Hitchens is ignorant, he simply sees fanaticism and is quick to call it religious. Ant THAT"S where he's wrong! blaming religion for non-religious fanaticism is wrong. If you don't get it now - you might want to open a Hitchens cult.

[ciaochowbella]

@grozde You're not quite understanding what Hitchens says. In Japan during WWII, the Emperor WAS regarded as a god. Kim Jong Il IS the official god of N. Korea. Hitchens is NOT wrong calling them religions. They ARE.

And you've not said this before, so you're not repeating yourself.. You said that Hitchens claimed ALL fanatical belief was due to religion. I explained how you misunderstood him.

And this still doesn't explain what religion is wrongly blamed for, as you originally said.

[grozde]

@ciaochowbella

He is blaming religion for the fanaticism of the N. Koreans and the Japanese during WWII. It is WRONG. Because neither of the leaders is revered as god. Even if you know nothing about what "god' is in these countries, it's enough to look at their history (in the case of Japan) or the characteristic of the Sun of the nation (in the NK case) to see that Hitchins is WRONG calling their fanaticism religious.

I hope THIS time it was clear enough, cause I'm tired of repeating it!