Christopher Hitchens on debating religion and the elections

The editor of "Patrol" speaks with Christopher Hitchens after the debate with theologian Douglas Wilson at The King's College in New York City.

The complete thing: http://www.vimeo.com/2111182

I asked: "Can somebody tell me what the 'red flower' means on CH's lapel?"

The answer came quickly, user calcecini said:
"In answer to your question about CH's lapel,it's actually a poppy (made of plastic) worn in November in Britain as a memorial for those who have died in war (war remembrance day in on November 11th in the UK). You are given a poppy by people on the street after a donation, and that money goes to veterans charity. The tradition covers all wars, but is especially associated with WW1 1914 -18 - as the poppy grows in the area where the terrible trench wars took place."

I checked and read that the tradition is based on the Canadian poem "In Flanders Fields":

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— John McCrae

I think we should indeed show this kind of stoicism and respect for those who protected our Freedom in the past and now against another dreadful enemy in poppy fields. I hope this catches on also in the USA and other places.

more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flanders_Fields

Category:

Education

Tags:

• christopher
• hitchens
• douglas
• wilson
• election
• barack
• religion
• atheism
• mccain
• obama
• debate
• new
• york
• poppy
• veterans
• remembrance
• day
• sarah
• palin
• witchcraft
• politics

[Samtheamazingpuppet]

Hitchens Rules

[poolerboy0077]

Cute twink.

[dakotadenverdexter]

@redtimmy Lol could have sworn it said his name.

[redtimmy]

@dakotadenverdexter No need to be a prick. I just read the description. Again. The interviewer is not named. He is referred to as "The editor of "Patrol", which is not really a name, is it?

[dakotadenverdexter]

@redtimmy READ. THE. DESCRIPTION.

[paginipro]

so sad hitchy died ,I'm the next hitchens ,fuck religions logic is god see my website theoreticalphysics.webs.com

[DrFruedienslip]

Instead of arguing over any definition for God, persons might want to ask the question why are there so many people using hard drugs, like alcohol, Meth and Cocaine, and who ever came up with the idea that cannnabis is the gateway drug? Sugar Caffiene and nicotine are drugs and the most addictive and widely used, how many foods have preservatives in them and how does they effect physical stress?

[DrFruedienslip]

@TrueKaos1991 One approach within that thought might be that death itself could not actually be experienced, so what would any person actually know? When we die we would find out any truth to this never ending argument, evolution is more scientific, and many religious persons promote any fear within any judgmental deity which is any theoretical supposition asking any question within how anything comes to be which simply cannot  actually be known? What does any person truly know?

[MrLittletomdj]

Dinesh D'souza??? Really? woah, I wasn't expecting that.

[redtimmy]

Who is the man on the right?

[murrayp4]

cute twink

[TrueKaos1991]

I find it hard to imagine an afterlife whenever I look at all the life of the planet. It's pretty arrogant of us to assume that after we die only humans move on. What happens to all other animals on the planet? The only difference between humans and animals is our intelligence. I've been kept up at night by fear whenever I think about what happens after death. Sometimes I find it hard to keep going but that doesn't mean I need something to guide me. Religion just takes away your fear of death.