Comments on: Christopher Hitchens: “Anyone who believes that stuff is an idiot”

By: Complex Agenda

Complex Agenda — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 21:09:55 +0000

He has and does denounce all religions.

By: Skip

Skip — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 20:34:00 +0000

There is a lot of good info in this thread on how cults exercise mind control. When I say “cults” I include Xianity.

http://www.startupjunkies.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=865&start=15

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 21:37:21 +0000

The thing that surprises me the most is the extreme amount of anti-mormonism that still exists. It seems that society will not accept you if you are racist or an anti-Semite but it is still socially ok to hate, judge, and persecute a Mormon. If Michael Richards would have made those same comments about a Mormon nobody would have thought twice. The most frustrating thing about that is just like any prejudice it is based on ignorance. Many people especially “Christians” (In quotes because the people I am referring to talk about Christ but don’t act like him) think they know and understand Mormonism but really all of their ‘knowledge’ is just their other prejudices rearranged. The same thing is true for all of the Atheists who think Mormons are crazy and cult like. Just because somebody doesn’t agree with your skewed view of the world doesn’t make them stupid. Everyone is entitled to their own skewed view. Conformity is stupid. People make fun of Mormons because they have rituals and wear special underwear but those same people wouldn’t dare make fun of the Jews for fear of being labeled antisemitic. Although the Jews also have special rituals and wear special clothes. Or the pope with his ‘funny’ hats and robes.

By: rickygee

rickygee — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 15:07:11 +0000

DeWayne says: “Hitchens has long had a sensitive bullshit detector with regard to sanctimony.”

Except when it comes to the cult of Bush and his crusaders. And I think (adam, I am lookin’ at you) some here have missed that as the obvious point WKW is making.

By: DeWayne

DeWayne — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 12:59:12 +0000

Hitchens has long expressed an antipathy to religion in general so his comments about Mormons needs to be put in that larger context. If you really want to get him fuming and an audience frothing just ask him for comments about Mother Teresa. He wrote a wonderful little book entitled _The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in theory and practice_. Hitchens has long had a sensitive bullshit detector with regard to sanctimony.

By: William K. Wolfrum

William K. Wolfrum — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 10:58:06 +0000

adam:

sarcasm
One entry found for sarcasm.
Main Entry: sar·casm
Pronunciation: ’sär-”ka-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: French or Late Latin; French sarcasme, from Late Latin sarcasmos, from Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazein to tear flesh, bite the lips in rage, sneer, from sark-, sarx flesh; probably akin to Avestan thwar&s- to cut
1 : a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
2 a : a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual b : the use or language of sarcasm

–WKW

By: adam

adam — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 10:47:17 +0000

“All religions are cults, all cultists are foolish. They don’t care about my feelings on the subject, I don’t feel the ned to care about theirs.”

So explain why Hitchens should be ashamed of himself, then. There’s no logic to what you’re saying. You agree with him that religions are cultish. So the only thing left for him to be ashamed of is picking on a Democrat, not a Republican.

By: William K. Wolfrum

William K. Wolfrum — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 09:57:06 +0000

Adam,

So, let me get this straight. Bush takes the country down a road of insane Christian fundamentalism, and some I am intellectually dishonest because I’m sarcastic about Christopher Hitchens using Reid’s religion to attack him.

All religions are cults, all cultists are foolish. They don’t care about my feelings on the subject, I don’t feel the ned to care about theirs. Nor am I much concerned about the feelings or strategies of you and “the left.”

–WKW

By: anonymous

anonymous — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 07:36:22 +0000

Nice to see that Mr. Hitchens can still say something that makes sense.

By: adam

adam — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 06:00:35 +0000

Tell me you’re kidding. You’re suggesting that Hitchens ’should be ashamed of himself’, and yet you state in so many words that the contested opinion is correct, by agreeing Mormonism is a cult.

So what’s the problem, exactly? That he didn’t append ‘And so are all religions’ to the end of the sentence? Any cursory glance at Hitchens’ work would reveal that he is a critic off religion wholesale, and the religious impulse in people, and is not just ‘picking on one’. It just happened to be the one under discussion this time.

So this is the height of intellectual dishonesty. Can you honestly tell me — honestly — that if Hitchens had called Bush or Santorum a member of a stupid cult, you’d be begging for an apology, because he ’singled them out’?

This is NOT what we on the left should be doing. Have some self-respect, for god’s sake.

By: Xanthippas

Xanthippas — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 05:08:16 +0000

In a contest of such intellectual light-weights, it’s hard to know who you want to lose the most.

By: flint

flint — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 00:09:56 +0000

As an ex-LDS type I agree that their beliefs are weird, but no weirder than believing you are going to live forever ’cause someone was nailed to a tree 2000 years ago.

By: Milo

Milo — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 22:11:19 +0000

To infer that all religions are cults (very tempting to agree with) is to betray a bias towards western religions, which indeed seem to be cults – and imperial ones at that. Christianity, Mormonism and Islam are all active missionaries – at the poiont of a sword or a basket of bread as the case offers. How often doyou see Buddhist missionaries?
I have to say that I can’t write Hitchens off. I enjoy reading his pieces in the Atlantic MOnthley and elsewhere, even when I think he’s being outrageously subjective – and trivial – in his arguments. He has a more-often-than-not interesting mind that at it’s worst day is still 5 orders of magnitude than anyone on Fox – especially Coulter who is just ego-tripping along.
It does giveme pause, though, that the universally amiable Studs Terkel has declared Hitchens anathema. You have to be a serious asshole to merit Studs cutting you off.
Milo

By: Jacob M

Jacob M — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 22:01:02 +0000

There is only one difference between a cult and a religion. Religions have armies.

By: intepid

intepid — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 21:37:37 +0000

If you are an atheist (which I am) and don’t want to disrespect the majority of the people on this planet (which I don’t) the easiest way to be “tolerant” of their superstitions is to see them as a cultural baggage rather than a firm belief system (eg people go to church mainly because it is a tradition within their community, and only tacitly “believe”).

When newer religions emerge *after* the Enlightenment, it’s very hard to be so forgiving. If you’re a mormon or a scientologist you can only be so because you actually believe in the bizarro dogma attached, hence people like Hitchens and myself (I do not actually like CH) really don’t see a problem with being openly critical. I too would question the decision making ability of anyone who strongly espouses a belief in anything supernatural.