What Happens When A Christian Magazine Interviews Christopher Hitchens?
Well, you get a good interview, naturally – it is Hitchens. I make no secret of my admiration for Hitchens the writer, but I do wish Hitchens the man were not so dismissive (actually, he’s downright hostile) towards religion. I don’t expect everyone to share my beliefs, mind you – it’s just that he, as I’ve often said, makes a fetish out of his atheism, or, as he puts it, his anti-theism:
…[L]est anyone doubt where he stands on religion: “I think religion is a deadly threat to the survival of the species and to the continued evolution of the brain.” In debates he is quick to call himself an “anti-theist.” Why not simply an atheist?
“An atheist can still say he wishes it was true. It would be nice if it was true. I can’t see why it would be nice if it was true. I simply can’t see that. To have pre-cradle to post-grave round-the-clock supervision and surveillance by someone with a very devious form of morality,” he says, “who wants this to be true? I’m delighted that there’s no reason to think that it’s true. It’s humanity’s most obvious falsification.”
That’s our Christopher – often wrong (though more usually right), always thoughtful, and never less than provocative…
UPDATE 5:27 p.m.: And there’s this:
These days he is talking mostly about Iran and Mr. Ahmadinejad, whose statements he describes as “principally the ravings of an unwashed taxi driver.”
Bravo!…
Most atheists I know don’t wish it were true. I think he avoids calling himself ‘atheist’ because it is the most hated group in the country. He doesn’t need any more people to hate on him…:)
That may be true, Mike – but if you’ve followed Hitchens over the years, you’d know that he is, first and foremost, a contrarian in all matters. He not only takes great pride in this stance, he willingly enjoys antagonizing those from the opposite view.
I believe he even titled one of his recent books, “Letters from a Young Contrarian.”
Indeed he did – well, “Letters To A Young Contrarian”, but close enough – and what a book it is! Highly recommended…