I don't agree with either of you (as you might have already guessed!)
Criticism of religion must be allowed, but as with everything there is surely a limit. I don't believe Christopher Hitchens has crossed any line with his book, and I don't believe he is a racist.
He is certainly a militant atheist, but there are many more militant theists in the world who will never waste an opportunity to remind us that if we don't accept Christ into our lives we are going to burn in the firey depths of Hell. To be tolerant of people who espouse those views in books and on stage and on the television, but to be intolerant of a book which seeks to condemn religion, is pure hypocricy.
The book has the potential to anger people, and it obviously has done so, but we simply can not go around banning things that might offend the sensibilities of another. Better to discuss them and let them stand or fall on their own merits.
It's one thing to be anti-religion and say so, and quite another to actively call for the abolition of religion. I'm not religious but I'm perfectly comfortable with my neighbour being a Muslim, or a Christian, or a Jew. Live and let live, right?
Of course, when people refuse to let others live, that's where conflict arises. I'd like to see the abolition of extremism. On both sides.
"God Is Not Great"
So you regard Hitchens as a racist fascist because of his political standpoint, not because of his atheistic one? That makes a lot more sense, I'm inclined to half-agreeMandy wrote:Kate, I am not intolerant of the book. I am against Hitchens' viewpoints (i.e. encompassing his pro-war stand). Which also applies to til's comment, i.e. I don't regard till as racist or fascist since she doesn't also have pro-war views.
So you wouldn't like to see the book banned or anything?
It is his political standpoint (which encompasses his atheistic standpoint).nekokate wrote:So you regard Hitchens as a racist fascist because of his political standpoint, not because of his atheistic one?
Just like with Northern Ireland, the issue of the right to march, such as the Orange Parades, is inter-twinned in politics.
Of-course not .. I am a liberal. I would be a hypocrite if I did want that.nekokate wrote:So you wouldn't like to see the book banned or anything?
I'm not sure how this disagrees with anything i've said. I never called for the banning of religion, i argue against it as an idea because i believe it to be wrong. People are free to practice whatever they like in their own lives be it Jesus, Jehovah, Mohammed or the Sun, that doesn't mean you have to accept the validity of it. Unlike many on the left i don't accept the idea that all ideas have the same worth.nekokate wrote:I don't agree with either of you (as you might have already guessed!)
Criticism of religion must be allowed, but as with everything there is surely a limit. I don't believe Christopher Hitchens has crossed any line with his book, and I don't believe he is a racist.
He is certainly a militant atheist, but there are many more militant theists in the world who will never waste an opportunity to remind us that if we don't accept Christ into our lives we are going to burn in the firey depths of Hell. To be tolerant of people who espouse those views in books and on stage and on the television, but to be intolerant of a book which seeks to condemn religion, is pure hypocrisy.
The book has the potential to anger people, and it obviously has done so, but we simply can not go around banning things that might offend the sensibilities of another. Better to discuss them and let them stand or fall on their own merits.
It's one thing to be anti-religion and say so, and quite another to actively call for the abolition of religion. I'm not religious but I'm perfectly comfortable with my neighbour being a Muslim, or a Christian, or a Jew. Live and let live, right?
Of course, when people refuse to let others live, that's where conflict arises. I'd like to see the abolition of extremism. On both sides.
Hitchens actually sums it up a lot better than me
I'm not advocating Stalinism, I'm advocating secularism.They may not influence my government. They may not have their nonsense taught in the schools my children go to. They may not raise my taxes to spend on their places of worship
when it is allowed to interfere the ideas of the Abrahmic religions are simply not compatible with the 21st century. Homosexuality is not a crime, adultery isn't a crime and there is no such thing as sin.
Last edited by til661 on Fri May 18, 2007 5:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thank you for that acknowledgement. I'm also not femaleMandy wrote:Kate, I am not intolerant of the book. I am against Hitchens' viewpoints (i.e. encompassing his pro-war stand). Which also applies to til's comment, i.e. I don't regard till as racist or fascist since she doesn't also have pro-war views.
My previous avatar was a rock group not a representation of myself. I'm not actually that pretty in real life 
Last edited by til661 on Fri May 18, 2007 4:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
til661 wrote:Thank you for that acknowledgement. Not only am i not a Racist or Fascist but i'm also not femaleMandy wrote:Kate, I am not intolerant of the book. I am against Hitchens' viewpoints (i.e. encompassing his pro-war stand). Which also applies to til's comment, i.e. I don't regard till as racist or fascist since she doesn't also have pro-war views.
So those kids weren't yours in your prior image ?
https://www.sleater-kinney.com/photos/42.html
As far as i'm aware they are all in their mid-thirties, not kids.
Oh and the current one is Lee and Herring who are comedians, and they aren't kids either. though i probably look a lot more like Stewart Lee than any of Sleater-Kinney
As far as i'm aware they are all in their mid-thirties, not kids.
Oh and the current one is Lee and Herring who are comedians, and they aren't kids either. though i probably look a lot more like Stewart Lee than any of Sleater-Kinney
Mandy wrote:It will be a crime scene if either partner catches you at it.
I try to avoid words like evil and sin, they often have connotations i'm not comfortable with.Mandy wrote:I assume you believe that certain acts are "evil". That could be regarded as a sin against society's accepted morality.
That wasn't your previous image.til661 wrote:https://www.sleater-kinney.com/photos/42.html
As far as i'm aware they are all in their mid-thirties, not kids.
