In chaper twelve, Hitchens stops arguing fallaciously from the presumed origin of all religions, and argues briefly, but equally fallaciously, from the collapse of relgious movements. He makes this case on the basis of the collapse of one religious movement. “It can be equally useful and instructive to take a glimpse at the closing of …
More on the Atheism Front
I have some fun developments to report on the ongoing atheism discussion. First, we are getting some good reviews on Letter from a Christian Citizen. Here is a short but helpful blurb from Phillip Johnson, a man who is doing more than his share to keep Darwinists on their toes. “Douglas Wilson provides a good-natured …
You Have to Leave Wichita Too
As we continue through this book, it is becoming more and more apparent that Hitchens’ gods — science and reason — are really starting to let him down. In the previous chapter, Hitchens said in passing that “the argument from authority’ is the weakest of all arguments” (p. 150). And how do you know that? …
On Mulberry Street
In the first place, I think there must have been an editorial mishap in the assigned title of Hitchens’ next chapter. It was “The Tawdriness of the Miraculous and the Decline of Hell.” The chapter is about the former, and not about the latter at all. I can only conjecture that it was at one …
Some Praise for Hitchens
I live in the north part of Idaho, in the portion that looks like a rock chimney. I bring this up merely to lend credence to my next claim, which is that the lakes up here are pretty cold year round. When you are swimming, or water skiing, even in August, you are always in …
The Need for Human Sacrifice
I think I will treat the next two chapters together. Chapter Seven of Hitchens’ book is on the nightmare we call the Old Testament, and Chapter Eight informs us why the evil of the New Testament surpasses that of the Old. That which is good in the Old Testament is, according to Hitchens, not unique …
Mucho Macaronic Mirabile Dictu
Chapter Six of Hitchens’ book is all about “Arguments from Design.” I have gone back and forth in my mind about how to approach this one. Should I do a slow inexorable build to the point in my last paragraph where I place the capstone of a fun quotation from this chapter, doing so with …
Because My Brain Burbles
It used to be possible for believers to have a brain, but no more. This is because our ancestors lived in the blackest of ignorance, and theologians like Aqinas or Maimonides were just playing cards with the hand they were dealt. Ya know? I said in an earlier post that I was going to point …
Would There be a Vice Squad in Hitchensville?
Okay, so the next chapter is Hitchens on health, to which health the religion of your choice is almost certainly hazardous. We are only on the fourth chapter, and it is of average length, but the mistakes Hitchens makes are starting to accumulate, so it might take a little bit of extra time to get …
Foolishness to the Greeks
Chapter Three is “A Short Digression on the Pig; or, Why Heaven Hates Ham.” Since it is a brief chapter, it warrants a comparable response. In this chapter, Hitchens has a case of the cutes — there is a lot here to make fun of, this is something he is good at, and so he …