Added: Jul 7, 2008
From: PiroNiro
Duration: 10:20
A fantastic lecture by Christopher Hitchens about how atheism (and anti-theism) is not only a healthy belief system but a moral necessity. He talks about the very earthly nature of religion, the dangerous effect it is having on our world and the need for people to think for themselves.Have a drink and get comfortable because Hitchens is going to explain it all to you just brilliantly!Sewanee University, February 23, 2004
Channel: Howto
Tags: anti-theist atheism atheist christian christianity christopher god hitchens islam moral muslim necessity religion
Rating: 3.91 (414 ratings) Views: 40983' favoriteCount='306 Comments: 585
UweBoll88 Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - It's so retarded to say that atheism is a religion. It's like saying that baldness is a hairstyle.
Dwslassls Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - That was actually a good analogy.
letmeinviteyou Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - drunk
raveryyyy Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - is rejection of unicorns, or fairies, or the flying spaghetti monster belief systems?
Craighill9 Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - invalid analogy
Oxygaunt Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - no.
vjesczi Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - ever notice how hitchens wears the same jacket everywhere lol
diegolokon Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - how is it invalid?
SentinelConvergence Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - Strikes me that the analogy has at least a semblance of relevence.
Carcilwen Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - Shut up.
watersigns01 Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - Well said, there is nothing tangible that proves a God/Gods exists at all. lol, but wait, does a Guitar God count?...I kid.
6583987 Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - "If it's as far as the deist position, then I accept that."I agree with that to a point. I think deism is a good hypothesis for the beginnings of the universe, but the hypothesis of an "intervener god" has no basis in evidence.
CatastrophicDisaster Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - Advice to people about to watch this: Skip to 4mins.-DisasCatas
someonesperson Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - thanks
theemurf Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - 'I wont mention X, and i wont mention Y. I'm not gonna give ya the impression that he's Z, which he is!'Guys debatin hitch is a dick!!
theemurf Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - I dont agree with the moral necessity for atheism, but cut lose every scrap of dogmatism!! Be you atheist, agnostic or non-credulous theist, fine! but dogmatism causes too many problems
Schpwuette Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - "Advice to people about to watch this: Skip to 4mins.-DisasCatas"bumping advice (just in case)
chmsprg33 Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - What a bunch of bullshit. In the 20th Century alone atheistic or de facto irreligious states killed more people than all religious wars of antiquity combined. Add it up - Hitler, Stalin, Khmer Rouge, etc. He's flat out full of it.
ezmorningrebel Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - Old and tired argument. Those people were atheist (they lacked a belief in a god) but they didn't wage wars in the name of their lack-of-belief. The wars that reflect badly upon religions are when they are waged in the name of that belief.
chmsprg33 Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - I still think the argument applies. Atheism implies no accountability to a higher being, therefore there is nothing inherent in the idealogy to stop someone from engaging in atrocities. While not logically required as you point out, being atheist doesn't drive bad actions necessarily (I agree), but Stalin's lack of belief, for example,made it easy to murder since he believed that once we're all dead it doesn't make any difference anyway. And yes - religious wars are embarrassing.
verbaluk1 Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - Atheism is not an ideology but rather a rejection of some of the more harmful ones. Atheism itself has nothing to proscribe atrocities simply because it is not needed; morality is inherent in us. To quote Steven Weinberg (as Hitchens has also done): "With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil — that takes religion."
chmsprg33 Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - verbaluk1 - Thanks for responding. I have a problem with Weinburg's statement though. He's making the assumption that good people only do good and evil people only do evil - but that's not what we see. Good people of all belief systems (or lack of) do evil things on occasion. Therefore a good atheist who does an evil act does not do so in the name of religion, so Weinburg's statement seems logically flawed to me.
Killer0fTheSun Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - If that is the truth then why are american prisons not full of atheists?Yet acccording to the FBI report it is filled with 98 percent theist.
KingdomVanDoth Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - Who is the women he is talking about who heads England's national church?
AnunC8 Says:
Jul 7, 2008 - That depends on how far that belief goes I suppose. If it's as far as the deist position, then I accept that. However, if you decided you believed in an intervener god and thought you knew what he wanted, and didn't even have something as unreliable as one of those ancient texts to back you up, I might think you even ... stranger. Stranger might be the wrong word, but it's the only one that comes to mind.