We have been known to refer to prolific writer Christopher Hitchens as "The World's Smartest Person," if only to prove that we don't always reserve that title for our SWNIDish self. For those who share our judgment, and for those who have no clue who Hitch is, World Magazine has supplied a fine profile, including some helpful attention to the paradox of the self-styled anti-theist's antipathy for all religions and affection for the Bible.
We say in short that Hitch's reasons for unbelief in Christianity are well expressed versions of common post-Christian rationales for rejecting what is in fact a caricature of Christianity. We thank the good editors at World for labeling his description of the gospel as "a rare moment of less-than-astute analysis" and his citation of Augustine and Aquinas as "very underdeveloped human beings" as astounding. We assume that our gentle readers will get the general drift that they and we beg to differ with Mr. H on such points.
But politically, we find Hitch to be about as incisive as anyone writing (on politics and literature by the way), and probably more so. Those who loiter on this blog would be well advised to spend more time with the likes of him.
3 comments:
Hitchens is "the man." And I particularly enjoyed his debate with the cuddly George Galloway. Here's one bloggers transcript of the debate:
http://www.seixon.com/blog/archives/2005/09/galloway_vs_hit.html
Hitchens is at his best when he's had one too many. I wonder if he's Episcopalian?
Since Hitchens claims to be an anti-theist, he's either Episcopalian or Unitarian/Universalist,where the creed is, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one or less than one."
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