HughCaldwell-

You are wrong to claim agnosticism on the issue. Agnosticism follows from full knowledge of the facts.

Does it?

hungarianelephant-

I was wondering; do you know of any good articles that discuss the legality/illegality of the war? There's a lot of rhetoric about it being illegal, and I must admit I don't know if that's true or not.

The Plc-

At a bookstore signing in Dublin he had been pelted with shoes and other objects by a mixed mob of anti-war types, stiffened with some gaunt lads from the periphery of “the Real I.R.A.”

This is evidence free bullshit, and it is typical Christopher Hitchens' bitter and depraved attempts to defame people who he disagrees with on the Iraq War atrocities. Disappointing. Face it, Hitchens just has no integrity here.

Googling "Tony Blair Dublin" got me a list of articles, of which this article was the first. It mentions that one of the groups present was the "32 County Sovereignty Movement".

Checking on them gave me this article in which they are referred to as being regarded as "the political wing of the Real IRA". Thus, Hitchens' reference to "gaunt lads from the periphery of the Real IRA" is hardly "evidence free bullshit."

Finding this out took me five minutes using Google. Just saying.

snibbets-

After all, atheists have no basis for morality whatsoever. It is entirely consistent with atheism to do whatever you fancy, whether it be abusing children, killing the unborn, killing the infirm, killing people who are 'less evolved'. Let's be honest - this is precisely why atheism is so appealing, because people think they can do whatever they want. Time to face up to the conscience. Humble acceptance of the sacrifice made on the cross is the only path to peace with God.

This has been refuted so, so many times. I can't work out whether you're trolling or whether you genuinely think this.

My condolences for your loss, Richard.