1. Survey finds most Americans believe Jesus born of virgin

Comment #102312 by JayD on December 22, 2007 at 10:20 am

15% of atheists and agnostics think the virgin birth was historically true? That's rather disturbing.

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Comment #99857 by JayD on December 17, 2007 at 5:41 pm

I had never considered these last two points. I think they're serious and well worth thinking about. I certainly don't think they're "stupid" or "muddled". I do see why one might think so, given that his clarification was quick - it was easy to miss.

At least twice, he said explicitly that all religions are "equally dangerous", and only when pressed he gave a tidbit of qualification. Maybe this was just a sign of inebriation, but he's smashed so often that one can hardly excuse him.

I know Hitch does have many good qualities about him, and he's nearly always entertaining, whether in print or in person. However, his sometimes vague and mangled logic is not infrequently a source of irritation for me.

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Comment #99725 by JayD on December 17, 2007 at 12:28 pm

Does anyone know whether a second discussion between the four is in the offing?

4. THE FOUR HORSEMEN - Available Now on DVD!

Comment #99724 by JayD on December 17, 2007 at 12:27 pm

These requests for a moderator are just absurd. A discussion between reasonable men, who all essentially agree with each other, doesn't need to be "moderated". A moderator would take time from the discussion and add little (maybe he'd "focus" things, but we want to see digression). I know Dawkins doesn't like the idea of a moderator even in debates, and I wouldn't suppose he'd ever agree to such a senseless arrangement.

5. THE FOUR HORSEMEN - Available Now on DVD!

Comment #99158 by JayD on December 15, 2007 at 7:15 pm

Why would he [say he was playing Devil's advocate]?

When in doubt, I think it's generally a safe bet to suppose people mean what they say.

Specifically?

Did you properly read my earlier post, or do you just have an awful memory? I think his statement that all religions are equally dangerous (which he didn't retract, even when challenged) is stupid and muddled. He also failed to coherently explain why he doesn't want faith to die out. Dawkins was correct to repeatedly confront him on this.

...you presumably mean he makes a case for the war and you don't like that.

Not at all. I'm one of the few people here who's still essentially undecided on the war. I just feel that Hitchens is not infrequently guilty of bad logic and bad arguments.

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Comment #99154 by JayD on December 15, 2007 at 7:01 pm

By the way, I'm not JeyDee. I don't know who he is.

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Comment #99153 by JayD on December 15, 2007 at 7:00 pm

Hitchens didn't say he was deliberately playing Devil's advocate. He simply made a bunch of stupid, muddled points, as he does quite regularly. He's not as rational and reasonable a man as the other three "horsemen".

8. THE FOUR HORSEMEN - Available Now on DVD!

Comment #99113 by JayD on December 15, 2007 at 4:00 pm

I'm greatly disappointed with Hitchens. His performance in that discussion was terrible. He mumbled throughout the two hours, and often didn't seem interested in being understood. He was rude and obnoxious, and would frequently interrupt. The others had to practically cut him off in order to get a word in edgeways.

On top of all that, he made some thoroughly nonsensical points. Obviously all religions aren't equally dangerous. His saying otherwise was beyond absurd. And how could, as he indicated, the process of arguing against faith be a valid reason to not want faith itself to disappear? It makes no sense. There are defensible reasons for not wanting to kill off faith (e.g. consolation and social cohesion), but Hitchens only brought these up obscurely, and that was much later on.

He doesn't deserve a place alongside Dawkins, Dennett and Harris. He's no champion of reason.