god is not Great, by Christopher Hitchens

[royr]

god is not Great, by Christopher Hitchens

An intellectual read. Don't attempt it if your vocabulary is limited, or if your mind is particularly closed. Well worth it if you question the basis of religion.

"Hitchens contends that organized religion is "violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children", and that accordingly it "ought to have a great deal on its conscience." Hitchens supports his position with a mixture of personal stories, documented historical anecdotes and critical analysis of religious texts.", Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Is_Not_Great

http://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Great-Religion-Everything/dp/0446697966

[graciegirl]

Wow Roy. You have started with a roar.

I will read this and let you know.

But first, please tell us more about YOU!

[BritParrothead]

Mr Hitchens is an Englishman. He writes for one of our Sunday newspapers, his brother, Peter Hitchens writes for another one.
They are so different you would not believe they came from the same parents!!
I find them both outspoken, and very difficult to read.

[Taltarzac]

This looks like something I should thumb through as I studied some of these kind of arguments in college with my Minor in Religious Studies and double B.A. in Philosophy and History.

What is interesting though is that it seemed like a lot of methods of explaining the world had aspects that were given-- i.e. you had to take assumptions they made on faith. Science was riddled with them. A good start on seeing these assumptions in science is by reading Thomas Kuhn's work and its many critics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Structure_of_Scientific_Revolutions

[ijusluvit]

Why would anyone bother to buy another book and spend time reading the same overtold story?
Sure, history demonstrates the continual failure of virtually all organizations, including religions, but that doesn't say anything about the folks who join a religion to facilitate their efforts help others and become better people. Some individuals also fail, but many succeed and provide inspiration for all of us. Three cheers if a religion provides the venue for someone to do good things.
Amen.

[Campbell soup]

When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion.
Abraham Lincoln

[cashman]

Why blame God for failed Religions and nutty human beings in fact one's like Hitchens. Hitchens has a brother who does not agree with him.

"God Is Not Great" is indeed not a great title.