tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post2356534423659432505..comments2024-02-24T00:41:37.836-08:00Comments on The Buddha Diaries: CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS: ATHEISMPeter Clothierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-22242206603763266042012-10-10T13:20:37.023-07:002012-10-10T13:20:37.023-07:00Frankly I'm unclear how the dismissiveness of ...Frankly I'm unclear how the dismissiveness of religious thinking shows any arrogance at all. I'm sure you dismiss the belief in Zeus, don't you? Or maybe it's Osiris that you dismiss. Clearly you must dismiss the belief in the tooth fairy? How utterly arrogant of you. <br />If it makes one arrogant to dismiss fairy tales then I must confess, I am in fact arrogant then. Is this the part where I fix myself by showing my humility and loyalty to a half-truth that lived thousands of years ago? In doing so I hope to be a beautiful butterfly in my next life.mike reednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-62106625942154510822012-09-18T12:13:35.168-07:002012-09-18T12:13:35.168-07:00I readily confess to my own sense of insecurity. ...I readily confess to my own sense of insecurity. Indeed, I believe that it characterizes the human condition. The dismissiveness of "group-think" as applied to Buddhist thought and, indeed, I assume, to all religious thinking, betrays something of the arrogance that needlessly diminished the humanity that Hitchens undoubtedly possessed.Peter Clothierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-56987096094220158332012-09-18T12:02:05.653-07:002012-09-18T12:02:05.653-07:00I just ran across this, so yes, I know I am late t...I just ran across this, so yes, I know I am late to the party. "I see it rather as a cover-up for a deep inner insecurity and doubt." This comment is laughable. I can though, understand how swagger might offend the sensibilities of someone who prostrates themselves to the ancient thinking of a buddha who may or may not have actually existed. The third eye squints in the light of cold, hard truth. Don't mislabel a strong personality and disbelief in your superstitious group-think as insecurity. Ironically, that itself seems quite insecure. mike reednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-7653936165612496262011-12-31T12:52:31.506-08:002011-12-31T12:52:31.506-08:00Hitchens was bombastic, opinionated, brilliant, an...Hitchens was bombastic, opinionated, brilliant, and honest. I was always interested in what he had to say because I never knew what it would be. Most people are utterly predictable. Not Mr. Hitchens. Whatever he was, he was 100%. I deeply respected his intensity and his honesty. And he was a very fine wordsmith. I'm sorry he's gone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-31307093097023806532011-12-27T14:47:06.239-08:002011-12-27T14:47:06.239-08:00Peter...
I agree with you. Hitchens manner and pr...Peter...<br />I agree with you. Hitchens manner and presentation were so offensive it obliterated the logic of his words.RW Klarinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16211113417772477800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-45544183123588695632011-12-26T12:38:52.784-08:002011-12-26T12:38:52.784-08:00I has some exposure to Hitch's writing, but it...I has some exposure to Hitch's writing, but it never gelled with me as well as the writing of someone like Carl Sagan.<br /><br />I prefer the Agnostic (or even Ignostic) viewpoints. Agnosticism, because I strongly suspect that any god that might be around would likely be so far beyond us that we don't have a hope of understanding it.<br /><br />Ignosticism, because we have to articulate a concept of God that makes sense before we can discuss it, in light of what I wrote above, how can we?Richardhttp://quietwatercourse.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-42746733547822059622011-12-21T16:38:14.967-08:002011-12-21T16:38:14.967-08:00I prefer Stephen Batchelor's take on it. For h...I prefer Stephen Batchelor's take on it. For him, if I understand correctly, any discussion of God is pointless because the idea of God makes no sense to him.<br /><br />What's the point in talking about something you don't believe in because it makes no sense to you? What's the point of trying to convince someone else that their beliefs are pointless?Paulhttp://paulgerhards.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-3611592786212246252011-12-20T08:08:18.133-08:002011-12-20T08:08:18.133-08:00I am a fellow atheist as well, Peter. It amazes an...I am a fellow atheist as well, Peter. It amazes and amuses me that after all this time, we humans are still trying to figure out what happens after death, as if it mattered. The graves and ethers are full of the dust of everyone who came before us. Once in a while they show up in our dreams, an afterlife in the heart of love.<br /><br />Hitchens's atheism was interesting to me because he was so outspoken. I appreciated it because it was loud and bombastic enough to over-shout the din of inane believers. I liked hearing it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-38360328160371880752011-12-19T10:37:01.805-08:002011-12-19T10:37:01.805-08:00A time old tale, I think. Hitchin's atheism, ...A time old tale, I think. Hitchin's atheism, his so-called 'insecurity' as you call it, might well just be his way of begrudgingly acknowledging that this was an area - no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he studied - of fact that he could not 'know'; and this frustration was enough to cause him to react by lashing out at those who somehow claim to have found peace in some or another form of faith; real or imagined.John Torcellonoreply@blogger.com