Hitchens' (Written) Address to American Atheists

[onager]

Posted on: April 22, 2011 2:15 PM, by PZ Myers

Christopher Hitchens was scheduled to appear at the American Atheist convention, but had to cancel because of his illness. He sent this letter instead.

Dear fellow-unbelievers,

Nothing would have kept me from joining you except the loss of my voice (at least my speaking voice) which in turn is due to a long argument I am currently having with the specter of death. Nobody ever wins this argument, though there are some solid points to be made while the discussion goes on...

But in the past few years, there have been heartening signs of a genuine and spontaneous resistance to this sinister nonsense: a resistance which repudiates the right of bullies and tyrants to make the absurd claim that they have god on their side.

To have had a small part in this resistance has been the greatest honor of my lifetime: the pattern and original of all dictatorship is the surrender of reason to absolutism and the abandonment of critical, objective inquiry. The cheap name for this lethal delusion is religion, and we must learn new ways of combating it in the public sphere, just as we have learned to free ourselves of it in private. Sincerely,

Christopher Hitchens

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/04/hitchens_address_to_american_a.php#comments

[arcane1]

1. Recced!

[humblebum]

2. Definitely a 'religion' without a god. nt

[sudopod]

3. oh you.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. Saying it is doesn't make it so.

[Kceres]

4. May this brave man have many more years. We need him. nt

[Scuba]

5. You can't win the argument, but I've learned how to make them shut up....

...just ask them how that "prayin' for peace" thingy is going.

[pokerfan]

6. Well stated

As the heirs of a secular revolution, American atheists have a special responsibility to defend and uphold the Constitution that patrols the boundary between Church and State. This, too, is an honor and a privilege. Believe me when I say that I am present with you, even if not corporeally (and only metaphorically in spirit...) Resolve to build up Mr Jefferson's wall of separation. And don't keep the faith.

[UndertheOcean]

8. :(

[defendandprotect]

9. Good for Hitchens -- !!! Democracy is the cure for organized patriarchal religion ....

as we have seen it actually freeing people from the intimidation and

FEAR of religion --

Democracy offers the protection which those threatened by religious oppression

require -- basically the guarantee of freedom of thought -- and conscience --

and protection from having " The Sword introducing the Cross" -- !!


Democracy is still the enemy of organized patriarchal religion --


Religious influences over governments is still strong - and the desire of organized

patriarchal religions to control society by influencing government continues on still

here in America.



PS: I'd just add this closing thought --

Nature is pro-choice in every way -- the plants/drugs which were provided to women for

purposes of birth control, ending fertility, interrupting pregnancies -- abortion -- were

long ago destroyed by patriarchy -- and when that didn't work work entirely, then the women

themselves and women's wisdom/wicca had to be destroyed!


IF there is a "god" then "god" is not a fascist --

and the proof of that is that we have all been given free minds, free thought and free

conscience -- not because they are to be ignored -- but because they we were given the

right to use them and our free will.