Christopher Hitchens: Lite Fare for the Uninformed

[D1B]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

The only people concerned about elitism are those who are not elite.

Thank you for noticing.

This is why you just have to like Joe - good stuff there!

See, this stuff is witty.

What's more witty is Curtis White, Joe's Salon Hero, is an English Professor at Illinois State University.

Illinois State is where kid go when they can't get into community college.

[D1B]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

The only people concerned about elitism are those who are not elite.

Thank you for noticing.

This is why you just have to like Joe - good stuff there!

See, this stuff is witty.

Well, sure, it's seems witty on the surface, but Joe is wrong. The elite are utterly concerned about elitism. The only other group more concerned about it is the almost elite.

[houndawg]

This is why you just have to like Joe - good stuff there!

See, this stuff is witty.

What's more witty is Curtis White, Joe's Salon Hero, is an English Professor at Illinois State University.

Illinois State is where kid go when they can't get into community college.

SIU 17, ISU 0. At their place, on Homecoming. Thanks for reminding me D1B.

[kalm]

Nice dodge Joe.

BTW, I missed the end of your comment.

If by the "entropy argument," you mean pointing out the orderly nature of our cosmos and how conducive it is to hosting our life form -- and how many departures from chance are necessary to create such a cosmos -- I appreciate your comment about how smart I am, since I have made that argument on this board several times. Thanks!

So your cosmos doesn't extend beyond our atmosphere? How sad. Typically unimaginative... But sad...

[JoltinJoe]

This is why you just have to like Joe - good stuff there!

See, this stuff is witty.

Well, sure, it's seems witty on the surface, but Joe is wrong. The elite are utterly concerned about elitism. The only other group more concerned about it is the almost elite.

Present company suspected ...

[houndawg]

Nice dodge Joe.

BTW, I missed the end of your comment.

If by the "entropy argument," you mean pointing out the orderly nature of our cosmos and how conducive it is to hosting our life form -- and how many departures from chance are necessary to create such a cosmos -- I appreciate your comment about how smart I am, since I have made that argument on this board several times. Thanks!

The part of our cosmos conducive to hosting our life form is vanishingly small, Joe. Nor is our cosmos orderly , in fact it becomes more disorderly every moment. The fact that I need to school you about that is a sad thing.

[JoltinJoe]

BTW, I missed the end of your comment.

If by the "entropy argument," you mean pointing out the orderly nature of our cosmos and how conducive it is to hosting our life form -- and how many departures from chance are necessary to create such a cosmos -- I appreciate your comment about how smart I am, since I have made that argument on this board several times. Thanks!

The part of our cosmos conducive to hosting our life form is vanishingly small, Joe. Nor is our cosmos orderly , in fact it becomes more disorderly every moment. The fact that I need to school you about that is a sad thing.

And yet we are found in a part of our cosmos which remains conducive to hosting us.

That being said, I don't disagree with the observation that our cosmos is become more random and disordered. And of course, we KNOW that there are events coming which will end our existence here, albeit presently very remote in time.

[houndawg]

The part of our cosmos conducive to hosting our life form is vanishingly small, Joe. Nor is our cosmos orderly , in fact it becomes more disorderly every moment. The fact that I need to school you about that is a sad thing.

And yet we are found in a part of our cosmos which remains conducive to hosting us.

That being said, I don't disagree with the observation that our cosmos is become more random and disordered. And of course, we KNOW that there are events coming which will end our existence here, albeit presently very remote in time.

well,one wouldn't expect to find us in a part of our cosmos that isn't conducive to hosting us...

[JoltinJoe]

And yet we are found in a part of our cosmos which remains conducive to hosting us.

That being said, I don't disagree with the observation that our cosmos is become more random and disordered. And of course, we KNOW that there are events coming which will end our existence here, albeit presently very remote in time.

well,one wouldn't expect to find us in a part of our cosmos that isn't conducive to hosting us...

Do you not understand the word "remains?"

[YoUDeeMan]

That being said, I don't disagree with the observation that our cosmos is become more random and disordered.

There goes perfection out the door.

A few, "Our Fathers" should make up for it.

[SeattleGriz]

I have said for years here that is it easy for me to dismiss Christopher Hitchens because of his dishonest, half-assed approach to genuine scholarship supporting the existence of God, and his callous ignorance of deeply reasoned philosophy and theology.

In fact, most present day atheists are the same way: ignorant of the intellectual tradition supporting the belief in God, and uninterested in reading the great philosophers and theologians who have eloquently explained the reasons for deism, or at least theism.

If Hitchens wasn't already dead, this article written by an atheist and recently published in Salon would have laid him out cold. I don't agree with this Curtis White's ultimate conclusions, but I can respect this guy and his opinions. I'll be on the look out for more of his writings.

http://www.salon.com/2013/06/23/christo ... no_favors/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Some people use dope, some people use a recycled Egyptian sun-god myth called Jesus. I'm embarrassed for their ignorance but if it helps them get through the day its no big deal.

Actually we aren't too far away from being able to solve the question of whether or not there really was a Jesus. Our intruments can now detect planets around other stars and they're getting better resolution every day. Since Jesus was supposed to have come out of his tomb and ascended bodily to heaven we know that having mass he was constrained by the speed of light and therefore can be no more than 2,000 light years away and likely a great deal less. We know roughly when this was alleged to have occurred so we can narrow down the part of the sky we need to be looking at. Our instruments develop better resolution continually, so we are approaching the time when we should be able to spot him on his way to heaven. When those pics become available I'll become a believer.

I'm wondering when their will step forth a believer smart enough to use the entropy argument. That's where I'd go if I were very interested in the question.

Sun God myth eh? Then why don't we hear more about this from big time atheists?


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[kalm]

well,one wouldn't expect to find us in a part of our cosmos that isn't conducive to hosting us...

Do you not understand the word "remains?"

Nice side door.

[JoltinJoe]

That being said, I don't disagree with the observation that our cosmos is become more random and disordered.

There goes perfection out the door.

A few, "Our Fathers" should make up for it.

"Don't disagree" is not an improper double negative when used to express less than certain assent to a proposition -- it is the grammatical equivalent of a "no contest" plea.

[houndawg]

Some people use dope, some people use a recycled Egyptian sun-god myth called Jesus. I'm embarrassed for their ignorance but if it helps them get through the day its no big deal.

Actually we aren't too far away from being able to solve the question of whether or not there really was a Jesus. Our intruments can now detect planets around other stars and they're getting better resolution every day. Since Jesus was supposed to have come out of his tomb and ascended bodily to heaven we know that having mass he was constrained by the speed of light and therefore can be no more than 2,000 light years away and likely a great deal less. We know roughly when this was alleged to have occurred so we can narrow down the part of the sky we need to be looking at. Our instruments develop better resolution continually, so we are approaching the time when we should be able to spot him on his way to heaven. When those pics become available I'll become a believer.

I'm wondering when their will step forth a believer smart enough to use the entropy argument. That's where I'd go if I were very interested in the question.

Sun God myth eh? Then why don't we hear more about this from big time atheists?


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Because its common knowledge.

[death dealer]

Sun God myth eh? Then why don't we hear more about this from big time atheists?


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Because its common knowledge.

It actually is. I remember reading about it in sixth grade. I can't remember the source, but I remember the moment I read it. I was in social studies, reading something actually interesting while the teacher droned on about something not so interesting. It fueled an already growing seed of doubt that lead me to delve deeper. Over time, I came to realize the absurdity of all religion. None of them withstand the simplest of reasoned thought given modern scientific knowledge. You can fall back on the classical philosophers, but given our current knowledge of the universe, I believe they would all be atheists.

[houndawg]

Because its common knowledge.

It actually is. I remember reading about it in sixth grade. I can't remember the source, but I remember the moment I read it. I was in social studies, reading something actually interesting while the teacher droned on about something not so interesting. It fueled an already growing seed of doubt that lead me to delve deeper. Over time, I came to realize the absurdity of all religion. None of them withstand the simplest of reasoned thought given modern scientific knowledge. You can fall back on the classical philosophers, but given our current knowledge of the universe, I believe they would all be atheists.

It never ceases to boggle my mind that tens of millions of people in this country alone believe that 2,000 years ago a bunch of wandering goat herders successfully explained the universe.

[death dealer]

It actually is. I remember reading about it in sixth grade. I can't remember the source, but I remember the moment I read it. I was in social studies, reading something actually interesting while the teacher droned on about something not so interesting. It fueled an already growing seed of doubt that lead me to delve deeper. Over time, I came to realize the absurdity of all religion. None of them withstand the simplest of reasoned thought given modern scientific knowledge. You can fall back on the classical philosophers, but given our current knowledge of the universe, I believe they would all be atheists.

It never ceases to boggle my mind that tens of millions of people in this country alone believe that 2,000 years ago a bunch of wandering goat herders successfully explained the universe.

The power of cultural influence.

[SeattleGriz]

Sun God myth eh? Then why don't we hear more about this from big time atheists?


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Because its common knowledge.

Are you talking Horas?

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[JoltinJoe]

Sun God myth eh? Then why don't we hear more about this from big time atheists?


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Because its common knowledge.

The so-called parallels between the story or Jesus and the story of Horus don't actually exist. These claimed parallels are modern fabrications intended to discredit Christianity.

Here for your amusement is a video claiming that the Jesus story was lifted from the Horus story. At the end, the storyteller invites you to view his other videos explaining the truth about 9/11 and the Federal Reserve. Congrats, houndawg, you are officially a follower of expandspanos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIMFz5ZKDVo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a more accurate account of Horus from the Encyclopedia Britannica.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/272528/Horus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SeattleGriz]

Because its common knowledge.

The so-called parallels between the story or Jesus and the story of Horus don't actually exist. These claimed parallels are modern fabrications intended to discredit Christianity.

Here for your amusement is a video claiming that the Jesus story was lifted from the Horus story. At the end, the storyteller invites you to view his other videos explaining the truth about 9/11 and the Federal Reserve. Congrats, houndawg, you are officially a follower of expandspanos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIMFz5ZKDVo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a more accurate account of Horus from the Encyclopedia Britannica.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/272528/Horus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks Joe. This is what I was getting at. Big time atheists don't use the Horas line because they know it is crap.

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[houndawg]

Because its common knowledge.

Are you talking Horas?

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Not specifically. What I'm referring to is the many religions that have or had a god that dies and is resurrected. You know, like the sun goes down at night and comes back in the morning. I assume you see the resemblance?

[houndawg]

Because its common knowledge.

The so-called parallels between the story or Jesus and the story of Horus don't actually exist. These claimed parallels are modern fabrications intended to discredit Christianity.

Here for your amusement is a video claiming that the Jesus story was lifted from the Horus story. At the end, the storyteller invites you to view his other videos explaining the truth about 9/11 and the Federal Reserve. Congrats, houndawg, you are officially a follower of expandspanos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIMFz5ZKDVo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a more accurate account of Horus from the Encyclopedia Britannica.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/272528/Horus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Er, how do you "discredit" a myth?

If it had any credibility it wouldn't be a myth.

[SeattleGriz]

The so-called parallels between the story or Jesus and the story of Horus don't actually exist. These claimed parallels are modern fabrications intended to discredit Christianity.

Here for your amusement is a video claiming that the Jesus story was lifted from the Horus story. At the end, the storyteller invites you to view his other videos explaining the truth about 9/11 and the Federal Reserve. Congrats, houndawg, you are officially a follower of expandspanos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIMFz5ZKDVo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a more accurate account of Horus from the Encyclopedia Britannica.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/272528/Horus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Er, how do you "discredit" a myth?

If it had any credibility it wouldn't be a myth.

Are you saying Jesus, the Man, never existed in addition to your belief he was a recycled myth?

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[YoUDeeMan]

There goes perfection out the door.

A few, "Our Fathers" should make up for it.

"Don't disagree" is not an improper double negative when used to express less than certain assent to a proposition -- it is the grammatical equivalent of a "no contest" plea.

Maybe you is become more apart at the seems...or more random and disordered.

[houndawg]

Er, how do you "discredit" a myth?

If it had any credibility it wouldn't be a myth.

Are you saying Jesus, the Man, never existed in addition to your belief he was a recycled myth?

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Dude. I'm typing as slow as I can. I said that the death and resurrection theme was quite common in religion and was around long before Jesus. If he ever was around. All the evidence that he did exist is no better than second-hand and usually farther than that. If you have a first hand account from somebody who actually saw this alleged person by all means share it with us.