Chris Hedges Warns of Dangerous Threat Posed ... Fundamentalist Atheists

[progressoid]

Chris Hedges hits the nail right on the head in this interview with Thom Hartmann while promoting his new book, “I Don’t Believe in Atheists”. In Hedge’s previous book, “American Fascists”, he railed against the new breed of Fundamentalist Christians monopolizing the poor of America. Now Hedges explains why learning about people like Jerry Falwell prepared him for the equally dim mindset of Fundamentalist Atheists like Christopher Hitchens.

Christopher Hitchens is a narcissistic pro-war bigot whose God is his own ego. He attempts to deny human nature by externalizing evil as a byproduct of religious philosophies. Hitchens drives such a hypocritical wedge of superiority between his philosophy and those of theists that he ends up arguing for the infallibility of his own group.

...snip...

Just as Fundamentalist Christianity uses religion to achieve the most un-Christian ends, so too does Fundamentalist Atheism use the spirit of agnosticism to foster intolerance and justify dominance over non-converts. Hitchens’ followers worship the personality of their jingoist god just as much as he worships himself. In my opinion, anyone who confuses Hitchens’ condescending wisecracks for honest intellectual inquiry would do well to read more than just Vanity Fair.

The role of philosophy, religious or otherwise, is to provide assistance in a person’s ongoing quest for truth, not to allow a suspension of rational thought by providing you with a final and absolute answer.

Then again, I could be wrong.

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The whole thing with comments (:)): http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/82130/

[Deep13]

1. Hitchens has his faults, but I tend to agree with him more often than not.

I don't think the writer gives a fair characterization of him.

"Just as Fundamentalist Christianity uses religion to achieve the most un-Christian ends..."

Well, here is part of the problem. I submit that these "unchristian ends" are actually in complete agreement with Christianity. Insisting that objective, proven fact is right while contrary theistic ideas are wrong is not bigoty. Rather, it is a refusal to lie to oneself. Creationism is wrong. It has always been wrong. And no consideration for the feelings of believers will ever falsify evolution. That is a common example, but there are many others too.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Yeah, Manila is wrong

We had a long thread about his book and the many holes in his argument in Religion and Theology: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=214&topic_id=165861

[progressoid]

4. Eww. Glad I missed that.

But I don't wade into the R/T waters much anymore. I've been trying to keep my blood pressure down. :)

[and-justice-for-all]

3. Yes, I am quite literally an Atheist...

Fundamentalist? Not hardly. That word was adopted by Irish Protestants for their LITERAL intruptation and submission to the bible and xtianity.

Atheist are 'fundamentalist', nor are we 'militant'. Hedges wants to tag us with such labels in a attempt to put us in the same boat as the religious nuts or to intimidate us. I am not going to be called a Fundamental Atheist because I choose to speak up, fuck Hedges.