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Madison's own Freedom From Religion Foundation is holding its 30th annual national convention at the Concourse hotel from October 12 to 14, 2007.
Christopher Hitchens will be the keynote speaker and he'll likely have something to say that will delight you and also to set your teeth on edge. Here's a Wall Street Journal review of his latest book God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything .
Hitchens generally comes at things from the left, but can't be pigeon-holed as these two Slate articles demonstrate: The Lies of Michael Moore and The Stupidity of Ronald Reagan. His support for Bush's Iraq war was/is dismaying, if for no other reason than Hitchens is a man I'd rather have on my side in an argument.
Also on the schedule are Katha Pollitt (Here's her somewhat-dated list of 20 required readings), retired physicist Ellery Schempp (read his satirical piece entitled Warning: Gravity is "only a theory" here)and comedian Julia Sweeney.
Anyway, join up with the FFRF, register for the conference and join me in some freethinking on the Capitol Square.
Friday, August 03, 2007
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Hitchens is a complete and utter jerk in person. I think his writings are very interesting reading, but when he was on Wisc Pub Radio awhile back, he was such an ass to the callers and the host that I would never go to see him in person. He has no tolerance for anyone who has a different opinion.
ReplyDeleteBy all accounts your description is accurate. The guy did write a book (well-argued, too) attacking Mother Teresa as fraud, so he's controversial.
ReplyDeleteThis link describes a rant at a dinner party!
http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2006/10/christopher_hit.html
I guess I just want to see it for myself.
Atheism requires as much faith as any religion out there. That Hitchens would proselytize and berate those who don't share his beliefs hardly comes as a surprise.
ReplyDeleteKeeping church and state separate keeps us all safe.
Amy, I agree on keeping church and state separate, but demur on atheism requiring 'faith'. Curious, what did you have in mind?
ReplyDeleteI don't believe in giving people like him an audience. He's a raving nut case, albeit one who shares some of my poltical views. If, as a liberal, I decry the likes of Rush Limbaugh, then I must also not give voice to all such people, even if when I agree with them because they only serve to divide and alienate people which is the last thing we need these days.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, let's not lump Hitchens with Limbaugh. Hitchens is a serious writer, Limbaugh is just a buffoon.
ReplyDeleteYou know the difference between Rush Limbaugh and The Hindenburg? Well, one is a flaming nazi gas bag and the other is just a dirigible.
ReplyDelete