Tuesday 7 October 2014

God Is Not Great (How religion poisons everything) by Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In this book Hitchens even-handedly skewers most of the major religions of the world and also many of the well known religious figures, contemporary as well historical.
To quote the Sydney Morning Herald “This easily the most impressive of the present crop of atheistic and anti-theistic books: clever, broad, witty and brilliantly argued”.
 His primary target are the three major mono-theistic religions in the world with the major target being Christianity. And just reading the chapter headings gives some insight into his arguments. (and I wish I could articulate an argument as succinctly as Hitchens does – any argument).
For example: Chapter Three - A Short Digression on the Pig; or, Why Heaven Hates Ham. Hitchens browses over fish on Fridays before moving onto Judaism and Islamic hatred of pigs and managed to bring in a discussion on Animal Farm and its banning in all Muslim countries and the irony thereof.
And; Chapter Nine – The Koran Is Borrowed from Both Jewish and Christian Myths
Then; Chapter Thirteen – Does Religion Make People Behave Better
 And lastly; Chapter Sixteen – Is Religion Child Abuse?
I think you get the idea.  Hitchens argues against religion and for a secular life based on science and  reason, and calls for a renewed enlightenment based on the proposition that the proper study of mankind is man, and woman. And further that we no longer depend on a few heroic souls but that today  it is within the reach of the average person.
Read this, or not, it’s your choice.

Highly recommended 

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