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| 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
