Wednesday 15 December 2010

Just who was it who called atheists 'bright?'

Forget the BBC broadcast of the debate betrween Tony Blair and Christopher Hitchens (cynically, I wonder would the Corporation have broadcast it if the former PM had been deemed to have 'won?')
Just read this from Stanley Hauerwas.  Thanks to TitusOneNine
Here's an excerpt:

"Of all the stupid claims that Christopher Hitchens makes in his God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, surely the stupidest is his claim that on account of the commitment of Martin Luther King Jr to nonviolence, in "no real as opposed to nominal sense ... was he a Christian." Wherever King got his understanding of nonviolence from, argues Hitchens, it simply couldn't have been from Christianity because Christianity is inherently violent.

The best response that I can give to such a claim is turn to that wonderfully candid account of the diverse influences that shaped King's understanding of nonviolence in his Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story, and then demonstrate how his Christianity gave these influences in peculiarly Christ-like form...."

There was a video posted here to which some people have objected. I've removed it simply because I feel like avoiding unnecessary controversy for a while. Here's the link for you to make up your own minds.

4 comments:

  1. Another atheist story close to your backyard Father:
    http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/columnists/2010/12/15/dan-o-neill-don-t-blame-atheists-for-the-crisis-in-christianity-91466-27827184/

    I wonder what His Darkness will make of this story in his drive to make the Church relevant to society?

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  2. The video is faintly amusing, but very simplistic, polarising and non-thinking in the manner which has become so common in US politics, particularly on the right-wing.

    As we Christians well know, words have power and thus I am disappointed that you have posted this viedo; it will do the cause of Christ no good.

    Chris

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  3. Chris, could you pad out your objections to the video please? I've had another look on You Tube and it appears to be making a valid satirical comment on political correctness which contributes to the marginalisation of Christianity. I can't see that the cause of Christ is being served by relegation but perhaps I've missed something.

    ReplyDelete

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