My new book What's So Great About Christianity, just out, is already an amazon.com bestseller and is currently No. 16 on the New York Times bestseller list. AOL posted the video of my New York debate with God Is Not Great author Christopher Hitchens on its main page, and asked people to make up their minds and vote on who won. Modesty prevents me from disclosing the answer.
Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, watched the debate and reported with some agitation that the audience seemed to be applauding more for me than Hitchens. Dawkins commented on his website that the New York crowd must have been a "dopey" lot. But if you listen to the debate--and if you haven't, you can find it on my website dineshdsouza.com or watch it Saturday on C-Span 2 (Book TV) at 7 pm Eastern time--you will see that both atheists and believers were well represented. The audience applause was initially stronger for Hitchens, and only as the debate went on did it trend markedly toward me. So is Dawkins suggesting that the audience was very intelligent to start with but became more "dopey" as the debate went on? More likely we are seeing evidence of the "Dawkins delusion," an unwillingness to use good sense and face facts when Dawkins' own belief system is called into question.
One of the most interesting questions in the debate was posed to Hitchens by a man from Tonga. Before the Christians came to Tonga, he said, the place was a mess. Even cannibalism was widespread. The Christians stopped this practice and brought to Tonga the notion that each person has a soul and God loves everyone equally. The man from Tonga asked Hitchens, "So what do you have to offer us?" Hitchens was taken aback, and responded with a learned disquisition on cannibalism in various cultures. But he clearly missed the intellectual and moral force of the man's question. The man was asking why the Tongans, who had gained so much from Christianity, should reject it in favor of atheism.
In my response, I noted that when the missionaries came to India, they sometimes converted people by force. Even so, many Indians rushed on their own to embrace the faith of the foreigners. And why? Because they were born into the low caste of the Hindus. As long as they remained Hindus, there was no escape; even their descendants were condemned to the lowest rungs of humanity. By fleeing into the arms of the missionaries, the low-caste Hindus found themselves welcomed as Christian brothers. They discovered the ideal of equal dignity in the eyes of God.
If we look at the history of Western civilization, we find that Christianity has illuminated the greatest achievements of the culture. So there is indeed something great about Christianity. By contrast, does it make any sense to say, as Hitchens does in his book's subtitle, that "religion poisons everything"? Religion didn't poison Dante or Milton or Donne or Michelangelo or Raphael or Titian or Bach! Religion didn't poison the anti-slavery campaigns of William Lloyd Garrison or William Wilberforce, or the civil rights activism of the Reverend Martin Luther King. The real question to ask is, what does atheism offer humanity? In Tonga, as in America, the answer appears to be: Nothing.
Reader Comments ( Page 5 of 43)
61. Viking Mother wrote:
"Many hospitals were founded by persons of faith...
Many rescue missions are run by persons of faith...
Many Christians (and others with similar Jewish-Christian influenced ideals) care for the disabled...
The INDIVIDUAL HAS WORTH!
But eventually - the most kindhearted atheist will have kids (grandkids) who figure it out. IF THERE IS NO GOD - IF THERE ARE NO COMMANDMENTS. THEN THE STRONG CAN DOMINATE, PLUNDER, USE, ABUSE THE WEAK..."
I'm an atheist, I believe that the strong should not plunder the weak. Every atheist I know well believes that the strong should not plunder the weak.
Wes at 7:52PM on Oct 26th 2007
62. victor58 wrote:
"Atheists are all social Darwinists, hence they are no different from Nazi's and communists. I have no religion, but I know there's a God, and trust him to work things out in the end."
I'm an atheist, and I'm not a social Darwinist. Also, you don't know that there's a God.
Wes at 7:54PM on Oct 26th 2007
63. Here are some more atheists and agnostics who have made a positive contribution to humanity:
Michelle Bachelet (President of Chile)
Oscar Wilde
Henry Ford
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Woody Allen
George Carlin
Billy Joel
Gene Wilder
Daniel Dennett
Peter Singer
Umberto Eco
Bill Nye
James Taylor
Ted Turner
Richard Dreyfuss
Uma Thurman
Wes at 8:08PM on Oct 26th 2007
64. Carrie wrote: "Poor Konstantin..you could have spent your time in a great Christian church this afternoon and had something REALLY important to add. Atheists are just boring self serving fools..With NO morals and no guide lines for life on Earth..AND NO future after life on EARTH...See you fellow Christians in HEAVEN....."
Your comment just proved the point that Christianity is bad for the world. You believe that your baseless faith gives you the right to judge and to feel superior to the "boring self-serving fools." What would Jesus do, Carrie?
Konstantin at 8:09PM on Oct 26th 2007
65. Dinesh,
I suspect you haven't actually read the New Testament. That's fairly common. Many Christians find reading the actual words... well, they cry a lot. Let me show you:
Mark 1:21 They went into the synagogue in Capernaum... Now in the synagogue there was a man with an unclean (Greek: pneuma) (demon or spirit) and he cried out, "Leave us alone! What have we do to with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us?" Jesus rebuked the demon saying "Be quiet and come out of him!"
A MAJOR contribution of Christianity is the belief that mental illness is caused by invisible demonic spirits that take possession of human beings, and talk with their voices. And can be cast out by "powerful Christians" who can then brag about their power over supernatural entities.
Don't you get it? There are no invisible demons? Mental illness has many causes, but none of them are demonic possession. About 80 AD, the Jewish synagoges prohibited Christians from recruiting new members there, and this "story" about "a man in a synagogue who was possessed by an UNCLEAN spirit" is the result. It's nonsense. Complete, total nonsense... just like everything else in your silly End of the World cult.
I think you're gullible. You're so gullible, you'll believe ANY Christian nonsense... even exorcists and demons who cry out "I know who you are, Jesus of Nazareth!"
William Hays at 8:26PM on Oct 26th 2007
66. The belief that higher education makes a better person is naivete, to say the least. Many so called highly educated people commit murder; Europe has a high rate of suicide, and even among those considered learned practice witchcraft. It is unfortunate that religion and the so called religious get a bad rap. It is true that one can be very religious but does not manifest a godly lifestyle. Religion does not save and make a person good. Jesus Christ alone saves and can make a person change. True Christianity is not the kind that Constantine spread in Constantinople and the rest of the old world. It is faith and a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Whether one believes this or not, it does not change the fact that Christ is God and He once walk on the face of the earth. Not only the Bible, but history attest to this fact.
L. Roberts at 12:34PM on Nov 9th 2007
67. To the folks at AOL:
I think you have an obligation to your subscribers to tell the truth.
If Dinesh uses the title "Atheism's Contribution to Humanity," and we go to the trouble of posting a list of some truly incredible human beings who happen to be atheists....
... then you should make Dinesh sit in the corner until he writes a new blog that actually lists the contributions that Atheism has made to humanity.
He's a Christian. He's gullible. He isn't bright enough to figure out that things like demonic spirits, ghosts, exorcisms, resurrection and angels... are FICTION. Fiction written for one reason: because ignorant people are willing to buy it.
Bad Dinesh. Bad, bad Christian. You need to write you blog again and do it right. So far, your grade is a F.
William Hays at 8:39PM on Oct 26th 2007
68. ATTENTION - TRUE CHRISTIANS!
I'm agnostic, but I got no problem with you. Why? Because, it's been my experience that true Christians are - in general - a nice group. Rather tolerate actually.
Unfortunately, there aren't many of you. I guess that's because you have been overshadowed by the "good" Christians.
You know the ones. Those who, "Love thy neighbor" - as long as he follows your faith; those who will not covet - openly; those who honor God - as an excuse for bigotry; those who spread "The Word" - as long as there is reward in it.
You know - "good Christians. Like those who write books condemning non-Christians, rather than identifying whatever worth Christianity may have, without over blown self-congratulations and constant promotion. Good Christians. God love ya - - maybe?
RoGlo at 8:53PM on Oct 26th 2007
69. Why do christians, including D'Souza continue to miss the point? Just because christianity is good (debateable) or has something positive to offer does NOT make it true. Did Yahweh really make the earth in 6 days? Gen. 1:1 is wrong. Read no further.
dave at 8:58PM on Oct 26th 2007
70. dave:
Prove it.
Observant at 9:01PM on Oct 26th 2007
71. I agree completely.
Dinesh seems to be the "true Christian" who gets a pseudo-sexual thrill out of exposing his intellect to the great unwashed masses.
Let's see if he's really smart, or just pretending:
At the end of his essay, he wrote, "The real question to ask is, what does atheism offer humanity? In Tonga, as in America, the answer appears to be: Nothing."
Wow. I've met fifth-graders who could give a MUCH better answer to that question. And it's the same question that appears in his title.
So, for poor little Dinesh, another failing grade.
But, since we're not here to promote bigotry (as Dinesh seems to be) we'll give him another chance.
Dinesh, you need to write your essay again. And this time, list the contributions that Atheism has made to humanity. When you've posted it, I'll grade it again. Right now, unless you do better, you're going to have to repeat the fifth grade.
William Hays at 9:00PM on Oct 26th 2007
72. Observant: The burden of proof lies with those who say it's true. But how about this...go read Matthew 24:29-35. Jesus' own words, tuned out to be COMPLETELY FALSE. "This generation" clearly passed away. None of the things he said would happen have indeed taken place. Not to mention the fact that he stated the "stars would fall from the sky" which, unless you know nothing of cosmology, is obviously not possible.
dave at 9:14PM on Oct 26th 2007
73. To #3
The reason those men flew the airplanes into the towers is because of all the filth the liberal
left pushes on the world. If they were not
offended by them, I doubt they would've known
we were here.
William Ehlert at 9:54PM on Oct 26th 2007
74. I enjoy watching "House." Last week, one of the most effective House-isms was:
HOUSE: "Rational arguments don't usually work on religious people. Otherwise, there wouldn't be religious people."
- The Right Stuff
Everybody knows what "religion" is. It's a two-step process.
First, someone writes down a STORY. They pretend that God is a real person, and make up what they think would happen.
Second, about a hundred years later, another person announces "This is now our HOLY BOOK. We have declared that everything in it is the WORD OF GOD, and we must swear oaths to believe it is true."
Which is why the Seven Days of Creation were taught in American public schools for many years.
Dinesh, poor boy, your essay gets a failing grade. You probably haven't gotten this far in your schoolin' yet, but one day you will learn about "Topic Sentences."
Your topic sentence was "What has Atheism contributed to Humanity?" And you need to actually write down the things that Atheism had contributed.
Dinesh, you are in danger of FAILING this course. If you don't do better, we may have to bring your parents in for a meeting. I'm sure you mother isn't very proud of you right now. Nobody wants you to grow up to be a bigot, so learning about the contributions made by the people that you hate so much... would be good for you.
William Hays at 10:00PM on Oct 26th 2007
75. What has Christianity done? It's convinced millions of people that a dead guy in outer space is comming back to solve all the worlds problems so you don't have to give a shit about anything.
Larry at 10:02PM on Oct 26th 2007