"Christian God? Jewish God? Or no God?" This was the topic of a very lively Orange County debate between atheist Christopher Hitchens, the Jewish radio host Dennis Prager, and me. The debate was held in the spring at the Bat Yahm Synagogue, and the audience was predominantly Jewish, with a fair representation of Christians and atheists.
This debate is finally online, and you can watch it here.
One might think that this three-way format would benefit Prager and me, because we were the two theists against the atheist. But Hitchens, who is perhaps the most supple debater on the atheist side, did his best to drive a wedge between Prager's position and mine.
For instance, Hitchens hammered Prager on the history of Christian anti-Semitism, leading Prager to make one of the most extraordinary defenses of Christ that I have heard, a defense even more remarkable for its synagogue setting.
Hitchens also tried to get me to dispatch all the Jews in the audience to hell. Aren't you claiming--he asked--that your religion is exclusively true and everyone else's is false? I noted that all three of us on the podium were claiming some form of exclusivity. After all, if Hitchens is right about his atheism it follows that all religions in the world are false. So Hitchens is just as much of an exclusivist as any religious fundamentalist.
Moreover, I noted that Christianity is the only religion that holds another religion, Judaism, to be true. That's why Christians essentially incorporated the entire Old Testament into the Christian Bible. While I believe that Christ is "the way, the truth and the life," I for one am not willing to judge anyone or expel anyone from heaven.
Hitchens on the other hand has said that he doesn't want to go to heaven, which he views as a kind of celestial North Korea. I suspect heaven is full of people who chose God and prayed to Him, "Thy will be done." Hell is reserved for those who by their own free choice refused God and to whom God eventually said, "Thy will be done."
I notice that after posting all my early debates on his website, Richard Dawkins has stopped featuring my recent debates. This is perhaps an indication of how the atheists are faring. Of late I also haven't heard any of these guys call themselves "brights."
If Hitchens can't get the job done, who can? While the pusillanimous Dawkins won't debate me, at least Hitchens keeps trying. My re-match with him is on September 10 in St. Louis, and tickets are available here.
Reader Comments ( Page 5 of 32)
61. "Congrats Jeremy, you are the dickhead of the century."
Big fan of slick Jew salesmen, eh? What's the matter, are you afraid that legitimate criticism will hurt your bottom line?
Jeremy at 1:30AM on Aug 18th 2008
62. Godless,
What's up dude?
I'm peachy as always. I'm a little stressed at the moment though. Big Brother is being a bitch at the moment not letting me leave the Country. I've got to do some things where my physical presence is needed. I have live video feeds, and can do a lot from my office at home, but in regards to a couple things, I'm needed.
I can chance it, and probably leave without a problem, but if they find out, I won't be let back in. Not worth the hassle.
I'll wait until they believe that I'm going to be a good boy and assure them that I'm not going to the Country they don't want me to go to.
I'm someone that follows through with promises, and right now, I'm not following through. So it stresses me out. Also, because of this, I'm behind on other things I need to do here.
You're in Rhode Island right? Man, do they tax the shit out of you over there.
Botts at 1:35AM on Aug 18th 2008
63. "I was born christian [in Bombay India]. The reason for this was the Portuguese Missionaries dropped in on us a few hundred years ago, and they came with a bible in one hand and a bayonet in the other hand. They were extremely persuasive!" - Dinesh D'Souza
What? Dinesh D'Souza admits the evil methods of his own christian lineage!
You were born a human being to parents of a particularly virulent form of power hungry Cult of Death and it took upon you with virulence. You have become pestilence Dinesh D'Souza now that you advocate murder, death and killing for those you don't like or happen to be in conflict with. The cycle of the Christian Cult of Death is complete. You are an agent of destruction Dinesh D'Souza.
Peter at 1:34AM on Aug 18th 2008
64. By your own words non-the-less!
Peter at 1:34AM on Aug 18th 2008
65. Jerry Brown,
I was just thinking of you a couple days ago. I think Linda just left. It's been getting annoying here lately with all the lunatics posting nonsense. I haven't seen Moke either.
Glad to see you're okay.
Botts at 1:36AM on Aug 18th 2008
66. You never left the crayons behind Dinesh D'Souza. Grow up! Give up your need to take comfort in your cuddly Jesus Teddy Bear! It won't save you.
Peter at 1:35AM on Aug 18th 2008
67. Peter,
Put it all in one post dude.
Botts at 1:36AM on Aug 18th 2008
68. Yes, Dinesh D'Souza, avocate of MURDER, DEATH, and KILLING, miracles are stupid and there is no way that you'll ever live that one down. It's just your stupid mind seeking something which doesn't exist. You seek an immaterial non-existent god. Have fun and waste your life. The problem comes in when you advocate MURDER, DEATH and KILLING and work in places like the White House and have an impact upon society with your horrific philosophy that uses MURDER, DEATH and KILLING as a means to solve problems. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM DINESH D'SOUZA! Do you really want other people using YOUR POLICY OF DEATH, MURDER and KILLING against YOU? NO. I didn't think so. Then put down the death wishes Dinesh D'Souza and FIND a way forward to peace that lasts without KILLING, MURDER and DEATH for that won't last as your and your ilk's policies have demonstrated.
Peter at 1:40AM on Aug 18th 2008
69. "After all, if Hitchens is right about his atheism it follows that all religions in the world are false. So Hitchens is just as much of an exclusivist as any religious fundamentalist."
------------------------------------------------
Hitchens's comment was not intended to label you (DD)as an exclusivist. He merely wanted to know that if you, being a christian, believed that the Jewish attendants in the audiance were bound for hell. The Christian faith states that only through a belief of Jesus Christ as lord and savior is one allowed into heaven. The Jewish faith does not accept Jesus Christ as lord and savior. So do you or don't you believe that those of Jewish denomination will go to hell? That's all Hitchens was asking. It's a simple yes or no question.
JWF at 1:41AM on Aug 18th 2008
70. The only reason that your "adult theism" can withstand the atheist and skeptical assault is because you've become so belief stricken with faith based beliefs that are so twisted around they prevent you from actually seeing how delusional you really are.
Dead bodies don't rise from the dead Dinesh D'Souza. No miracle happened. Mirales are not possible due to the laws of Nature that we know so well. For as far as the human eye augmented with telescopes of various sorts can see back in time, the entire visible universe OBEYS the laws of nature that we already know about. Not one place have these laws been violated for as far as the eye can see all the laws are the SAME! This part of the cosmos that we can see has the same laws of physics, laws of biology, laws of chemistry, and laws of life. No magical rising of the dead. To think that they dead rose is to admit that you are totally insane because you reject the laws of science that PROVE with EVIDENCE that dead bodies can't rise from the dead after organ and brain and cell death! It's simply not possible. It can't happen in the known universe!
Peter at 1:45AM on Aug 18th 2008
71. I do what I do Botts since each post is a unit. Sometimes I miss something so I add it on after. Don't like it too bad, don't SHOULD over me.
Go and fantasize about your cuddly bloody zombie jesus overload who enslaves you to a corrupt dictatorship of evil in the mythical after life.
Get a life Botts. The posts were NOT directed at you but to the evil vile man who's name is on this blog.
Peter at 1:48AM on Aug 18th 2008
72. I hate to correct you again Dinesh D'Souza but the universe "parameters" are not so inflexible after all.
"...calculations suggest that, contrary to some previous claims, stars are not only common in our cosmos but are also ablaze in myriad other universes, where the laws of physics may be drastically different... Had Adams found that the range of parameters that allowed for stars was very small, that would have suggested that the laws of physics in our universe have been 'fine-tuned' to allow for star formation... Instead, Adams' study shows that our universe doesn't seem particularly special in that regard."
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/35363/title/Stars_ablaze_in_other_skies
Now of course the misuse of the "Anthropic principle" by you in your arguments is also based upon speculative science just as the above article at science news is. It's speculation! It's not yet proven with EVIDENCE!!!
You're an evil man Dinesh D'Souza who advocates MURDER, DEATH and KILLING to solve problems.
You prove the point, with the evidence of your words, that the Christian Faith is highly dangerous to the world and those living in it.
Peter at 1:53AM on Aug 18th 2008
73. "The whole universe appears to be a giant conspiracy to produce, well, us!" - Dinesh D'Souza
What a bunch of arrogant self centered speciest nonsense Dinesh D'Souza.
We are nothing special. We are nothing but one tiny planet in the universe. We happen to be alive. There are many other places where life is not just likely but probable. We have just begun the search to find other life forms from other places. How will the discovery of life elsewhere rock your faith Dinesh? Or have you already prepared to meet your alien overlords with you bible thumping and putrid preaching as well? They'll eat you alive! Literally! That would of course be a shame as they'd likely eat many of us alive and that isn't what any of us want, not even you I suspect; oh wait, you'd want the aliens to eat the Islamist Radicals wouldn't you? And since you advocate murder, death and killing of Islamic Radicals YOU AUTHORIZE THEM to murder, bring death, and killing to YOU and US! That is another act of evil by your policies. Maybe the aliens land next to Bin Laden's cave and he is the first to talk them into a feast...
Peter at 1:59AM on Aug 18th 2008
74. Your distorted use of the Anthropic Principle in a pathetic argument is only immune to Darwinian attack since you're a delusional faith based nut job who thinks that the laws of nature will bend to your mythical stories! They won't. Dead bodies do not rise from the dead Dinesh D'Souza. Really they don't. They can't. It's simply NOT possible except in stories made up to con people. Boy have you been conned.
Peter at 2:02AM on Aug 18th 2008
75. I do not thank god Dinesh D'Souza. If there is a god he will hear the wrath of peter for his crimes against humanity! There is no place or time or not-place or not-time where the imaginary god can send me to avoid my wrath for his crimes against humanity! God will be prosecuted! Well, the concept of god anyhow since god is simply a delusional myth that demented people cling to for comfort when they think of their impending death after a few orbits of little old Earth.
Peter at 2:05AM on Aug 18th 2008