(April 20, 2016 at 4:08 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: but to have a "friend" attempt to undermine your legacy is, in a sense, an attempt to abnegate one's life's work, to call it meaningless.

Well, this "friend", I looked him up, is a known apologist. So why should anyone take him seriously outside his own apologist circle? And given that even Anne Frank couldn't help being baptised by mor(m)ons, I wouldn't place too much stock into it.

It's not this friend that bothers me, nor his little book. It's the frankenstein Lady Hope he's created to lurch the internet.

(April 20, 2016 at 5:33 pm)Stimbo Wrote: It's not this friend that bothers me, nor his little book. It's the frankenstein Lady Hope he's created to lurch the internet.

Well, I had a real friend. When we were 15 or 16, must have been around '79, we made a solemn pact over a bottle of liquor. Whoever survived the other would piss on the grave of the deceased. To make perfectly clear what we thought of death. We boozed all through the early 90ies, but when he died in 2003, he had emmigrated to Australia to run the Reef Casino. I don't even know where his grave is, since his short time wife didn't share in the oneliner she sent me to announce his demise.

(April 20, 2016 at 4:35 pm)Brian37 Wrote: If you are going to go after his critics, that part is fine, I agree, but he's dead, what matters is his ideas, his body is long gone. His ideas are not meaningless, no, but in cosmic time nobody is important. His ideas are valuable, not the atoms that his body constantly recycled throughout his life which as individual atoms have no capability of caring who lives or dies. The universe is much older than Hitchens and there will be a time when our species will not exist as well, friend and foe alike.

You value his ideas yes, but in that process don't worship him, he was just as finite as any other human and had his own flaws as well. That is why I say what matters is the intellectually dishonesty of their tactics, not their free speech itself.

Yes, you are bringing an argumentative tone, but you're actually agreeing with my point: his ideas are valuable.

I am not going after his critics, I am going after this one particular dipshit who makes allegations he cannot support.

You needn't caution me about worshiping anyone, thanks. I think for myself and do not need your help in that regard ... but your concern is appreciated. Don't worry yourself over my own mindset.

(April 20, 2016 at 5:12 pm)abaris Wrote:

(April 20, 2016 at 4:08 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: but to have a "friend" attempt to undermine your legacy is, in a sense, an attempt to abnegate one's life's work, to call it meaningless.

Well, this "friend", I looked him up, is a known apologist. So why should anyone take him seriously outside his own apologist circle? And given that even Anne Frank couldn't help being baptised by mor(m)ons, I wouldn't place too much stock into it.

His motivation for friendship in the first place must be called into doubt.

And believers wonder why atheists are skeptical?