Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011)

[Epimethean]

Let's just say that it is a matter of timing to come back as he did to address people for having done so when his aim was, ostensibly, simply to claim Hitchens for xtianity. That having been done long ago, the need to respond a month after the last post seems slightly disingenuous.

[ElDinero]

What I find especially entertaining is that you're not even embarrassed about what you wrote.

You can attempt to patronise me if you want, but you've been made to look a royal fuckhead in this thread, so why don't you just drop it, like you should have when you didn't check in for three weeks and it had died the first time?

[DeistPaladin]

What I find especially entertaining is that you're not even embarrassed about what you wrote.

You can attempt to patronise me if you want, but you've been made to look a royal fuckhead in this thread, so why don't you just drop it, like you should have when you didn't check in for three weeks and it had died the first time?

As I've argued with apologists, I've found that you can class them into distinct species and even predict their patterns and subroutines. Apologists have no store of artifacts nor can they present their miracle working powers for peer review (contrary to how Jesus promised they should be able to in Mark 16). Having no substance, they hone their styles hoping the razzle-dazzle will distract from the lack of supporting evidence or the fallacious nature of their arguments.

Ryft is the sleazy pseudo-intellectual breed of apologist.

Salesmen like him dress up their faith with philoso-babble, sprinkle on a few Latin phrases and deliver it with a pompous and condescending demeanor. The objective is not just to put an academic face on what is in reality an anti-intellectual religion but, more importantly, to slyly needle and provoke the atheist. The hope, I'm convinced by observing their behavior, is that the nose-in-the-air will inspire a verbal punch to be thrown. Once this happens, that they are called an arrogant ass or worse, they put their hands on their hearts with feigned shock and go into "oh my, what was that all about" mode. At this point, they've attained their goal, to put themselves on an academic pedestal and cast the atheist as the crude name-caller.

I've found that the best way to counter the pseudo-intellectual breed is to maintain a level head and always keep them in their place. Ignore the snippy tone, keep an eye on the burden of proof (that they don't try to drop it off in your back yard while you're not looking) and hold their feet to the fire. As you burn away all the unwarranted assumptions, special pleading and non sequiturs, they'll try to slip away utilizing red herrings and the technique of poisoning the well. Keep the conversation coming back to the subject at hand.

Eventually, they break and you can catch them in a lie. People like Ryft are not surprisingly liars, as I have busted him for lying, and curiously not ashamed when they're caught. Their response is usually to lie about their lies. Perhaps they have lied for so long, the nature has become compulsive? Regardless, in this modern medium of communication, you can always "go back to the tape" and review their own words.

[Minimalist]

Eventually, they break and you can catch them in a lie.

Actually, its more fun to bust their balls. It isn't as if they are ever going to change.

[Cosmic Ape]

Eventually, they break and you can catch them in a lie.

Actually, its more fun to bust their balls. It isn't as if they are ever going to change.

I dont necessarily agree that theists arent changeable because I've changed a few bigoted people, but I too prefer riducule over just showing them contradictions and problems step by step until they play the faith card or lie. Then you have to explain that faith in something not knowable like deities/afterlife/alien half-breeds/karma is a bad thing to postulate with psuedo/bad/no evidence.

Family Guy for example does Atheism a lot of good with the little hints and subliminal stimuli against religion, especially Christianity.

[AthiestAtheist]

I've always wanted to do a character called "Christopher Britchens" where I combine the qualities and the ideals of the two.

[Norfolk And Chance]

Ryft is the sleazy pseudo-intellectual breed of apologist.

Salesmen like him dress up their faith with philoso-babble, sprinkle on a few Latin phrases and deliver it with a pompous and condescending demeanor. The objective is not just to put an academic face on what is in reality an anti-intellectual religion but, more importantly, to slyly needle and provoke the atheist.

It worked with me.

[hoppimike]

yeah it's so sad what happened to Hitchens, and never nice when the greatest people of our time depart >.<

Another bad one for me was Bill Hicks.

I kinda hope there is an afterlife somewhere and they are both off somewhere partying together!

Gone but not forgotten, Mr Hitchens, gone but not forgotten!

[Cato]

This surely qualifies as necroposting.

[hoppimike]

This surely qualifies as necroposting.

oh sorry, I actually just did a search for Christopher Hitchens and posted on the most recently updated thread mentioning his death.

Sorry if this one was a bit old as well!