Religion should be treated with ridicule, hatred, and contempt



This is Christopher Hitchens on Free Speech. This is the tail end of twenty minute speech given in Canada in November 2006.

The reason I am posting this video here is because I would like to point out that Hitchens does not advocate hating Christians, Muslims, or other religious people. It is religion itself that he says should be hated.

I think that hating individuals because they are infected with religious delusion is just as bigoted as hating people who are infected with a disease, or who are ignorant, or who are mistaken about something. I left Christianity when I figured out I had been duped by an ancient, well supported, propaganda campaign machine. I was angry about it. I felt deceived and cheated. But feeling anger, in my mind, is not hatred. When Christians try to evangelize me, I frequently feel irritated. Irritation, however, is also not hatred.

Although I may hate what religion can do to a thinking mind, it is the parasitic meme that I despise, not the parasite's host.

Or maybe I'm off the mark here. What do you think?

--Dave, the WM

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