Here is a video of Christopher Hitchens debating a Christian, Frank Turek, who engages in what I think is clearly hate speech by making the false assertion that Hitler was a secularist. (See also this post rebutting this lie.) Hitchens responds angrily that only an ignoramus would make such an assertion. He is correct, and his anger is justified. What I can't understand, however, is the extent to which both Christians and some non-believers don't understand the full implications of Turek's remarks.
Only someone completely insane would make such a demonstrably false allegation, and only someone completely filled with hate would make such vile and false accusation in such a public forum. Such a person is either completely out of touch with reality or so consumed with hatred that he doesn't care if he is accurate or how foolish he might look to those who know better.
Unfortunately, I can attest from personal experience that Mr. Turek is not some crank from the lunatic fringe of Christianity. He represents the mainstream of Christianity. In fact, he represents the cream of the crop of the christian intelligentsia. He makes his living peddling these sorts of lies, hatred, and misinformation and wrote a successful and well known book about the "faith" it takes to be an atheist. (See my post rebutting this nonsense.)
Like most Christians in the U.S. these days, he has learned not to say what he really thinks. He can't come right out and say that he thinks secularists should be exterminated. So, he tries to label them as being identical with the one group that most people think should be persecuted. In private, however, I have heard Christians say what they think, and others have reported to me that they have heard the same thing. They think we shouldn't exist.
No comments:
Post a Comment