After I finished “The God Delusion” I posted my five star review of the book on Facebook and tagged my anti-theist “friend”. I only put it that way because I will probably never see him again and we are probably more likely acquaintances. Anyway I inquired of him which Hitchens book to read and he told me “God Is Not Great”. I should get to engage him at least one more time when I finish this book.
I read it a few nights and then picked it up one afternoon while waiting on Kristen at dance and realized I had not really read it at all so I started over. I had already highlighted a few things the first time through and when I got back to this highlight the second time, I was giddy.
We believe with certainty that an ethical life can be lived without religion. And we know for a fact that the corollary holds true—that religion has caused innumerable people not just to conduct themselves no better than others, but to award themselves permission to behave in ways that would make a brothel-keeper or an ethnic cleanser raise an eyebrow. — God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens
People award themselves permission to behave contrary to their beliefs. That is very true.
I’m not sure if this book will be as good as The God Delusion but the first chapter was good. I already told someone we had to have dinner once I finished the Hitchens book so we could discuss. I can’t wait!