A List of Apologies from the Catholic Church - Christopher Hitchens | Intelligence Squared

Back in 2009, the late Christopher Hitchens joined Intelligence Squared to debate whether or not the Catholic Church is truly a force for good in our world.

Intelligence Squared has established itself as the leading forum for live, agenda-setting debates, talks and discussions around the world. Our aim is to promote a global conversation that enables people to make informed decisions about the issues that matter, in the company of the world's greatest minds and orators.

#IntelligenceSquared #IQ2 #ChristopherHitchens #CatholicChurch #Religion

[donna]

The religious community asks, "How can one be moral without religion?', while the real question is, "Why is religion needed by a moral person?"

[ajmarsh]

All these years later and you still speak for me, mortally gone never forgotten.

[luckylychee]

His courage to stand up and say what he thinks so directly and without hesitation is admirable. Many people, even those of a strong atheistic view like myself, would stumble and faulter when stood in front of so many members of public and highly religious people. But Hitchens never minces his words, nor backs down, and speaks so eloquently and appealingly. He truly was one of a kind.

[johnwest]

Hitchens was one of the few people in the world who spoke the truth regarding liars and criminals and he did it with passion. There will never be another person like him and I am privileged to be able to watch and listen to his bravery to take on the accepted horrors in humans that will continue until the end of time with little or no consequences

[conflictdiamonds]

This is the finest piece of oratory excellence on the subject of the failings of religion I've ever found online. You are missed Christopher but never forgotten. x

[guitarhero]

This is Hitchens at his fiery best. Calmly, cooly, thoroughly tears apart piece by piece any possible foundation religion could claim to stand upon.

[MM-yizn]

No one can come even close to Christopher Hitchens. A unique & brilliant orator.

[peterlindqvist]

As a full-blown atheist with a life-long disrespect for most religions, I can’t believe I just today discovered this genius. Such elegant and powerful rhetoric - I’m in awe..

[clootscalhoun]

Somebody, i can’t remember who, once said “if you need the fear of hell to be a good person then you’re not a good person”
And I think that is just perfect.

[chriskapinos]

A blistering Hitchslap to the Catholic church, which it absolutely deserves!

[AtamMardes]

"Religion began when the first scoundrel met the first fool." *Voltaire*

[louisavondart]

I am a Recovered Catholic. Hitchens explains perfectly all my disgust and disdain for the Catholic church and it's perversion of truth.

[mikewazowski]

I was an altar boy with a Roman Catholic church. I was 10, and waiting after a wedding for my parents to pick me up when the pastor of the church came to the pew. He started to touch my arms and leg while talking to me about joining the priesthood as an occupation. I revolted and removed myself from the pew. He told me to join him in his office so we could discuss things more. I recalled the other altar boys telling me about a priest who had gotten another altar boy drunk on wine and they were caught in the office. The boy was removed from the school and the priest left the diocese. Recalling this I left and went out front to wait for my parents, averting the pervert from abusing me.

I had always thought he was a molester and so did the other altar boys. We did not like working mass with him because he was creepy odd. When I heard he had died I danced a jig. The church protects these abusers. They hide them. They move them around and they turn a blind eye to the crimes because they do not believe they are crimes.

[weetable]

This right here, is the evisceration of not only The Catholic Church, but of religion as a whole. Logic and fact debunks magic every time, and the logical among us have never had better people to speak for us than the two gentlemen who appeared during this debate (Mr Stephen Fry being the other). As a contest, this was never a fair fight, and the look on the faces of both the panelists and their supporters in the audience show the blind faith they have carried around with them being dismantled. Bravo Mr Hitchens, bravo.

[roberttompkins]

In my opinion Hitchens was the greatest public intellectual of the last 30 years. He was the Voltaire of the modern era. We need more like him.

[valery]

The world is poorer no longer having this spectacular thinker and writer. I had the privilege of shaking his hand in San Francisco and I will never forget his measured, hooded, cool assessment of me standing there and his kind words of acknowledgement. During his presentation that night he used his priceless description of heaven: "A celestial North Korea".

[mxnolis]

what a classic. Miss him dearly :'(

[couped]

Just an amazing human being. Wish I could have seen him in person.

[davehshs]

*The Catholic Church is striking proof of the adage, "Absolute power corrupts, absolutely."*

[iantpls]

One of the greatest 15 minutes of truth.