Atheist duo convince crowd that the Church is not a force for good [CH-UK]

[Catholic_Herald]

Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens win debate against Nigerian archbishop and Tory MP Ann Widdecombe by more than 1,000 votes

Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens have won a public debate in London in which they argued against a motion that the “Catholic Church is a force for good in the world”.

The debate at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea was organised by Intelligence Squared and featured Tory MP Ann Widdecombe and Archbishop Onaiyekan of Abuja in Nigeria defending the motion. But they were routed by Mr Hitchens, the author of God is Not Great, and Mr Fry, who won 1,876 votes against 268.

The archbishop emphasised the social and charitable work the Church did, but Mr Hitchens denounced “institutionalisation of the rape and torture and maltreatment of children” in the Church.

More…

 

[rlg94086]

Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens win debate against Nigerian archbishop and Tory MP Ann Widdecombe by more than 1,000 votes

Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens have won a public debate in London in which they argued against a motion that the “Catholic Church is a force for good in the world”.

The debate at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea was organised by Intelligence Squared and featured Tory MP Ann Widdecombe and Archbishop Onaiyekan of Abuja in Nigeria defending the motion. But they were routed by Mr Hitchens, the author of God is Not Great, and Mr Fry, who won 1,876 votes against 268.

The archbishop emphasised the social and charitable work the Church did, but Mr Hitchens denounced “institutionalisation of the rape and torture and maltreatment of children” in the Church.

More…

They didn’t win a debate, based on the description in this article. The “won” because they had a favorable crowd who share their hatred for the Church. The “points” Fry and Hitchens made that are highlighted in the article are sad and pathetic.

 

[Soutane]

I would have loved to have polled the audience on their TRUE convictions prior to the “debate”.

 

[KyivAndrew]

I should have thought Christopher Hitchens to be the perfect recruiting tool for Christianity. His vanity and arrogance are limitless.

I recall first coming across him on Bill Buckley’s Firing Line and him making the most absurd and ridiculous comment on Stalinist crimes on a show which aired in the 1980s. Who is this, I thought. This was in his youthful “Trotskyist” days. A Trotskyist in the 1980s - surely this stands for something in judging the “wisdom” of the man.

Now he has approached religion with a totalizing repugnance immune to reason or common sense for that matter. He sees no difference between Islamism, mainstream Christianity, or Judaism I suppose for that matter. Hitchens sees his God everyday - when he looks in the mirror in the morning.

 

[PAboy57]

Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens win debate against Nigerian archbishop and Tory MP Ann Widdecombe by more than 1,000 votes

Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens have won a public debate in London in which they argued against a motion that the “Catholic Church is a force for good in the world”.

The debate at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea was organised by Intelligence Squared and featured Tory MP Ann Widdecombe and Archbishop Onaiyekan of Abuja in Nigeria defending the motion. But they were routed by Mr Hitchens, the author of God is Not Great, and Mr Fry, who won 1,876 votes against 268.

The archbishop emphasised the social and charitable work the Church did, but Mr Hitchens denounced “institutionalisation of the rape and torture and maltreatment of children” in the Church.

More…

Sounds like they may have won a battle but we all know that our Holy Catholic Church established by Jesus will stand forever. Amen

 

[Tsuwano]

Winning a debate is not the same thing as proving the merit of your thesis. It simply means you presented a better case than your opponent, not that your argument has validity. One could win a debate arguing that trees cause air pollution, but this would not necessarily mean the argument should be taken seriously. Rest at ease. Hitchens apparently is a formidable debator, but most people, especially those who have been the recipients of the force for good that the Church has been, do not place much stock in his arguments. They lack merit.

 

[Ronsatron]

I would have loved to have polled the audience on their TRUE convictions prior to the “debate”.

What makes you think they were not their true convictions? Would they have been their true convictions if the result had been the other way?

Not that I think it matters. You would expect Hitchens and Fry to perform better because they are performers and very experienced public speakers. I am still looking forward to viewing it, but I do not think the Christian side was fairly represented in the two speakers they had.

 

[Dale_M]

Winning a debate is not the same thing as proving the merit of your thesis. It simply means you presented a better case than your opponent, not that your argument has validity.

Well, yes. These sort of debates have less to do with reason, than with entertainment. Instead of the archbishop, the pro-Catholic side would have been better represented by some someone from the entertainment field, say, Stephen Colbert.

 

[gardienbleu]

Fry and Hitchens will have a different opinion when they stand before the holy Tribunal. Eternity is a sobering thought.

 

[PadraigPearce]

In 25 years very few people will remember who Christopher Hitchens was. His books will go out of print after the new faddish atheism runs out of steam. He seems like such a bitter, angry person. I can’t imagine he’s really very happy inside.

 

[lemonbeam]

I found the debate, it’s posted here:

youtube.com/view_play_lis…21DBF3CE3374A3

Please tell me what you think after you have watched it!

BTW, note how the atheist poster of the videos lists the names of the two atheists in the debate, but just names the opposing Catholics as, ‘The Catholics!’

 

[lemonbeam]

Repost link:

I found the debate, it’s posted here:

click here for debate

Please tell me what you think after you have watched it!

BTW, note how the atheist poster of the videos lists the names of the two atheists in the debate, but just names the opposing Catholics as, ‘The Catholics!’