Christopher Hitchens: sacrifice

[Mikaele]

I was watching Christopher Hitchens on youtube, and he said something along the lines of… ‘A God that requires human sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins is a sick God, and it is strange that a God would become a human being and arrange his own death’

 

[codeyrolley]

Yeah, it’s strange that God not only finds us interesting but also loves his creation. There is always the possibility that there are aliens on another planet, no not Kolab that thinks humans are interesting enough to make a cook book called To Serve Man. Good thing we honor God and not aliens, because God offers himself up as food every time we honor him, read his word, and while in communion. Aliens on the other hand have very different ideas about food. However, there must someone more authoritative on 23rd Psalm than me.

 

[WoundedIcon]

I love that. One second they call us sheep and wimps, the next they’re harassing us for being too “brutal”.

 

[NewsTheMan]

In order for the argument to work, you have to presuppose the existence of God, in which case, you’d have to necessarily defer all things to Him, in which case you can’t make the argument that he’s immoral/sick. It’s a silly argument from Hitchens and the one he loves best. It’s based on caricatures at best and his understanding of the sacrifice of Christ, salvation and what God requires is shallow.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I was watching Christopher Hitchens on youtube, and he said something along the lines of… ‘A God that requires human sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins is a sick God, and it is strange that a God would become a human being and arrange his own death’

Hmm… why do I feel like wagering ten bucks that Hitchens is the kind of man who would put a kid in front of him just to save himself from a terrorist bullet?

 

[Elizium23]

Hitchens is clearly blind to the reality of Christ’s death, the fact that He opened Heaven for us and leads the way to eternal life. That God should send only one man, his beloved Son, to die in our stead is the most loving thing imaginable.

Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory!

 

[Mikaele]

What do we say when someone says that Our Lord organised his own death anyway?

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

I’m amazed that he is still finding the energy to fight against God in his illness. Has he no better things to do with the rest of his life? Maybe it’s just a case of stubborn denial and desperation. He needs prayers.

 

[Carolus_Martell]

I heard that too. Pretty sure it was in a debate offered by the ‘fixed point foundation’. fixed-point.org/

Over the years I’ve followed Hitchens I’ve found him to be a very interesting thinker. Obviously I disagree with him on this but what can we really do? It was a debate and people will make provocative statements for audience reaction.

Condemn him? His opinion has no power over us, he can’t tax us, force govt propaganda on our school age children or force us to take Holy Communion in our hands while standing either. He’s simply a man with a different opinion.

Instead let’s pray for his conversion. Imagine the champion we’d have if he were filled with the Holy Spirit?

 

[Carlan]

What do we say when someone says that Our Lord organised his own death anyway?

He just doesn’t get it , we pray for him and the likes of him before it is too late. Peace, Carlan

By the way Mikaele, I am familiar with your part of Sydney, Mt Druitt, I’ve attended Mass at your little community Parish several times in the past. Welcome to Catholic Answers!

 

[Portrait]

Dearly beloved friends,

Cordial greetings and a very good day.

What a remarkedly stark contrast between Christopher Hitchens and his Christian brother, Peter, a member of the Church of England. The latter is a doughty combatant against the liberal amoral mainstream and certainly speaks for the silent majority here in the UK, especially via his Sunday Mail column and blog (check it out if you have not already done so). As for his poor brother, he surely requires the prayers of the faithful that he will, even at this late hour, be brought to a state of penitence and embrace the Faith that he has for so long spoken derisively against.

We should also pray that Peter Hitchens will say farewell to Anglicanism and convert to the one true Church established by Christ, we need men of his calibre who will boldly rebuke vice and seek to raise a very lowered public opinion.

Warmest good wishes,

Portrait

Pax

 

[TimothyH]

I love that. One second they call us sheep and wimps, the next they’re harassing us for being too “brutal”.

Exactly GK Chesterton’s point if you read Orthodoxy.

One miniute they are calling us brutal for being willing to become martyrs and the next minute they are saying that we have no backbone because we turn the other cheek. The Church is too rich yet monks are the stupidest people on earth for their vows of poverty. The Church denies human nature with it’s rules for sex but large families are a thread to the planet.

etc ad nauseum.

-Tim-

 

[FidesSpesCarita]

I love that. One second they call us sheep and wimps, the next they’re harassing us for being too “brutal”.

Didnt G.K. say something along the lines of “If you hear a thing simultaneously being called bad in one way and bad in the opposite way, you can be assured that it is good”?

 

[Bob_Crowley]

I was watching Christopher Hitchens on youtube, and he said something along the lines of… ‘A God that requires human sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins is a sick God, and it is strange that a God would become a human being and arrange his own death’

My attitude to people like Hitchens and Dawkins is that in a century, they’ll just be dust, and their words largely forgotten, their books out of print, and almost unknown.

But the Church will still be going, and Christ’s words will never die away, as He said.

I take the long view. Granted, they’re irritating, but the time will come when they’re no longer with us.

 

[promethius95945]

I was watching Christopher Hitchens on youtube, and he said something along the lines of… 'A God that requires human sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins is a sick God,

Let’s try these other iterations of that argument:

• A society that requires prison time for the restitution of criminals is a sick society…
• A parent who asks their child to pay back the neighbor for the window they broke is a sick parent…
• A victim of rape who presses charges for prosecuting his or her attacker is a sick individual…

Nope, somehow Christopher Hitchen’s argument in this regard simply doesn’t hold water when we realize that death is the JUSTICE demanded by the act of human sin.

and it is strange that a God would become a human being and arrange his own death’

Strange and WONDERFUL that God is both infinitely merciful AND just. His justice is in direct juxtaposition to His mercy, and as such there is only ONE way to reconcile both of these fabulous traits of God: in the Paschal Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

In fact, it’s not strange at all. It’s infinitely wise of God and makes perfect sense… well, maybe not to the Hitch, but I’ve never found him to be that deep of a thinker anyway…