I have an article in the January issue of Portland Monthly–it’s a conversation with Christopher Hitchens, the well-known British atheist whose big book is God Is Not Great.  (Someone quipped that his book title is just one word too long.)  If you want to check it out, go to their web site, and then go to “Current Issue.”  Or try the following link: www.portlandmonthlymag.com/arts-and-entertainment/category/book-and-talks/articles/religion-god-0110/

I also had dinner with Hitchens and around a dozen others on Tuesday evening after his talk at Portland Arts and Lectures.  He must be one of the most articulate people on the planet, and there is great pleasure in watching his mind play with words and entertain with turns of irony.  However, Hitchens is as well known for his drinking as he is for his wit, and as the evening wore on, I found he became more and more acerbic and insulting.  The man is brilliant, but not wise; clever, but not deep; and a fundamentalist, in regard to religion, rejecting any form of liberal Christianity as bogus religion, not to be respected. 

Hitchens clearly has never studied theology, and most of the comments he made concerning the Bible, Jesus, salvation, etc., were shockingly naive.  Where he has something to offer, of course, is his critique of religion and society, and all of the horrors and nonsense done in the name of religion, which I have no argument with.  It’s not exactly news that the Inquisition was a bad thing.  And that Catholic priests shouldn’t abuse altar boys.  And (his particular nemesis) jihadists shouldn’t blow up innocent civilians. 

Hitchens is  the ultimate intellectual “bad boy.”  He performs.  He “debates.”  He entertains. All of which he does very well.   But this should not be confused with thoughtful discourse.