Chris Hedges is a Formidable Opponent

Did anyone catch the interview with Chris Hedges on "Point of Inquiry" last week? He counter punches DJ Grothe's questions with flair. I believe he is on the wrong side of nearly every argument Grothe puts out there, but is more eloquent and crafty than Grothe in presenting his points, therefore appearing more intelligent. He argues that religion is too ubiquitous and too much ingrained into the human experience to be treated the way it is by the "new athiests." He compares the new athiests' form of thinking to the black and white type thinking of fundamentalists. This is incredibly off the mark but he is so articulate, he almost sounds credible.

Astronomer Salman Hameed(in his blog) says about Mr. Hedges:

"While Hedges goes a bit too far in labeling the New Atheists as "fundamentalists", his overall criticism is quite interesting (and perhaps valid) - especially on the caricatured depictions of Muslims by the New Atheists (mostly Sam Harris). In response to the question about the promotion of secularism in the Muslim world, it was good to see him bring up "which Muslim country" - Bosnia, Turkey, Morocco? Or Saudi Arabia, Sudan? The interviewer, DJ Grothe, is usually very good - but here he sounds a bit defensive and he kept on making huge generalizations (such as the attitude of the "left" towards Islamic fundamentalism or "Muslim" reaction to the West). On the other hand, the skepticism of Hedges towards reason to potentially improve our lives is also discomforting. Do check out the interview as it raises good questions and, at the same time, I'm sure you'll find things in here to vehemently disagree (or angry) with."

Grothe does appear to be awkward during the POI interview when he seems like he is forced to play the generalization card while silmultaneously attempting to hide his anger. We have all met people like this, whose raw intelligence is so sharp, but who are constantly on the wrong track. Bill OReilly is a good example of this. I have worked with people like this, people who are very good at verbally sparring but who are consistently arguing in the wrong direction(e.g. with the topics of global warming, evolution etc.) I believe Grothe is more on the right track, but Hedges takes extreme pride in winning the forensics contest.

Next subject. A fascinating DVD called "The Four Horsemen" is now out on Amazon. It features four of the most well known athiests in the world having a chat about the meaning of life. Here are some reviews. Look it up on http://www.amazon.com/

Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens sat down for a first-of-its-kind, unmoderated 2-hour discussion, convened by RDFRS and filmed by Josh Timonen. All four authors have recently received a large amount of media attention for their writings against religion - some positive, and some negative. In this conversation the group trades stories of the public's reaction to their recent books, their unexpected successes, criticisms and common misrepresentations. They discuss the tough questions about religion that face the world today, What a great format! I loved sitting and having drinks with four of todays most brilliant minds. Can't wait for more "Discussions with Richard".

This DVD is anything but a dry, academic discussion... Dennett, Harris, Dawkins and Hitchens move seamlessly from topic to topic - a thoroughly enjoyable tour of many of the subjects addressed in their respective published works concerning religion. I also found the format very entertaining. My only complaint? This DVD ends too s oon! Anyone who enjoys/respects/is challenged by these authors will appreciate installment #1 of the Four Horsemen series. Personally, I can't wait for the next "ride" - and feel privileged to live in a time when the intellectual honesty expressed by these authors is beginning to find its way to larger and more diverse audiences.

"The Four Horsemen" DVD challenged my mind like movies or TV cannot. If you have seen the DVD, reply to my blog with your opinion. Also check out Professor Salman Hameed's blog. Have a great weekend.