christopher hitchens

“ Mother Teresa was not a friend of the poor. She was a friend of poverty. She said that suffering was a gift from God. ”

“ I'm not afraid of being dead, that's to say there's nothing to be afraid of. I won't know I'm dead, would be my strong conviction. And if I find that I'm alive in any way at all, that'll be a pleasant surprise. I quite like surprises. ”

“ Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it. ”

“ Very often, when I give my view that there is no supernatural dimension, and certainly not one that is only or especially available to the faithful, and that the natural world is wonderful enoughand even miraculous enough if you insist. ”

“ Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the 'transcendent' and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. ”

“ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him will believeth in anything. ”

“ What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. ”

“ Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. ”

“ Religion is part of the human make-up. It's also part of our cultural and intellectual history. ”

“ We may differ on many things, but what we respect is free inquiry, open mindedness, and the pursuit of ideas for their own sake. ”