One of the most repellent spectacles at election times is the pretense of piety on the part of people running for office. Christopher Hitchens More Quotes by Christopher Hitchens More Quotes From Christopher Hitchens Everything about Christianity is contained in the pathetic image of 'the flock. Christopher Hitchens atheismatheistchristianity A rule of thumb with humor; if you worry that you might be going too far, you have already not gone far enough. If everybody laughs, you have failed. Christopher Hitchens goneworrylaughing Three words for those who want to put the Christ back in Christmas: Jingle Bell Rock. Christopher Hitchens jinglesrocksthree We know of no spectacle more ridiculous—or more contemptible—than that of the religious reactionaries who dare to re-write the history of our republic. Or who try to do so. Is it possible that, in their vanity and stupidity, they suppose that they can erase the name of Thomas Jefferson and replace it with the name of some faith-based mediocrity whose name is already obscure? If so, we cheerfully resolve to mock them, and to give them the lie in their teeth. Christopher Hitchens religiouswritinglying What is your idea of earthly happiness? To be vindicated in my own lifetime. Christopher Hitchens my-ownlifetimeideas We owe a huge debt to Galileo for emancipating us all from the stupid belief in an Earth-centered or man-centered (let alone God-centered) system. He quite literally taught us our place and allowed us to go on to make extraordinary advances in knowledge. Christopher Hitchens atheiststupidmen Once you assume a creator and a plan, it makes us objects in a cruel experiment whereby we are created sick and commanded to be well. Christopher Hitchens atheismsickreligion I try to deny myself any illusions or delusions, and I think that this perhaps entitles me to try and deny the same to others, at least as long as they refuse to keep their fantasies to themselves. Christopher Hitchens atheistlongthinking I still make sure to go, at least once every year, to a country where things cannot be taken for granted, and where there is either too much law and order or too little. Christopher Hitchens takenordercountry You can only have one aim per debate. Christopher Hitchens debateaim I would say that if you don't believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you're really not in any meaningful sense a Christian. Christopher Hitchens christianmeaningfuljesus What word or expression do you most overuse? Re-reading a collection of my stuff, I was rather startled to find that it was 'perhaps. Christopher Hitchens readingexpressionstuff The struggle for a free intelligence has always been a struggle between the ironic and the literal mind. Christopher Hitchens ironicstrugglemind I think being an atheist is something you are, not something you do. Christopher Hitchens atheistthinking The Postmodernists' tyranny wears people down by boredom and semi-literate prose. Christopher Hitchens boredomtyrannypeople Religion is part of the human make-up. It's also part of our cultural and intellectual history. Religion was our first attempt at literature, the texts, our first attempt at cosmology, making sense of where we are in the universe, our first attempt at health care, believing in faith healing, our first attempt at philosophy. Christopher Hitchens healingphilosophybelieve Let me tell you something: for hundreds of thousands of years, this kind of discussion would have been impossible to have, or those like us would have been having it at the risk of our lives. Religion now comes to us in this smiley-face, ingratiating way — because it’s had to give so much more ground and because we know so much more. But you’ve got no right to forget the way it behaved when it was strong, and when it really did believe that it had God on its side. Christopher Hitchens strongbelieveyears The crucial distinction between systems...was no longer ideological. The main political difference was between those who did, and those who did not, believe that the citizen could -- or should -- be the property of the state. Christopher Hitchens political-differencescitizensbelieve Indeed, it's futile to try and use Holy Scripture to support any political position. I deeply distrust anyone who does. Just look at what an Islamic Republic is like. Christopher Hitchens islamicsupportatheist Virtue and merit can become their opposites if they are exacted or compelled. Christopher Hitchens meritvirtueopposites
