Pathetically misguided about Iraq he may be, but Christopher Hitchens still writes with great style and conviction. It took me a long while to finish his book, god is not great-How religion screws up everything. Took a while because I had to stop and put the book down because I found myself agreeing with him. Which was especially troubling when he was ripping apart Christianity. I logged too many hours in Charleston pews as well as spending FAR TOO MANY years married to a frigid, mentally deranged, Catholic spendthrift to take on the unabashed atheism that Hitchens seems to wear like a badge. Dissecting his book is a whole other post-but suffice it to say I think his book is one long angry rant at the Deity for being mean and unfair. An understandable sentiment, but not necessarily enough to disprove His existence IMHO.
But I digress.
Hitchens is right on target however with his latest column in Slate Magazine, where the erstwhile Englishman reminds Americans of an important part of their own Constitution:
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States
Hitchens, in his rather blunt form, points out what I have also noticed: This election has become all about religion-at least on the Republican side:
However, what Article VI does not do, and was never intended to do, is deny me the right to say, as loudly as I may choose, that I will on no account vote for a smirking hick like Mike Huckabee, who is an unusually stupid primate but who does not have the elementary intelligence to recognize the fact that this is what he is. My right to say and believe that is already guaranteed to me by the First Amendment. And the right of Huckabee to win the election and fill the White House with morons like himself is unaffected by my expression of an opinion.
But wait, there is more. In particular I liked his send up of the pompous souls who insist that they respect the Constitution- while all the while demanding that each and every Presidential candidate meet a moral litmus test when it comes to issues that are of importance to the hypocrites so called “values voters”:
Isn’t it amazing how self-pitying and self-aggrandizing the religious freaks in this country are? It’s not enough that they can make straight-faced professions of “faith” at election times and impose their language on everything from the Pledge of Allegiance to the currency. It’s not enough that they can claim tax exemption and even subsidy for anything “faith-based.” It’s that when they are even slightly criticized for their absurd opinions, they can squeal as if being martyred and act as if they are truly being persecuted.
Bill O’ Reilly call your office. Santa just lost the War on Christmas.
Read the rest of the article. Personally, I’m thinking Giuliani is looking better and better. Any man with 2 ex wives and the balls to pay for his mistress on the city payroll is a man who understands my needs – very well.
