Tonight, before a sold-out crowd in Toronto, Ontario, international best-selling author, polemicist and atheist Christopher Hitchens will debate former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The topic of debate: "Be it Resolved: Religion is Force for Good in the World". One can watch the live stream here http://www.munkdebates.com/...
for $4.99, but I think it’s free after the debate finishes. I’m greatly looking forward to watching this. This is Baikal’s UFC or WWF Raw, and I’m paying for the simulcast.
Just one week ago Hitchens was in a very different place: Exurban North Texas. Specifically, the Prestonwood Baptist Academy in Plano. He was here to debate Intelligent Design proponent William Dempski before a smallish audience of Evangelical 7th Graders.
It was a fascinating, albeit lop-sided debate. Hitchen’s demeanor was highly respectful to the audience, talking to them and imploring them to think and learn. Dembski, on the other hand, refused to engage in anything other than weakly going after Hitchens. When I review the debate again sometime soon, I'll have to count how many times Dembski's states "Hitchens thinks, Hitchens feels, Hitchens believes, etc." and compare it the number of times Hitchens invokes Dembski's name. I'll go out on a limb and assume the tally will be around 75-5. Hitchens attacked Dembski's ideas, while Dembski attacked Hitchens...there had to be, at least, a few members of the flock who noticed.
Hitchen’s finale was strong. Not often do you hear someone take on Mother Teresa, Hitler, and the ghost of Shakespeare all at once. What I thought most impressive, was that it was completely extemporaneous. He was debating an educated fool and aspiring false prophet, who argues that he has empirically, scientifically proven that Jesus Christ is the one and only path to eternal Salvation. This is the same guy who said in 2006 that Evolution would be debunked within 10 years.
Tonight, I think shall be a fairer fight.
It wasn’t the "match-up" that got my attention last week, it was the fact that Hitch took the time out of his few remaining days on Earth to come down to Northeast Texas to speak to Jr. High students. He spoke forcefully, eloquently, and appropriately to his audience, as one would expect. But what was most striking about his debate performance was not his rhetorical trouncing of Dempski, it was Hitch’s earnestness and compassion. I don’t expect many of you to have the time or inclination to watch the entire debate, but I would encourage you to watch the last 10 minutes or so – Hitchens’ sincerity is obvious. He makes the case that there is another way for these kids to be good, kind, rational, happy people, more so even than their current path offers. I don't doubt that he rattled this young flock, for the better. See the Dembski debate here.
http://www.pcawebcast.com/...