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Tony Blair defends religious faith
The Telegraph ^ | 11-28-2010 | no byline

Posted on 11/28/2010 3:46:32 PM PST by gorush

The former prime minister said it was true that "people commit horrific acts of evil in the name of religion".

But Mr Blair, who converted to Catholicism after leaving government in 2007, said it was also true that religion inspires acts of extraordinary good.

Sceptic Mr Hitchens, who has terminal cancer, likened God to a "celestial dictatorship, a kind of divine North Korea".

He appeared to win over the audience, which voted two-to-one in his favour following the debate, which argued the motion "be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world".

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Religion
KEYWORDS: blair; hitchens; lockerbie; religiondebate

1 posted on 11/28/2010 3:46:41 PM PST by gorush
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To: gorush
the audience, which voted two-to-one in his favour following the debate, which argued the motion "be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world".

I can disprove that with one word: Islam.

2 posted on 11/28/2010 3:51:29 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Islam is the religion of Satan and Mohammed was his minion.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

can disprove that with one word: Islam.

DITTO


3 posted on 11/28/2010 3:55:37 PM PST by Cisco Nix
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To: gorush

Mr. Hitchins will undoubtedly someday share a drink with Ted Kennedy (D-HELL). The drinks there, however, will be alcohol free. They will be in eternal AA meeting.


4 posted on 11/28/2010 3:56:13 PM PST by jessduntno (TSA: "Because screwing you with your pants ON just wasn't enough.")
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To: gorush

Comparing God to North Korea is supposed to be praise??


5 posted on 11/28/2010 3:59:24 PM PST by GeronL (http://libertyfic.proboards.com <--- My Fiction/ Science Fiction Board)
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To: gorush

I feel that Mr. Hitchens will soon enough realize why so many people have prayed for him. While I would have chosen any number of apologists to argue against Mr. Hitchens, I’d guess the reasons Mr. Blair was selected relate to his former position more than his willingness to debate. The vote at the end of the program sounded more like a reflection of the secular society Britain has at the moment. Of course, as soon as those referred to in French news reports as “youths” outnumber the British, that will change. Just not the way they wish.


6 posted on 11/28/2010 4:01:51 PM PST by sayuncledave (A cruce salus)
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To: GeronL

Somehow I doubt that is the point he is trying to make.


7 posted on 11/28/2010 4:02:18 PM PST by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
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To: gorush
Speaking of Blair, from '09...

Blair, 'blood money' and a Lockerbie deal: Talks with Gaddafi hours before BP agreement

Lovely pic of Blair at the link.

8 posted on 11/28/2010 4:04:24 PM PST by mewzilla (Hey, Schumer, how's that Lockerbie bomber deal investigation coming along?)
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To: gorush

‘He said it was not necessary to have “divine permission to know right from wrong”.’

Hitchens knows right from wrong? Isn’t this guy pro-baby killing?


9 posted on 11/28/2010 4:10:08 PM PST by Soothesayer (“None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license...")
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To: gorush

I would not have expected any other result out of secular England, or any other country in Europe for that matter. Hopefully, the Europeans will come to their senses and return to God before the Muslims totally destroy their way of life.

Let’s hope America, or at least American politicians, wake up as well. I suspect the American people are far ahead of their politicians when it comes to getting back on track.


10 posted on 11/28/2010 4:10:28 PM PST by CdMGuy
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To: Soothesayer
"Hitchens knows right from wrong? Isn’t this guy pro-baby killing?"

I don't know the answer to that, sorry.

11 posted on 11/28/2010 4:12:32 PM PST by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
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To: jessduntno

The ideal divine punishment for Christopher Hitchens would be to reincarnate him as a child in North Korea.


12 posted on 11/28/2010 4:14:07 PM PST by Strk321
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To: CdMGuy

“I would not have expected any other result out of secular England, or any other country in Europe for that matter.”

England seems to be the worst for having large numbers of sniveling, H.L. Menken-ish atheists. Which seems a bit odd for a country that still has a state church.


13 posted on 11/28/2010 4:21:41 PM PST by Strk321
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To: Cisco Nix

Isl;am is not a religion, it is a political movement.


14 posted on 11/28/2010 4:59:36 PM PST by Venturer
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To: gorush

bookmark


15 posted on 11/28/2010 5:04:20 PM PST by GOP Poet (Obama is an OLYMPIC failure.)
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To: gorush

I wonder how Hitchens would fare against someone who actually had some depth of understanding of this particular subject.


16 posted on 11/28/2010 5:06:17 PM PST by EternalVigilance (There is nothing that Communists do better than winning in a morally relativistic universe.)
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To: Venturer

FACT, and they soft pedal and repackage it in the name of “religion”.

You would think that they would throw in the towel and concede the failings in islam. I am sure they can see it does not deliver peace, prosperity , technology, social goods nor well being.

And its probably a combination of jealousy and their failure that fans their rage.


17 posted on 11/28/2010 5:10:09 PM PST by himno hero
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To: EternalVigilance

“I wonder how Hitchens would fare against someone who actually had some depth of understanding of this particular subject.”

Yeah, try debating the Pope and some of his people. They’d tear Hitchens into ribbons.


18 posted on 11/28/2010 5:13:42 PM PST by Strk321
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To: gorush
I have had the opportunity to hear Hitchens debate on several occasions. If you have heard him once, that is enough. He uses the same arguments and the same analogies in every debate. I have come to the conclusion after years of studying Christian apologetics that I no longer care if someone rejects belief in God. There was a time that I tried to persuade Atheists that there were reasonable arguments for the possibility of God's existence, but I no longer bother. It comes to a matter of conversion by the Holy Spirit. You cannot understand spiritual truths without the Spirit. If people are convinced in their own minds that God does not exist or that Christianity is evil, so be it. I do not care.
19 posted on 11/28/2010 6:14:19 PM PST by Nosterrex
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To: Strk321

I wonder if Mr. Hitchens will now try to debate the value of the law of gravity.


20 posted on 11/29/2010 7:30:40 AM PST by Pecos (Liberty and Honor will not die on my watch.)
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