Criticism of Christopher Hitchens by Ron Santoni

Dear editors,
Sorry that I couldn't have my time with Christopher Hitchens last night; I simply wanted to give students priority. And when student questioning was still going on at 9:40 p.m.,it was time for me to get to other matters and start thinking of going "night- night".

But a few quick thoughts:

First, Hitchens is a very intelligent guy with a good sense of humor and an encyclopedic mind, plus an engaging manner. I'm glad --and surprised--that Dorries and Prachi and company worked so hard to bring him here. He's a trip! And he's very generous in taking all questions.

But he needs to hear a few questions in a critical vein:
Why does he insist on so many either/ors? Philosophy OR Religion? Science OR Religion? Literal minds OR minds that can entertain irony? Rational beings OR feeling beings? Rational answers OR feeling answers? Does he think that reason is the be all and end all of the human being, the only aspect of human reality to which we should attend in our attempt to make sense of our existence? Does he think that life is no deeper than logic? Does he really believe that he doesn't give a damn about a person's feelings of offense and oppression; that only reason counts? Does he really believe the apparent outcome of his logic--that nothing should be denied expression on public television, not even, e.g., an adult's committing fellatio on a 5 year old boy, or an adult male "enjoying" intercourse with a 7-year girl. If so, does he not care about the kind of society that public television pornography might produce? ( No,I've never viewed such"

Moreover, does Hitchens realize that he attacks religion on his narrow fundamentalist interpretations of religion. Does he not know that a great many
Christian believers are thinking, probing beings who would disown fundamentalist views, struggle with their faith, and come up with divergent interpretations of the Bible. Will he acknowledge that rigorous and prominent philosophers like Alasdair McIntyre and Charles Taylor, and some of Denison's own( smile!), see a way of combining faith and reason?

Hitchens has an unfair way of judging religion by its worst abuses. And I'd rather not judge his views entirely by his public expression last night?. But Mr Hitchens should know, as a science fundamentalist, that science, like religion, has its fundamentalists, who believe that everything can be reduced to science, that what is not confirmable empirical observation, makes no sense. But by that criterion--as he came close to admitting at one point--where are we to relegate his most strongly expressed views?

This is at last a quick start.

I hope that his appearance here will encourage healthy discussion, not just partisan applauding by his devotees.

Cordially yours and PEACE!

Ron Santoni