Does Religion Poison Everything? (TTA Podcast 323)
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- Christopher Hitchens is known for his famous book subtitle, "How Religion Poisons Everything." Is this a fair statement? Is religion always toxic? We discuss.
Note: We covered this topic a few years ago...but it - again - seemed a relevant question.
I was in a wedding a year ago that included two sermons, a worship service, communion (thankfully for just the couple and their parents), three prayers, and a call to the audience to witness/attend/encourage the couple in their marriage. I'm still in the closet as an atheist so the whole thing was super awkward for me, not that anything would have been different if they had known. Strangest moment was when the bride wanted a picture of her bridesmaids "praying" over her, but we weren't really praying, it's just a picture of our eyes closed and our hands on her. I loathe that picture. I think the worship service during a wedding is the most obnoxious thing though because the couple is either a) assuming everyone in their audience believes and worships just like they do or b) knows they don't and doesn't care about their guest's beliefs or feelings.
Funerals aren't much better. I went to a 2 1/2 hour funeral a few years ago for a friend who was killed by a drunk driver. The service had not one, not two, not three....but five alter calls because the main theme of the service was, "If you ever want to see your friend again, you will become a Christian because she was and she is in heaven waiting for you."I was still a Christian at the time, but remember leaning over to my husband and stating that this funeral would be insufferable if you weren't religious. The most recent funeral I went to was for a friend who died of an accidental drug overdose and those people tried so so hard to make him into a saint, which he wasn't. I loved him and he was an amazing person, but he was neither Christian nor a saint, but they really tried to spin his community service work that he did with his dad's church as him coming back to god. A few people actually walked out of the service.
Oh Hitchen's defense of free speech has to be heard once a year by as many people as possible (29.30). One of his best, truly.
Religion even poisons charity. Charity in order to save your soul or someone else's soul is the poison pill.
I miss Hitchens badly, his voice is badly needed today. The atheist movement itself needs someone like Hitchens again.
"The ring is a symbol, it has no beginning and no end, like these sermons we do at weddings."
I have to say yes! There has never been a moment or situation in my life where religion was a benefit!
My wedding was kind of like the one you went to. And only a few months ago, after going to another evangelical wedding, did I realize how evil it is. It is not at all a wedding, as the groom and bride play supporting roles. It made me realize why abandoning religion killed my marriage: we essentially married God. When I left the fold, I literally left marriage with it. I am still married, but my wife remains married in the hope I become the man she wants to be married to.
I wish you happiness and hope things work out between the two of you. It must be terribly difficult wrestling with trying to be the man your wife married even though you have changed. Try to be honest with yourself and your wife.
That sounds like it sucks alot, hope it worked our
@@mbburry4759 I wrote that comment 4 years ago?! Weird how not much has changed. But whatever has changed was for better. I don't know if it worked out; one way or another, I think it will, thanks!
8:49 Regarding a minister suggesting that if a man hasn't married by (whatever) age, both Paul and Jesus are supposed to have taught that it is better not to marry. I guess he was one of those pastors who doesn't like what the Bible says.
If any God does or ever did exist, Christopher Hitchens was that God.
He shined light on the shadows, a lighthouse in the dark.
''Christopher Hitchens was that God.''
Good grief, you have slum level ideals for a god. Hitchens?? Really??
As education goes UP :)
Religion goes DOWN :(
?
Not actually true...as critical thinking and acknowledging the law of non-contradiction goes up, atheism goes down.
Actually, no. I know atheotards like to assume their ridiculous philosophy is sweeping the planet but if you think about it, the only people that can swallow the dark and hopeless thing that is atheism are the well fed, the rich, the powerful and the human predator. The rest of humanity needs hope.
I needed this today!
I just had a visit with my Mom and Dad where their purpose was to beg forgiveness for a decision they made 32 years ago to not trust God, and not being there for me in a dark time, which they think may have resulted in my loss of faith. They were both in tears, sobbing, but telling them that of course I forgave them years ago, was obviously unsatisfying to them. Sad. And frustrating.
I am in total agreement with Silverman; religion poisons *everything*. Whatever good may come from religious people, that good is attributed to a faerie-tale sky daddy rather than to the people themselves, and that only denigrates that good and those people. Without religion, these people can be seen as good for the sake of the good, which is the best form of that good.
Your problem is that without the objective standard of what is good...you don't know what is actually good. So you invent your own moral code to avoid any acknowledgement that you are blind and need God. You're not alone...Hitler also said what you said, he wanted to acknowledge the good people for being good...he defined the good as Germanic and the bad as Jewish and Slavic, and you know how that turned out.
I agree. I know the difference between right, and, wrong. And, I say, "Humanist," instead of, "Good Samaritan.
mark krul Really. So, when Jews push others around in the name of, "God's Chosen People," is that good?! No, it isn't. Yet, they control us with what they say is ,"Right." But, what they do has been proven so wrong in humanity.
I photographed a lot of weddings for a studio that no longer exists in OKC. One thing that bugged me in some religious ceremonies was the emphasis on virginity. It was more important to the family that they the subject was front and center to the ceremony. It bothered me to see it, the way it was brought through the wedding was creepy.
One thing that bugged me in some religious ceremonies was the emphasis on virginity.''
I understand that the morally bankrupt don't care if they marry a male or female skank, but for some people, it matters. People who sleep around with one after the other make poor loyal spouses. What can I say, some people have standards and some people don't. A person who has enough self control to save themselves for their spouse, has character, a thing in short supplies these days.
@@okheekim131 so the virginity or lack thereof should be the focal point of two people getting married? And its extremely important that both families confirm or at least believe in the virginity of a spouse?
Seriously???
Nice ending to this video with the hitch reference to the poisoned chalice, Just push it away no matter how tempting and take the risk of thinking for yourself.
Great show. I agree with Christopher Hitchens. Religion does poison everything.
At best, religion parrots the values of common sense and humanity.
At worst, religion abandons them altogether.
Fun Fact: the word "religion" is derived from the Latin term for "bind" (religare), as "fascist" is derived from "fascis" (bundle).
And an aspect of humanity is a spiritual essence that cannot be defined by the material world.
Living Infernus What the Hells does that even mean? Hint: this is a bad place to peddle woo-woo magical concepts.
Religio has a lot of meanings... amongst others "i dedicate myself" "I am devout" or "I submit myself" which funnily enough is the translation of Islam too (submission).
Fasces were not simply bundles, but a symbol of the power over life and death, using the metaphorical "together we're stronger" symbolism of a bunch of rods that cannot be broken as easily as a single lonesome rod with the axe of the executioner... and the fascists in italy adopted the symbolic fasces for their party due to the association with imperial Rome, their way to say "make Italy great again"...
+Robert Richardson
WTF? where was there any "woo woo magical concept" in Living Infernus' words?
I like the wedding rant. I'm 32 and still single simply because I haven't gotten to know anybody well enough that I would want to spend the rest of my life with them yet. Meeting new people and new women is hard for me. It's not my strong suit.
Does Religion Poison Everything? - YES! Just saved 1hour and 14 minutes of your life ;-)
Yes! true .....but the 1 hr. 14 minutes has some great backstory and material :)
Tee hee. I agree, but I'm praying for the ouster of "President" Trump!
Amen Barbara, or Ramen if you are a Pastafarian.
In my experience yes! Religion stole my parents away. They spent more time with strangers than with us. Out preaching or at church. They don't know us. It's so hard to have a ordinary conversation as everything has to be about god. Yes it ruins family.
I wish there were community gatherings that didn't rely on religion. I tried to go back to church to connect with people and make friends but I just couldn't take all the religion that goes along with it. Last time I attended church the sermon was about how worthless and nothing we are compared to god. The pastor was pacing back and forth, holding his bible and (volume was earsplitting high on the speakers) telling us we are nothing compared to god. So he says, What are we compared to god? I hear a little kid yell out, We are Nothing! I was done with church.
Thank you Seth for these podcasts. I haven't missed one. Truly I sometimes wonder how I managed without you and the other atheist activists for 20+ years before the internet was available and I could connect with like-mined people. I can remember vividly the moment in 1984 (I was 32 then) when I realized that all religion was mythology and that I could not believe any of it was real in any sense and that I was in fact an atheist. For a few seconds I was stunned, then I felt so liberated and my mind felt so free. Nevertheless, I knew of no one else who had realized the con and knew that should I speak of it, I would be verbally assaulted and possibly shunned by family and friends and would also most likely lose my job. So for 20+ years I stayed silent, in the closet. My family knows now and I outed myself oddly enough by saying that satan didn't exist to my sister one day during a rather banal conversation where she brought up some fear she had about satan's influence on something. She went running to our mother exclaiming how I didn't believe that satan existed and of course mother asked if I believed that god existed and I just had to say no. The fall out was pretty bad but over time they simply refused to accept I didn't believe. Somewhat like you Seth, my mother still stuffs christian literature in my purse when I visit. My sister's son is getting married in 2 weeks and I will attend his wedding. I hope it won't be as mind melting as the one you went to. BTW before my sister was aware I was an atheist, I was asked and accepted to be godmother to her twin boys. The catholic priest wouldn't allow me to be godmother to both since I had been and he supposed still baptist. LOL
submission?....i just threw up a little bit in my mouth, Seth
When I heard Seth say "the wedding had three ministers and each gave a sermon," I said ...out loud, "JAYSUS!" LOL
I snort-laughed when he broke into Shania Twain lmao
My husband and I played Tim Minchin's "You grew on me" at our wedding. Which took place in a Freemason Lodge. After a secular signing at city hall. The ceremony at the Lodge was for those of our families that were religious, but we wrote our own vows and those had no deity mentioned. We put all of our money on the Lebanese buffet at the reception. :D
It poisons. I would never tell my kids to not, "Fornicate." For an example. I thought I should marry my, "First." Ridiculous. You need to have experiences to better yourself, and, find someone who understands you, cares for you, be there for you, love you. My first did not.
So, my Mom is a Christian, of course. She is the biggest hypocrite in my life. And, she will not apologize. She does what she wants, but, thinks church is her refuge, her repentance. She is truly detestable. Thanks, Seth Andrews.
Short answer- yes.
Long answer- yeeeeeeees.
My favorite quote is applicable to this topic.
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." Steven Weinberg
I will marry in 2020 and I will make sure that it will be a unique wedding!
Wonder how that one worked out???
@@mbburry4759 It did, I am married and I had a unique wedding!
Hearing the pagan Wagner's Bridal Chorus at a wedding in a Church always gives me a kick.
That last sound byte you used from Christopher Hitchens is one of my absolute favorites from him!
Ohhhh....there's a burning between my thighs. It's my dry, barren and fruitless 'Lady Garden' that is dissolving into ashes as I continue to listen to this podcast...because, shock, gasp, awe (!) I'm 45, never been married and have 'whored' myself out to so many men that 'Praise be to Jesus!' no man will ever lay hands on such 'filth' according to God.
Seth praises the sound of someone ELSES voice...
That's high praise.
The left-handedness thing was also treated as a "corruption" or "abomination" in some eastern orthodox countries in the past. In particular, left-handed kids would sometimes have their left arm tied behind their back and forced to sit for hours until they've learned to write with the right hand. The flipside to this was hilarious, though. One, the habit for using the left hand wouldn't go away (because brain hemisphere neurology and science, bitches), and two, the kids would develop ambidexterity while writing, which made for a cool pub trick later on in life.
Gonna level with you: I was half expecting a 3 second podcast where Seth just said 'Yes', and it ended.
Randy Travis' - Deeper than the Holler...played EVERY TIME in the last 20 years
its been 5 years 6 since hitch passed i still hold to that subtitle as true in any context i feel like a took a man of great insight to write that subtitle and still have it remain true till today and will possibly remain true forever as long as we keep this up as long as old traditions remain sacred
Hitchen's closing statement literally gave my chills, it was that good.
You would have loved my wedding, in a church, yes, but there was a pagan element, Celtic hand fasting and all the music was by the Beatles! People laughed and cried, there was audience participation and we rocked it!
That intro part about the weddings reminded me a story a couple in church told me years ago. They were Calvinist, and (at least in Hungary) Nearer my God to Thee is a funeral hymn in the Calvinist church. But for some reason this was the bride's favourite hymn and chose this for the wedding ceremony. They told me the guests were scandalised 😂😂😂😂😂
I went to a wedding a year or so ago where they passed the rings around on a glass plate and had each person put their hand over the plate and quietly say a prayer or cast a spell or something on them. I felt ridiculous, but felt compelled to act it out as everyone else was doing it and very few know I'm an atheist.
Does religion poison everything? No, just most things. I think Hitchens was a fan of using hyperbole with purpose, meaning that if you shock the religious moderates enough with huge claims of how religion is always bad and, well, poisons everything, then it won't be as shocking to them to find out the less dramatic problems with religion, and their minds may be more open to it.
I think I heard him say in some speech or another that the title was somewhat hoisted on him by his publishers. He owned it after that though, this isn't any sort of apology.
I'd say that to the extent that religion actually affects anything it poisons it. The irrationality at the base of all religion is the main problem.
I was raised without religion and a beautiful sunset has no connection in my mind to religion at all, so it couldn't possibly poison it.
Your opinion is stupid you don't use reason
you are a moron who thinks her dad is a fish
Hitchens is in hell right now
Along with all your ancestors who died before your family's conversion to Christianity. What a kind and loving God, torturing people for all eternity because he is too incapable of making himself known properly.
You'd think someone who can create everything there ever was and watches us constantly could take a second and come tell us he exists. That is if you are foolish enough to believe your parents' fairy tale over the thousands of other fairy tales.
Hoops590. You have just shown publicly that religion, does in fact, poison everything.
And you, Hoops, are a low intelligent, low-functioning cretin who cannot make a complete sentence let alone a lucid, full thought.
My sister is left handed. My father probably would be left handed, but born in 1951, his mother forced him to use his right hand because of the "it's of the devil to be left handed." The interesting part about that is my paternal grandmother was far from religious.
This is how I see it. Religion is unnecessary to do the good it lays claim to. It's not worth all the negative aspects. Join a charity organization and read some moral philosophy books. You'll be a 100 times better off.
I've often wondered how Trump's supporters can accept his lying without challenging it. I now think it's because they've been trained to accept lies by their religions. Their personal beliefs override facts.
Hitchens' subtitle and claim that "religion poisons everything" is extremely apt. Some people may not realize that poison, while generally being considered a destroying substance, can also in small doses be used for medicinal purposes or narcotic effects. Note that Hitchens did not say that religion destroys or corrupts everything. In this way, he was (consciously or unconsciously) using both the connotations of poison as well as the actual properties and effects in his metaphor.
I'm an atheist and yes religion does poison everything.
In philippines, it is common for mothers to set the wedding in churches even if the child's spouse is not religiously compatible.
It certainly does poison everything. I can totally relate to everything you have mentioned here Seth.
I would have burst into flames at that wedding lol!
Any wedding that doesn't end in a fist-fight isn't worth attending.
I think it very often does, particularly on a larger scale.
I stupidly went to my brother's wedding that I knew was going to be religious, but it was worse than I imagined. It was not about the couple. It was all about obeying a nonexistent being called god.
I had some of this in school.
Church of England School was an oddly secular place.
So i got smacked with a ruler for being left-handed, but they didn't know why.
They didn't say 'it's of the devil.' they just knew that it was bad somehow.
The only things which could be construed as positive which religion offers is that of community and charity. Thing is, community is hardly exclusive to religion, nor can they make any such claim. As for charity, secular organizations virtually without exception do it BETTER and more efficiently. The rest to me is tied up in the machinations of belief, which are inarguably USELESS.
And to finish with Hitchens' "Poisoned Chalice" speech is to offer perhaps the best stuff he ever said. For that and all the rest: thanks a LOT, Seth!
Just scrolling down the videos on your Channel Seth, thought this video would be fun for me and my husband to listen to while we drink some Coronas in our garage . just hope the neighbors don't mind because my children play with their kids lol
Shania twain - 'That don't impress me much' was the first song I thought of lol
"I would like to see that pastor try that shit with me!"
-.- You just described my mom-and-stepdad's wedding to a T with the music, Seth.
It sounds like you need some wireless ear buds Seth. The LG HBS 770 got me through Easter Service without wanting to object every 5 secs.
I've attended my share of weddings over the years, and most of them have been pleasant.
I'm of the belief that religion alone doesn't poison everything. What I believe poisons everything is that the church pastors who seem to take the Bible and verses and scriptures and uses it as a weapon of anger and hatred towards those who don't believe in what the Bible says. Given that *"Jesus Christ"* was Jewish, you'd think that Christians would treat Jewish people better over the years than they do.
Frizzurd I agree. I've never understood that.
As a Christian...I agree. In fact there are many so called Christians who try to make the Bible say what they want it to say so they can justify greed, hatred and all manner of evils. And what did Jesus say about this? He said , "In the day of judgement many will come to me and say Lord Lord , did we not cast out demons and do many miracles in your name? And I will say to them depart from me for I never knew you".
I play bass and guitar left-handed...left handed guitars are as easily made as right-handed guitars (you just flip the body blank upside-down before carving it)...yet, I still have trouble finding the most popular guitars and basses in lefty models. Also, when is the last time you saw a lefty violin? Lefty trombone? Lefty banjo or mandolin? Lefty flute or piccolo? Left-handed drum kit...unless you are Phil Collins? Lefty tsugaru shamisen or koto (yeah, the Japanese are just as lame on that.)?
Does Silverman realize that Mao Zedong once said that it is wrong to be against religion? Zedong was back and forth on religion, but he wanted to control what the people of his country believed, including what religion to believe. It sounds an awful lot like Silverman rejects our constitution's "Freedom of Religion" idea, and in my opinion, that is a threat to our individual freedoms. And again, I say this as an agnostic.
I once went to a wedding that had two ceremonies a Muslim and a Catholic one in a mosque and one in a church. The muslim ceremony was neat because of how different it was. I'm not religious at all but it was neat to see something different. Also they were all wearing saris since they were Pakistani. The Catholic one was typical though the priest was wearing cowboy boots
I ocassionally like to go to church on special holy days, such as Xmas & Easter just for the entertainment. The Masses & accompanying music can be quite beautiful. It's like going to a Broadway show, but you don't have to shell out for a ticket!
Cowboy boots!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Noticed in my windows that there was an earlier podcast "143" with the same title.
Religion Poisons Everything is one of those "truisms" as opposed to being literally true. Religion (at least Islam and Christianity) has done so much damage across the board over the course of history that it is quite fair to say it poisons everything.
BTW I think this was one of Seth's best shows to date.
I never understood the left-handed thing, either. If that's a sign of being in league with Satan or tainted by evil how do they explain right-handed witches who they also believe are in league with Satan and tainted by evil? Or did they only condemn left-handed witches? If you were right handed did they automatically go "oh no, nope, can't be a witch. Look, he's using his right hand. You're free to go, Larry. Sorry about that whole rack thing. If we'd just had you mark the confession first, we could've skipped all that. We still on for poker night on Thursday, then?" or something like that? And what did they do with ambidextrous witches?
O'Hair was not "the first person" to say that religion is horrible and bad. Has David Silverman heard of Bob Ingersoll?
Religion doesn't poison everything, SUPERSTITION poisons everything. Some people say that those two things are the same. I disagree, but most have forgotten that they are different.
The notion that left handedness is evil stems from sinister, sinistra, sinistrum being Latin for left handed
Ahh.. that rant about the sermon, reminds me of my sister`s wedding that my dad officiated, He basically said that if they do not put god first, that their marriage would 100% guaranteed fail.. UGH.. (my dad is a pre-millennial, Calvinistic baptist preacher, tnpreacher555)
If I can afford it, I think I will try to see you in toronto! That would be so awesome :D
Hey Seth,
I know this is completely off topic, but when you were a DJ, what kind of gear did you use? I am a DJ myself. Technics are my tool of choice (even though panasonic stopped producing them 😔)
I would think that the married couple knew what the ceremony was going to be. Maybe it was fine with them. Seth even said that one of the father's liked it (if I remember correctly). Sure, as an atheist we can find it disgusting, but it wasn't our ceremony.
29:28 the speech by Hitchens on Islam. Does anyone have a link for that speech? Or preferably that section of that speech?
As much as i respect some religions over others, i still go back to the idea that all the good brought to us by religion, could have been dealt by a secular group. Any culture, art, charity, devotion, or community could easily been done, if not done better, by a secular group.
I'd caution to say that religion poisons everything. I'd probably phrase it as Most religion poisons most things. Since the degree of toxicity varies between religion and the group whom believes.
Religion doesn't poison everything. Sometimes it is useless and has no effect good or bad.
I don't think that it by default poisons everything. But I also don't think it really makes very much of anything better.
I think the whole " if religion didn't excited then the world would be a better" is bullshit because its the act of disagreeing with other peoples belief/ religions or thinking that there wrong and im right causes conflicts. But this statement is kinda true because if everyone had the same belief system weather its Muslim, christian.... it would be OK because everyone is the same. But we all know that one single religion/ belief is impossible so we must compromise, so be OK with other peoples religions and do not debate weather your belief is better unless they are willing to be changed.
I'm not sure if religion poisons everything, but any good it does is outweighed a million to one or more by the evil it does. And, any good it does, can be done by secular people just as well.
David Silverman convinced me the religion poisons everything. I love the points he makes and way he makes them in this video.
For the record I was the Bride but I DID NOT pick the fucking Shania Twain song ! Lol.
I come from Orthodox Christian background. Orthodox Christians actually call themselves "gods slaves" while praying. That is pathetic
Short Answer: Yes
Funny you are talking about weddings, I'm about to have mine! (good news It's highly personalized and Non-religious!)
I enjoy your christian church voices
Yes, everything that it touches.
Never been this early to a show
Thats just obscene...
My niece is getting married on Memorial Day weekend this year.
Seth, you may have been angry and offended by that "wife submitting to the husband" stuff the pastor talked about at the wedding but that IS how the bible describes marriage. Genesis 3:16 - "Your desire will be for your husband, YET HE WILL RULE OVER YOU." If a couple chooses to get married in a church by a minister - they can't be surprised or offended when he quotes from the the bible or describes its view of marriage. Now if couples want a modern egalitarian 21st century model of marriage instead of the primitive bronze age rules of the bible - they should get married in a secular ceremony by a judge at city hall and keep religion out of it!
You're correct. I shouldn't be at all bothered by the dogma that enslaves minds when it's known in advance that anonymous Iron Age primitives wrote that dogma down.
If things are foreknown, they cannot be offensive! (Thanks for this, Gage.)
''I shouldn't be at all bothered by the dogma that enslaves minds when it's known in advance that anonymous Iron Age primitives''
May you, a beta male, marry a dominant woman who insists on calling all the shots.
I go to these types of weddings all the time. 😭😭
I wore my goddless heathen shirt to Del Taco yesterday and the lady at the cash register was very rude every time I would say thank you she would never reply, she was very short with me. It was very obvious she didn't like my shirt. so when I got my burrito I checked it and saw cheese and sour cream when I specifically asked for no cheese and sour cream when I specifically ordered it with no dairy because I'm vegan and then I checked it again and I found a big fat lugy so I brought it back obviously very upset now I'm suing😤
Best Gamer75 I understand how this would upset you but suing? Seriously? Perhaps just talking it out would be better. If you do sue then she will very likely just hold a stronger grudge against atheists.
Why would a god care if you believed in it or not? It's not like you can effect it with non belief. For example it is not going to stop existing because you don't believe in its existence. We have no effect on a all powerful all good being so the act of damming people makes no sense to me.
Religion does not poison everything; our entire Western culture is entwined with religion and I'm not going to reject Western ideals.
Any philosophy or creed can become poisonous since they are all created and used by humans for different purposes. Religion isn't a thing; it is a system of thought, control, and structure.
Religion has done tremendous good for many people in their personal lives. People who have been able to change from self-destruction towards redemption and forgiveness, but unable to do it on their own.
Most humans, from my personal experience, do not seem to be self actualizing. Many of us need an outside influence to force us to act, even in our own best interest. For some, religion plays that role.
As an atheist, I don't want to live in a world where any group dictates to another group, the religious included. Saying that religion poisons everything is like saying politics poisons everything, or greed poisons everything. Attacking religion won't change religion; gentle persuasion is better.
As I see it, the only time I feel a need to push back at the religious is when they use force against me, usually through the use of government.
Just like the Bible says about the poor, religion is here to stay. We need to continue the historic drive to transform it into a benign institution. I'd say things are coming along nicely.
What was the name of the athiest lady Seth was talking about with the head of the American Athiest Association?
The film Agora is great. Shows how destructive religion is.
Well some people i met in my life really need religion to tell them not to do wrong stuff.... (
The finger through the ring is indeed a symbol, but not of any kind of eternal love. It's a pretty obvious and crude metaphor, really.
Ew! I didn't need to think about that.
What good has Religion done for society that a Secular society would not be able to achieve AT LEAST as good??
And IF there is something that Religion has done for society that a Secular society would NOT be able to do, would THAT EVER mitigate ALL the poisoning of society that Religion has caused!?!
Rip Christopher Hitchens
Another great show!
Didn't Hitchens answer this years ago already?
You're right. Since someone has addressed an issue, it shouldn't be discussed again.
That is some shady shade.