Monday, February 8, 2010

Hitchens and Fry vs. Ann Widdecombe on The Ten Commandments


February 7, 2010 on Channel 4 from the documentary series "The Bible: A History"
UPDATE: Video blocked in Guernsey, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, United Kingdom - Download link

26 comments:

  1. Oh my god, that woman is annoying! And stupid.

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  2. That voice... that VOICE.... O_O

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  3. I think Hitchens left because he wanted to smack her... I don't blame him!

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  4. Fry gets rather riled up as well. There's something incredibly grating and annoying abot this woman, besides her voice.

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  5. "Honor thy father and thy mother"

    Someone should ask this pious old trout if this extends to parents of jihadists?  

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  6. Why so imprecise?  She asks questions not expecting rational answers, and refuses to listen to the answers provided.  She insists that she's on the moral high ground because she likes servitude - and thus, not being personally responsible.  How was Fry preaching?  Is "speeching" even a word?  She's an ignorant old biddy.

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  7. ROFL, she sounds like a Monty Python character!

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  8. Hah hah. I thought for a second that it was. I'm surprised he just left like that. She's hardly very competent at selling her religion..

    Hitchens has done a speech on the 10 commandments. Listen to it if you haven't already:
    http://lifewithoutfaith.com/?p=1593

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  9. Her argument is no different than looking at Nazi ideology and saying "They advocated family values! They helped rebuild the nation from a depression!" There's always going to be SOME kind of moral law or code in a world view/religion because they are developed by humans who needed them to survive.

    What needs to be done is looking at the bigger picture. Hitler and his Nazis also killed millions of innocent lives, as did god and his jews in the biblical account. There's no difference between the two in that respect.

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  10. That would be the Christian way. We atheist are much more civilized. ;)  

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  11. Someone should play George Carlin's clip of the "10 commandments"

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  12. This is weapongrade rage material.

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  13. I'm amazed Fry and Hitchens even dignified her with an interview. She can't get over that she lost the Intelligence2 debate compehensively. And she was demolished AGAIN by Fry.

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  14. She is exactly the way I imagine Bertie Woosters Aunt Agatha!

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  15. how she never got married is beyond me?  Other than having the most gratting voice and general battleaxe disposition, and in ability to understand that strong views about something doesnt make it right or even the least bit intelligent....oh that might be it there huh.

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  16. The biggest problem with the discourse she had with Fry and Hitchens was that while they don't disagree with the principles of the "good commandments" (don't lie, murder, honour your parents) she hasn't made an account for why we need God to come to these ideas.

    Are these "moral truths" from God moral because they're from God or did God have his own reasons for taking such positions (to promote a mutually beneficial and cooperative society)?

    Surely, if God had good reasons for these morals then we can consider these reasons themself - why do we need God to be moral?

    If they are just moral because God says so, well, I guess you have just given away the free will Christians so adore since your morality is merely the parroting and imitation of another's without any thought or reason for it.

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  17. Those in the UK can watch the whole program on youtube/4od:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axG56JrpyVg

    http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-bible-a-history/4od/player/3031139

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  18. Of course, thats if you really want to listen to an entire 50mins of the lovely Ann.....

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  19. Thanks for the link, 1984! By the way, Widdecombe's voice becomes bearable if you imagine her as McGonagall awarding 10 points to Gryffindor in the Harry Potter movies.

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  20. Well, as I said, that's why he left! :)

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  21. Whoever thought it would be a good idea of having Ann Widdecombe narrate something should be shot. twice.

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  22. brain on fire

    Hitchens and Fry are excellent in this. I'd listen to them talk about anything they wanted for any amount of time.

    As for what's wrong with the Ten Commandments specifically, just to name one, 'Honor thy father and thy mother.' Honor, respect, love, any analog or interpretation one chooses should be earned, not commanded. 'Respect them because I tell you to,' is the hollowest, most trannical thing that has ever been said. That people believe it's divinely inspired or part of a moral code is simultaneous laughable and depressing.

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  23. I thought it was a comedy because that voice. O.O
    And my english is not that well... Why Hitchens walk way and talking at the same time???

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  24. What's this show called? I would like to see the whole thing (but I'm not in the UK).

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  25. Hi Claudio
    <p><span><span>Because talking and walking away  (against all logics)  was his response to her ideas rather than grabbing a chair and smashing it on her head ( in total accordance with the common logics).</span></span>
    </p><p><span><span>His walking away from her proves that Mr. Hitchens is NOT a man of logics and as such shalt NOT commit the discussions with the likes of Ms. <span>Widdecombe.</span></span></span>
    </p><p><span><span><span>Also: Ms.</span></span><span><span> </span></span><span><span>Widdecombe didn't lose the debate with the Hitchens/Fry team.</span></span></span>
    </p><p><span><span><span>Ms.</span></span><span><span> </span></span><span><span>Widdecombe NEVER loses ANY debate… NEVER. That is the secret that keeps her alive, well and kicking.</span></span></span>
    </p><p><span><span><span> </span></span></span>
    </p><p><span><span><span>Ave</span></span></span>
    </p><p><span><span><span>………………….</span></span></span><span></span>
    </p>

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  26. <span><span>
    <p><span><span><span>How she never got married is beyond me?  </span></span></span>
    </p><p><span><span><span></span></span></span>
    </p><p><span><span><span>Well..</span></span><span><span> </span><span><span>Ms. Widdecombe is a woman of the high moral standards ( quite obviously) and she knows perfectly well that marriage could lead ( in some rare cases) to an undesirable body contact between two individuals and yet NOT to produce another, god fearing humanoid.</span></span></span></span>
    </p><p><span><span><span>The only exception from this rule might be a body of the 50 years old man in the black dress and <span> </span>the 9 years old boy in the shorts. Since </span></span><span><span><span>Ms.</span></span><span><span> </span></span><span><span>Widdecombe does not possesses any of these physical qualities it is only rational to abstain from the marriage sacred institution and to devote her organism to emit some screechy sounds from the various parts of herself.</span></span></span></span>
    </p><p><span><span><span>Yes… The life has its purpose !</span></span></span><span></span>
    </p><p> 
    </p></span></span>
    <p> </p>

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