Christopher Hitchens is the acclaimed author, journalist, and long-time Contributing Editor for VANITY FAIR, who widely regarded as one of the most important public intellectuals in the world. He is also one of the top three mentors in my life with regards to literature, politics, society, religion, the arts, etc., and having successfully de-programmed myself from the immorality and irrationality of my evangelical upbringing, almost every word Christopher speaks about the dangers of organized religion rings true as far as I’m concerned. The only ground where we disagree resides in the spiritual dimension (i.e. Christopher Hitchens doesn’t have one).
My greatest spiritual mentor is Eckhart Tolle, but the territory that Hitchens and Tolle share is the most fascinating topic I have ever come to know. Eckhart Tolle and Christopher Hitchens both agree that the dogma that is hardwired into the genetics of organized religion is one of the most destructive forces in our world today. I strongly believe that Jesus Christ walked the earth, and I agree with Tolle that Jesus’ message was not that heaven is a patch of divine real estate in the sky — it is enlightenment. Unfortunately, over two thousand years this message has been compromised by greed, power, and unparalleled misunderstanding. Our duty on this earth is to discover, nurture, and experience love as deeply as possible with the end goal being enlightenment — the most noble of all goals. Religious dogma has a very stunting effect on this journey and anyone who believes otherwise is in for an awfully terrible anticlimactic disappointment when they move on into the Great White Light. Sam Harris, one of my other top three mentors, just posted this famous speech of Christopher Hitchens on his Facebook page today, and every time I listen to it it reminds me of both Eckhart’s and Christopher’s important message: that religious dogma is something we must always be on guard for because the competition between contrasting dogmas is the greatest threat to civilization we know.
Take a listen for yourself, but be forewarned: if you’re Catholic, you’re not going to enjoy the following video. For all FEELguide posts related to Christopher Hitchens CLICK HERE. For all FEELguide posts related to Sam Harris CLICK HERE.
SEE ALSO: Listen To Eckhart Tolle’s Inspiring Thoughts On The Expansion Of Spirituality And The Implosion Of Dogmatic Religions
SEE ALSO: Christopher Hitchens’ Revised Ten Commandments For VANITY FAIR
