Amidst other drivel in the British press today is Richard Dawkins’ and Christopher Hitchens’ effort underway to set up a legal ambush for Pope Benedict when he makes a state visit to England in September. Drawing a patently absurd comparison to Augusto Pinochet’s 1998 arrest in London, Dawkins and Hitchens no doubt took heart in United Nations jurist Geoffrey Robertson’s recent demand that Benedict be prosecuted under “universal jurisdiction” procedures similar to those deployed to indict Slobodan Milosevic for his crimes against humanity.
Perhaps these two unruly fellows— Ditchkins in the First Things stylebook—simply think the moniker “village atheist” insufficient. But more astonishing than their overwrought public tone is their total lack of self-awareness and tact. How is it possible these two born again religion abusers expect a hearing as disinterested parties in the fight, following nothing more than a thirst for justice? It doesn’t require an iota of cynicism to see that the motivation in play is the sheer thrill of putting a pope in shackles, and that the Ditchkins monstrosity cares more about the trial than about the children. Sometimes atheism poisons everything.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
