Although he was a little harsh for me to be in complete agreement with him, Christopher Hitchens said some very good things.
Quote"Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the 'transcendent' and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don't be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses. Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you."
The appeal against the transcendent and the part about the experts as mammals I agree with a lot, however, I am rather fond of compassion and not often up for an argument - but it's hard to deny the clarity and direct nature of the statement.
Quote"Literature, not scripture, sustains the mind and - since there is no other metaphor - also the soul."
I wholeheartedly agree with this, except that I think scripture is also literature.
