| | But religion was perhaps most present in the memorial’s language. The readers spoke of spirit, transcendence, soul. These words are from faith. Their meaning is bound up with biblical poetry. Hitch’s great argument was that we must strive to see the sometimes hidden moral evil in those poems, going beyond them, to a beauty that lives much deeper. There, religion’s barbaric legacy can be stamped out so that love might flourish. Perfect execution of this may be impossible. (For Hitch, that fact necessitated “contempt for our own weakness.”) But like Robin Hood, we can steal faith’s gold, its unique terminology for some of the most mysterious human aspects.<ref>[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-spirituality-of-hitchs-atheist-funeral/article4103156/ The spirituality of Hitch's atheist funeral] by AIDAN JOHNSON, Globe and Mail</ref>}} | | But religion was perhaps most present in the memorial’s language. The readers spoke of spirit, transcendence, soul. These words are from faith. Their meaning is bound up with biblical poetry. Hitch’s great argument was that we must strive to see the sometimes hidden moral evil in those poems, going beyond them, to a beauty that lives much deeper. There, religion’s barbaric legacy can be stamped out so that love might flourish. Perfect execution of this may be impossible. (For Hitch, that fact necessitated “contempt for our own weakness.”) But like Robin Hood, we can steal faith’s gold, its unique terminology for some of the most mysterious human aspects.<ref>[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-spirituality-of-hitchs-atheist-funeral/article4103156/ The spirituality of Hitch's atheist funeral] by AIDAN JOHNSON, Globe and Mail</ref>}} |
| | The atheist [[Mad]], founder of the [[American Atheists]], had a public relations controversy when one of her supporters suggested that an atheist funeral was a contradiction. The supporter said it was best to throw the body in a hole and move on.<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unreasonablefaith/2012/05/atheist-funerals/ Atheist funerals]</ref> | | The atheist [[Mad]], founder of the [[American Atheists]], had a public relations controversy when one of her supporters suggested that an atheist funeral was a contradiction. The supporter said it was best to throw the body in a hole and move on.<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unreasonablefaith/2012/05/atheist-funerals/ Atheist funerals]</ref> |