The usual throng of eager fans milled around excitedly outside the
venue, each hoping for a chance to score a last minute ticket to the
show. These expectant citizens ranged from the stalwartly straight
laced, to the mentally unhinged. I myself did not have a ticket
either, but after my diligence in showing up two hours early I managed
to procure a space on the stand-by list, which was closer than these
people would get to the event. But that didn't mean I was in. I camped
out nearby to people-watch and wait to see if my stand-by number was
called.
As I waited it appeared that the show was indeed sold out and the
prospects for the stand-by people were less than great. Beginning to
panic, I spied a middle aged man who was in the process of trying to
sell an extra ticket to some hipster/slacker type. The neo-bohemian
was fumbling around for his money when I approached. "How much for
that ticket sir"? I inquired.
I could tell he felt awkward as he was obviously trying to be
honorable and give the boy a chance to buy it at face value. I smelled
blood in the water. "I'll double the price" I said. This man was no
fool and he asked hipster-boy if he could match it. Alas, he could
not. Suddenly, a woman appeared and entered our circle. "I'll give you
thirty" she exclaimed. Now this middle-aged man, who was simply trying
to get rid of an extra ticket and go inside and enjoy himself , was in
the cross-hairs of two wide eyed fans doing battle at his feet. "I'll
give you forty" I said. The man hedged a bit, and before the woman
could counter, I put two twenty dollar bills in front of his face, and
with a little Brooklyn bravado uttered "40 bucks, right now brother,
let's do this". That was enough. I got the ticket. I was in baby!
Sounds like a rock concert doesn't it? It wasn't. I was not trying to
weasel my way into Madison Square Garden for a sporting event, nor was
I downtown finagling my way into some indie-rock show. I was here
utilizing my street smart acumen for..ahem...A debate. That's right, a
debate. Specifically, the debate between Reverend Al Sharpton and
Christopher Hitchens dubbed "Is God Great"?. The Genesis, forgive
me, of this debate was brought upon by the publication of Christopher
Hitchens' new tome "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons
Everything". And Sharpton, obviously, was here to rebuff Hitchens.
As I found my way to my seat I noticed a great deal of press, several
film crews and a group of photographers that could only be described
as paparazzi. With the stage lighting and music blaring through the
speakers, the scene was reminiscent of a fashion show. I half expected
the two debaters to sashay down a catwalk, espousing their rhetoric to
the thumping beat of club music. I nestled into my seat and eyed the
crowd with surprise. They were mostly young, attractive, and educated.
I hated them immediately. But I'll take that up with my therapist at a
later day.
The debate began with the moderator, I believe he was the editor of a
popular online magazine, introducing the guests of honor. In his intro
of Hitchens he mentions how the author went to Italy to formally speak
against the canonization of Mother Theresa. "...the old bitch got it
anyway..." was Hitchens' mumbled response to bursts of laughter. The
battle lines were drawn very clear, very early.
After each speaker was given their ten minute introductory statements,
they were off. And well, it was a bit of an anti-climax. Hitchens
re-spouted what he has been saying at other such debates and on any
television show that will have him; religion is poisoning our world
and is responsible for all of it's troubles. Sharpton, for the most
part didn't really refute this. I should rephrase that; the REVEREND
Al Sharpton did not have any interest in debating whether religion is
a negative force in our civilization. I was confused as well. What
Sharpton insisted on arguing was the literal idea that "God Is Not
Great".
The Reverend would not debate anything else and seemed annoyed
that no one understood this.
For his own part, Hitchens stayed on track with the books' thesis
statement that religion was poisoning everything in our society. It's
a very difficult idea to disagree with when presented with the
evidence which the book does in exhaustive detail. From Abraham
willing to sacrifice his only son, to parents urging their children to
strap explosives to themselves, to our own Country's inability to
separate church and state, it's difficult to see what modern religion
does that is at all positive. Perhaps this was why Sharpton chose to
defend God, but not religion. After all, God is wonderful, it's us
pesky humans that misinterpret Him yes? Well, I don't believe so, and
I don't think Sharpton does either. Sharpton seemed to me to be a
clearly outmatched political dinosaur facing the intellectual impact
crater of the truth. As debates go, it was not Nixon/Frost. What no
one realized at the time was the fallout of one of Sharpton's
statements during the debate was going to wreak. Was it an epiphany
about religion's place in the world? Was it a call for accounting of
religious leadership? Of course not. That would have been too
important.
No, Sharpton managed to offend Presidential hopeful Mitt
Romney, a Mormon, by suggesting that Mormons were not really
Christians. There followed days of televised interviews with both
Sharpton and Hitchens discussing the "controversy". Eventually the
debate downshifted into
dueling sound-bytes. Sharpton, perhaps realizing the only way to
defeat this intellectual gladiator was to "win the crowd", began to
throw out carefully placed zingers to entertain the audience. His
highlight occurred when Hitchens railed against the idea that our
taxes provide the military with religious representation i.e.,
Chaplains and such. Sharpton's response: "We're spending billions of
dollars on meaningless wars and you're worried about paying for
Chaplains?".
This got loud applause from the audience and typified the
whole day for me: more posturing than debating. Hitchens's highlight
came simply and curtly; during the Q&A, a man stood at the podium and
went on a pedantic rant and ended with a question that no one quite
understood. Hitchens' response: "Ha...what an incredibly stupid
question...". Again, more entertainment, not so much substance.
In the end, the event instilled me with a desire to attend more like
them. However you come down on the issue of faith and religion, it
cannot be denied that these two ideals are shaping our civilization,
and galvanizing much of the human race. We need to keep the dialogue
going.
