Quote by Christopher Hitchens
What struck me, in reading the reports from Sri Lanka, was the mild disgrace of belonging to our imperfectly evolved species in the first place. People who had just seen their neighbors swept away would tell the reporters that they knew a judgment had been coming, because the Christians had used alcohol and meat at Christmas or because ... well, yet again you can fill in the blanks for yourself. It was interesting, though, to notice that the Buddhists were often the worst. Contentedly patting an image of the chubby lord on her fencepost, a woman told the that those who were not similarly protected had been erased, while her house was still standing. There were enough such comments, almost identically phrased, to make it seem certain that the Buddhist authorities had been promulgating this consoling and insane and nasty view. That would not surprise me.
Summary
The quote expresses the author's reaction to the reports from Sri Lanka in the aftermath of a disaster. The author finds it disgraceful that despite the devastating loss and destruction, some people attribute the disaster to religious judgments, such as Christians' perceived wrongdoing during Christmas. The author also notes that even Buddhists, who are typically associated with peace and compassion, expressed a similar judgmental view. This suggests that the Buddhist authorities may have been promoting this harmful perspective, which the author finds both insane and nasty. The quote highlights the irrationality and damaging nature of such beliefs held by certain individuals and religious authorities.
Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.
Random Quotations
