John Locke influenced the modern world in many ways, including the formation of the principles behind the USA. Here are some of his words that maybe should be read out loud before the upcoming debate between the Atheist Christopher Hitchens and Intelligent Design proponent Jay Richards.
These words are from Locke's "Essay on Human Undrstanding", Book IV, chap.xvi, sec. 4.
"We should do well to commiserate our mutual ignorance, and endeavour to remove it in all the gentle and fair ways of information, and not treat others ill as obstinant and perverse because they will not renounce their own and receive our opinions, or at least those we would force upon them, when it is more than probable that we are no less obstinant in embracing some of theirs. For where is the man that has uncontestable evidence of the truth of all that he holds, or of the falsehood of all that he condemns; or can say, that he has examined to the bottom all his own and other men's opinions? The necessity of believing without knowledge, nay often upon very slight grounds, in this fleeting state of action and blindness we are in, should make us more busy and careful to inform ourselves than to restrain others... There is reason to think, that if men were better informed themselves, they would be less imposing on others."
Hitchens has shown himself to be physically violent in drunken pursuit of his anti-Christian beliefs. He is not a scientist, nor even a philosopher; he is a purveyor of hate. For proponents of ID, (which so far cannot be classified as a science for the same reasons as evolution cannot - it is abductive only), the gap between the frothing obscenities of Hitchens and the attempt to legitimatize speculative conclusions is so wide as not to be even on the same subject. So the information flow will likely zip right past each contestant without connecting in the least aspect. Such chaotic circumstances are not likely to produce any more new information from either side. The true innovation here would be the tolerance of each other recommended by Locke.
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