Some information needed (also, 1,000th post! W00T!)

[skull_bearer]

So, I was watching the Intelligance Squared debate on whether the Catholic church is a force for good, since I missed it when it was on TV. You can find the first part of the debate here. it was Hitchins and Stephen Fry vs Ann Widdicomb and some Nigerian Bishop whose names escapes me. Result under cut if you don't want to be spoilered: They got creamed.
Seriously, it got to the point where I was watching the audience audibly booing the pro-team, and I was wondering - Is this the best the Catholic church can do? Is this all they have available? The biggest religion in the world? Okay, I have never seen Hitchins lose an argument against a religious person, and Stephen Fry is... Stephen Fry. The man's pracitically a national treasure for pete's sake, but seriously? A guy whose English is not the best, and who clearly hasn't realised what a den of lions he's just walked into, and the most annoying woman in the world? Widdicomb's voice alone should have warned people against choosing her, she was patronising, shallow, and either lying of she has a very incorrect grasp of history. I can't stand bad history so it is just as well I wasn't in the audience or I would have come on stage and throttled her for saying that the SS required members to give up their Catholic faith to join. WTF? Oh, and saying the catholic church did everything they could to stop the Holocaust? WTFWTFWTF
I hate to say this, but the Bishop had no idea what he was on about. He wasn't as annoying as Widdicomb, but it was embarrasing to watch him make a compelte ass of himself. Apart from at the end. Watching a Nigerian rantinng about how the Catholic church is doing more than anyone else to stop AIDS in Africa and that condoms don't work just made me want to firebomb him. He lives in Nigeria, he doesn't even have the excuse of being ignorant.
Needless to say, Hitchins and Fry curb-stomped them to raucous applause and the final vote was such a landslide it wasn't even funny.

Does anyone know anything about this? What was the rational behind sending such a pair of inept fools? Okay, anyone's going to look an inept fool in front of Fry and Hitchins, all we needed was Dawkins to complete the bingo of atheist heavyweights, but surely the Catholic church could come up with someone better? Was this a set up? Did the Catholic church think 'Okay, they sent in two white guys, we'll send in a black guy and a woman to appeal to the liberals'? As fun as it was to watch, surely the most powerful church in the world can do better than this.
Right?

Comments

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Yeah, for sure; Il Papa Pio XII did SO much to stop the holocaust- like getting into bed with the Nazi/Fascist hierarchies........

Facepalm

[shadowvalkyrie.livejournal.com]

I don't know how much of the German abuse scandal made it across the Channel, but from the headlines over here, I wouldn't think right now would be a good moment for any sort of pro-Catholic TV debate, so it probably wasn't their own idea, their best bet being to stay out of the public eye as much as possible until this blows over.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

It got across big time and we have another scandal ongoing on the other side of the Irish Sea too. As you say- great timing, guys :o/

[skull-bearer.livejournal.com]

The debate was actually last November, before that pile of well-deserved shit hit the fan.

[totenkopf6.livejournal.com]

Just a point re the SS and Catholicism. The SS "pressured" all members to sever their church affiliation (Catholic and Protestant alike) and there was a kind of glass ceiling for those who still clung to it, but no, you did not HAVE TO stop being a Catholic/Protestant to join, they just made your life misery if you didn't.

[skull-bearer.livejournal.com]

I know, but the way she was putting it was that you HAD to.

[totenkopf6.livejournal.com]

I know you know, I thought it would be useful for your readers to know. :)

[deborahkla.livejournal.com]

In answer to your question...probably not. :-)

[foldingstar.livejournal.com]

Hey. Do you mind if I friend your journal?

[skull-bearer.livejournal.com]

Not at all, may I ask what faction of my ramblings interests you?

[foldingstar.livejournal.com]

It was this post and some of your other political ones. Also, I seemed to remember you from fictionalley. I just happened to be looking around LJ and came across your journal.