-- PARAPHRASING Mr. Hitchens' argument:
Humans have been around for at least 100,000 years. They were born and they died, living not much more than 25 years. Dying of their teeth, appendix, terrible diseases, misery, malnutrition and fear, earthquakes, human-sacrifice - struggling to make progress.
You have to believe this if you believe in mono-theism: For the first 97-98 thousand years, Heaven watches with indifference. 3,000 years ago at the most, it is decided that heaven must intervene now, but the revelation must be made to the most backward, barbaric, illiterate, superstitious and savage people in the most stony part of the world.
Not in China where they could already read. Not in the Indus valley.
Force them to cut their way through all the neighbours with slaughter, genocide and racism and settle in the only part of the middle east where there is no oil.
And without this we wouldn't know right from wrong!
Historically and Anthropologically speaking: Complete and Utter Rubbish.
