Note to DTD and Portnoy311...

I apologize if I contributed to the Hitchens thread being locked; I don't agree there is any "double standard" and was enjoying what I thought was meaningful, even debate (independent of any one issue).
 
On the off chance that our conversation wasn't the reason the thread was locked (and knowing that if it was any record of this will swiftly be taken down), I would offer to continue the general, philsophical part of the discussion, again independent of any one issue.

I wasn't attacking Hitchens, I was making an observation on human nature more than anything, and the Hitchens thread provided the opportunity to make that observation (thus answering your question, DTD, as to why I chose that time and place to make the point).  Falwell may be a bad counter; I don't necessarily think he is open to an honest debate, though there are theological leaders that are. 
 
I guess my position boils down to this: you said something like "I trust that Hitch's readers were aware that he was just one man, and that his ideas should be taken with a grain of salt."  I don't have that trust.  I see too often where that basic assumption (which is how I live my life, and clearly you do yours) gets lost.  I remember not too long ago, it was the night of the US Presidential election, and history was made, one woman here in Philly was interviewed and all she wanted to know was where she had to go to "get her free gasoline".  She honestly believed that because Obama was elected, all gasoline would now be free.  That gives me little faith in the populace to see that they are still required to put in the intellectual work. 
 
I don't dismiss or discount all philosphers, but yeah, I think this does apply to all philosophers.  I do think the point remains:  you can't pick and choose the parts you like.  Freud is so much more than "the ego and the id", and Nietzsche is so much more than the "ubermencsch".  Look at what happened in Europe circa 1933-1945 or so when someone - a very powerful, very influential (if not psychotic) leader -  didn't put in the intellectual work on the concept of the "overman". 
 
I mean no disrespect to Hitchens; I rather hope he'd approve of this discussion.

Stadler, I don't think you had anything to do with the thread being locked.  I thought it was a great, civil discussion until someone got their panties in a wad.