Now That’s More Like It

February 23, 2008 – 8:45 pm

I yesterday’s post I linked to a video of a debate between Conservative Rabbi David Wolpe and atheist author Sam Harris, and said that it looked to be of a very different quality than the wincingly lopsided encounter between Christopher Hitchens and Shmuley Boteach. Well, now I’ve had a chance to watch the whole thing, and indeed it was on quite another level. David Wolpe is highly intelligent, educated, articulate, and charming — in short, everything that Boteach manifestly is not — and his conversation with Harris was as civil as it was engrossing. I recommend it to you all, and may comment on it myself shortly. You can find it here.

Posted by Malcolm on at 8:45 pm, filed under Religion. RSS feed for this post. Trackbacks are closed, but you can post a comment.

6 Comments

  1. Charles says

    I actually watched that video of Hitchens and Boteach yesterday. It caused me physical pain.

    When I have sufficiently recovered, I’ll try to watch this one.

    Posted February 24, 2008 at 12:13 am | Permalink
  2. Malcolm says

    Hi Charles,

    Yes, that was excruciating. This is something else altogether.

    I’ve been on quite a video-watching jag the past few days. There’s more, stay tuned. But by all means watch Harris-Wolpe, and tell your friends.

    Posted February 24, 2008 at 12:48 am | Permalink
  3. bighominid says

    Good Lord! The Wolpe/Harris debate is like watching Armand Assante debating Ben Stiller! I had no idea that Harris was so young.

    Kevin

    Posted February 24, 2008 at 7:54 am | Permalink
  4. Malcolm says

    Yes, he’s only about 40. Wolpe’s about ten years older.

    Rather a different experience from Boteach/Hitchens, no?

    Posted February 24, 2008 at 1:18 pm | Permalink
  5. bighominid says

    I didn’t watch the Boteach/Hitchens debate, and based on your and Charles’s reactions, I’m not sure I want to.

    Kevin

    Posted February 24, 2008 at 10:34 pm | Permalink
  6. Malcolm says

    Well, Hitchens was in top form, which is always enjoyable. But it was hard to watch Boteach, who should never have been there in the first place.

    Posted February 24, 2008 at 11:01 pm | Permalink

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