Action Quote by Christopher Hitchens
![“In the aftermath of the recent wave action in the Indian Ocean, even the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williamson [sic], proved himself a latter-day Voltairean by whimpering that he could see how this might shake belief in a friendly creator. Williamson is of course a notorious fool, who…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eb3/christopher-hitchens-117_action_in-the-aftermath-of-the-recent-wave-acti_2727358.jpg)
“In the aftermath of the recent wave action in the Indian Ocean, even the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williamson [sic], proved himself a latter-day Voltairean by whimpering that he could see how this might shake belief in a friendly creator. Williamson is of course a notorious fool, who does an almost perfect imitation of a bleating and frightened sheep, but even so, one is forced to rub one's eyes in astonishment. Is it possible that a grown man could live so long and still have his personal composure, not to mention his lifetime job description, upset by a large ripple of seawater?”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public Lecture, Christopher Hitchens, 2005
A prominent figure’s weak reaction to disaster reveals how easily belief can be shaken.
In simple terms: Even leaders can be rattled by big events.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions when faced with crisis.
Themes
faith
skepticism
authority
disaster
belief
Mood
skeptical
critical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- natural disasters
- public statements
- religious debates
- media coverage
Key Concepts
theology
psychology
social influence
Questions to Reflect On
- Does crisis always erode faith?
- How should leaders respond to tragedy?
A Different Perspective
The anecdote may be biased, limiting its generalizability.
![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
![“[Religion] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we would not know an evil, wicked act from a decent human act without divine permission, without divine authority or without, even worse, either the fear of a…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab6/christopher-hitchens-117_action_religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integ_23299.jpg)
