Product Description

The documentary COLLISION pits leading atheist, political journalist and author Christopher Hitchens (God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything) against fellow author and evangelical theologian Pastor Douglas Wilson on a debate tour arguing the topic “Is Religion Good For The World?”.  Lives and worldviews collide as Hitchens and Wilson wittily and passionately argue the timeless question, proving to be perfectly matched intellectual, philosophical, and cinematic rivals.  COLLISION is directed by prolific independent filmmaker Darren Doane (Van Morrison: To Be Born Again, The Battle For L.A., Godmoney). 

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1459 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-10-27
• Format: NTSC
• Running time: 90 minutes

Customer Reviews

Sharp. Intelligent. Insightful.
I was lucky to see an advance of 'Collision'. Hitchens is at his best and Wilson is his perfect foil. It was so refreshing to hear two intelligent, passionate and knowledgeable men able to have a meaningful debate/discourse without it degenerating to any disrespectful level - (especially in these current times).

The evolution of their debate and discourse is also quite interesting. It could just be good editing, but I believed these men listened to each other and were often challenged to not rely on their standard answers and thoughts. The debate increases in enjoyment because of it. It was also refreshing to see them often agree with one another, on completely different merits - (not fundamentally of course).

My level of respect has risen for both of them. Whatever your belief system, or lack thereof, this film will challenge some of your ideas. I highly recommend it.

A Collision of Lives
I saw a pre-screening of "Collision," and it was fantastic. Douglas Wilson and Christopher Hitchens don't beat around the bush. It's not your typical debate - both are calm, poised, witty, educated, and sharp. This is a film that people from both sides of the debate can enjoy.

You will quickly realize that this debate engages the surrounding culture and arguments of pathos and ethos, and not only the logical arrangements that have become characteristic of both atheists and Christians. As Wilson said, Christopher is a "public intellectual; the only intellectual that matters."

I highly recommend it! It makes a great gift too, and is a perfect conversation starter.

Provocative and Insightful: A great docudrama
Last week my wife and I were able to view the film Collision: Christopher Hitchens vs. Douglas Wilson. As expected, we found both Hitchens and Wilson to be witty and intelligent, even charming. The movie is put together well, giving the viewer the highlights of a series of debates that Hitchens and Wilson held over the last year immediately after co-publishing Is Christianity Good for the World?.

Somewhat surprisingly to me, Hitchens' main arguments are that religion is not necessary for morality (in fact, he says, it degrades it, as it is more commendable to love one's neighbor in the absence of divine instruction rather than because of God's commandment) and that the doctrine of vicarious substitution is perverse and wicked (because of the idea that one person, an innocent person, can bear the blame for another). As expected, Hitchens repeatedly mentions the Old Testament slaughtering of whole nation-states (men, women, and children).

Wilson presses hard on the lack of any basis for morality in Hitchens' atheistic worldview. His accusation is not that Hitchens is himself overtly immoral but that Hitchens has no basis for morality. Thus Hitchens, in strenuously claiming certainty, precisely about ethical matters, is borrowing Christian concepts while denying the Christian framework which validates those concepts.

All in all, a great film. Just a teaser: The interaction at the end is very interesting and surprising. Watch the movie, and then check out this 15-minute conversation that John Piper and Doug Wilson had about it.