Christopher Hitchens has died, but will live on...
Offline Christopher Hitchens passed away tonight. He will be missed. We will remember him for what he accomplished, he knew this going in to tonight. He knew that he would live on through his work, and that there doesn't need to be a heaven or hell to live on past death. We will be recommending his books for many many years to come, and remembering how much he taught us.
Please post any links to anything Hitch. Say whatever is on your mind, this is the official thread to remember Hitch on RRS.
Christopher Hitchens, the author, essayist and polemicist who waged verbal and occasional physical battle on behalf of causes left and right and wrote the provocative best-seller “God is Not Great,” died Thursday night after a long battle with cancer. He was 62.
Hitchens death was announced in a statement from Vanity Fair magazine. The statement says he died Thursday night at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston of pneumonia, a complication of his esophageal cancer.[1]
Christopher Hitchens had a friendly relationship with an Evangelical and he wrote about their relationship (thanks ktulu)
When he was asked what he thought of me, a Christian, and an evangelical at that, Hitch replied: “If everyone in the United States had the same qualities of loyalty and care and concern for others that Larry Taunton had, we'd be living in a much better society than we do.”
Christopher Hitchens last article in Vanity Fair (Jan, 2012) takes on Nietzsche and mortality.
“Do I fear death? No, I am not afraid of being dead because there's nothing to be afraid of, I won't know it. I fear dying, of dying I feel a sense of waste about it and I fear a sordid death, where I am incapacitated or imbecilic at the end which isn't something to be afraid of, it's something to be terrified of.”
― Christopher Hitchens
Watch this video, it'll remind you how hard hitting Hitch was on religion. Try to embrace a little Hitch when you speak out.
Someone said we should coin "Christophermas."
Buy a Christopher Hitchens book as a Christophermas (or Hitchmas if you prefer) gift for someone today. He will live on.
Photo: Jason Torpy
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Man, this shit is really depressing. FUCK...
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/christopher-hitchens-dies-62-051006229.html
You know, George Carlin will always be my idol and can never be replaced, but I considered Hitchens a more brash, "fuck all" replacement worthy enough and now he's dead.
I really don't have anything else to say. What a horrible way to end the day...
Funny, his BBC obituary doesn't even mention atheism. I guess though he's more well known to most folks as a columnist and political writer.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
...not least because Christopher had no problem with a Merry Christmas, and kept the good of sharing, of joy, and of celebrating each other. He celebrated life, and only rejected the unreason of the Christian death cult.
My shopping was done, but the "We'll take it from here, Hitch" picture prompted me to buy one more symbolic gift from the Amazon tree to support the new server: a set of Matrioshka measuring cups, which seemed appropriate given the layers upon layers of intellectual gifts Christopher Hitchens gave to me. (Plus a wee nod to his Marxist days!)
In a less happy apprpriateness, I got the last one... We won't see his like again soon, I fear.
This is very sad news. A brilliant man was lost today. I just finished reading his memoir a few months ago and I feel as if I got to know the man even more than I had from merely watching his various media appearances, debates and lectures. Christopher Hitchens was one of my intellectual heroes. A fierce debater and bold wordsmith who will be remembered for both his bold stances on many issues and his unabashed defense of them, and for the elegant and deliberate prose with which he used to dazzle his critics and fans alike. I will always remember him as a man who challenged me to think and, perhaps more importantly, to not be timid in challenging others to do the same. I don’t drink, but my wife and I will have a glass in his honor. Cheers, Christopher Hitchens, your time here was well spent. You will be missed.
Jesus loves you... sexually. You can buy my album for only $12 here: www.myspace.com/syqnys
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16212418
He's dead, Jim. It has to happen to all of us I suppose, but it's a shame he wasn't around longer to keep writing. I hope the next generation of atheist leaders gives us some folks as sharp, visible and prolific as him.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
Wow....R.I.P. I am thoroughly bummed. *sighs*
---George Carlin---
I still remember when I met him at the 07 convention. It was at the hotel outside patio. I had bought a Darwin license plate and asked for his autograph on it, but suddenly realized I didn't have anything on me. He looked at me like "You dumbass"... He certainly loved life from what I saw the two days there. And even after finding out he had cancer, he didn't cave in to superstition.
He's one of the blocks of intellectual courage that has made me unafraid of challenge god belief. I always loved to here hm in debates and interviews when a theist would say "We allow you" and he'd respond "I don't need your permission".
I only hope that I am that brave if I get something like that.
You will be missed. Raises glass of Vodka and barbecue kitten.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
oh how sad. I feel like a close family member just died. I read the Vanity article yesterday and felt so bad for him. His suffering was painful to read. For him I am glad that is now over.
The story of what Jesus did on the cross always had a spell on me. The ultimate sacrifice which of course I couldn't live up to but somehow must, certainly guilted me into feeling bad about myself. But Hitchens drew back the curtain on that fable showing me how utterly ridiculous and immoral it is. I am so grateful to him for that.
## edit. Just want to add that if you take away Jesus on the cross, there is nothing left to Christianity, everything else was plagarized. That is why it was so important to me. Hitch couldn't have given me a better gift.
God is not great, but Hitchens was.
Religion poisons everything...best quote ever.
Religion Kills !!!
Numbers 31:17-18 - Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
http://jesus-needs-money.blogspot.com/
Here is a an article from Aljazeera. Atheism is having a huge impact world wide and if anyone could bitch slap the Arab world and get their media exposed to an Age of Enlightenment Hitchens most certainly did that.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2011/12/201112169397371919.html
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
How unfortunate.
I don't really have much to say beyond that. I was never particularly interested in following famous atheists. I figure they're doing their thing and I'm doing mine. I was an atheist long before I heard about other atheists, and never needed support in my lack of belief, so I don't go reading atheist books or watching debates. So I don't know all that much about him.
But from what I do know, he had the same view of death as I, and shared many of my values. So the best thing to do is remember him and his work, and continue the fight.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Today I was awoken with such sad news. I have lost a hero today. It makes me want to cry because we all have lost an amazing man; a man that even though many of us did not know or meet, still felt like a friend. Christopher Hitchens along with Professor Dawkins and Sam Harris all have given me the courage to find my voice. It's hard for me as an atheist to know that he is dead, because this is it. But I am encouraged that I know his legacy will never die, because we won't allow it. It is up to all of us to keep his legacy strong and his voice heard by generations to come. Goodbye Christopher Hitchens.
I took care of the double post but accidentally deleted a post from Louis Cypher. Louis, my apologies, please post again.
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What can I say? I can't think of any writer who has influenced my personal style more. We have lost an intellectual giant. He will be missed, but never forgotten.
LC >;-}>
Christianity: A disgusting middle eastern blood cult, based in human sacrifice, with sacraments of cannibalism and vampirism, whose highest icon is of a near naked man hanging in torment from a device of torture.
The worst part is knowing that I won't get to read or listen to any more of his rhetoric other than what he has already done. He was opinionated, entertaining well written and well spoken. I guess it really is up to the rest of us now.
Faith is the word but next to that snugged up closely "lie's" the want.
"By simple common sense I don't believe in god, in none."-Charlie Chaplin
I don't think any human needs to be worshiped and I don't think Hitchens would want that either. AND we are even as atheists still individuals. And I am sure he would say that too.
However, if there were no famous atheists, to say they were atheists, it would be harder for us. But it is because people, even not famous atheists, who DO speak out others can look at that and say, I need to speak out too. In that sense Hitchens has been hugely important. He is in part why I am not afraid to use my fangs on deity claims.
He had a very Jeffersonian approach to other's claims. He wouldn't hate someone for making a claim even if he hated the claim itself. He has inspired lots of people to be brave in questioning religion AND politics. That is valuable in maintaining a civil and free society, even for theists. He has done lots, not just for atheists but for humanity as well.
Now, having said that, it took far more under him, and before him, to put him in the spot he got to to sell his books he did and the support of his readers to allow him to be a voice for atheists.
You do not have to be a famous atheist to advance our movement. You only have to raise your voice, in any form you can. Here, or at theist sites, or in public protest, or in news media websites, or to politicians. It does work. Hitchens was a big figure and an important one, but not the only one and there will be far more who go unnoticed who will have an impact too.
Hitchens touched me personally because of his fearlessness in debate. Even before I became an atheist, when I was a kid I was constantly intimidated by challenging people's claims and defending myself. He wasn't the only one who gave me the inspiration to grow a pairl "intellectually", but he most certainly was the biggest pair at his level that gave me inspiration to do what Jefferson said "Question with boldness".
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
Well Luis, we don't want him to be forgotten, but the reality you well know is that in 20 billion years no human today will be remembered, poor or rich, believer or atheist. Macbeth act 5 scene 5.
But we can keep his memory alive as long as we are alive and that I most certainly intend to do as long as I live.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
As long as we realize "worship" and "appreciation" are two different things everything should be fine.
Faith is the word but next to that snugged up closely "lie's" the want.
"By simple common sense I don't believe in god, in none."-Charlie Chaplin
I wasn't intending to imply there was anything wrong with being famous. I am merely unimpressed by celebrity status.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Was it a religious nut named Newton who said; I succed because I stand on the shoulders of giants. For us atheists one set of giant shoulders we stand on Is Christopher Hitchens, he showed us we did not have to be polite in the face of religious dogma that we could call the rediculous to account for its organized stupidity and we should never give defference to the absurd. NEVER!!!
Thank you for teaching us Christopher!!! [He never accepted being called Chris] Now we can and will carry on with your writtings and videos.
James E. F. Frederick
Jeffrick
"Very funny Scotty; now beam down our clothes."
VEGETARIAN: Ancient Hindu word for "lousy hunter"
If man was formed from dirt, why is there still dirt?
He's bashing God with the angels now.
I know you didn't. The clarification was more for readers. I should know, I used to get star struck needlessly when I was younger. It wasn't until I got insulted by someone I worshiped like a God. Pat Benatar makes great music, but I didn't see her as a mere human until she told me to sit down in front of 20 thousand people. I thought that was rude considering it was fucking rock concert. That was the moment the "school girl throwing her panties at Elvis" attitude left me and I started seeing everyone, even the famous as merely humans.
And it is one of the biggest gripes I have about politicians, political parties and religious leaders. Once you realize EVERYONE shits and pisses and will die, you can appreciate people without blindness to them, nor do you worship them.
I actually should thank her for doing that to me. Not because she was right, I thought she was being a bitch. And on top of that concentration at that level should be part of the job description so what I was doing shouldn't have distracted her. If I had been that disruptive in reality that is what security was for. I was merely dancing enjoying the music. I haven't nor will I ever buy one of her albums again.
I think what Dawkins does is great for evolution, biology, science and atheists, but I would not want to hang out with him. When I met him he came accross as snooty and elitist. I met far more personable people at that convention and found some of the speakers far more personable and down to earth.
Downey was fun to work with. Dennet laughed at me when I didn't recognize him, but was laughing because he thought it was funny, not because he thought I was an idiot for not recognizing him. Some people just aren't pretentious no mater how famous the get, and then there are some people who are not famous who think they are hot shit just because of class or title.
In the end we are all the same and none of us are special.
Bottom line, Hitchens contributed not only to atheists, but to humanity as well. But he was no different than the people who wont be famous who do the same types of things, even at a smaller scale. He had his flaws most certainly, but we all do and none of us are special.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
If there was a god Hitchens would certainly be the person to make such a prick of a being ashamed of what they set up and allowed.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
I'd put it the other way around. He stood on the history of atheists prior and the shoulders of the movement that exploded in 01 by a majority of people who will never reach his hights. I do thank him for climbing up there but it took far more people under him and prior to him that gave him those shoulders to stand on.
He was around before the begining of this most recent movement after 9/11, but because of sites like Atheist Network, Infidel guy, Internet Infidels, Rational Responders and all the people who post there and bought his books, he may have done fine, because he wrote about lots of issues in Vanity Fair, but without prior people and without people buying his books, he wouldn't have gotten that high(at least as an atheist activist)
There always are more people in a movement, any movement, than the people who reach the top of that movement. He worked for it certainly, but he had to have people prior and people to support him to get where he got.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
I'm so very sad about this. We've lost an incredible person. May you rest in peace, Mr. Hitchens.
I hadn't searched in a while because I feel like I managed to watch pretty much every debate/ talk he ever did that was available on YouTube, but I was always excited when I found a new one. When I was really watching a lot of them, I couldn't hear him enough.
I miss him already...
It hurts more, the more I reflect. Damn he was good.
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R.I.P. Christopher.
Today on CNN he had a Christian friend he debated a lot and hung out with praise him, although the guy said "I hope he found out he was wrong"(not meaning he would go to hell, but find god. Still, it humanizes us more to the mainstream with things like that.
Martin Bashir on MSNBC did a piece on him quoting his controversial quotes, and unfortunately tried to equate his De conversion to his mother having an affair with a priest and then later committed suicide. I hate that because while that may go against the "all loving god" I think Hitchens was an atheist long before that. But even so it was because there was no evidence for a god, Hitchens mother's suicide had nothing to do with his atheism.
But to Bashir's credit he did say good things about his writing and did end it while tossing to the next show "He will be missed" to which the next host said "He most certainly will be missed".
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
He did a lot of good for the atheist world and will be remembered. A very brillant man.
I have seen him in many debates and on talk shows. I was always impressed with his style.
____________________________________________________________
"I guess it's time to ask if you live under high voltage power transmission lines which have been shown to cause stimulation of the fantasy centers of the brain due to electromagnetic waves?" - Me
"God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, - it says so right here on the label. If you have a mind capable of believing all three of these divine attributes simultaneously, I have a wonderful bargain for you. No checks please. Cash and in small bills." - Robert A Heinlein.
Hopefully one day we (or another generation) can look back and say "he did a lot of good for the world!" That he was one of the few that took a stand and took rationality to the masses, to bring about the beginning of the end for false dogmas.
I woke up today (it's my birthday) logged on my pc and saw this. Somehow the headline of his death jumped out at me through all the pictures and the dozen or so other stories. I've been a bit sad all day. We lost an intellectual giant today for sure! Now I finally get to see my kids tonight after a couple weeks not seeing them. So I'm gonna forget the sadness for now and enjoy them, and have some pizza and birthday cake. Though I'll never forget Hitch, and how he stood up to the overwhelming majority.
"They always say the same thing; 'But evolution is only a theory!!' Which is true, I guess, and it's good they say that I think, it gives you hope that they feel the same about the theory of Gravity and they might just float the f**k away."
I bought a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black.
I'll be getting drunk tonight in his memory, Hitch would approve.
"Very funny Scotty; now beam down our clothes."
VEGETARIAN: Ancient Hindu word for "lousy hunter"
If man was formed from dirt, why is there still dirt?
Christopher Hitchens's atoms are off doing other stuff now--forming part of the air we breathe, providing nutrients for other life perhaps. But his legacy of ideas and discourse in the form of print and digital media will be around as long as there are humans to read and see them, resonating in the brains of countless persons to ponder, discuss, criticize, and learn from. In life he was a gifted writer and speaker, a formidable debater, and a person totally unafraid to speak his mind on any topic of interest or concern to him. He refused to be pigeon-holed, and hence puzzled and offended many persons who couldn't understand how he could be so right in some areas and so wrong in others. He didn't let that bother him, though. Now that he is gone, there is no reason for anyone to attack the man. He's beyond that now. It was always easier to attack Hitchens personally than disparage his ideas. Now it's his ideas that belong to us to deal with as we can. He lives on in his words, constantly challenging us not to agree or disagree with him, but to be restless in our thinking, to be a mental Odysseus, knowing that just over the horizon is always another sea to sail, another land to explore, another battle to fight. He will never know the full impact of his work, but we who live on may come to realize how fortunate we were to have had him in our midst for the time we did.
-kw
relevant: http://i.imgur.com/4Istz.jpg
----
I came from job and wandering on my facebook I found out this terrible new. It's too bad that a person who represented atheism all around the world has died but his legacy will be among us and we can continue learning from it as well as to sharing it with others. I haven't had yet the chance to read his books but I'm completely sure his points of view are very important to study.
Interesting is to see now how we atheist deal with the dead. There's nothing beyond this world, so it's possible to overcome the situation with more courage. Mr Hitchens was aware of this and I think that helped him to deal with his disease.
Debate is the best way to share the knowledge
This is the CNN article if anyone is interested, a surprisingly good read for CNN.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/16/my-take-an-evangelical-remembers-his-friend-hitchens/?hpt=hp_c2
"Don't seek these laws to understand. Only the mad can comprehend..." -- George Cosbuc
Goodbye, comrade. You turned part of my world the right way around, and I'll never forget you for it.
I hope his work with Dr. Collins helps to forge an infallible weapon against the monster than killed him.
- Leon Trotsky, Last Will & Testament
February 27, 1940
I regularly listen to the BBC's "NewsHour" podcast, and liked their piece on Hitchen's passing.
You can catch it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00m3x6t
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
After reading his work over the course of so many years and inadvertently "getting to know" him in a very vague sense. I genuinely feel as though I have lost a close friend or a family member, although I don't want to sound disingenuous I never had the honor of meeting him personally. I downed some black label today in his honor and made sure to share with everyone i knew how deeply influential his work has been on me and my view of life. I had just finished reading letter to a young contrarian this last week.
Where to from here?
I'll have to remember that. Hopefully, I can go get a shot of it, in Hitch's honor (I'm not normally given to drinking alcohol,) as soon as I can afford it.
Meanwhile, I can remember that "God Is Not Great" was one of the books I read that led me to atheism. And I can also remember that, from that book, I learned that the Bible's estimate of pi is a poor estimate not only by modern standards (which I already knew,) but even by ancient ones.
Aside from that, all I've got are favorite quotes from the man's book:
"Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive towards children: organized religion ought to have a great deal on its conscience." (God Is Not Great, p. 56)
"Many religions now come before us with ingratiating smirks and outspread hands, like an unctuous merchant in a bazaar. They offer consolation and solidarity and uplift, competing as they do in a marketplace. But we have a right to remember how barbarically they behaved when they were strong and were making an offer that people could not refuse. And if we chance to forget what that must have been like, we have only to look to those states and societies where the clergy still has the power to dictate its own terms." (God Is Not Great, p. 67)
"Actually, the 'leap of faith'--to give it the memorable name that Soren Kierkegaard bestowed upon it--is an imposture. As he himself pointed out, it is not a 'leap' that can be made once for all. It is a leap that has to go on and on being performed, in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary." (God Is Not Great, p. 71. Here, we have Hitch not onlly teaching me something that I didn't know about Kierkegaard, but managing to make me think about the activities in my own life that I called "spirituality." For another example of conscience-pricking, see the next quote.)
"Those who have yielded, not without a struggle, to the overwhelming evidence of evolution are now trying to award themselves a medal for their own acceptance of defeat. The very magnificence and variety of the process, they now wish to say, argues for a directing and originating mind. In this way they choose to make a fumbling fool of their pretended god, and make him out to be a tinkerer, an approximator, and a blunderer, who took eons of time to fashion a few serviceable figures and heaped up a a junkyard of scrap and failure meanwhile. Have they no more respect for the deity than that?"
I could go on, of course, but maybe someone else wants to chime in with their quotes.
Goodbye, Christopher Hitchens. You are gone too soon.
Conor
_________________________
[MOD EDIT: Large horizontal line spanned the page and made this thread scroll sideways.]
"Faith does not fear reason."--Pope Pius XII
"But it should!"--Me
I agree with his opinions on almost every thing he spoke, but because I'm a little more reserved about the confrontations.
He was very much "in your face" about every thing, but he knew that it was the only way to handle religious icons and speakers.
He knew that there was a war on Atheism and (other beliefs) by the Christian extremists.
He knew that for any religion to fully succeed it must have complete and total control of the world.
I will miss his ability to use words like a scalpel to carve up religions.
I will miss how he would use facts to make supporters of christmas look like morons, so much so that they booted him off the air.
I will truly miss his intellect, his brash sense of humor and his ability to piss others off by making them look stupid for saying ignorant and ludicrous things.
I'm listening to it now. Very good. Thanks for the post.
What a bummer, to say the least. :/ He was my favorite celebrity atheist by a long shot. The man was definitely in a class of his own. Odd how the dictator of North Korea whom he constantly made references to died just afterwords.
Sorry to hear about the passing of my favorite writer and debater. I have been busy the past few days and have not had a chance to be on here and find out.
RIP to Christopher Hitchens. A great writer,influence and guy.
I hope your work lives on in the influences of others, the way it influenced me. My favorite of the Four Horsemen and my favorite writer. RIP my good friend and best influence.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
I couldn't get the video to appear big, so I'll settle for pasting the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR1uorQWNDg
P.S. I went to the YouTube video, clicked on Embed, then clicked on Source and pasted it there. I checked the preview button and the video was there, but it didn't show up after I posted it. What went wrong?
## Mod Edit. Pasted in video
That would've gotten a laugh I'm sure. Well played.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
We still have PZ Myers, Richard Carrier and Dan Barker with the remaining rat pack so, that's good.