August 14, 2010
The author of God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything says it is "touching" that many Christians are praying for his healing, both body and soul.
Iconoclastic atheist Christopher Hitchens, whose columns appear in the Chicago Sun-Times, has been stricken with esophageal cancer, a disease that leaves few survivors.
Conservative Catholic writer Thomas Peters has challenged readers of the American Papist website to join him in praying one Hail Mary a day on behalf of Hitchens for salvation and that "God will be with him at the hour of his death."
Hitchens told evangelical broadcaster Hugh Hewitt that he remains convinced these prayers "don't do any good, but they don't necessarily do any harm. It's touching to be thought of in that way."
Hitchens has warned his admirers that if he should cry out to the Almighty, they should ignore it.
"If that comes it will be when I'm very ill, when I am half demented, either by drugs or by pain and I won't have control over what I say," he told CNN.
Actually, I find it a bit funny. I can just imagine CH crying out "Oh my fucking god" during an orgasm, so it makes sense he would qualify his calling out to the Almighty if he becomes half demented from pain or drugs.
Otherwise, this article reminds me of why I respect him so much - he has the humility and graciousness to be generous towards people who are praying for him.
Atheists have always argued that this world is all that we have, and that our duty is to one another to make the very most and best of it. ~Christopher Hitchens~
August 14, 2010
The author of God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything says it is "touching" that many Christians are praying for his healing, both body and soul.
Iconoclastic atheist Christopher Hitchens, whose columns appear in the Chicago Sun-Times, has been stricken with esophageal cancer, a disease that leaves few survivors.
Conservative Catholic writer Thomas Peters has challenged readers of the American Papist website to join him in praying one Hail Mary a day on behalf of Hitchens for salvation and that "God will be with him at the hour of his death."
Hitchens told evangelical broadcaster Hugh Hewitt that he remains convinced these prayers "don't do any good, but they don't necessarily do any harm. It's touching to be thought of in that way."
Hitchens has warned his admirers that if he should cry out to the Almighty, they should ignore it.
"If that comes it will be when I'm very ill, when I am half demented, either by drugs or by pain and I won't have control over what I say," he told CNN.
Actually, I find it a bit funny. I can just imagine CH crying out "Oh my fucking god" during an orgasm, so it makes sense he would qualify his calling out to the Almighty if he becomes half demented from pain or drugs.
Otherwise, this article reminds me of why I respect him so much - he has the humility and graciousness to be generous towards people who are praying for him.
About me: I have prehensile eyebrows. I speak 9 languages fluently, one of which other people can also speak. When backed into a corner, I fit perfectly - having a right-angled arse.
My mate, Mike, just went into hospital to have a third of his throat removed for the same condition. He is lucky. They caught it in time to perform a horrific, but hopefully life-saving, operation. He goes under the knife tomorrow lunchtime and they won't finish hacking into him until the evening. Poor sod.
A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return. Salman Rushdie You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. House MD Who needs a meaning anyway, I'd settle anyday for a very fine view. Sandy Denny This is the wrong forum for bluffing Paco Yes, yes. But first I need to show you this venomous fish! Calilasseia I think we should do whatever Pawiz wants. Twoflower Bella squats momentarily then waddles on still peeing, like a horse Millefleur
Xamonas Chegwé wrote:My mate, Mike, just went into hospital to have a third of his throat removed for the same condition. He is lucky. They caught it in time to perform a horrific, but hopefully life-saving, operation. He goes under the knife tomorrow lunchtime and they won't finish hacking into him until the evening. Poor sod.
I hope it all goes well for him. Did he have any radiation or chemo before this operation?
Atheists have always argued that this world is all that we have, and that our duty is to one another to make the very most and best of it. ~Christopher Hitchens~
About me: I have prehensile eyebrows. I speak 9 languages fluently, one of which other people can also speak. When backed into a corner, I fit perfectly - having a right-angled arse.
Xamonas Chegwé wrote:My mate, Mike, just went into hospital to have a third of his throat removed for the same condition. He is lucky. They caught it in time to perform a horrific, but hopefully life-saving, operation. He goes under the knife tomorrow lunchtime and they won't finish hacking into him until the evening. Poor sod.
I hope it all goes well for him. Did he have any radiation or chemo before this operation?
Two courses of chemo. There was an outside chance they would shrink the tumour but apparently, even though they didn't do that, they 'stabilised' it - which is good, whatever it means.
A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return. Salman Rushdie You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. House MD Who needs a meaning anyway, I'd settle anyday for a very fine view. Sandy Denny This is the wrong forum for bluffing Paco Yes, yes. But first I need to show you this venomous fish! Calilasseia I think we should do whatever Pawiz wants. Twoflower Bella squats momentarily then waddles on still peeing, like a horse Millefleur
His brother Peter recently said this in an interview concerning Chris:
“Because he has a very rich philosophical and literary life which enables him to cope with great trials and tribulation. I don’t doubt that will stand him in some stead. He’s not alone with nothing facing a void. Not in that sense. It would just be plain wrong to imagine that. I don’t claim to know him particularly well because we’ve been separated a long time. But I do know him in ways that others never will because we’re brothers.”
"The internet is made of people. People matter. This includes you. Stop trying to sell everything about yourself to everyone. Don’t just hammer away and repeat and talk at people—talk TO people. It’s organic. Make stuff for the internet that matters to you, even if it seems stupid. Do it because it’s good and feels important. Put up more cat pictures. Make more songs. Show your doodles. Give things away and take things that are free." - Maureen J
"...anyone who says it’s “just the Internet” can . And then when they come back, they can again." - Tigger
Jesus H - the man has hung on for well over a year now - with "stage four, and there is no stage five."
Whatever we may hear tomorrow or next week, I salute that (both modern medicine and Hitch's obvious will to live).
"The internet is made of people. People matter. This includes you. Stop trying to sell everything about yourself to everyone. Don’t just hammer away and repeat and talk at people—talk TO people. It’s organic. Make stuff for the internet that matters to you, even if it seems stupid. Do it because it’s good and feels important. Put up more cat pictures. Make more songs. Show your doodles. Give things away and take things that are free." - Maureen J
"...anyone who says it’s “just the Internet” can . And then when they come back, they can again." - Tigger
“When I was in college, I took a terrorism class. ... The thing that was interesting in the class was every time the professor said ‘Al Qaeda’ his shoulders went up, But you know, it is that you don’t say ‘America’ with an intensity, you don’t say ‘England’ with the intensity. You don’t say ‘the army’ with the intensity,” she continued. “... But you say these names [Al Qaeda] because you want that word to carry weight. You want it to be something.” - Ilhan Omar
“When I was in college, I took a terrorism class. ... The thing that was interesting in the class was every time the professor said ‘Al Qaeda’ his shoulders went up, But you know, it is that you don’t say ‘America’ with an intensity, you don’t say ‘England’ with the intensity. You don’t say ‘the army’ with the intensity,” she continued. “... But you say these names [Al Qaeda] because you want that word to carry weight. You want it to be something.” - Ilhan Omar
. And then when they come back, they can 
