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Nitro
Member
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Posted Tue Aug 10th, 2010 8:34pm Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
Really sorry to hear about Christopher Hitchens' recent battle with cancer. His article about it on Vanity Fair was a very good read. He's contributed a lot to the idea of Reason in his debates and it's such a regrettable thing, in my mind anyway, to think a voice like his might be silenced in *any* way.
Here's Hoping medical science and any strides the specific field of Oncology has made, will help him overcome the 'alien' for good and, wether he likes it or not, bring some attention to this disease ( not everyone wants to be a Poster Boy for a thing ). Public attention seems to be one of the main drivers in funding research though, and when any public figure gets hit by any disease, people think about it a little more.
Either way, one word just keeps going through my head when I think about it:
Shit!
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TobiasMonk
Moderator
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Posted Wed Aug 11th, 2010 2:43am Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
I read his new book a few weeks back, "Hitch-22- A Memoir", and loved it, but then I've always admired Christopher Hitchens. The Vanity Fair piece is brilliantly written and it has what I think may be his greatest quote in it, "I have been “in denial” for some time, knowingly burning the candle at both ends and finding that it often gives a lovely light."
Here's the link to "Topic of Cancer"
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/09/hitchens-201009
I cannot be awake for nothing looks to me as it did before, Or else I am awake for the first time, and all before has been a mean sleep.
Walt Whitman
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joan
Member
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Posted Wed Aug 11th, 2010 6:59am Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
So sad - and infuriating. I hope he is one of the small percentage who go into remission. Very good article.
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IdeaCollector
Member
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Posted Wed Aug 11th, 2010 5:36pm Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
He and I don't see eye to eye on religion and what not but having gone through cancer I wouldn't wish that journey upon anyone. I hope that above everything else he manages to remain as pain free as possible whether or not he gets better. The pain is the most unbearable bit of it all.
I used to be EternalStudent on these forums until the switch over. So don't get excited..I'm not someone new and exciting. I'm just me :P
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Nitro
Member
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Posted Fri Sep 3rd, 2010 1:25pm Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
What makes me sick is I KNOW, as does he and any other person who dares question a belief in god(s), that those who DO believe will secretly tell themselves or each other, ( and sometimes not so secretly ), it's some sort of 'divine correction' ( i.e. "See? God loves you SO much He's giving you the chance to repent for all your blah blah blah...before you're dead blah...and if you don't then..blah." ).
Depraved f**ers!
He, and any other atheist, must tolerate this sometimes directly, even while suffering and down physically from believers who just cannot resist kicking about any dog when it's down.
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pebbles
Member
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Posted Sat Sep 4th, 2010 7:53am Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
I really appreciate what he said about the whole "brave battle against cancer" myth. It's so good to hear the truth spoken out loud sometimes. My mother died of cancer in Nov 2008, and I've wanted to scream Bollocks!!! at that way of expressing things ever since. Of course I didn't, because I'm not Christopher Hitchens and hate confrontations.
There was nothing noble, nothing uplifting, nothing inspiring, no lessons to learn etc. for anyone involved. She "chose" to let them chop her to bits because it was less horrible to her than existing without a future, and the pain ruled out any option of enjoying the time she had left anyway. She was proud and despaired of her own increasing helplessness but there was nothing to be done about it. There was no "battle" to be had. Wouldn't we all love a monster in whose face we can jump, screaming our defiance, when we're cornered? But most enemies don't take that satisfying shape anymore and her illness sure as fuck didn't. She just fell apart in front of her own eyes and mine, first physically and at the very end mentally as well. At that point the religious vultures descended, like Nitro described, but they didn't seem to matter much then (to either of us) and it's too late now. There was no victory of the human spirit or any of that at the clinic either. Just a lot of terrified people being very busy with their own thoughts. It was just horrible and nothing else. I understand why humans, including myself, often try so hard to see beauty in ugly places but in this case, finally hearing the truth out loud brought a kind of peace of its own, because it had been missing so badly. Thanks Hitch.
Apart from ranting – but this IS the place for vents after all – yes, it's very sad to see this happening to him. And it's disgusting that some people will use his shitty luck to promote their faith, but I'm sure they will. I've seen them do it, "well-meaningly". It seems like an astounding lack of insight into their own motives but who knows, maybe that's not for me to judge. Just don't try it on me again, now that I've heard Hitchens and his colleagues stand up for their atheism.
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joan
Member
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Posted Sat Sep 4th, 2010 1:16pm Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
My sister suffers from the religious vultures too. She is totally blind, but leads a full life, including a happy marriage and a full time job as a highly respected translator. She is an atheist, has been most of her life, but finds that those wishing to push religion think they have a better chance with someone with a handicap. They don't expect to be firmly rebuffed, but she has less and less patience as the years pass. Nowadays she won't go near any religious institution because of this.
She is highly delighted about Hawkins' recent assertion that the Big Bang has no need of a god, and like us, is sad about Hitchens.
Once you allow yourself to think rationally and feel free to question religious belief, you just can't go back to the illogicality of it all.
Poor old Hitchens - I hope he gets through this with minimum pain.
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AnCBeck
Member
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Posted Sat Sep 4th, 2010 5:16pm Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
Nitro said:
What makes me sick is I KNOW, as does he and any other person who dares question a belief in god(s), that those who DO believe will secretly tell themselves or each other, ( and sometimes not so secretly ), it's some sort of 'divine correction' ( i.e. "See? God loves you SO much He's giving you the chance to repent for all your blah blah blah...before you're dead blah...and if you don't then..blah." ).
Depraved f**ers!
He, and any other atheist, must tolerate this sometimes directly, even while suffering and down physically from believers who just cannot resist kicking about any dog when it's down.
Yeah, it seems to me that a lot of these ultra-religious types are trying to use Hitchens' illness as some sort of weird continuation of their debates with him. Supposedly there's even an official "Pray for Christopher Hitchens Day" later this month, which I think is horribly intrusive and exploitative. I'm not an atheist, but I've always wondered about groups that feel a need to have "official" days to pray for someone or something. It's so gimmicky and insincere.
While Hitchens and I don't quite see eye-to-eye on religion, I give him a lot of credit for sticking to his guns on atheism during this ordeal. It shows tremendous strength of mind and character. I wish him all the best.
"Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you." -Oscar Wilde
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gadgetgirl
Member
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Posted Sat Sep 4th, 2010 6:15pm Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
At the risk of being controversial I have come across a few atheists who were just as zealous a religious nuts. I think it's a bit of a human failing to insist someone agrees with your world view, not just a religious one. Personally I'm thoroughly agnostic, it doesn't require faith or proof that there is or isn't a god 
As for poor Mr Hitch, adding to someones misery by asserting they deserve it is really nasty. We all occasionally have schadenfreude, but I wouldn't wish that kind of illness on anyone. I hope he beats the odds.
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IdeaCollector
Member
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Posted Mon Sep 6th, 2010 6:03am Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
Nah gadgetgirl I'm in the same boat, as a Christian I've met some crazy people on both sides but I'd never wish cancer on anyone and I do hope they find a cure so that fewer people have to suffer such a horrible ordeal.
I used to be EternalStudent on these forums until the switch over. So don't get excited..I'm not someone new and exciting. I'm just me :P
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pebbles
Member
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Posted Mon Sep 6th, 2010 10:42am Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
Oh, I agree - and anyone with a "cause" can be a vulture. Health fanatics come to mind. Generally it seems that whenever one feels that warm glow of righteousness, it's a really good idea to shut up  . In my life it's always been the religious that come after you shamelessly with that glow painted all over their faces, but that's probably mostly to do with living in a very religious place.
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Nitro
Member
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Posted Thu Oct 28th, 2010 3:52pm Post subject: Bummed about Hitch'
Anyone found any recent info on his health status? I did see an interview between he and Charlie Rose on YouTube, sporting his thinning hair ( hello Chemo ). I don't think he twitters or blogs does he? Anyway, I sincerely hope that he, and anyone else suffering in this way, are cured. Hearing his voice in the continual onslaught of religious bellowing has always been, for me, a wonderful break from it all.
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