Thursday, August 26, 2010

For Christopher Hitchens


by The Thinking Atheist

26 comments:

  1. Keep fighting the good fight Hitch!  Thank you for posting this, it was very moving.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Go to the youtube page and thumbs up this, now!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderful stuff. It brought tears to my eyes. Hang in there Hitch!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wonder how Hitch would take some of the more sappy 'keep on fightin' 'you're not alone' sort of remarks. He never struck me as someone moved by that sort of self-delusion.
    He knows what he's got and will do what he can to fight it. I think totla strangers like everyone in the clip would be better to focus on what he's done for them -and with more substance than the cheaply broad 'he changed my life' or 'you've inspired me so much' one-liners that don't do him justice.

    Also... -I think the music's level is too loud. It's covering the people too much in spots.

    ReplyDelete
  5. And if that seemed like I was too cold and ruthlessly honest in my opinion.. um... then you don't know Hitch.

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  6. Is it self-delusion to give someone support when their sick or going through a trying time?  I think a tribute to someone while they're alive and can appreciate it is a good thing.  Being an atheist doesn't mean we give up emotions or can't express sympathy for someone we admire.  Relax!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Do you? He recently said in an interview that he was moved by believers praying for his recovery, so why wouldn't he be moved by atheists hoping for his recovery?

    Thinking you are actually doing something when praying is self-delusion, merely hoping for things and expressing sympathy is not.

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  8. even though he comes of as a badass dude I think he'd appreciate this, I hope he sees it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What's wrong with telling someone what a mark they made in this world before they die, rather than talk about it after?   Hitch may not be sappy, but his genuine value of truth and champion of those with no voice tells me he is a deeply feeling person and this must mean a lot.    Hitch, we all love you and hope we get to have you with us for a long time.

    ReplyDelete
  10. they weren't one liners,at least not the one i recorded.TA just had to edit down to fit it all in.not to mention it feels good to have well wishers when you are facing tough times no matter who you are. 8-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nice.

    One of the posters looked like he could be Christopher's brother!

    I heard him in an interview say (although much more eloquently) "there is no fighting involved against cancer. I can't think of anything less passive. I take chemo and just wait." A rationalist right to the end.

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  12. Do I know him? No. I meant you don't know his own personality 'if' you thought my own came across as too cold. I made no claims about knowing him or what he thinks about any messages he gets... sappy and banal or otherwise. Also you tripped yourself up because you said praying doesn't do anything,AFTER saying the effort m'oved Hitchens... but of course that would only be if he knew who was 'praying for him'. Meaning 'anonymous prayer' does nothing... at least for anyone else. And everyone's a 'believer'. Don't let people of 'faith' (retarded baseless belief) steal the word 'believe' from you.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your'e not making much sense! This was your first comment:

    <span>"I wonder how Hitch would take some of the more sappy 'keep on fightin' 'you're not alone' sort of remarks. He never struck me as someone moved by that sort of self-delusion."</span>
    <span></span>
    <span>You was obviously referring to the expressed hopes that Hitchens will get well, and symphaties from the atheists in the clip above. How is that self-delusion? Hoping that someone will become well and expressing sympathy might be sappy and even trite but is not self-delusion. Praying that someone will get well and believing that that will actually help someone to get well IS self-delusion, which was what I was obviously referring to here, since it was, you know, what we were talking about. </span>
    <span></span>
    <span>Hitchens was the one who said that he was moved by believers praying for him, not me! So any concerns you might have over if this is reasonable or not you will have to take up with him. My only reason to mention that was to counter your claim that Hitchens would probably not be moved by such things. I only said that it is not unlikely that he would, in fact, be moved by atheist wishing him well, since he himself said he was moved by believers doing just that! Didn't you get at all what I was referring to?</span>
    <span></span>
    <span>"I meant you don't know his own personality 'if' you thought my own came across as too cold."</span>
    <span></span>
    <span>Hitchens doesn't come across as a cold person to me, and neither did you. I just didn't agree with you on this:</span>
    <span></span>
    <span>"He never struck me as someone moved by that sort of self-delusion."</span>
    <span></span>
    <span>It wasn't self-delusion, no matter what other things it might have been, and I don't think it's implausible that he could be moved by it, based on his own words! 
    </span>

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11108218

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11108218

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11108218

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11108218

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11108218

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11108218

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11108218

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11108218

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11108218

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    - BBC News

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    - BBC News

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oesophageal cancer 'doubles in British men'

    - BBC News

    "
    Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK.
    It is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat, with only 8% surviving for five years or more. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.
    In 1983, about 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (9.6 in every 100,000 men).
    Latest figures show 5,100 men (14.4 in every 100,000) were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
    The number of cases in women rose from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people.
    The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, where the rates rose by 67% over the period."

    "
    Researchers said the gender contrast in oesophageal cancer rates could be largely explained by the way men put weight on - as "beer bellies" - as well as genetic differences.
    Men are also likely to have poorer diets, eating more fatty foods and lower amounts of fruit and vegetables."

    ReplyDelete
  26. Personally I found your fearless examination just as refreshing as the relatively civil (though somewhat heated) rejoinders it generated.  However, though some of his fans may be genuinely self-deluded, I'd call the expressions in the video more cliche than anything.

    That may be the better criticism, if it even is one.  After all, giving someone a bundle of roses is a cliche gesture too, but the sentiment is hardly diminished by that fact.

    ReplyDelete