Last night on CNN, Anderson Cooper conducted a terrific interview with Christopher Hitchens, who was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer while promoting his excellent new autobiography Hitch-22.
Hitchens is famous for, among other things, being a blunt-talking atheist and a ferocious dismantler of cant language. While it makes one’s heart ache to see Hitchens without his thick thatch of hair, he’s quietly funny in his lucid explanations of why he’ll try to avoid any death-bed conversions and the ridiculousness of the use of the word “battle” when it comes to receiving cancer treatment. He also makes wry note of the websites that are “celebrating” the possibility of his premature death.
Cooper meets the challenge of engaging with Hitchens. Noting that Hitchens has discussed the death of his father and his mother’s suicide in conversation and in print, Cooper speaks of the death of his own father and the suicide of a family member, and they share their mutual dislike of the term “closure.” It’s a striking piece of television. One comes away appreciating Cooper’s knack for conversation instead of mere question-asking, and wishing Hitchens all the best.
Did you have any thoughts about this interview?
Wishing the very best for you Hitchens. In this age of passivity we need people like you who speak their mind regardless of what others think.
It’s a shame, but that’s nature. Just like it’s natural for the religious to be spiteful, pathetic, and vile!
Wow, I had no idea he was ill. Seemed like I just saw him on the Daily Show looking perfectly fine.
Glad to see him holding true to his beliefs though. As to the people celebrating this news, can’t say I’m surprised. All you have to do is look at any message board to see how nasty, mean-spirited and judgemental these “God loving” types really are.
Unlike you, of course.
As a God loving type I wouldn’t wish cancer on anyone. It is sad that he is facing a terrible disease and I hope and Pray that he comes through it well. But, I don’t think it is just the God loving people of this world that have the market on ugly behavior. I just a sinner saved by God’s grace. All of God’s people still have human nature.
Yes, it nevers fails to amaze how people can be so judemental of us “God loving” types when it’s doubtful they’ve actually ever spent time with any. Try actually doing something brave and living your life amonst such hate. Would so many do that for a lie? I pray this man can make peace with his creator, or be healed. Better yet, both.
I certainly wasn’t aiming at all religious people, just the ones attacking Hitchens right now. Or those who seem to have no problem getting nasty as hell about issues like homosexuality.
Living among such hate? Do you really think Christians face more hate than do athiests? I’ve spent a lifetime among Christians (some good, some not). I’d be surprised if any Christian could say they’ve spent time among athiests (willingly, or otherwise).
Here’s one Christian: I am catholic and I have an athiest brother who I love very much and who I am very close to.
mmmm, let’s see… I believe the USA is about 75% Christians, 3% Muslims, 1-2% Jews and maybe 1% Hindus & Buddhists, plus a whole bunch of “other,” including atheists, agnostics (who are really mostly soft atheists, but find ‘agnostic’ to be less provocative), and various druids and shamen and animists & such.
Sooooo, it would be pretty darn hard to find an atheist herewho hasn’t spent a whole lot of time with a whole lot of Christians. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find one who hasn’t been to church a few dozen times.
I’d pick up a gun to defend your right to believe in (probably) imaginary friends, I just wish the Christian Nationalists would grant me the flipside favor by rendering unto God what is God’s and keeping their nose out of Caesar’s business.
I’ve spent a lot of time with “God-loving” types, who indeed were in general the most closed-minded and jugemental people I’ve ever met. However, there are a few who have done great things for communities and people in the name of God. I support those people and their work, as long as they accept that I have considered the whole thing logically and genuinely believe they are the ones who have been led astray…
On this site, as well as another, the report about Glenn Beck losing his eye sight was met by squeals of delight by about 95% of the responders. People professing to be Christians don’t have the market on taking joy in their perceived enemies hardships. I’ve read some of Hitchens books, disagree with him vehemently, and yet I wish him only the best.
You cant be seriously comparing glen beck to christopher hitchens?? Glenn Beck spouts hateful things against Obama and anybody who he disagrees with. He is ruining an entire generation of children who’s parents force them to watch his horrible program. The fact that he is going blind is not something to be celebrated, but he is nothing like christopher hitchens.
Can you show me where Christopher Hitchens ever advocated awful things to happen to people or made statements trying to have human rights taken away from people? Glenn Beck has done that and more.
Yeah, he found out he was ill just before he went on The Daily Show.
This guy is such a pompus ass who thinks he is smarter than anyone on the face of the earth. He is only famous for a cute accent, being an atheist , and using big words when they are not needed.
As Mary Elizabeth Williams says of CH, “He remains a big, fat jerk and a g**damn genius”. I couldn’t agree more and will be very sad to see him go. Sorry you don’t care for the big words.
Hitch IS smarter than everybody else and just because you don’t understand ‘big words’ is no reason why he shouldn’t use them. Get well Hitch. We need you.
I understand his big words, I just feel he uses them to make himself seem smarter than he really is.
Well, if he is smart enough to understand and use the “big words” then why on Earth can’t he use them?
No, he’s really damn smart. He argues the whole of points, is always articulate and clever and has well thought out reasons for the things he believes. Even if he is wrong on certain things, he is still remarkably intelligent, even amongst intelligent people. It’s not his fault you’re really damn stupid and can’t see that point.
so called ‘big words’ exist for a reason: because they precisely and succinctly capture the essence of the thought being conveyed. Using ‘small words’ also decreases the accuracy of one’s meaning. Words exist for a reason; my judgement would be that Mr. Hitchens could care *less* if I’m impressed with his use of big words. He doesn’t use them for me, but rather in the service of accurately conveying his meaning.
Doubleplusgood post, David.
using big words for no reason is called bombastic. Too bad you only are in the modern pop culture era because his writing on Henry Kissinger are some of the most accurate depictions of the Indochina conflict. But he’s not as smart as you of course and his level of diction is exaggerated (he must look up big words every night and uses them the next day.
Live on Hitch
I remember when Bush’s press Secretary Tony Snow was diagnosed with Cancer and websites were “celebrating” his death. He even talked about this on Bill Maher’s show. Sadly he ended up dying soon after. So there are horrible people on both sides of the aisle. Peace.
In his recent Slate piece, he wrote that he threw up right before that Daily Show appearance.
As for those “God loving types”, why do you think the Left Behind series is so popular? They love the image of Jesus with the hem of his gown soaked in the blood of unbelievers. All those heathens and atheists getting their just desserts. They get off on it.
It’s ironic how the anti-”God-loving-types” try to sound more concerned and loving than the ones they criticize. Where, after all, did the ideal of loving one another come from? Certainly not from militant atheism.
No, it came from nature. Our species never would have lasted this long if we didn’t realize long ago (long before religion was a gleam in anyone’s eye) that the best way to survive was to form groups and care for one another.
Uh, David, so the Romans or the Native Americans or Buddhists, all of which do not believe in god, didn’t love one another?
You’re a small perspective fool sir.
Oh, silly Clint. It seems to me that David is simply saying that before there were organized religions, people survived by caring about one another.
Angie, I think he was referring to the other David, the first post.
LOL Clint, you’re not very smart are you? The Romans and Native Americans were polytheists, meaning they worshiped more than one god. Google can be helpful, I suggest you try it.
Mr Hitchens is in my prayers for a speedy recovery.
Samantha, who are you to criticize anyone’s intelligence considering you view polytheists as believing in God? Polytheists don’t worship God (as we understand Him in the modern world) you incredible idiot, monotheistic cultures do.
I’m sure you’ve had your unfortunate experiences with some not so loving “God-loving”types. I can assure you that we do not “get off” on it at all. We are sinners struggling with our inner bent towards self every bit as you are. We are grateful to One who pulled us out of a pit and raised us up to a better way. We may go about it poorly, but just try extending grace to those who are figuring it all out. You expect nothing less from us, right? Then maybe you’ll understand how difficult it is for us to maintain an attitude loving kindness when we keep getting our faces spat in.
you are so right
I’m sorry that you feel that way, WTF, but I’m on board with chaos10 and Chris. It’s from both sides, but “God loving types” are human and fail epically. We are all loved by God.
Stay strong, Hitch and get well soon.
So sorry to hear about Mr. Hitchens cancer. Hope he will heal and for he and his family to find happiness amidst this difficult time.
I am a Christian and it is unacceptable for people to want anything but healing for Mr. Hitchens even if they disagree with his beliefs.
I thought Anderson doesn’t discuss his personal life? Guess its just some things he doesn’t discuss.
Every time he says that I want to correct him – you discuss your personal life quite frequently. What you’re afraid to discuss is your SEXUALITY.
Hope you make it through, Chris. We need more people brave enough to point our silly fairy tales, passed on through the generations and counting on fear to keep us in line.
It’s funny, in that one little sentence, you actually show how little you understand about Christianity.
Sounds pretty right on, actually.
Agreed. As someone who grew up Catholic and had any notion of individual thought shunned by my teachers (at Catholic school), it’s pretty dead on. Almost all organized religions rely on the fear of their followers to keep them in line. And promises of rewards in the afterlife if you obey. If you’re good, you get a cookie and if you’re bad, that cookie gets taken away.
As Hitchens’s brother Peter points out in his own book, “The Rage Against God,” Christopher has a bad habit of blaming things on God that really stem from savage ideological and political movements, not religion per se. Still, I love the guy for his wit and brilliance and loyal character, and hope he prevails against a very tough cancer (the same kind that killed his father, btw).
I can assure you that Hitchens blames nothing whatsoever on God.
Get well, Hitch! Your dignity is really inspirational:)
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ~ I truly hope he gets better and realizes who the One is that made him better.God loves him and so do I.
Native Americans and the (ancient) Romans did and do believe in God. Many gods in fact. You should check your facts before you call someone else a fool.
No, they don’t believe in God. Thats simply wrong. They believed in many Gods, who had dominion over things and influenced the world, but were not sole creators or predestinators as God that we understand it does. Polytheism (romans, native americans) is not the same as Monotheism (islam, christianity, etc.) not even close.
As always, Hitchens is engaging & honest..can’t wait to read his “Hitch-22″…praying & wishing him the best.