Christopher Hitchens Passes Away at Age 62

[It's Damn Real!]

@VanityFair:

Christopher Hitchens, 1949 — 2011

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/12/In-Memoriam-Christopher-Hitchens-19492011

Christopher Hitchens—the incomparable critic, masterful rhetorician, fiery wit, and fearless bon vivant—died today at the age of 62. Hitchens was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in the spring of 2010, just after the publication of his memoir, Hitch-22, and began chemotherapy soon after. His matchless prose has appeared in Vanity Fair since 1992, when he was named contributing editor.

“Cancer victimhood contains a permanent temptation to be self-centered and even solipsistic,” Hitchens wrote nearly a year ago in Vanity Fair, but his own final labors were anything but: in the last 12 months, he produced for this magazine a piece on U.S.-Pakistani relations in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death, a portrait of Joan Didion, an essay on the Private Eye retrospective at the Victoria and Albert Museum, a prediction about the future of democracy in Egypt, a meditation on the legacy of progressivism in Wisconsin, and a series of frank, graceful, and exquisitely written essays in which he chronicled the physical and spiritual effects of his disease. At the end, Hitchens was more engaged, relentless, hilarious, observant, and intelligent than just about everyone else—just as he had been for the last four decades.

“My chief consolation in this year of living dyingly has been the presence of friends,” he wrote in the June 2011 issue. He died in their presence, too, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. May his 62 years of living, well, so livingly console the many of us who will miss him dearly.

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It was only a matter of time as Christopher has been very up front about just how terminal his cancer was, but I still can't help but feel like one of the brightest minds on this earth just went out.

I realize he made little to no effort to be friendly about his beliefs (or lack there of), but one thing you can't deny this man was the sheer brilliance in his words and thoughts regardless of whether you agreed with them or not.

For those of you who have no idea who this man was, I strongly suggest researching his work, especially if you have even a moderate interest in the seemingly eternal debate over the existence of god(s).

RIP, Christopher. You'll be dearly missed.

 

[LSN80]

There was a time that I despised Christopher Hitchens immensely. It's hard to like someone who sneers at the beliefs you've held your entire life, especially when they describe your belief in God as a "totalitarian belief that destroys individual freedom", something which I vehemently did and still do disagree with. As IDR said, he wasn't exactly shy about chastising those of faith, and he wasn't exactly polite about it, or tolerant of those beliefs.

However, I've read him in Vanity Fair for several years, and a funny thing happened: I found myself looking forward to his columns, especially his more scathing ones on the topic of God. Every idea, thought, or belief is best when challenged, and Hitchens perhaps challenged these things in me more then anyone else. After all, isn't a belief system best when challenged, forcing one to look at it from different sides of the equation? I had to check my beliefs at the door when I read him, true, but I feel if anything, I came out more well-informed, and with fresh perspective on the other side.

So yeah, Hitchens is someone I frequently disagreed with, and he even raised my ire at times. But he had this funny effect of making it seem like his writings were tailored specifically for me, and few people have ever gotten me invested in considering my beliefs regarding God the way Hitchens did. He didn't speak with some kind of faux brilliance, the man truly was a genius, one whose his perspective will be solely missed here. We didn't agree on much, Christopher, and you certainly were an obstinate jackass, but I think that's what I respected about you most. R.I.P.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I admit I haven't read much of his work but I have seen many interviews and appearances over the years. I never knew what to make of Hitchens. I have grown suspect of anyone who seems to be so strong and pompous in their beliefs, no matter what they are.

To me he seemed to be the polar opposite in beliefs as a TV minister but the exact same in that he was a showman that was working the audience for his own financial and power gain.

Regardless, I appreciate his ability to challenge people and ideas and really get others thinking beyond what the rest of society serves up on a platter (helps in America if you have a British accent). Hopefully others will come and fill his shoes.

 

[SalvIsWin]

Christopher Hitchens was the man, Dawkins & Hitchens are two of my idols personally. It's surprising to see him go, even though he had very bad cancer I still didn't expect it. Hopefully there's some sort of remembrance or celebration by Dawkins & the rest of the atheist community for him, I'd love to see that.

 

[RockFan89]

I too don't agree with a lot of what Hitchens spoke and wrote about. But I respect the fact that he never pulled punches. He was never beholden to political correctness or either a liberal or conservative ideology. He was undoubtdly one of the most wittiest people in the world today. He was very charming, but always willing to fight.

As someone who has watched a lot of debates on the existence of God, I also respect the fact that he was willing to debate anyone on the topic (unlike some people *cough* *cough* Dawkins *cough* *cough*).

 

[SalvIsWin]

I too don't agree with a lot of what Hitchens spoke and wrote about. But I respect the fact that he never pulled punches. He was never beholden to political correctness or either a liberal or conservative ideology. He was undoubtdly one of the most wittiest people in the world today. He was very charming, but always willing to fight.

As someone who has watched a lot of debates on the existence of God, I also respect the fact that he was willing to debate anyone on the topic (unlike some people *cough* *cough* Dawkins *cough* *cough*).

Dawkins refuses to waste time, Hitchens I think just liked to argue and good on him for it. I feel like you're insinuating that Dawkins is scared to debate people who he has refused debates with, like Will Lane Craig, who's biggest selling point is the Kalām cosmological argument, which is simply untrue according to quantum physics. There's no argument, or point that any believer can bring up that Dawkins would be scared of, there is only anecdotal evidence, faith, and silly 'logic' tricks that are actually just fallacious untruths. The man has gone through every single one of these arguments and shown why they're stupid. Watch his debate vs Alistair McGrath to see the absolute waste of time these debates are, there are no good arguments that are brought up from the believing perspective - they don't exist.

In case you weren't insinuating that - whoops.

 

[Daniel]

A real shame. It was totally expected, but I was still shocked when I saw it trending on Twitter.

The thing I loved about Christohper Hitchens was just how forthright he was. I absolutely adored that. There's still a lot of tip-toeing around faith, which there really shouldn't be. If you think something, say it. Don't try to sugar coat it. Not only does it dilute your message, it also makes it less poignant.

I would say, "rest in peace", but as it's derived from Christianity, I don't think it's particularly fitting. So I'll go with a simple thank you.