Hitchens was perhaps one of the MOST aggressively outspoken of the "New Atheists."
Though I did appreciate Hitchens brazen dismantling of religious sacred icons and beliefs, but I often had issues with his style, which could be a little too acerbic for my tastes. This could possibly stem from the fact that he sometimes reminded me of the younger me, who was always ready to challenge a person's faith and ridicule their lack of intellectual honesty.
Over the years I have mellowed a great deal, and though I was NEVER as arrogant or dismissive as Hitch, I have come to be far more accepting of people's need to subscribe to the idea of something beyond that which is seen.
Having said that, there were certainly some wonderful quotes from Hitchens that should never be forgotten:
“If you gave [Jerry] Falwell an enema he could be buried in a matchbox.”
“The governor of Texas, who, when asked if the Bible should also be taught in Spanish, replied that ‘if English was good enough for Jesus, then it’s good enough for me’.”
About Mother Teresa: “She was not a friend of the poor. She was a friend of poverty. She said that suffering was a gift from God. She spent her life opposing the only known cure for poverty, which is the empowerment of women and the emancipation of them from a livestock version of compulsory reproduction.”
“Everybody does have a book in them, but in most cases that’s where it should stay.”
“[O]wners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.”
About George W. Bush: “He is lucky to be governor of Texas. He is unusually incurious, abnormally unintelligent, amazingly inarticulate, fantastically uncultured, extraordinarily uneducated, and apparently quite proud of all these things.”
And of course:
About Sarah Palin: “She’s got no charisma of any kind, [but] I can imagine her being mildly useful to a low-rank porn director.”
Anybody who can make such an incredibly insightful statement about Palin is certainly somebody who will be sorely missed. Good-bye Hitch, and good job.
For those who are unfamiliar with Chris Hitchens, here he is during a debate on the afterlife, with Sam Harris, David Wolpe and Bradley Shavit Artson at the Whizin Center. (If you are easily offended, you might skip this video. Also there is some NSFW language.)
I hope he is having a good time in heaven.
ReplyDeleteDirty Wig is already on other Blogs spewing hatred at HITCH. She is a very VINDICTIVE B1TCH.
ReplyDeleteThis man was infuriatingly complex, but then, we all are Energy Come To Form in various ways, some simple, some complex.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, Hitch left the form to which his brilliant, controversial brain was tied.
If he now truly Becomes Energy, unconventional minds shall be in for some interesting thoughts.
10:21
ReplyDeleteI don't think atheists go to heaven,and furthermore, he would probably be offended if he ended up there.
Perfect description of Palin.
my first introduction to Hitch was one of his debates with Sam Harris and I was hooked.
ReplyDeletehe was a treasure of the human species and a man that required intellect of his audience.
i will miss his stinging rebukes.
Arrogant much, 10:21? How do you know heaven exists, any more than Hitchens DIDN'T? Face it, you don't.
ReplyDeleteNONE of us knows what happens when we die. You might have FAITH (because you're so special!) that it's this way or that way -- but you don't fucking know.
But there is no doubt that while we live, organized religion is one of the most egregious causes of human suffering and ignorance. Hitchens was unsurpassed in pointing that out.
His bullshit support for the Iraq war made me dislike him...
ReplyDeleteHe helped "sell" the war.
of course "hitch" lost ALL his good will from many of his piers due to his support of all the war against the Muslim people and their religion.
ReplyDeletewhile i agree he was insightful and a breath of fresh air when describing political and social scum like falwell, palin, bush etetc, his epitaph must include his blatant racism and hate filled cheer-leading against Islam.
Sleep well, Hitch.
ReplyDeleteHe was a big time supporter of the Iraq war. This was the part I never really understood about him. He just would not admit he was wrong for supporting it but he did soften a bit the last few years. I also thought he was drunk most of the time he was being interviewed
ReplyDeleteHe isn't the only one that thinks that of Palin!!!
ReplyDeleteUntil now, I had no idea who this guy was. I respect anyone who lives without caring what others think of his words. No regrets.
ReplyDeleteDude, Anon 10:26. you are so delusional and Palin-obsessed. Wake up from whatever sad reality you live in.
I personally have strong distaste for anyone who tries to ridicule others for their personal beliefs. My Aunt and uncle are diehard atheists and people who have no desire to associate with people who don't have at least a Ph D. This appalls me and I hope this closed-mindedness is something you work against.
ReplyDeleteHigher education is not the end-all be-all. Love, conviction and passion is all that is needed to succeed.
We all take different paths, every decision and moment from our pasts make us the person we are today.
Stereotyping people, groups, ethnicities will continue to denigrate the world. Let's end it now.
Passing judgment on anyone is wrong anyhow, no matter the reason of emotion behind it.
Disgusting comments about Mother Theresa. Those words are better left forgotten. I found this gentleman's entire view and manner quite chilling. His personal story explains a lot, imo. His insistence that he was not a conservative was preposterous. He was a hawk from everything I could tell.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, resident Atheist posse, you all behave just as arrogantly as any religious person ever has around here.
Gryphen has benevolently decided to accept my apparently misguided need to believe in things unseen! How keen is his insight, far beyond mine ;-).
Let's just agree to disagree. Hitchens knows now if he was right or wrong on life beyond this one. That's the first thing I thought when he passed.
@12:25 Get your nose out of those Palin Panties and smell the roses.
ReplyDeleteToo acerbic for your taste? Come on Jesse, Don't make me go back through your old posts to show examples of your acerbic speech.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't have a problem with that, sometimes people need to be hit over the head with the acerbic frying pan.
Rick
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteUntil now, I had no idea who this guy was. I respect anyone who lives without caring what others think of his words. No regrets.
Dude, Anon 10:26. you are so delusional and Palin-obsessed. Wake up from whatever sad reality you live in.
12:25 PM
STFU Bristol! We know it's you...don't you have a birthday party to plan....Happy 1st Birthday Tristan!
12:30 PM
ReplyDeleteYou sound deranged. You must be that "commondecency" crazy chick.
Well, I am pretty sure that right about now the one who was Christopher Hitchens is getting a big surprise. That is because he is out of his body, yet he still has a consciousness. Oh well, too bad he can't use his acid wit to describe this to us!!
ReplyDeleteLoving Energies to you Christopher Hitchens; you certainly enriched our political discourse.
So sad. Another brilliant mind lost too soon. I was just getting to know this man and will start reading his biography tonight in his honor. Hope he and Jobs can get together wherever they are and straighten this place out.
ReplyDeleteI'm deeply saddened by Christopher Hitchen's death. We've lost an important voice.
ReplyDeleteHere's more of Hitchens on the 2008 campaign and Palin whom he called 'a national disgrace', 'a deceiving and unscrupulous woman utterly unversed in any of the needful political discourses but easily trained to utter preposterous lies and to appeal to the basest element of her audience.'
'The most insulting thing that a politician can do is to compel you to ask yourself: "What does he take me for?" Precisely this question is provoked by the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin.'
(and there's more)
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2008/10/vote_for_obama.html
My favorite quote is from "God is Not Great"
ReplyDeleteHow much vanity must be concealed in order to pretend that one is the personal object of a devine plan?"
Anyone who believes that Hitch was a fan of Muslims should read that book.
I hate to hear of his passing because gone, is gone, is gone and we are no more. He left more of a mark on the literary world than many would ever hope to do, and that will be his legacy and his afterlife. His heaven is having people read his works for years and years to come.
ReplyDeleteGryphen,,
ReplyDeleteYou have more respect for Hitcens than do I. He was a genuine intellect to be sure, but he could also be an overbearing bully. In that regard he rather reminded me of William F. Buckley. He also never waivered in his support for the Iraq war, a major character flaw in my book.
He was, however, a genuine wit who did not suffer fools gladly, but as David Frum said, "loved to make fools suffer.". For that I will tip my hat and toast him with a nice single malt.
About George W. Bush: “He is lucky to be governor of Texas. He is unusually incurious, abnormally unintelligent, amazingly inarticulate, fantastically uncultured, extraordinarily uneducated, and apparently quite proud of all these things.”
ReplyDeleteThat goes for Sarah also too. And Rick Perry.