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Christopher Hitchens dies aged 62.
I hope you will all all join me in raising a glass(preferably johnny walker black label), to one of the great jounralists and writers of our time.
To Hitch.
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Journalist and writer. Not one of the greatest of our time. Just one man's opinion.
I thought he was a boob and an ass, but I occasionally agreed with him and he was definitely intelligent and a good writer, even if boorish. Cancer is a bad deal for anyone, and I can definitely appreciate his alcoholism, so I'll join you in raising that glass! :)
You only say that because your american, and there for haven't had to deal with his brother much ;)
You'd appreciate him more if you had.
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I thought he was a boob and an ass, but I occasionally agreed with him and he was definitely intelligent and a good writer, even if boorish. Cancer is a bad deal for anyone, and I can definitely appreciate his alcoholism, so I'll join you in raising that glass! :)
I also thought he was a boob and an ass, I rarely agreed with him and even when I did he said it in such a way I hated myself for agreeing. Intelligent yes, not sure about good writer, defiantly boorish. I would not wish a slow painful death from cancer to anyone. I don't drink usually, so let me just wish him peace from his pain and that I hope he made it to a better place, even if he did not believe in one.
World famous writer and atheist Christopher is surprised to find himself in the Afterlife. I will let you decide if he is in Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell.
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I think it's uncontroversial to say that the specific cast of characters who are outright denouncing him after his death (not anyone here) would probably have pleased him to know in life.
I rarely agreed with him, and I was often astonished at how belligerent he managed to be (was it the whiskey?) but I always made a point of reading his stuff.
I think the world needs more indignant bastards who don't toe any party line.
I think the world needs more indignant bastards who don't toe any party line. [/QUOTE} I could not agree more.
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A pugnacious writer and speaker, and a quick wit. He never held back. I appreciated his frankness, whether I agreed or not.
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World famous writer and atheist Christopher is surprised to find himself in the Afterlife.
Do you have any evidence to support that claim?
If not, maybe it would be best if you didn't try to drag the thread in that direction.
A pugnacious writer and speaker, and a quick wit. He never held back. I appreciated his frankness, whether I agreed or not.
I love that little speech.
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R-SjC3lTWk&feature=related]You might only have a few days left...
I am sad to say that Christopher Hitchens was NOT on the list of celebrity leftists (or, in his case, ex-leftists) who have told me to shut up. And now, he'll never get the chance! :(
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Hahah:
"I don't think there's a need to have essays advocating selfishness among human beings. I don't know what your impression has been, but some things require no further reinforcement."
What a magnificent bastard.
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I loved that guy -- he was never afraid to blurt out exactly what he was thinking, and to do it with wit and panache. We as a society desperately need more like him -- people determined to get everyone else to think outside of their comfort zones a bit, to break us out of our respective narcotizing echo chambers.
I often disagreed with Hitch's point of view -- sometimes extremely so -- but I always learned something from reading his columns, and had a good time doing so.
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As a Christian, I am very sad to see his passing. I found myself surprisingly in agreement with some of his conservative political beliefs, though obviously in great disagreement over his spiritual ones. Cancer is a deadly thing that I wouldn't wish upon anyone. I found him to be a respectful gentleman, especially in his discourse with Doug Wilson in the Collision film which I would recommend to anyone. I'm sure would I have had the pleasure to know him in person I would say the same.
Turns out he did go to Heaven, don't you know, and there he finds that the place is just for atheists like him. =)
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World famous writer and atheist Christopher is surprised to find himself in the Afterlife. I will let you decide if he is in Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell.
To those who urged him to embrace religion once he knew he was dying:
Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug all your life. Make your last days the best ones.' People might suppose this was in poor taste.
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I always think it is telling to try to pay tribute to someone in their own style: so something like...
He had the kind of fatuous, wide-ranging self-importance that only results from a certain kind of minor public school education. Often, he managed to inveigle himself into the company of some of the brightest minds; wherein his restless tongue could win him favour and reward that his rather wearying intellect did not fully deserve.
Or is that too overwrought, even for Hitchens?
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Geraint, your imitation of his style is pretty good, I have to admit, but I think the man was far brighter than you give him credit for -- indeed, to not number him among the "brightest minds" you allude to is a mistake. Think about it -- those other brightest minds probably didn't share his company because of his agreeable personality, so you have to assume he brought something else to the table.
Some beers, some smokes and respect!
I hope he is "pleasantly surprised"!
RIP
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World famous writer and atheist Christopher is surprised to find himself in the Afterlife. I will let you decide if he is in Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell.
Kurt Vonnegut famously said ""Isaac is heaven now" at a memorial service for Issac Asimov.
The crowd roared with laughter at the joke.
I'm going to assume that was your intent was a similar joke, as it does not makes you appear like a complete ass if I do. I hope I am correct.
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Hitch was one of my intellectual heroes. Yes he was boorish and rude - he was a contrarian; but as he famously said
Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence.
His death leaves the world fewer a great journalist and author. Perhaps not one of the greatest of our time, but a great one none the less.
So Zombieneighbours, I'll raise my glass with you. To contrarianism, intellectual honesty, and valiance in the face of death.
Do people really think he was boorish?
Yes he was rude, and incredibly so sometimes. But it was never a clumsy, brutish or ignorant kind of rudeness, it was very carefully and expertly carried out rudeness, always with a purpose.
Also, do any of you have a favourite Hitchens quote?