Christopher Hitchens address to American Atheists April 22, 2011

[marklh1]

Rock on Chris. I wish I had a tenth of your ability as a wordsmith. I am personally not sure where I stand in the atheism debate, but so long as there are people out there thrashing it out, the world is a better place.

[IROT1334]

Brilliant as usual

[surrfers73]

Damn right! He will be immortal because the works he's left behind, and you're right ....how can they sleep at night! They don't even know where the Sun goes at night ! lol loved your comment!

[pawndominance1]

funny thing is, hitchens is going to be more immortal than any religious person--because he has his books, articles, writings, and the HUGE youtube archive that'll never die. I am however pretty pissed, as I'm already seeing bullshit videos saying 'on his deathbed, the atheist prays to god' in the related vids--which ALWAYS have comments and ratings disabled--I'll never understand how a religious person can do that and still sleep at night

[selious04]

FORMER ATHEIST DIED!

"Ian McCormack (Part 1 of 10) Former atheist - man dies visits heaven and hell"

youtube [.] com/watch?v=V0ElkkYj4o0

[Dionysus5252]

Wishing you a speedy recovery sir  !!!.

Thank you for your insights !!

[PeterMacMusic]

I am increasingly of the belief that one day in the not too distant future this man will be heralded as one of the greatest humans ever for his unflinching determination to help rid mankind of its most dictatorial blindfold, religion.

May his fight against his current enemy be a long and as successful as possible one. One of today's true heroes.

[rapatoket]

It's good to have lived with Hitch in the one and only life we have. 

[kick2win13091]

THANK YOU HITCH.. YOU ARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST INSPIRATIONS IN MY LIFE.. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUVE DONE

[farerse]

nice of hawking to read this letter to us

[HighPoweredLasers]

@farerse Touche' I think this deserves a thumbs up for sure!

[Abbie102349]

@farerse Thank you Christopher, you are quite witty. I don't think that we are that far apart.

Take care,

Abbie Baker

[Arcanage]

lets make a Church! The Church of Christopher Hitchens and Modern Day Saints.

Saints in a ethics sense not a "holy" sense

[jdetuncq]

THANK YOU HITCH! ALL THE BEST!

[Mantajourneys]

You are wonderful Mr Hitchens. Thank you.

[BigG99]

this is a sad man.. its sad to see him die like this and with the view of death he has.. hell die without meaning and he will eventually be forgotten.. i guess hes getting exactly what he asked for all his life :(

[Blackman1000ify]

@BigG99 You idiot, this man is a hero! He's fought against religious fanatics and theocracies trying to impose their ridiculous philosophies onto innocent people. He has attained fame or philisophical immortality. He is a hero towards atheists and he will never be forgotten.

[EamonnMurphy00]

Thanks for posting this.

[souman5]

Open mind, open heart. Thank you.

[JBeezie428]

I hope you live long Mr. Hitchens! You are my biggest inspiration. Intellectually, comically, and humanly, you have meant so much to me and I hope you livwe for many years to come. Even if you don't, as you have said before, you will live on in our thoughts, and our effect we have on the world around us! HITCH FOREVER!

[ponedog]

When he dies I don't have a clue what I'm going to do with myself, besides cry.

[jammalammaDD]

And what makes you think that 1) atheism can't be true, and that 2) i'ts not a world view. Sure it is. Atheists believe that God does not exist. Yes I've heard also that they just have a "lack of belief in God..." This seems to me to be a twist just to wiggle out of a central point. There are so many arguments FOR the existence of God and none for the "non-existence" of God. Seems more rational TO believe that God exists. See dictionary for definition of "rational" for starters

[supergamwich]

@jammalammaDD

Obvious troll is obvious.

Don't feed this guy people, he is long gone.

[kram83au]

@jammalammaDD until you wrap your head around the facts that christianity is just plagerised nonsense from previous gods, with its own dodgy scriptures, i wish you well in your schooling when you hit your teens, maybe critical thinking shall arise in that time. good luck son.

[jammalammaDD]

What makes you think I have a weak mind?

[jammalammaDD]

- Please at least LISTEN to the alternative arguments from the likes of Bill Craig, J.P. Moreland, Greg Koukl, Gary Habermas, Mike Lacona and others. They lay out a case, with evidence and logic. I have heard both sides and given both a FAIR consideration. I just can't buy atheism at this time. Not enough evidence. If there is plese submit it. One more thing. Whatever you think about Christians, so many of your enemies (Christians) are praying and rooting for you Christopher.

[jammalammaDD]

Has is been verified that this is actually Hitchen's writing? Where did they get this from, Vanity Fair? Where? I'd like to go read it in its published form. Thanks, anyone.

[jeremyshambles]

one of the most exceptional, intellilgent and important individuals to ever walk this planet, cheers from san diego

[JacyJ1]

Dear Christopher

You mean so much to me.

You have made a great difference in my thinking.

I first heard you speak at the 92st Y against Shmuley Boteach. Since that debate, I've listened to just about your every word.

You are an extraordinary and brilliant man. Thank you for everything you've given us

[JacyJ1]

Dear Christopher

You mean so much to me.

You have made a great difference in my thinking.

I first heard you speak at the 92st Y against Shmuley Boteach. Since that debate, I've listened to just about your every word.

You are an extraordinary and brilliant man.

[alexdeltoro4]

Atheist Proselytizers:

Still others, propagate & exalt, as Mr. Hitchens does, this rampage hedonistic, 'I have a right to,' self destructive (literally) life style. It's a shame b/c Mr. Hitchens is certainly the most entertaining & sincere in his approach. He has issues, uses substance abuse & insult laden criticism to medicate his pain - but desires to bring every down to his level (morally) & finds it impossible to grasp that pain & hatred can be let go of & forgiveness is real!

[alexdeltoro4]

Atheist Proselytizers:

Others prefer to bow to the (un)exact sciences (Dawkins), used by Newton & others to help understand & explain - not abuse for my own agenda to justify my selfish immorality. If God exists u & your meme theories are no longer important, but injecting doubt brings u recognition, fame, fortune & the added bonus of even marrying a Hollywood actress. U r no different from the carpet-bagging prosperity preachers, who prey off the ignorant & the innocent seeker.

[myjizzureye]

@alexdeltoro4 My goodness, you know you see nutters here and there and you sort of get used to them but every now and then somebody spectacularly nutty comes along and forces you to re-evaluate just how nutty primates can get. I just have to ask, which god/gods are you referring to? Are you so stupendously spastic not to realise just how big of a disadvantage it is to somebody to proclaim non belief let alone support it in public? So he did it just for cash, fame and a sexy wife? Nutty.....

[alexdeltoro4]

@myjizzureye For such a HUgE 'disadvantage,' Dickie sure is Raking it in - stats' r on amazon.com.

[myjizzureye]

@alexdeltoro4 Ahhh so there is the proof then, he clearly is doing it only for the money. I mean why else would you not accept something there is no evidence for right, cash and girls is answer. I say how did you get so amazingly clever.........

[alexdeltoro4]

@myjizzureye same way u did friend w/ that wildly clever & original screen name . . . Classy.  Here's some serious advice, get out of porn dude it's ruining ur mind.

[myjizzureye]

@alexdeltoro4 Thats pot calling kettle black. You're clearly nuttier than a snickers bar. Yes it is perfectly rational and reasonable for somebody to reject a claim that has zero evidence supporting it.

To be so pig arrogant as to suggest the only plausible explanation that somebody wouldn't agree with your world view is that they must be getting paid, because clearly you just cannot be wrong.....is just stupendously nutty. It is on the other hand a very American trait.

[alexdeltoro4]

@myjizzureye like I said before, get the hell out of PORNO before it truly claims u friend. U've mentioned nut - like 50 times in the last 4 days, & ur rants have become incoherent.

Insulting me for being American? Exaggerating my dissent to be interpreted as the 'only plausible explanation?' Never said it was the only explanation, . . . just Dawkins' explanation.

[myjizzureye]

@alexdeltoro4 Well you are nuttier than a snickers bar. People can make up their own minds who here is nutty.

It's you who have brought up pornography now several times yet its me who is obsessed? You are completely transparent.

It's like you watch somebody look into an empty box, you ask him is there anything in the box, he says no. You ask him why he thinks that and he says because i didn't see anything inside. You then step back and say so you are clearly being paid to say that. Nutty.

[Coyotecyb]

@alexdeltoro4 Go look up the meaning of the word theory fucktard and while your at it please discontinue your bloodline because your holding up the evolution of the human race into something more intelligent than you can apparently be.

[alexdeltoro4]

@Coyotecyb thx 4 the kind words. Wish u the best!

[xXNickPXx]

@alexdeltoro4

Firstly, your question about lesser organisms shows you know NOTHING about evolution other than 1 phrase.

Secondly, common sense is NOT evidence of fact (although you've used it to that effect in your comment). Take for example the Earth being round: without our modern education, common sense would tell you that it is flat because we cannot perceive its curve easily.

Thirdly, why does evolution devalue us? We are no more or less valuable with or without an imagined deity.

[klhighbury]

thank you Mr Hitchens.

[MakisPyrgiotis]

THANK YOU MR. HITCHENS FOR GIVING ME THE COURAGE AND BALLS TO THINK AND SPEAK FOR MYSELF.

YOU HAVE BEEN THE BRIGHTEST OF BEACONS FOR ME SINCE I FIRST SAW/HEARD YOU THREE YEARS NOW.

ALTHOUGH, TOMORROW IS PROMISED TO NO ONE, AND SHOULD YOU LEAVE US, BECAUSE OF YOUR ILLNESS, OUR WORLD WILL NOT BE AS BRIGHT AND HOPEFULL, WITHOUT YOU.

TAKE CARE.

[surrfers73]

@MakisPyrgiotis you my friend freaking nailed it perfectly! that is exactly how i feel too!!!!!! thank u

[surrfers73]

@MakisPyrgiotis you my friend freaking nailed it perfectly! that is exactly how i feel too!!!!!! thank u.

[surrfers73]

@MakisPyrgiotisYou, my friend freaking nailed it perfectly! That is exactly how i feel too!!!!!! thank you!

[lolingattheism]

This world is half of its worth when CH is gone.

[jammalammaDD]

@lolingattheism but if atheism is true, then it doesn't matter if it's brighter....or darker...or whatever....after ANY of us are gone. In just so many billions of years we'll have universal heat death and no one, no thing or no intelligence will care or even know we were here. I truly have given Hitchen's (& atheist's) "arguments" a chance and I really can't buy it - it's too outlandish. I too am truly sorry to see CH go - when he goes. I' sorry any of us have to go if there is nothing beyond.

[lolingattheism]

@jammalammaDD Atheism can't be true, it is not a world view. All we say there is no evidence of any gods or goddesses, although I am on edge when ever I see image of J-Lo. The religious are fucking with your weak mind and that is sad to hear, but keep thinking.

[jammalammaDD]

@lolingattheism It seems that you're squirming away from a point. That is disingenuous. Either God exists or he/she does not exist. That makes the position that atheism takes as true or not true. I'm not sure what you're talking about someone messing with my mind, unless you both sides are messing with it because of my interest in the subject and my wililngness to give both sides a fair hearing. Afterall, either COULD be true don't you think?.

[lolingattheism]

@jammalammaDD It surely could be true there is a god or multiple gods or goddesses, but the very sad fact is, there is no proof of any of them. This fact makes the religious claims of knowledge a joke, and if you don't mind, Ill have my way with your beliefs. I bet you don't believe in Thor and his war hammer. just adjust my disbelief and your disbelief and you'll get to the core of this nondebate.

[jammalammaDD]

@lolingattheism you say there is no proof of any God or gods. First of all, what do you mean by proof. Do you mean like a scientific experiment? or would evidence such as a universe that had a beginning a finite time in the past - the impossibility of reaching and actual infinity of time (one can always go one more) in the past or the future? Or how about the teleological argument (fine-tuning)? Or the moral argument (objective morals)? Even the resurrection of Jesus has certain evidences

[marimba94]

@jammalammaDD Good job, Dr. William Lane Craig. Learn to think for yourself.

[jammalammaDD]

@lolingattheism I guess my question to someone claiming to have an open mind is - what kind of proof would suffice?

[jammalammaDD]

@lolingattheism Wow...I saw one of your videos. You seem very angry. If we are to have a conversation here, I must ask that it be kept respectful. Or maybe you don't want that . That's ok too.