Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins at the Texas Freethought Convention 2011

Hitchens, author of God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, and most recently of Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens, was presented with the Richard Dawkins Freethinker of the Year Award by Dawkins himself. Dawkins is the bestselling author of The God Delusion and The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True.

Though Hitchens suffers from esophageal cancer, he and Dawkins spoke and took questions for about an hour in front of a crowd of what appeared to be well over a thousand people.

In introducing Hitchens and presenting him with the award that bears his name, Dawkins said that the old religious line that there are "no atheists in foxholes" is disproven daily by Christopher Hitchens. Hitchens is dying and he knows it, but stares reality in the eye without blinking, Dawkins said.

Hitchens' speech did not disappoint. He talked about his illness and noted that over the last year, he'd been coming to Houston regularly for treatment, presumably at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He was emphatic that he wouldn't stop doing his best to shed light on the fraudulent claims made by religion, a line that brought the crowd to its feet.*

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[MrPoisonedantidote]

I cant find the button that makes dawkins stfu

[gooofy2285]

@MrPoisonedantidote Try ALT+F4. Thank me later.

[hwangyi74]

I admire Hitchens for his extra ordinary intellectual level, but his unnecessarily critical view and hatred of religion(s) always made me shake my head. There's no doubt both Dawkins and Hitchens are brilliant thinkers, but I wish both of them would've left the subject of religion alone. They've gained absolutely nothing by attacking religion(s).

[gooofy2285]

@hwangyi74 I don't think they are attacking religion so much as they are attacking the suspension of logic.

[gooofy2285]

Thanks for all the reinforcements, religious_troll_011.

[callstarnz]

Inspirational.

Just an observation: I noticed that only christians and creationists (although one in the same) are the only ones who disable comments. It seems to be a carbon copy of the way they are in real life.

This is one of my all time favourite videos just after one watch! Although I have said something, I am left speechless and inspired!

[gooofy2285]

@callstarnz No point to censor comments. I believe most objective people can understand what they are talking about.

[hummerume]

RIP Hitch, you will always be remembered as a warrior against ignorance!

[McPrfctday]

The Hitch is dead, long live The Hitch! :'-l

[mcpwns]

I've seen many of Hitch's interviews on YouTube, but it almost brought a tear to my eye to seem him this gaunt. His body may have been dying, but his mind was very much alive and his ideas will live on in our minds forever. Thank you for everything, Mr Hitchens.

[SimplyTehDopest]

@CokeSupply very true. he's more boring than the pastor at the church i was forced to attend. i'm sure he's intelligent and all, but he can't keep my attention long enough to find out.

[csadler]

@MrPoisonedantidote We found the button to shut you up - fucking troll.

[Astrolutra]

@gooofy2285 :P I see what you did.

[xlr8rkid98]

I've watched this already, but everytime someone else uploads a Hitch speech I have to give the new uploader a view. Thanks for it man, Ive never felt the pain of someones death as much as Christopher's, but man I'm glad I can know him through the work he's left behind.

Rest In P... well, thanks Hitch.

[henryporter101]

Brilliant!thanks for uploading.A superb quote at the end-'anyone who can lead you into the promised land can lead you out'.A sublime and heroic warning from a dying hero.

[MrSoliPat]

@hwangyi74 Religion is a plague of out minds and society if they use their lives to eradicate it they would probably in the future save some people from god and they will be great scientists etc them selves.

[gluepot66]

@hwangyi74 with people such as yourself no obviously not you are determined to believe in a god come what may