Christopher Hitchens: Texas Freethought

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http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/12/In-Memoriam-Christopher-Hitche... Vanity Fair In Memoriam: Christopher Hitchens, 1949--2011, by Juli Weiner, Dec 15th 2011. 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. "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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TEXAS FREETHOUGHT CONVENTION 2011: http://www.texasfreethoughtconvention.com/schedule.html

The star attractions of this year's gathering are the movement's great defenders, Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins. The increasingly frail yet undiminished Hitchens is here to receive the Freethinker of the Year Award.

PROFESSOR RICHARD DAWKINS, OXFORD UNIVERSITY: He has inspired and energised and encouraged us all. His very character has become an outstanding and unmistakable symbol of the honesty and dignity of atheism.

This is an extremely rare public appearance for Hitchens who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer last year. For decades now, America's evangelical Christians have been vigorously promoting their faith, taking it into the mainstream of society and politics. The country's atheists and agnostics have increasingly felt pushed to the margins. But now they're fighting back, trying to make their views just as widely known. The non-believers recently gathered in Houston for the annual Texas Freethought Convention where the star attraction was Christopher Hitchens, straight from his hospital bed and ready to throw a few more verbal hand grenades despite what appears to be a terminal illness.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Christopher Hitchens
• Richard Dawkins
• Texas
• Houston
• America
• usa
• us
• evangelical
• Christian
• faith
• agnostic
• Texas Freethought Convention
• Freethinker of the Year Award
• OXFORD UNIVERSITY
• cancer
• God
• Agnosticism

[kanojo1969]

Well, that's the first time since his diagnosis that I've seen Mr HItchens really appear to struggle with simply speaking and standing for a few minutes. It left me more than a little shaken as Hitch has been the proverbial rock for all of us for quite a long time. It's very disturbing to see him so obviously weakened.

Bear in mind that he probably had a chemo session just a day or so before this event, and it's the chemo that leaves people so terribly weakened. So sad, but at least he's alive

[nightjarflying]

@kanojo1969 Not only the chemo ~ he's not allowed the holy Johnnie Walker Black Label these days. That must be a trial for the man. 

[kanojo1969]

Jesus Christ on a bike! Bloody Dawkins blathered for a full TWELVE MINUTES for his introduction. What an ass. I'm going to cancel his planned eulogy for my mothers funeral.

[nightjarflying]

@kanojo1969 LOL ! He hasn't got the common touch. Pompous at times, but a good heart. BTW ~ Hope your mum doesn't need Reverend Dawkins in the forseeable :)

[cynt123able]

Ive only known of christopher hitchen for the pass 2 yrs. He is some one who I have come to respect and admire. I am sadden by his death but I am grateful for his life.

[Draugh39]

“A candle that burns twice as bright, burn half as long”. Christopher had shown us what a person can do in the short time we have on this planet. He'll live on in our memories and in his work long after his death. Thank you "Hitch", and thank you for making us think and question. You’ll be missed!

[Learnerwp]

@edwdixon5 Everyone are stone-cold bores compard to Hitchens.

: )

[Learnerwp]

@kanojo1969 Yeah. I saw this again earlier today, and I was struck by how he handled himself with so much dignity. He was to quote a phrase: A man for all seasons.

I hope I have as much class when my time comes.

[kanojo1969]

@Learnerwp I know Dawkins is a genuinely nice guy (unless you are a militant agressive god botherer) so he may well have decided to talk as long as he could to lessen Hitchen's workload.

If I can see via a shitty youtube video that he looks markedly sicker than before, it must have been *very* obvious to people standing next to him. I am just astonished at the fact he was 'working' in public when he was so close to death.

[Learnerwp]

@kanojo1969 You said of Hitchens, "he probably had a chemo session just a day or so before this event, and it's the chemo that leaves people so terribly weakened"

Don't you think that's why Dawkins spoke longer than he would have otherwise?Hitchens wasn't able to speak for very long. It just seems to me that Dawkins was in the uncomfortable position of having to "fill in the time."

[louisa1421]

Amazingly, this turned out to be Hitchens' swan song! A better send-off couldn't have been scripted any better, relying not on a premonition, but on the certainty of death. How moving when Dawkins gave Hitchens «Un Abrazo de Hermano» (a brotherly hug) as we say in Spanish. Thank U, "Hitch" for having having allowed us to "hitch" a ride on your train of reason & clear thinking. Thank U for having the guts & finesse to stifle "the parties of god" in their irrational & warped tracks.

[leejs]

@JuzBecause Atheists have nothing on the religious when it comes to egos. Dawkins and Hitchens might be egotistical, but their intellect on their body of work has proven that they have some reason to be egotistical. At least they aren't walking around in a dress and ruby slippers pretend they speak for god.

[kanojo1969]

@Axis050 I know, how spooky, I might have written that comment less than 24 hours before he kicked the bucket.

Obviously he looked very sick to me because he *was* very sick, with that video uploaded just a few days before as well. He actually nearly died from chemo some weeks back so he was using a new experimental drug most recently. I don't know yet whether he died from the cancer, or from the chemotherapy. One day we will think of chemo the same as we think of leeches now. Hopefully soon.

[hotelmario510]

26:30

That is the most moving thing I have ever seen.

[JAKM0976]

Dawkins seems quite condescending. 

[mcc4m1sh]

It's amazing I just realised what is so good about Hitchen's orating. He speaks like a written book.