Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer

www.politico.com...

Christopher Hitchens was diagnosed with cancer in June, and he opens up about the ordeal in the latest issue of Vanity Fair.

"In whatever kind of a 'race' life may be, I have very abruptly become a finalist. ... I can’t see myself smiting my brow with shock or hear myself whining about how it’s all so unfair: I have been taunting the Reaper into taking a free scythe in my direction and have now succumbed to something so predictable and banal that it bores even me," he writes. "Rage would be beside the point for the same reason. Instead, I am badly oppressed by a gnawing sense of waste. I had real plans for my next decade and felt I’d worked hard enough to earn it. Will I really not live to see my children married? To watch the World Trade Center rise again? To read — if not indeed write — the obituaries of elderly villains like Henry Kissinger and Joseph Ratzinger?"

Christopher Hitchens are one of my heroes, this is absolutely horrible.

He was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer and the chance of living to 5 years is relatively low.

I wish Mr. Hitchens the very best of luck, I would love to see him live through this decade but I don't foresee this happening.

[edit on 8/4/2010 by Misoir]

Oh no! This is terrible, I wish him the best of luck!

Bye bye Chris.......I doubt if anyone will miss you when you are gone. To bad you are an atheist, now you have nothing to look forward to. Am I right?

You might not live to see your kids get married, and I doubt if you will live to see the New World Trade Center rise. But you might live long enough to see the mosque near ground zero go up.

You might not live long enough to write the obituaries of those evil Jews and Christians......but hey Chris, guess what?.....You can start writing your own!

And please don't be offended Chris by what I am about to say.............I'll pray for ya brother, it's never to late, while you're still above ground.

reply to post by MY2Commoncentsworth


Why the hate?

We all have the right to choose what we believe. I understand that he isn't exactly loved by everybody but that's beside the point.

Many people are praying for him to live. Many people are praying for him to die. I think it's a huge waste of time just as religion is a waste of time. That may not be your point of view but I don't care either.

Everyone turns to dust at some point.

It is unfortunate that anyone should have to get cancer. It is more unfortunate that people want the man to die because of his viewpoints.

Hitchens on cancer: 'Why not me?'

-ChriS

This was rather touching and shows a lot of respect...

But on the side of my continued life is a group of brilliant and selfless physicians plus an astonishing number of prayer groups.

He doesn't sound very hopeful until the end of the article, where he says that. It sounds bad, but you never know...

Wishing him the best in this struggle.

[edit on 8/5/2010 by ~Lucidity]

reply to post by BlasteR


I don't hate the man. I hated some of the things that he has said and done but I don't hate him.....It's just the way I am I guess....I am usually misunderstood by a lot of people. I hope that he recovers, but that kind of cancer is usually always terminal.

I had an uncle who died from esophageal cancer......The same thing might happen to me.....and if it does and I announce it here on ATS, you can rub my nose in it.

But at least I will exit this world knowing what will come next. All Chris can hope for is the bleak abyss that he expects it to be......I will continue praying for him, and for you as well my friend, even if you think that I am a fool for my belief in God.

While I do sympathize with the man, and have Love for him .....I still say that he is in for quite a surprise once he eventually leaves the body and gets to experience the other side ....spiritual reality at your front door.

Death ....just part of life here in this earth prison realm.

Who ? Never heard of him before. Whats his claim to "fame" ?

reply to post by Expat888

Here you go.

Hope this helps.

[edit on 8/6/2010 by ~Lucidity]

Originally posted by MY2Commoncentsworth
Bye bye Chris.......I doubt if anyone will miss you when you are gone. To bad you are an atheist, now you have nothing to look forward to. Am I right?

You might not live to see your kids get married, and I doubt if you will live to see the New World Trade Center rise. But you might live long enough to see the mosque near ground zero go up.

You might not live long enough to write the obituaries of those evil Jews and Christians......but hey Chris, guess what?.....You can start writing your own!

And please don't be offended Chris by what I am about to say.............I'll pray for ya brother, it's never to late, while you're still above ground.

I have no extraordinary love for Christopher Hitchens. I disagree with his belief and think that if he were to resign himself to God or a belief in God he would experience a miraculous recovery or remission. If I thought it would make a difference I would tell him this. The closer he gets to death the more impressive would be his cure. God uses people and he wants this man. No matter what we naively think, our life, no life, is our own to give or take.. and this I firmly believe. We are instruments for playing and each of us play a different song.
That said, I don't see the need for slapstick here. We are dealing with a man who is dying. This is always a loss for us and if you do not respect his life you do not respect life. Shame on anyone who makes light of a mans mortality. Never tempt God to take you instead... because He will. In a nanosecond.

Originally posted by MY2Commoncentsworth
Bye bye Chris.......I doubt if anyone will miss you when you are gone. To bad you are an atheist, now you have nothing to look forward to. Am I right?

You might not live to see your kids get married, and I doubt if you will live to see the New World Trade Center rise. But you might live long enough to see the mosque near ground zero go up.

You might not live long enough to write the obituaries of those evil Jews and Christians......but hey Chris, guess what?.....You can start writing your own!

And please don't be offended Chris by what I am about to say.............I'll pray for ya brother, it's never to late, while you're still above ground.

You sound like such a loving person!
"Deny ignorance" was the ATS motto when I signed up. Why are you even here?

I wish Hitchens all the best. He's got a major struggle ahead of him but I can't help but feel he's partly given up already having seen the statistics.

I disagreed with a lot of his more recent writings and his support for the gulf war was the final straw. If he was on ATS he would have been my honorable foe.

I hope he recovers and lives on. In this increasing bland world at least he stood up to be counted even if it was in the wrong queue. If he goes I hope he does not suffer unduly.

reply to post by rusethorcain


I have strongly agreed with many things he has said in the past in regard to 9-11 and terrorism. But I am also appalled at his beliefs on how he perceives religion, and God in particular, to be the cause of most if not all of the worlds problems.

I do not wish him any ill will, I believe that I've made myself clear in my previous posts on this thread. If I want to be a little humorous, I will be, on any topic that I chose to be.

Sorry if it offended you, like I said before, I am misunderstood by a lot of people........It is because I know Jesus that I am able to be humorous about certain individuals deaths, including my own, when the time comes.

edited to add.....I stand by my original post. It would be interesting to see what kinds of vitriol he pours out in the obituaries of the Pope and the Ambassador......It would be interesting to see how he judges himself in his own obituary, or if he even has the balls to write one.

[edit on 9-8-2010 by MY2Commoncentsworth]

Originally posted by MY2Commoncentsworth
reply to post by rusethorcain

 

I have strongly agreed with many things he has said in the past in regard to 9-11 and terrorism. But I am also appalled at his beliefs on how he perceives religion, and God in particular, to be the cause of most if not all of the worlds problems.

I do not wish him any ill will, I believe that I've made myself clear in my previous posts on this thread. If I want to be a little humorous, I will be, on any topic that I chose to be.

Sorry if it offended you, like I said before, I am misunderstood by a lot of people........It is because I know Jesus that I am able to be humorous about certain individuals deaths, including my own, when the time comes.

God Is Not Great.
This was his book and I know of him from this and interviews I've seen on television.
He is as entitled to his opinion as anyone else and I respect his right to speak his mind. Has he killed anyone? Damaged another human being in some way? No. There are worthier people to hate.
I don't think he could be more wrong. Still you have no idea of God's plan for the man. Perhaps he will die. Maybe he will enjoy a conversion and miraculous remission. Something to make his tortured soul appreciate the divine, personal and all encompassing power of God. I certainly hope so. Wouldn't he be a great proponent if he were cured through his own redemption and prayer? Skeptics abound, this is healthy, but one by one they are changed - not according to our will, but His.

Judge not, that you may not be judged. Mathew 7:1

And I guess the humor went over my head.

reply to post by rusethorcain

Originally posted by rusethorcain
Judge not, that you may not be judged. Mathew 7:1

I am not judging him, it would be interesting to see how he judges himself. I am praying for him regardless. Being humorous is in no way passing judgment....only God and fools will judge him.....again, I'm sorry if you misunderstood me.

edited to add.......

Originally posted by rusethorcain He is as entitled to his opinion as anyone else and I respect his right to speak his mind. Has he killed anyone? Damaged another human being in some way? No. There are worthier people to hate.

How would I know if he has ever killed anyone?......Thousands of people get away with murder each year in the United States alone......Has he Damaged another human being in some way?....Probably. Most of us have done so at one time or another.

Are there worthier people to hate?.....Sure! Kim Jong Il, A'ckmadinnerjat, Pol Pot, the anti-Christ Mohammad, for bringing a world of hurt down upon us. Many hate George Bush, I try not to hate anybody, and if I do, I try to improve my situation so I will no longer have to hate them. And if that doesn't work, I pray to God for deliverance and forgiveness.

ask.yahoo.com...

[edit on 9-8-2010 by MY2Commoncentsworth]

The thing that I find particularly disagreeable abut Kitchens is his Neo-con foreign policy viewpoint. I understand , to a point, his loathing of Islam, as he is fairly contemptuous religions in general - as, I might add, am I.

When he argued on my side, I was happy to have him, but when he argued against, I was incensed, but it was, all of it, fueled by his amazing intellect.

I hope he gets well. I should like to see him thoroughly trounced on his war views. I should also like him to utterly crush the religious zealots.

reply to post by Misoir


Well something in the interview that I found funny with christopher Hitchens is Anderson cooper asked him "do you tell other people to pray for you". He said yeah they can I don;t mind if it makes them feel good. And cooper said your approaching death in an intelligent manner. No I disagree if we look at how Socrates apporached death. All of his friends were begging him to escape But he said no this is his time to die he was content and ready to go to god. I don;t know how you look at death in an intelligent manner and not find some eesence of spirituality.

reply to post by MY2Commoncentsworth

How would I know if he has ever killed anyone?......Thousands of people get away with murder each year in the United States alone......Has he Damaged another human being in some way?....Probably. Most of us have done so at one time or another.

Well really, I don't think he has killed anyone but the rest is true enough, still, I think this is Gods debt to repay. NOYB. We are not asked to correct anything. Faith is different than proselytizing. Faith is effortless.

Originally posted by MY2Commoncentsworth
Bye bye Chris.......I doubt if anyone will miss you when you are gone. To bad you are an atheist, now you have nothing to look forward to. Am I right?

You might not live to see your kids get married, and I doubt if you will live to see the New World Trade Center rise. But you might live long enough to see the mosque near ground zero go up.

You might not live long enough to write the obituaries of those evil Jews and Christians......but hey Chris, guess what?.....You can start writing your own!

And please don't be offended Chris by what I am about to say.............I'll pray for ya brother, it's never to late, while you're still above ground.

This is disgusting!! And later the guy uses Jesus as his justification, This is one of the reasons Jesus has been vilified in many quarters, not really a follower but Jesus speaks of love, Ive always appreciated that. This individual and his sick approach to another fellow human's suffering turns my stomach.

reply to post by rusethorcain

Originally posted by rusethorcain
Well really, I don't think he has killed anyone but the rest is true enough, still, I think this is Gods debt to repay. NOYB. We are not asked to correct anything. Faith is different than proselytizing. Faith is effortless.

I do not understand what you mean by, what? is Gods debt? to repay?...or...What? is NOMB. What am I trying to correct? Who's proselytizing?

Faith is effortless up to a point. In this day and age it will become even more and more difficult for a lot of Christians. It's what comes after faith that is the hard part. It's the event that happens after many many years of faith
that renders faith obsolete, and no longer necessary. The event where a Christian no longer needs blind faith to believe. Seeing is believing.

Hitch would think that we are fools.