‘Militant Pundit’ Christopher Hitchens Dies at 62
- Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:11am by
Scott Baker
- Print »
- Email »
Photo: Reuters
WASHINGTON (AP) — Christopher Hitchens, the author, essayist and polemicist who waged verbal and occasional physical battle on behalf of causes left and right and wrote the provocative best-seller “God is Not Great,” died Thursday night after a long battle with cancer. He was 62.
Hitchens death was announced in a statement from Vanity Fair magazine. The statement says he died Thursday night at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston of pneumonia, a complication of his esophageal cancer.
“There will never be another like Christopher. A man of ferocious intellect, who was as vibrant on the page as he was at the bar,” said Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter. “Those who read him felt they knew him, and those who knew him were profoundly fortunate souls.”
A most engaged, prolific and public intellectual who enjoyed his drink (enough to “to kill or stun the average mule”) and cigarettes, he announced in June 2010 that he was being treated for cancer of the esophagus and cancelled a tour for his memoir “Hitch-22.”
Hitchens, a frequent television commentator and a contributor to Vanity Fair, Slate and other publications, had become a popular author in 2007 thanks to “God is Not Great,” a manifesto for athiests that defied a recent trend of religious works. Cancer humbled, but did not mellow him. Even after his diagnosis, his columns appeared weekly, savaging the royal family or reveling in the death of Osama bin Laden.
“I love the imagery of struggle,” he wrote about his illness in an August 2010 essay in Vanity Fair. “I sometimes wish I were suffering in a good cause, or risking my life for the good of others, instead of just being a gravely endangered patient.”
Eloquent and intemperate, bawdy and urbane, he was an acknowledged contrarian and contradiction — half-Christian, half-Jewish and fully non-believing; a native of England who settled in America; a former Trotskyite who backed the Iraq war and supported George W. Bush. But his passions remained constant and enemies of his youth, from Henry Kissinger to Mother Teresa, remained hated.
He was a militant humanist who believed in pluralism and racial justice and freedom of speech, big cities and fine art and the willingness to stand the consequences. He was smacked in the rear by then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and beaten up in Beirut. He once submitted to waterboarding to prove that it was indeed torture.
Hitchens was an old-fashioned sensualist who abstained from clean living as if it were just another kind of church. In 2005, he would recall a trip to Aspen, Colo., and a brief encounter after stepping off a ski lift.
“I was met by immaculate specimens of young American womanhood, holding silver trays and flashing perfect dentition,” he wrote. “What would I like? I thought a gin and tonic would meet the case. ‘Sir, that would be inappropriate.’ In what respect? ‘At this altitude gin would be very much more toxic than at ground level.’ In that case, I said, make it a double.”
An emphatic ally and inspired foe, he stood by friends in trouble (“Satanic Verses” novelist Salman Rushdie) and against enemies in power (Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini). His heroes included George Orwell, Thomas Paine and Gore Vidal (pre-Sept. 11). Among those on the Hitchens list of shame: Michael Moore, Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong il, Sarah Palin, Gore Vidal (post Sept. 11) and Prince Charles.
“We have known for a long time that Prince Charles’ empty sails are so rigged as to be swelled by any passing waft or breeze of crankiness and cant,” Hitchens wrote in 2010 after the heir to the British throne gave a speech criticizing Galileo for the scientist’s focus on “the material aspect of reality.”
“He fell for the fake anthropologist Laurens van der Post. He was bowled over by the charms of homeopathic medicine. He has been believably reported as saying that plants do better if you talk to them in a soothing and encouraging way. But this latest departure promotes him from an advocate of harmless nonsense to positively sinister nonsense.”
Hitchens was born in Portsmouth, England, in 1949. His father, Eric, was a “purse-lipped“ Navy veteran known as ”The Commander”; his mother, Yvonne, a romantic who later kill herself during an extra-marital rendezvous in Greece. Young Christopher would have rather read a book. He was a “a mere weed and weakling and kick-bag“ who discovered that ”words could function as weapons” and so stockpiled them.
In college, Oxford, he met such longtime friends as authors Martin Amis and Ian McEwan and claimed to be nearby when visiting Rhodes scholar Bill Clinton did or did not inhale marijuana. Radicalized by the 1960s, Hitchens was often arrested at political rallies, was kicked out of Britain’s Labour Party over his opposition to the Vietnam War and became a correspondent for the radical magazine International Socialiam. His reputation broadened in the 1970s through his writings for the New Statesman.
Wavy-haired and brooding and aflame with wit and righteous anger, he was a star of the left on paper and on camera, a popular television guest and a columnist for one of the world’s oldest liberal publications, The Nation. In friendlier times, Vidal was quoted as citing Hitchens as a worthy heir to his satirical throne.
But Hitchens never could simply nod his head. He feuded with fellow Nation columnist Alexander Cockburn, broke with Vidal and angered freedom of choice supporters by stating that the child’s life begins at conception. An essay for Vanity Fair was titled “Why Women Aren’t Funny,” and Hitchens wasn’t kidding.
He had long been unhappy with the left’s reluctance to confront enemies or friends. He would note his strong disappointment that Arthur Miller and other leading liberals shied from making public appearances on behalf of Rushdie after the Ayatollah Khomeini called for his death. He advocated intervention in Bosnia and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
No Democrat angered him more than Clinton, whose presidency led to the bitter end of Hitchens’ friendship with White House aide Sidney Blumenthal and other Clinton backers. As Hitchens wrote in his memoir, he found Clinton “hateful in his behavior to women, pathological as a liar, and deeply suspect when it came to money in politics.”
He wrote the anti-Clinton book, “No One Left to Lie To,” at a time when most liberals were supporting the president as he faced impeachment over his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Hitchens also loathed Hillary Rodham Clinton and switched his affiliation from independent to Democrat in 2008 just so he could vote against her in the presidential primary.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, completed his exit. He fought with Vidal, Noam Chomsky and others who either suggested that U.S. foreign policy had helped caused the tragedy or that the Bush administration had advanced knowledge. He supported the Iraq war, quit The Nation, backed Bush for re-election in 2004 and repeatedly chastised those whom he believed worried unduly about the feelings of Muslims.
“It’s not enough that faith claims to be the solution to all problems,” he wrote in 2009 after a Danish newspaper apologized for publishing cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that led Muslim organizations to threaten legal action. “It is now demanded that such a preposterous claim be made immune from any inquiry, any critique, and any ridicule.”
His essays were compiled in such books as “For the Sake of Argument” and “Prepared for the Worst.” He also wrote short biographies/appreciations of Paine and Thomas Jefferson, a tribute to Orwell and “Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring),“ in which he advised that ”Only an open conflict of ideas and principles can produce any clarity.” A collection of essays, “Arguably,“ came out in September 2011 and he was planning a ”book-length meditation on malady and mortality.” He appeared in a 2010 documentary about the topical singer Phil Ochs.
Survived by his second wife, author Carol Blue, and by his three children (Alexander, Sophia and Antonia), Hitchens had well crafted ideas about posterity, clarified years ago when he saw himself referred to as “the late” Christopher Hitchens in print. For the May 2010 issue of Vanity Fair, before his illness, Hitchens submitted answers for the Proust Questionnaire, a probing and personal survey for which the famous have revealed everything from their favorite color to their greatest fear.
His vision of earthly bliss: “To be vindicated in my own lifetime.”
His ideal way to die: “Fully conscious, and either fighting or reciting (or fooling around).”
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 706 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 557 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 371 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 363 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 362 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 363 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 371 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 287 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 149 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 363 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (474)
mike3481
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:11amA truly great intellect would have at least accepted “Pascal’s Wager”.
Christopher’s hubris and ego canceled out his common sense when it came to Religion and that’s a crying shame.
For all his success, I think he could’ve done so much more with the time he had on earth.
R.I.P. Christopher Hitchens
Report Post »Nick84
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:25amIt‘s pretty ridiculous to suggest that anyone should even consider accepting Pascal’s wager. If you don’t believe, you don’t believe. The idea that you can believe to hedge your bets. If there was a god that valued belief in itself, I highly doubt that it would be impressed by the “logic” of this insincere wager. Furthermore, it doesn’t account for the possibility of other gods existing. What if the real god favored people who followed logic their lives and didn’t believe in it through blind faith?
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:28am@MIKE3481
I think that is actually backwards thinking.
A great intellectual mind would see “Pascals Wager” as meaningless and NOT the point of religion or faith.
The ENTIRE point of faith is not meant to be wrapped up in “well if I win I’m great, and if I”m wrong I’m screwed.” Much less to say that what is to say that your God is correct? To believe in the possibility of a God isn’t what religion and faith IS. It’s believe in a particular God, and has certain precepts based around it. Therefore Pascals wager isn‘t even logical because what if you’re wrong about it being the Christian God, or the Muslim God. What if Buddhism is correct?
Pascal’s law is the illogical acceptance of faith based on an illogical premise.
Report Post »jdog777
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:29amI don’t agree…. he was a flaming pseudo-intellectual atheist with an accent. We have millions of them in Europe. As he ventures into eternal darkness and death… God will reveal himself to him, and there he will witness the reality of Hell. His lack of Faith wasn’t his down fall… It was his leadership in pushing others in the darkness of nihilism.
Report Post »HappyStretchedThin
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:45amThe headline should have continued…“And was completely surprised at his surroundings”.
Report Post »Beyond that bit of humor and onto Pascal.
You atheists misunderstand the nature of the wager. It’s not meant to convince you to believe. It’s meant as an argument to get you to entertain the notion of believing. Once that notion is entertained, and beliefs are experimented upon to see what results they yield, belief in true things will come more and more naturally. That IS, after all, the very essence of the scientific method Pascal not only advocated, but USED in his career as an experimental physicist (he only wrote what has today become literature on the side, and those writings were only published posthumously).
Whatever makes you give God a FAIR shot, Pascal is arguing, if He’s real, you’ve gained, if He’s not, you’ve lost nothing.
What you are describing isn’t really giving Him a fair shot, now is it?
Belief is a choice, friends. Just trying it out won’t get you much, you’re right, but it will get you something, and you can progress from there if you so choose. The sincerity of the tryout is a property of YOUR choice, NOT Pascal’s logic.
As for my choice, I come down on God’s side whenever I can. He’s been good to me and everyone I know. I know He will be for you too.
burnteye86
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:13amI know a lot of y‘all are smarter than I am but I’ve noticed that even with superior intellect, some will always spell God with a little g and not a capitol G. I think that anyone who obviously has lots of intellect but does not capitalize God, does so out of pure spite. That just makes you look small and petty. Even a high school drop out knows to capitalize God.
Report Post »Brooke Lorren
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:46amIt depends on what god your talking about. Jupiter, Apollo, Isis, Baal, and other false gods always get a little g from me; the one God that created the heavens and the earth gets the capital.
Report Post »Resist We Much
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 5:54amFor God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever BELIEVES in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Belief in God is not a choice. That is a fundamental flaw in Christianity. We can choose to order a steak or a salad when we go to a restaurant, for example. However, we cannot choose to believe or not believe in God anymore than we can choose to believe the sun is green.
It’s about this time that many Christians will charge that, “EVERYONE actually believes in God but some choose to turn from him and be their own god.” That is possibly the greatest insult I have ever received. Are they to believe that I would “disobey” God throughout my short and finite life knowing full well that I would be punished for all eternity???!!!
If I believed in God I would do ANYTHING he asked including eat bugs and preach on the street corner like John the Baptist! But, alas I don’t believe. So, God in all his infinite wisdom and love will cast me into the flames for all eternity for the pettiest of all crimes… disbelief.
AND if you’re a Calvinist you believe that my salvation was predestined by God. So I had no say in the matter anyways! Lol!
God is supposed to guide us through life. We are to seek Him out and pray when considering even the smallest details of our life. Yet, God can’t seem to get Christians to come to a consensus on MAJOR THEOLOGICAL IDEAS. Catholicism, Calvinism, Lutheranism, MORMONISM, Gnosticism and on and
Report Post »taxx
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 6:53amI had never heard of Pascal’s Wager until reading this article and posts. After that, I Wikipediaed the phrase and got the cliff notes version of the Wager. I guess I have a hard time with people that don’t believe in God for one main reason and that is the framework of our Country (U.S.) was built around God’s laws. If God was such a bad thing then why does our society (and many others) create laws based on the teachings in the Bible? I know non-believers will say that Religion was created to explain the unexplainable and to keep the masses at bay, but to me, that is pure ignorance and putting the cart before the horse.
I think we all agree that government arrived way later than any religion that we know of. Throughout history governments have been afraid of religion because it unites the masses. So government either excluded religion (USSR) or embraced it and gave it near equal power (Catholic England/France/Spain). The one thing I have seen last is religion. The governments seem to come and go.
As for which God to believe in…….mine is the real one, you just gotta believe me!
Report Post »Stuck_in_CA
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:11amIt didn’t take long after his last breath, to believe… He’s no longer an atheist.
Report Post »I pray for the day there is a cure for cancer, and the suffering will be no more.
SEPARATENOW
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 8:28amI mourn him, at least a little, as a man of intellect, contradiction and inflammability. Couldn‘t agree with him more about the uselessness of this world’s self-serving religions and the God they claim to worship. Couldn’t disagree with him more about his inconsistent and sometimes incoherent attitudes toward people and politics. But his talent, bent and ego were just that, uniquely his.
Report Post »SEPARATENOW
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 8:39am@ Resist
Amen. Pascal was a theological and intellectual weakling. Get a hold of yourself and make a decision about what you do or don’t believe rather than hedging your bets (as if God, assuming there is one, wouldn’t realize you were hedging).
For those who believe, if it helps you be a better person, great. For those who don’t believe, if you’re just as good or better than the believers, great.
I don’t believe. If I am, however, faced with the deeds of my life when all is done in some holy tribunal, I’ll be happy with my balance sheet.
Report Post »Libertyluvnmomma
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 8:40amWho brought him the Good News?
Report Post »WSGAC
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 8:56amHitchens wasn’t so much opposed to God, though I’m sure he would disagree with this. But if you read him carefully, you will see that his rants were more fist-shaking against the Christian God, a complaining against God and the way he orders and he runs things. You never really read many arguments by him against the existence of God. Rather, Hitchens just wished that the Biblical God would go away.
Like Don Giovanni, he went kicking and screaming, in defiance, all the way to the grave. Some would call this courageous. Others would call it foolishness. If he were able, Hitchens could now tell us which it is.
Report Post »rush_is_right
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 8:58amRIP Christopher..a brilliant and erudite man…
“So, God in all his infinite wisdom and love will cast me into the flames for all eternity for the pettiest of all crimes… disbelief.”
no not the pettiest of crimes…think of it this way….your son dies to save a man on 9/11…then at your son’s funeral…that man comes up to you and spits in your face…..
Report Post »rush_is_right
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:05am“Yet, God can’t seem to get Christians to come to a consensus on MAJOR THEOLOGICAL IDEAS. Catholicism, Calvinism, Lutheranism, MORMONISM, Gnosticism and on and”
you can toss mormonism and gnosticism out…but yes christians agree on major theological issues….such as the trinity…the death and resurrection….the second coming…
we just quibble about the details….but then I think God wanted us to be able to disagree about secondary issues…thats why they’re vague….God is into separating peoples…kind of like the tower of babel…I think He knows that when we all come together as one…its too easy to have a corrupt institution….
Report Post »normbal
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:28am“God is dead,” – Hitchens
“Hitchens is dead.” – God
“He’s dead Jim.” – Bones
Report Post »Thomas
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:37amIllusion must pass away along with those who find their identities in it.
Report Post »Islesfordian
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:42am“You atheists misunderstand the nature of the wager. It’s not meant to convince you to believe. It’s meant as an argument to get you to entertain the notion of believing.”
Bingo, Happy. It’s not meant to be a final intellectual argument but an inducement to testing the existence of God by being OPEN to it. There was an Episcopal priest in Pittsburgh named Sam Shoemaker who started what he called the Pittsbirgh Experiment. He asked some young secular thinking business men to simply assume that God existed for a week and see whether their life was different after that. They found that faith, even one provisionally held, made a difference. That’s because there is Someone on the other end of that faith experiment waiting to make Himself known.
As for Hitchens, who knows? Mercy is greater than doubt. The opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference. Hitchens was NEVER indifferent about God. G.K. Chesterton said the problem with atheists isn‘t that they don’t believe. It’s that they believe too much. They have such strong ideas about how God ought to behave and order the world and are enraged that He doesn’t make things right. Their sense of justice cannot conform to what they see and so they reject God because, if He existed he would surely do better than this. Many atheists are angry at God for not being, well, big enough.
Perhaps Hitchens can now see the true dimensions of God, and rejoice in the mystery.
Report Post »ddg7
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:53am@JDOG777…..Amen!
Report Post »old white guy
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:13amhe is finally going to find out if there is a God.
Report Post »AgentP
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:17amBet on Blaise.
Between us and heaven or hell there is only life, which is the frailest thing in the world.
Blaise Pascal
Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/blaise_pascal.html#ixzz1gi9NhGuC
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:25amI was upset to hear of the death of Christopher Hitchens. The World just became darker with his passing.
I would recommend people read his work “Why Orwell Matters”, if you are a fan of “1984” or “Animals Farm”
I was trying to leave my post short, 3 sentences, but I saw mention of Pascal’s Wager & Hitchen’s atheism. I have two thoughts on this. For the “die hard” Christians out there, between a person’s last public or private utterance & their last breath, a person is still thinking. Do you know in that time whether they accepted Christ or not? You don’t. Further, Pascal’s Wager has some of the the same problems as Limbo & who has heard the Word. I for one would like to discuss this with the Pope, but not because he is the Pope (the rabid left can stow it). Instead he did much scholarly research & thinking on the subject.
Have you ever heard pastors from different denominations discuss What it means to be Christian, the concept of Christianities & other thoughts? No, no knives came out & no one became apoplectic & died of an aneurysm. But it was a real treat for all involved. If you are confident in your faith, one should not be afraid.
If you are an atheist having never went thru confirmation & discussed the your problems Limbo, Original Sin & other concepts a with teachers or pastor, you are the poorer for it.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:54amWSGAC
“Hitchens wasn’t so much opposed to God, though I’m sure he would disagree with this. But if you read him carefully, you will see that his rants were more fist-shaking against the Christian God, a complaining against God and the way he orders and he runs things.”
I have heard/read (in good faith & no slight meant) that Jews argue with God. It seems disrespectful, healthy & worshipful at the same time. I guess Hitchen’s Jewish half came out.
Report Post »PATTY HENRY
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 11:19amISLEFORDIAN: YOU ARE MY HERO. You are right on the $. I HOPE EVERYONE READS WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN because it is calmly the truth. I have often said “it takes a lot more faith to be an Atheists” (that some explosion stopped exploding and all we see ’round us was created when all the time no one has ever been able to 1) produce the missing link 2) explain what created the things that exploded .
For me the sadness is that this man with great brain power never knew the Peace and Love that comes from knowing GOD. Whenever anyone ever doubts GOD (Doubting thoughts come from Satan) all they need to do is remember the WORDS of GOD. God is the top of the food chain. There is nothing better, making more sense, more logical. GOD is the Best that has, is and will ever be.
We have a choice and I don’t care how one comes to God. IF considering Pascals Wager is a way for anyone to being thinking about GOD, then fine. GOD watches His children come to Him from many, many paths. I picture a great desert with one huge mountain in the middle. Coming towards that mountain are thousands of small paths from every direction feeding in to the base of the mountain then all paths feed into one path and that path circles up the mountain. The path leads to eternal life and much happiness and understanding on the way up. People are at different levels and the path is the same for all once entered into. There is no evidence that GOD does not exist.
Report Post »Polwatcher
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 11:31amIt must have been hell on earth for him to see the life in such a negative view.
Report Post »drlax15m
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 12:02pmPascal’s Wager is no intellectual feat, I’ve never been a fan of it. I believe in God because of the natural order of the universe and some of the enormous happenstance I’ve experienced in life. I’m not fully sure of the definition of God, but I am confident and comfortable believing that there is a God to attempt to be defined. There is no reason to fear death, only the process by which one may die. I would respect someone more who is sincere about their non-belief than someone who believes in order to hedge a bet.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 12:09pmwho?
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 12:37pmPascal’s Wager could have nothing to do with “leaving oneself open to believing in God.
First I would argue that any atheist is open to new evidence of a God, we just simply say “I haven’t seen the evidence to think a God exists, much less your God.”
If Jesus were to come down from clouds and perform magic tricks, I could then say “Huh, I was wrong and they were right.” I CAN’T ignore that evidence. How ironic that once there is concrete irrefutable evidence, it is deemed “too late” to be saved.
As Pascal’s Wager says. This is a zero sum game. If you land on heads, you win everything and if you land on tails, you lose nothing.. Therefore, why not believe bet on heads? It’s illogical and was deemed illogical even in its time.
Report Post »SoulReaver
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 12:58pmWell now he gets to find out if he was right about religion or if all of his eloquent arguments were in fact just nonsense. If there is a deity then Darwin is sinking further into the abyss everyday if not literally then he is seeing people misuse his theory to propagate a left wing (I live by my rules) agenda.
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:45pm“………..had become a popular author in 2007 thanks to “God is Not Great,” a manifesto for athiests that defied a recent trend of religious works.” I wonder what he thinks now?
Report Post »AmericaLastStandForFreedom
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:09pm@Resist We Much:
“Are they to believe that I would “disobey” God throughout my short and finite life knowing full well that I would be punished for all eternity???!!! ”
It is BY FAITH you are saved NOT if you obey or disobey. God is the God of GRACE and MERCY. Have you ever had an opportunity come up that you KNEW that you KNEW that you KNEW you had to make a clear decision? Everyone gets that opportunity from God thru His Holy Spirit. You can reject it all you want, but God never gives up on you – NEVER until you take your very last breath – the very last one. The Bible very CLEARLY states that the ONLY SIN that can NEVER be forgiven is blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This simply means the FINAL REJECTION OF GOD’S GRACE for your soul. In other words, when you die and take that last breath, God looks at YOUR DECISION of Him. If you don’t want His grace, then THAT IS YOUR CHOICE. Then, you will never walk with Him or see him again until you are finally judged for your sins, because SIN CAN NEVER BE PERMITTED IN HEAVEN BECAUSE GOD IS TOTALLY SINLESS AND CANNOT LOOK UPON SIN, so if you are NOT sin-free (saved by grace), then you can never enter Heaven – PERIOD.
It is NOT meant to be cruel, evil, or anything else, other than Adam and Eve screwed up and doomed us all. So, because God loved his own creations, he gave the ultimate sacrifice to end that condemnation for mankind, his Son, Jesus, who died for us. Accept or reject. IT IS YOUR CHOICE.
Report Post »WSGAC
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:13pm@MODERATIONISBEST – You continue to show your misunderstanding of Pascal’s wager, feigning to the marvelous logician.
Step back from the mirror for a moment. You might understand Pascal’s meaning, and what he’s after if you consider two of his pensees:
1. “A given man lives a life free from boredom by gambling a small sum every day. Give him every morning the money he might win that day, but on condition that he does not gamble, and you will make him unhappy. It might be argued that what he wants is the entertainment of gaming and not the winnings. Make him play then for nothing; his interest will not be fired and he will become bored, so it is not entertainment he wants. A half-hearted entertainment, he must delude himself into imagining that he would be happy to win what he would not want as a gift if it meant giving up gambling.”
2. “If our condition were one of true happiness, we would not need to distract ourselves from thinking about it.” Pascal
Figure out what Pascal is saying in these two thoughts and you might begin taking a step toward what his wager is about. Write him off with your Mr. Spock arrogance, and you will remain blind.
I’m wagering on the latter!
Report Post »grayling646
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:47pm@ NORMBAL:
“God is dead,” – Hitchens
“Hitchens is dead.” – God
“He’s dead Jim.” – Bones
“Freddie’s Dead” – Curtis Mayfield
Report Post »RabidPatriot
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:51pmHitchens was an intolerant bigot of the highest order. He used his position to attack Christians anytime he got the chance and did so with a haughty pseudo-intellectual style that makes most people role their eyes and think to themselves “what a douche.” He would never attack Muslims the way he attacked Christians because he was a coward in his atheism.
Report Post »Sargint Rock
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:13pmAn informative sketch of a controversial figure, yet nowhere does it hint that he was at peace with himself or content. Thus the tragedy of a “Double minded” life and a man of contradictions is revealed. For some strange reason at the age of 62, after having read this article, I feel the urge to weep and curse the evil that resides in the “High places of the spirit realm” for destroying another life before redemption could occur. May GOD have mercy on us all!
Report Post »chrisst41
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:47pmWell, he now knows the truth. Too bad it is too late.
Report Post »TexasHunter
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 6:23pm@NICK When you are typing about anything God is always capitalized. Please and Thank You.
Report Post »BowfinMike
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:06pmI really don’t understand why the non-believers get so bent out of shape over other’s choice to believe in God or a Supreme Being. If they don’t want to believe; don’t believe, but respect those who do and get on with your life. It doesn‘t bother me one bit if someone doesn’t believe in God. Spirituality or anything else in life is an individuals choice; period. ANYONE, who thinks they can dictate to anyone else they must believe or not believe has crossed the line and should get their head smacked.
Report Post »Respect, respect, respect everyone’s views. The art of Listening and Understanding is long gone in this country. Atheist need to leave Christians alone and Christians need to leave the atheist alone. If everyone would go fishing, or hunting, or to a baseball game with each other and get energized by the $15 trillion national debt and devote their energies into that kind of “real” problem, we would all be better off. But finger pointing is never productive.
rightwinger76
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:18pmJohn wrote in Rev. 3:15 of the Laodicean church;
I know of your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot, I wish you were one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
This entry by John renders Pascal’s wager useless
Report Post »Nick84
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:25pmTexasHunter-
Actually, it shouldn’t always be capitalized. If you are talking about the Christian god, it should be capitalized since he is referred to as “God” (a proper noun). However, if you are referring to gods or the idea of gods in general, it is lower case. If you talked about the gods the Greeks believed in, for example, you would use lower case, since it is not referring to any specific one. Sorry if use of proper grammar offends you.
Report Post »hillarie
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:57pmYou don’t have to denigrate him just because he was an atheist. He was brilliant and a great writer. He was a ray of light.
Report Post »bworei
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:01pm@separatenow – who are you, little man, to refer to someone of pascal’s stature as a weakling in anything?! you need to read “happy”’s brief exposition on the wager above, to help broaden your very limited understanding thereof. clearly you don’t get it: your “balance sheet”? what kind of intellectual weakling assumes that’s the catch-all if belief doesn’t matter? the Christian God, for one, says your balance sheet is negative no matter how much “good” you do on earth. ready to re-consider the wager now? ;-)
Report Post »MistyBlueAngel
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:41pm@ Nick, there is a God, and HIS name is Jehovah, not IT. I am sincerely sorry that Christopher did not come to a saving faith before his death, but as God has created man with a free will to choose, there will be those who choose wrongly, sad as it is.
Report Post »Nick84
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 12:30amMistyBlueAngel-
If there were a god, what need would it really have for a gender? You can choose to believe whatever you like, but you telling me your opinion like it is a fact is not going to change my mind.
Report Post »patriot308
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 2:31amIf you can’t say something nice; don’t say anything at all. So…………….. someone somewhere must be sad he’s dead.
Report Post »Polwatcher
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:35amHe must have been the ultimate curmudgeon. His “**** sure” attitude was astounding and so much so that he was a freak of sorts. He had unparalleled faith…the other way around. Everyone has some doubt now and then about the hereafter but not him. I suppose that the fact that he made his living by being that way had something to do with his “incredible faith” in the “non-hereafter”.
Report Post »TAXLORDCOMETH
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:38amHitch was my favorite lib, because he called the left out on their support for tyrants around the world. You can’t preach social justice wearing a Fidel or Che t-shirt. Hitch did not have the time of day for these kinds of people. He also had that great deep voice and the accent to match. The left lost a great intellect, and they’re left with Paul Krugman to fill the void. That is a steep fall.
Report Post »lisamagnooty
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 6:26pmHitchens had no “common sense” regarding “religion – (by this i assume you refer to the reality of God), and short of an act of that God that hitchens didn’t believe in, there will be no RIP for him. It will be an eternity of immense, continuous, constant suffering; not, (as some others here have said), because he didn’t “believe in Jesus”, but because he, (like we all), was a sinner covered with a lifetime of sins, and, because of his decision (or lack thereof) to reject the forgiveness God provided for him through the shed blood of Messiah, he is now left to endure the wrath of God’s judgment on him for the very sins he committed all his life.
Christopher Hitchens is the perfect example of how having all the intelligence in the world is meaningless, if it only serves to blind you to the truth concerning the single most important issue of our entire lives and eternity. Real intelligence in this life is coming to the realization that we are all sinners, awaiting the wrath of God’s judgment upon us for our sins. Real intelligence leads us to a broken and contrite heart, calling on the God Who can forgive us and save us, to do just that; to repent of our sinful lives, and accept the atonement God has made for us through Messiah Jesus.
Chris Hitchens is an atheist no more. He now knows just how real God is, but it’s too late to help him. Don’t wait until your in the same situation to find out just how real God is, when it’s too late to make a difference…
Report Post »wargames83
Posted on March 13, 2012 at 10:09pmInvoking Pascal’s wager is a cheap scare tactic. The wager doesn’t stand under a moment of scrutiny.
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:10amThe guy just died, do you really thinks it’s appropriate to make comments that he is in Hell? The last time I checked there is only one Judge and it’s not anyone who is posting in here. Do you think Jesus would approve of mocking someone that has just died?
If you are atheist pretending to be someone who believes in God posting this garbage, that is just as reprehensible as saying someone who just died is in hell.
Report Post »TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:25amAtheist do not need to pose as “hateful Christians” They do the job themselves very nicely.
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:41amFor real. Christian Hate rules this website.
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:51amCFR,
Report Post »Really? Log on to one of the 2 million atheist videos on youtube and simply say that you believe in God and see how nice and respectful atheists are.
HippoNips
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:56amIn Christianity , there is no such thing as a mystical “hell”
Hell literally means where the body lies….underground, set on fire or cast into the sea.
Report Post »The wages of sin is DEATH, no life after death whatsoever.
Believer or not, Hitchens is in hell.
Brooke Lorren
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:59amI am not mocking him. I am sorry for his death, and during his lifetime, I prayed for his salvation on more than one occasion.
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:00amCFR,
There is a difference between saying someone is roasting in Hell and legitimately not wanting someone to to go to hell. However, in this case Hitchens is dead and I think people should show respect.
If a Christian died in a tragic accident, do you think that there wouldn’t be atheists posting hateful things?
I am a Christian, am I full of hate?
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:06amHip,
“In Christianity , there is no such thing as a mystical “hell””
That is simply not true. Jesus made many references to Hell. He also referred to Hell as Hades. The context Jesus used does not mean where the body lies.
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:13amBrooke,
Report Post »I wasn’t saying that you were mocking him. As I said before, there is a difference between legitimately not wanting people to go to hell and mocking someone. There are people on here who are mocking him. I look at things like this from the perspective of what would his children think looking at this. I think the best response is to simply say that we will pray for his family.
TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:32am@KSTRET
You are switching topics. You said that maybe an Atheist is posing as a christian to make them look bad. I said Christians make themselves look bad well enough on their own.
Now you have switched to saying if you say that you believe in god on youtube then atheists will call you names. Thats probably true, but it takes nothing away from what I said.
You said if a christian died in a horrible accident that atheists would make fun of them, probably true. But again, that is another subject, what I said is still true.
You are trying to justify bad behavior with bad behavior. Like a kid would do “….well he hit me first”
Also, not that this is an excuse for vile people, but atheist don’t go around claiming they have a book from 2000 years ago that tells them how they should act. If you claim you know exactly how you should act and tell everyone that you are right because the book says so, then you act in the complete opposite, you are a hypocrite. Trying to rationalize it by pointing to a wrong perpetrated by an Atheist does not help your case. It only shows that even though you claim you are ‘better’ then Atheists, you still act like one, or at least in that way you have convinced yourself that atheist act.
Atheist are not scary soul sucking monsters by the way. We are just like you, trying to make the world better, earn money to make a good living, have relationships with people, and try to do what is right.
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:13amCFR,
“You are switching topics. You said that maybe an Atheist is posing as a Christian to make them look
You are trying to justify bad behavior with bad behavior…… Like a kid would do “….well he hit me first”
Did I condemn the people mocking Hitchens or did I say that it’s ok because atheist do it too? My point was simply don’t stereotype Christians as atheist can also be just as mean spirited. Also, there are Christians who believe in Hell and don’t want anyone sent there and were not mocking Hitchens.
“Also, not that this is an excuse for vile people, but atheist don’t go around claiming they have a book from 2000 years ago that tells them how they should act”
Atheists mock people who believe in a book from 2000 years ago.
“Atheist are not scary soul sucking monsters by the way. We are just like you, trying to make the world better, earn money to make a good living, have relationships with people, and try to do what is right.”
Christians are not stupid hate filed morons who use circular reasoning to justify their beliefs. On one hand you are stereotyping all Christians and on the other, you are complaining that atheists are being stereotyped.
Report Post »Mountain Dew
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:24amWell said. We have every right, in fact duty, to judge his actions, but only Christ has the right to determine his eternal destination. Those who condemn him to hell are not following the same Jesus they tout.
Report Post »seejanemom
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:36amThe Hateful Faithful.
The Frozen Chosen.
Always first to point fingers.
(And embarrasses me to be a Baptist.)
Report Post »Jeff Barton
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:50am“he who laughs last, laughs best” so we shouldn‘t mock hitler because he’s dead ? The Lord Jesus Christ said he is the God of the living, not the dead. I’m sure many people prayed for hitchins, and this was God’s response. Despite his disbelief, he might have lived longer if he had not tried so hard to destroy the faith of others.He believes now, but it’s too late.Maybe you should have more reverence for life than death.Death is to be scorned, mocked, hated,reviled,and avoided. Not honored,revered,worshipped and respected.A graveyard is not hallowed ground, it is a compost pile. “O death where is my sting and grave where is thy victory ?”
Report Post »GIDEON612
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:58amKStret
Where did anyone error in saying that anyone who freely chooses to be a God hater or denier would be anywhere else but in hell?
Report Post »Have you ever read the Bible? Which is, by the way, the law of the land.
SEPARATENOW
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 8:48amAs an atheist myself, I’ve witnessed believers and non-believers both behave amazingly well and badly. None of us are immune to our weaknesses, faults, sins. Question is: what do we do about it? Do we continue without thought of correcting our failures or do we seek to mitigate or stop those behaviors?
Report Post »If religion helps us make the necessary adjustments, great. If we can make them without a religious framework, also great.
SEPARATENOW
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:51pm@Kstret
I am an atheist. I do not mock people for believing in a 2,000 year old book. I do question which parts they believe based on it’s contradictions. I also ask about the dichotomy of God’s own plan versus prayer inspired intervention. That book contains a great deal of wisdom, regardless of its source. It also contains non-sense that could plunge people toward ruin. I hope people who believe in its contents know which is which.
Mr. Hitchens decided the hope I express is unlikely to be true. Thus, all atheists are not alike in our hopes, fears, judgements or stance on belief, just as many believers do not share the same sets beliefs about their one God for all. So there are likely to be a lot of us proven wrong one way or the other.
Report Post »AmericaLastStandForFreedom
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:18pmI would never PRESUME or ASSUME someone is in hell and neither should anyone else. IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BE JUDGED FOR THAT. Yes, Christian, even though you are saved by grace, you will be questioned on your words and may lose those precious stars in your crown at the marriage supper of the Lamb. So BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.
The only thing you can wonder (NOT SPEAK) is IF they accepted God grace and salvation for their soul. If they did or didn’t, that is between them and God. God IS the God of love and will never give up on you until you take that last breath, so to assume he is absent from the Father IS being judgmental AND IS the lowest form of intelligence.
Hopefully, and I do pray, that someone was praying for him and he cried out to God before he was fully committed as an atheist or other. If he did, he is surely with God. Now, some of you do not believe in death-bed confessions, but I surely do. I believe that somewhere in the furthest corner of everyone’s mind, is that belief that God exists for them, but they push it out thru logic thru because of the devil. I have heard many testimonies of people being pulled out of hell at death because they cried out to God and then were brought back and asked God for forgiveness and then was saved. This does not happen to everyone as each person is different and if their heart is truly hardened, they will not cry out and therefore God will not save them.
Enough said.
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:22pmGIDEON612,
There are people mocking Hitchens which I think is reprehensible. There are also Christians who don’t want Hitchens to be in hell but are pointing that out. I think they mean well but pointing that out isn’t the best way express Christian sentiments. For all we know Hitchens could have accepted Jesus the last second of his life. You or I do not make that judgment.
Yes I have read the Bible. You have stated that the Bible was the law of the land. Do you want to be judged on the law?
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 5:06pmSEPARATENOW,
Report Post »I am not saying that all atheist are horrible people or anything like that. The context of my comments was to point out that atheist can also be just as mean spirited to someone who was stereotyping all Christians.
KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 5:08pmMatthew Chapter 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Report Post »Vincent441
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:08amCan’t you just feel that Christian “love”?
Report Post »dissentnow
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 6:10amI’m justing wondering when the stories about a death bed conversion will start floating around the tent revival circuit. You know, just like they did with Darwin, Thomas Paine, LaVey, ect. Basically, if christians can’t beat you during your life, they’ll just make up lies about you after your death. Cowards!
Report Post »jasmer
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 6:23amHitch was quite adamant about his militant Atheism, and how much he detested religion and Christianity.
I won’t attest to the offensive nature of all comments here, but he most surely would have agreed with our viewpoint about his final destination (and mocked us for it). So why should speaking what we regard as truth be offensive? Would you prefer we lie and claim he’s in Heaven with the choirs of angels singing Hosannah to the Highest?
Report Post »JohnnyinthePedros
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:30amAs a Deist, I haven’t picked up a Bible in a long time, but somewhere in there it says “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” Of course, I‘ll probably be told that I’m taking it out of context, which is what makes the Bible so fun! You can quote it to suit anything you like, unless what you like happens to be fun.
I wasn’t a big fan of the guy, but damn, let him get cold before you start skewering his eternal soul while it boils on a spit in Hell and whatnot.
Sometimes you Christians are as scary a group as the freakin’ Marxists. Keep in mind, you can’t prove God exists, and I can‘t prove He doesn’t. Not everyone sees a vision of the Virgin Mary in a piece of toast or a stain on the wall. Don’t get your panties all balled-up over it. We don‘t do Obama’s collective salvation crap around here. Hitchens’ soul is his responsibility, and the possibility that it might be in Hell shouldn’t make you gleeful.
Merry Christmas!
Report Post »Jeff Barton
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 8:14amYou’ve got a perverted sense of love. God said“ I hated them with a perfect hatred”. “He that hateth his brother without a cause is guilty of murder”. As Christians we have a cause.“love your enemies and do good to them that despitefully use you”.I‘ve prayed for alot of people I’ve hated. I don’t hate people just because they disagree with me or christianity, but perhaps you would like for all the saved people reading this to pray for you ? “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” “The fear of the Lord is to HATE evil,pride,arrogance,the evil way, and the froward mouth do I HATE saith the Lord.“ Your just pissy because God and his people have no respect for your wickedness and not a paragraph of the writings of any created being can overcome or even compare to the word of God”The Lord Jesus Christ” , “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Report Post »Mitchm999
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:10amAgreed. Christians are just like muslims. They call it a religion of love and then hate everyone/thing that is not just like them….
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:08am“There will never be another like Christopher.”
Report Post »That’s not true–nothing new exists under the Sun.
Walkabout
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:56amWe lost Hitchens, but we still have P.J.
Report Post »Horton
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:05amNothing makes people recoil in horror more than the truth.
Jesus is Lord
The Southeastern Conference plays the best football
Atheists are wrong
Our society would rather glorify someone who is wrong and eloquent and overlook “simpletons” that speak the truth. God says He will use the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.
Christopher Hitchins was a “wise” man of the world.
Jesus and His followers are just simpletons.
If the world does love you…..you better check yourself before you wreck yourself.
Report Post »TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:15amProof.
Just saying “God said….” offers no proof. Lots of books say lots of things, who are you to decide which are true and which are not. Harry Potter said lots of neat things as well, are they the truth? What about the Koran, how are you sure that it is false? Where is your evidence?
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:33amYou don’t KNOW that to be true. You just believe it really really hard.
Report Post »rush_is_right
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:10am“Where is your evidence?”
one word…Israel….she exists again as the Lord said she would….and she will not be destroyed again….
only God knows the beginning from the end. no other nation has been extinct for 2,500 years and exits again…
Report Post »ScienceIsNotEvil
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:28pmJesus went up to a tree which was out of season and got upset because the out of season tree wasn’t loaded with fruit.
In what way is that sort of behavior wise?
Report Post »memyselfandi
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:58pmProof….???
Report Post »Do you know there is a place at the bottom of the Red Sea that is littered with wrecked chariots and which has been confirmed to be of the time period of the dynasty in power at the time of Moses. There are also hieroglyphs on Egyptian pyramid walls detailing a Pharaoh going to war against the Hebrew God and drowning in the Red Sea the day after his son died in his sleep.
hybridbts
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:04amYou know what I’m sick of? All the hate on these message boards period. If someone doesn’t see it your way they are either an idiot or a moron. You are either a religious nut or a God-less loser. It is sad to see that just about every article or news story on here (especially the ones with religious connotations) seems to draw out such bigoted hatred and mocking. Amazing how bold individuals can be when they don’t have to look someone in the eye and say these hateful things.
Report Post »Vincent441
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:09amAmen
Report Post »veruca salt
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:22amRather ironic that they guy who attracts and encourages these folks of whom you speak is staging a Restoring Love-fest in the near future.
Report Post »thetreyman
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:33ami’ll second that. it’ not just the people on the religious right though. it’s almost everyone who posts on this site now. from people calling for the assassination of their political opponents to the people who seem to take glee in telling someone that they will burn in hell. take a look in the mirror people, and start there.
Report Post »the wireworker
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:56pmyou are right, we don’t have to resort to the basest nature of man and call names to get our point across.
Report Post »christians and atheist have a lot in common……both are sinful in a fallen world….how they reconcile that is the difference…because face it…we all have a god/God
heyjim55
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:03amR,I,P Christopher I often disagreed with you but you are still one of my favorite writers and debaters.
Report Post »pennswoods
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:55amI disgreed with Christopher Hitchen’s maybe 90% of the time. He was a fair minded atheist and had a lot more character than those attacking him now. Maybe he is in a place now where he can appreciate it if I say “God be with you Christopher”….
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 5:00amI remember an interview with him conducted after he had been diagnosed with cancer. He said he appreciated those who prayed for him, whether it was for his health to improve, for his salvation, or, most likely, for both. He loathed, however, those who prayed for his death. He was an interesting man, to say the least.
RIP, Mr Hitchens, and God bless.
Report Post »jasmer
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 6:26amConcur. Hitch might have been nasty and offensive, but at least he was one of the few remaining ultra-Liberals with some intellectual consistency remaining. His anti-Clinton and pro-Gulf-War stances in the face of Progressive hostility should be enough for anyone to recognize this.
Report Post »Mesaba67
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:54amAs a Seventh Day Adventist it is interesting to bring up to Atheists that I do not believe in hell and that when you die that is it, zip, nada, nothing. Your soul is held by God (to put it simply) to await judgement. This man really is RIP. I would not want to be in Heaven if my sons or daughters were roasting forever in hell. The question of heaven and hell(flying souls and hell were a Pagan / Greek idea) was a subject of debate in Jesus’s time also. Break out the Bible and study. SDA has one up on the Atheists.
Report Post »Californiasodbuster
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:52amR.I.P. Chris, you knew right from wrong, you chose the later, the thermostat is set, you’re not that cool anymore.
Report Post »db321
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:10amI disagree God is GREAT! I’ll will pray for you.
Deuteronomy 6:2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.1 Kings 3:14 And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:14amEsophageal cancer?…..could it be possible, that speaking too many lies in ones lifetime, actually causes cancer?
Well trolls, since you have been spending an inordinate amount of time bashing the Christians on this topic, I thought I would give you something new to whine about, and an excuse to compose even wittier retorts. With apologies to CALIFORNIASODBUSTER in using his comment to post on…….Enjoy!!!!…and let the flaming begin!!!….lol!!
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:49amJ. Vernon McGee said once to the effect of ….When we who are going to Heaven; see certain people, we will be surprised they made it. There will be folks who see us that can’t believe we made it.
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:47amYou should see the loons on Yahoo defending him .
Report Post »tarm778
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:35pmThe truth is, these militant atheists are just as religious as anyone else. They have their own worldview, their own way of looking at life and the big questions. Most of the earlier more honest atheists freely admitted as much. But in America especially, where religion is now banished from schools, the atheists and secular humanists have had to change their tune, and try to convince the government that they are not in fact religious.
Report Post »Which is just a crock anyway
Miami
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:39amThis is harsh but true
One less global Marxist
Report Post »RabidPatriot
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:50amMay God have mercy on his spiritually deficient soul.
Report Post »Miami
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:55amYou are a better man than I, this Godless American bashing “ journalist ” did nothing but spread hatred and lies
Report Post »SecularConservative
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 8:09amAre you kidding me? Marxist? You just take the simple route and assume what you want to. At least do some research before you start being disrespectful. You’re stupidity (on this subject) is annoying.
Report Post »Miami
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:25pmI use to watch Hitchens weekly on the Bill Maher show and he was to the left of Maher. It got so bad I could not waych anymore. I don’t know if it was that I shifted more to the right or the world and the rest have gone far left…or I’ve just gotten better at looking at thier actual intent.
I had always thought I was a centrist, about three years ago I started self examination realizing I’m a Libertarian with Conservative leanings. .All of this to understand why I favored Hillary to McCain yet knowing Obama was a total Marxist having read his books’ and Liberation background. Which echoed rev.Wright, James Cone and Che Guevara. Which explains Obama’s fawning over Hugo Chavez and toward the Castro regime.
We’ve also seen the Che flags and banners flying over the Islamic revolution from Yemen to Libya. The Liberation theology has been lockstep with the Islamist as we’ve also seen the infusion of Hamas and Hezbollah to Central & South America, Mexico and Cuba.
Hitchens has always danced around these facts. Obscuring and detracting from the evidence in any of his reporting of the Middle East. The strong infiltration of the former Stasi agents who’ve take over of the green peace movement while covering global warming fiasco.
Hitchens befriended most if not all leftwing ideals
Report Post »wargames83
Posted on March 13, 2012 at 10:27pmSecularConservative,
Report Post »Hitchens called himself a Marxist a few years ago in an interview.
KSMarks
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:37amRest well friend…
Report Post »Liberal Basher
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:35amYa know, the more I read these religious comments the more I wonder what the heck I’m doing on The Blaze. And at this point I don‘t know what’s worse, a bunch of commie ******** or a bunch of looney, bible-quoting idiots! If this is what our country is full of we have NO chance.
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:45amSo go elsewhere. And wise up while you’re there.
Report Post »rdietz7
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:25amBASHER,
Please go away. Your just a plant for the commie socialist left progressive party sent here to create division.
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:36amRDIETZ
Seriously, this notion that anyone who comes here with an opinion other than “praise jesus, America is never wrong, TEA!“ is some kind of ”plant” or pretender is just another thing in a long list of things that marginalize you nutbags.
Report Post »charliehustle
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:18amYou are correct sir…. we have no chance. The libs want to control us with taxes and the “conservatives” (roll eyes) want to control us with Jesus. Screwed we are!! If only there was a place to live where people would keep their faith in religion (whatever flavor), or lack thereof to themselves. Makes you want to scream to these wack jobs “NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU BELIEVE!!!!”
Report Post »calmandclear
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 6:25pmI agree with you completely, except for that No Chance thing. I am appalled by the harsh and even hateful remarks from those professing to be Christians. The majority of Christians are not this intolerant and downright mean. Lighten up folks, whether he believed in God or not it’s no big deal. Be concerned about the type of people who would consign this irritating man to an eternity of the most extreme pain and suffering. God loves Christopher Hitchens as much as he loves any of us and he won’t “punish” him for professing not to believe. Is it our belief in God or the totality of our lives that receives God’s blessing? We all find out eventually.
Report Post »PhilGray
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:33amTo all the non-believers……he is now maggots, and to think the blaze gave him more space then most people should open some eyes….jeez….I wonder why the Blaze would give such attention to a dead atheist? Could it be that bimbo they have on their staff….I forget her name….she thinks she is cute and smart I guess….somebody like Kelp or Kulp i think…
Report Post »Glenn tells his listeners to be on their knees to find solace……yet allows a practicesing athiest like Kulp to get ear time??????
You people really need to wake up on Beck….
Don’t believe me….ask for the transcript….which i have tried 5 times to post here about what Andrew Breitbart says about Glenn….
Hypocrisy knows no age and Glenn needs to clean out this closet if he expects me to believe ONE word he says…..
rdietz7
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:44amWhat is your problem man? It is national news re: Hitchens death.
Why are you choosing to click on a story about an atheist and then comment?
Report Post »Liberal Basher
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:32amI really can’t stand you bible-thumping simpletons. I mean really…as an atheist conservative I have such a hard time posting on the same board as some of you friggin’ morons.
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:37amI feel the same way.
I‘m an atheist but am a fiscal conservative and I can’t believe the stuff i see on here.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:38amHmmmmmmmmmmmm You can leave ya know.
Report Post »Buy some fire retardant underwear, you will need it.
OklahomaMike
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:41amI agree with you that conservatism on many issues issues need not in any way depend on religion.
Speak your mind with engaging reason, my friend, and perhaps you will persuade some…though, respectfully, I suspect you will have greater influence if you take the high road and avoid insults or name-calling.
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:44amThen don’t; be gone.
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:47am@Liberal
You will soon fine that there is no point trying to talk reason into these people.
Despite you having the same values of them fiscally, you are their enemy because you don’t believe in Jesus. No matter how fiscally conservative you, are, they will always keep you at arms length and might ask for you help on fiscal matters, but if you try to infringe on their ability to create a theocracy in the US through social matters, you will go right back into the heathen pile where their Bible says you belong.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:51amHave taken the high road for too many years…I say turn or burn…No more Mr. nice guy when it comes to atheists. Been spt on long enough. Time for the truth in their face. You can appease them all you want. Not me. Turn or burn baby.
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:53amWell don’t . If you don’t feel that you gain anything by being here. I think that all opinions are welcome here but you have no right to bash Christians either. We are all equal.
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:54am@BADDOGGY
Reverting back to your old barbaric ways so soon? Been spit upon? How fake of you. What about the murder, rape and torture your faith not only supported, but demanded for all of those centuries?
I’m glad that Christianity is at least making itself known how similar it is to Islam.
Report Post »TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:58amExactly. I was hoping this place would be a good forum for free thought, unlike the Huffington Post which is liberal non-sense. This board has become the big government right-wing site that wants to force moral standards on the world while at the same time whining that Atheists put up a billboard and somehow that is trying to force Atheism on them…. please.
But can you blame them. They are afraid little children that have purposely chosen to remain ignorant because if they would for one second allow themselves to investigate fact, they know without a doubt that the false comfort of an imaginary friend would vanish, and they would have to step up and do real work to find the answers every person seeks. They know they would be shunned by those with whom they have associated, they know the world would all the sudden become much scarier since they have a dependence upon illusion, and hope.
Just like a little child, when they finally realize Santa is not real. They cry for awhile because they feel some magic and mystery has been taken away and life is not what they had believed. BUT then the child stops crying and moves on, and later in years appreciates those gifts so much more because a fellow human was thinking of them, and spent their money on them so they would feel loved. Thats the real magic. Not a magical fat guy.
Maybe one day they will see that its actually much better to have fact and reason then illusion. Believe it or not, you will be much happier and fulf
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:59amYou still here? Better hurry. The Bible thumping is about to begin. Better run.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:02amHave I done anything to harm anyone? Nope, I just stirred the pit of a lost man’s soul…I would not kill. rape, murder or physically harm anyone. But i sure will push the buttons of theoir soul. Anger will make a man reflect on his choices. Are you reflecting? Are you mad? I say GOOD!!!
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:08am@Bad
I’m glad you restated what you meant by “turn or burn” to sound less psychotic. Thankfully becoming less psychotic has been a thing that the Christian religion has done over the years, but it seems to slowly be reverting.
Uh, anger will not make a man question anything. It will only get them pissed off, think you are ignorant and even more concrete in their ways. You obviously know ZERO about the teaching of your alleged Savior.
“Turn or burn” doesn’t make a man think about his mortality. All people know we’re going to die, so to say that it makes him “think” about it is moronic and foolish.
I’m not mad at all, I just find it funny how you say how great you are, and how great Jesus is, when you do such a horrible job representing him. I pity you for your ignorance.
Report Post »rdietz7
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:17amLiberal basher,
Feelings are mutual. Please feel free to blog elsewhere. You and your comrades keep saying the same old god hating rants over and over. You sound like little children who are crying cause your peers won‘t let you play since you don’t where the cool kid clothes. Wawawa they won‘t let me play since I don’t believe in God. Wawawa they ruin Christmas, gay marriage and pro choice. Wawawa
Grow up and be a man.
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:20am@RDIETZ7
You say Atheists are like little children, yet you’re the one who believes in an imaginary friend that you speak to and claims speaks back to you.
Such backwards thinking. Simple logic seems above you. I hope one day you can see how silly you really are being.
Report Post »rdietz7
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:29amYou are actually just like Obama. Crying and pointing fingers cause the big bad Congress won’t let you save the world.
Children are to good and pure to be compared to you malicious god hating vipers!
You are just Obama plants here to mock and create hostility.
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:47am@RDIETZ7
Uh according to your belief, Children aren’t pure. You believe we’re all born sinful and only through Jesus can we be saved.
Why would you feel that way about your child?
Report Post »rdietz7
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:07amYou sound like a person who has rejected the Gospel since you know some truths of the sinful nature of man. Since you know this you must also remeber how Jesus preached to be like children who are innocent since they are unknowingly sinful. You know you are a sinful base animal bASHER and cOmMOn! That is why you are here to lash out with your sin loving rage. Attack all you want. You will be exposed for the Obama worshipping whores that you are.
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:27amlol man. Look at this “christians” replying to your comment, completely VALIDATING it.
“If you’re not a nut like us then GET OUT” lol
I wish I could see the look on their faces when they die and there’s nothing. But they won’t have faces and there will be no awareness. So they‘ll never get the realization that’s coming to them. That’s the saddest part.
Report Post »Brooke Lorren
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 5:04amNot all of the “Christians” that were performing these despicable acts were really Christians. In those days, being a Christian was the thing to do. Some were just out trying to have a “bloody” good time. Others got a little out of hand (we’re all sinners and come short of the glory of God). Still, there was a good reason in some cases to fight; militant Islam had been killing Christians and conquering Spain since 711; Charles Martel defended himself and knocked them back in 732.
In many cases, the violence that people talk about so much was against other Christians. Read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. While there were some pagans that fought against them, especially in early Rome, after the time of Constantine a lot of the Christians that were killed were killed by other “Christians”.
Report Post »rush_is_right
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:19am“I really can’t stand you bible-thumping simpletons”
you know I’ve never found an atheist who can engage in a rational argument without spewing hatred and bile…
why don’t you pick a topic, and try arguing with me, and we’ll see who the simpleton is…
Report Post »Encihammer
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:07pmYeah, forget those bible-thumping neanderthals. They’re always saying things like “turn or burn” with no proof! What a bunch of intolerant illusion-loving idiots, too wrapped up with their imaginary friend in the clouds to care about the inherent contradictions in their “belief”. Spare me. The only rational thing to do is to respond with them with statements like “I wish I could see the look on their faces when they die and there’s nothing. But they won’t have faces and there will be no awareness. So they‘ll never get the realization that’s coming to them. That’s the saddest part.” Don’t worry about the little problem of offering proof for such a statement, just reply with something smarmy and condescending and their position is automatically trumped. In fact, slathering a generous amount of ego on anything will make it at least twice as true and half as contradictory as it was before, however that only works if you’re not a knuckle-dragging superstitious simpleton.
Report Post »tarm778
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:42pm@ Moderation
We find nothing new in your postings. Just plenty of the predictably tired and weak argumentation.
The worst kind of bigotry always seems to come from those with serious doubts in their own beliefs, as evidenced by your string of babble.
Report Post »One look at your posts shows a severe lack of original thought, a reliance on tired old cliches about religion, snap judgements employing psycho-babble, and a perverted glee in starting back and forth insults and name-calling.The best revenge against people like you is knowing what an empty, powerless life you live.
corbecket
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:30amSad to see him go. I didn’t agree with him, but I admired his intellect.
He did suffer towards the end.
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:30amI heard someone report that a friend of his was doing all possible to share Christ with him; I hope his friend was successful. God wants no one to perish.
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:02amTron. You are right. I hope so too. God bless and Merry Christmas.
Report Post »TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:12amYes, one of his friends and doctors was one of the guys who helped mapped the human genome and is a Christian. But even if he could convince a man who is laying on his death bed with reduced mental capacity what would it prove? Nothing.
You say “God doesn’t want to punish anyone” yet that is intellectually dishonest. If god did not want to punish anyone, then he doesn’t have to. He can control everything right? So why even create hell if he wasnt planning on using it. If God knows all of history and all of the future, then he knew from the beginning that CH would not accept Jesus, there by meaning CH never had a chance either way. Meaning God damned CH from the day he was born. That doesnt sound like a loving go to me, it sounds like a hate filled dictator that seeks to punish just for fun. Think about it logically please.
“Organised religion is violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children.”
“We keep on being told that religion, whatever its imperfections, at least instills morality. On every side, there is conclusive evidence that the contrary is the case and that faith causes people to be more mean, more selfish, and perhaps above all, more stupid.”
“To terrify children with the image of hell, to consider women an inferior creation—is that good for the world?”
“Exceptional claims demand exceptional eviden
Report Post »Brooke Lorren
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:56amGod cannot do anything. He cannot lie, and he cannot sin.
When we were created, we were also given a free will. If we didn’t have this free will, we would just be mindless robots. God is not going to force us to follow him against our wishes.
So even though he does not want any of us to go to hell, he allows it, because to not allow it would require us to not have a choice.
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:27amCase,
“If god did not want to punish anyone, then he doesn’t have to. He can control everything right? So why even create hell if he wasnt planning on using it. If God knows all of history and all of the future, then he knew from the beginning that CH would not accept Jesus, there by meaning CH never had a chance either way.”
So basically your argument boils down to saying because we are not mindless Robots with absolutely no free will, that means God doesn’t exist.
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:32amSo many people in the world need professional help. It’s incredible what an adult can continue to believe cause it was drilled into them since infancy.
These Christian Conservatives expect such a high standard of proof for every claim made by the Left but they’ll just take it on faith that a guy lived in a whale for 3 days or another guy parted a sea with the wave of his hand.
Report Post »TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:54am@KSTRET
No, thats the Christian argument whether or not they realize it. And Its completely convoluted and illogical. I’m glad you agree.
Christians believe, God created all things.
God controls all things.
God Knows all things.
Nothing is impossible for God.
Thereby God has already chosen a path for everyone, if he has not, then he surly cannot know everything.
God chose for the natural disasters to happen last year and for all those people to die, if he did not, then he surly does not control everything.
God chose to send people to hell out of pure hatred or for just for fun, if he did not choose to send people to hell, then god is not all powerful.
God made humans and god made hell because he wanted to torture for eternity, what humans did for 70 to 80 years on earth. He created those humans simply as fire kindling. If he did not, then god is not all powerful, all knowing, nor does he have the power to change events.
Its one or the other. Either you believe the Bible, and therefore you believe everything is determined, or you believe in free will and thereby reject the bible. You cant have it both ways, no matter what some deluded preacher tries to do to spin it as you having a choice.
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:19amCase,
Report Post »Christians also believe in free will. In order to get around your objection you would have to eliminate free will and everyone would have no choice to believe in God or not.
sawbuck
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:08am@case
Christians bank their life on the next life, naked we enter this world and naked we leave. Everything in between is to the Glory of God. To sit and reason with someone that does not believe , to the point of arguing, is not the intentions of most Christians. Sometimes we encounter someone that mocks God or has chosen another Master , we are told to shake the dust from our feet and move on. We are also told not to cast our pearls before the swine .
You obviously have a secular understanding of the Bible , only to have been blinded from it’s truth . And no Bible verse or intellectual ramblings will likely change your opinion . there is only ONE , that can change your heart and open your eyes and that’s Jesus Christ. It’s a gift and it’s your for the asking.
But you have to “accept” the gift into your heart .
WARNING: I tell you this.. If you do accept Christ…
Report Post »The Master you now serve will come against you ,because he has his hooks in you my friend and he wants to keep you..
Right where you are…!
sawbuck
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 8:16am@ case
Report Post »So why even create hell if he wasnt planning on using it.
_______________________________________________
It was made for Satan and the 1/3 angels that followed him.
If you follow him too ,your just extra credit.
SecularConservative
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:03amFreewill is NOT part of Christianity. It’s immature and just plain ignorant to assume that. You give up your will when you believe in Christianity and the other western religions. Quit being wishy-washy and just admit you are a slave to the Bible and your preacher.
Report Post »rush_is_right
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:13am“Freewill is NOT part of Christianity. It’s immature and just plain ignorant to assume that. You give up your will when you believe in Christianity and the other western religions”
this is just laughable…..so why do you think you have freewill? what if the truth is you’re just as enslaved…even moreso than you think christians are?
Report Post »SecularConservative
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:25amLaughable? Maybe you are laughing as a coping mechanism. Free will only exists when there are no constraints to the decision/action. There are many things that we don’t have free will with, and rightly so. Obeying traffic laws, paying taxes, stealing etc all have constraints and therefore not true free will. (as it should be) But, to say that believing in a god that punishes for actions also grants free will is just plain stupid. Man-up and just admit it already.
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 11:05am@ Quotin’
Please watch the link I posted below. Dr. Baucham certainly did not grow up influenced by Christianity in his childhood. Neither did I, for that matter. As a young adult, mine was an intellectual seeking to life’s answers which was influenced by the writings of C. S. Lewis. For proper background, Dr. Baucham was raised as a Buddhist in “gang-infested” LA.
Report Post »rush_is_right
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 11:19am“Laughable? Maybe you are laughing as a coping mechanism. Free will only exists when there are no constraints to the decision/action. ”
its an arrogant presumption to assume there are no constraints to your decisions….you don‘t know what you don’t know…
so tell me the decisions you would make if christian morality did not exist…would you go and rape and pillage at will? so tell me about these ‘constraints’ that christianity puts on you.
“But, to say that believing in a god that punishes for actions also grants free will is just plain stupid. Man-up and just admit it already.”
why would you think punishment is not part of free will? man does it, if you break the law you get punished…why wouldn’t God do the same thing?
and where do you think your will came from in the first place? do you think it just ‘evolved’?? stuff happens huh? sure.
Report Post »rush_is_right
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 11:22am“These Christian Conservatives expect such a high standard of proof for every claim made by the Left but they’ll just take it on faith that a guy lived in a whale for 3 days or another guy parted a sea with the wave of his hand.”
uh it wasn‘t exactly a ’guy’ who did that.. you atheists are such simpletons…these issues have been thought about deeply for millenia…try reading Thomas aquinas….his first cause argument for starters…
Report Post »sawbuck
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 12:11pmUmm
Report Post »I’m not sure why non-believers are wanting to throw around the choice argument against Christians . You guy’s have to understand we believe there are only two choices available ,no middle ground. By being born into this world , you are in “The Game” you get one of two choices.. To follow Christ or to follow Satan and that’s it .
And if you choose “not” to follow our Lord Jesus Christ and except him as your Savior , by default you choose Satan . There is no third choice and you have been duped . And this is one of the biggest deception that Lucifer has done .He knows where his final destination is (Hell) and he also convinced 1/3 of the angels to follow him and they all know where they are going too . And you think being all puffed up makes you some kind of threat to Satan ,even the angels rebuke him through the name of Jesus. The same one (Satan) that deceived you , will be the one who will prosecute you… “The Great Accuser” and He will come against everyone to claim them for his own and only By the Blood of Jesus we are found not-guilty .
Choose who you will serve this day..
SecularConservative
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 12:13pm@ Rush_is_right
“its an arrogant presumption to assume there are no constraints to your decisions….you don‘t know what you don’t know…”
You missed the point. What I was saying is that THERE ARE constraints. I believe there should be constraints, but when constraints exist it is not free will. To say that God grants true free will does not make sense when there are heavy constraints such as hell and eternal torture. I’m not debating morals here, I’m debating the logic behind what is free will. Morals would exist without Christianity or any religion, just as they did before religion came into existence.
The evolution comment doesn’t fit, but since you brought it up might as well talk about it. Evolution is a “theory,” which means it made it through the hypothesis stage and gained credibility. Evolution is just as much of a theory as electricity, gravity, thermodynamics, etc. Evolution happened. There is no longer any serious debate about whether or not evolution happened.
Report Post »rush_is_right
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:59pm“I believe there should be constraints, but when constraints exist it is not free will. ”
ok now you’re saying there is no free will possible in this life…because our society, any society, puts constraints upon people. which really isn’t true…you still have free will…but there are consequences to violating the constraints….
“To say that God grants true free will does not make sense when there are heavy constraints such as hell and eternal torture”
He does, you can do whatever you want…just as you can with the laws of society…there are consequences….but then consequences are impossible to escape….you want a reality that does not exist…its not possible….for every action there is a reaction…right?
“Evolution is just as much of a theory as electricity, gravity, thermodynamics, etc. Evolution happened. There is no longer any serious debate about whether or not evolution happened.”
oh of course not..lol right…only to the comitted darwiac…I’ll tell you what…I’ll prove gravity easily…take a 10 lb. weight and drop it from 5ft on your toes…now prove evolution to me….evolve something…or just list the mutations that made up the eye….oh but you can do neither…neither can any else…..but you have faith it evolved…because thats all evolution is…atheist faith…the fossil record does not support evolution, nor does lab work…no ‘junk dna’ no ‘vestigial organs’…sorry.
Report Post »KStret
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:28pmSecular,
Report Post »Do you have a choice if you are going to drive the speed limit or not? If we don’t have free will why is there such a thing as a speeding ticket?
kryptonite
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 6:30am@SecularConservative
Report Post »Evolution is a “theory,” which means it made it through the hypothesis stage and gained credibility. Evolution is just as much of a theory as electricity, gravity, thermodynamics, etc. Evolution happened. There is no longer any serious debate about whether or not evolution happened.
————–
Gravity and thermodynamics are laws. Electricity has many connotations, but it is neither a theory nor a law. Evolution is a theory and will remain so, because it hasn’t been proven. The “missing link” is still missing. Get a clue, moron.
SecularConservative
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:47pm@KRYPTONITE
It’s so ironic you called me a moron haha Before you start trying to argue a point maybe you should do some research on what a scientific theory is. It sounds like you are confusing it with a different definition of theory. You sound so uneducated. (and I don’t mean having a degree or not, that doesn‘t prove you’re educated) The laws of gravity are under the “umbrella” of the theory. The laws, proof, measurements, etc. are what provides credibility to a theory. Which, by definition, means that an IDEA or HYPOTHESIS such as intelligent design is NOT a theory because it cannot be tested and data cannot be gathered nor analyzed.
Report Post »ThatCatGirl
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:28amHis disdain for those who respected God, his adamant denial of God’s existence …. well, bet he is feeling a bit of a fool right about not, huh?
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:38amHow Christ like of you to mock his death.
Report Post »Chet Hempstead
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:01amHe never showed disdain for people who respected God. He just exercised his right to express his beliefs as forcefully as those with whom he disagreed. There are always some people of faith who find any strongly-worded expression of disbelief offensive, but this is bit hypocritical considering the way some of the more demonstrative Christian preachers shout and harangue their audiences without receiving a word of criticism from their more sedate colleagues.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:09amHe expressed disdain for muslims thereby winning the accolades of right wing anti-semitic [against muslims this time] genocidists.As long as he railed against muslims-christian anti-muslim genocidists accepted a little anti christian bashing too. The prize was his unrelenting bashing of muslims-a little athiest activism and anti christian polemic thrown in was acceptable in that case. I pray he did not suffer and is at peace with our Lord-Jesus Christ.
Report Post »Islesfordian
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 11:41am“bet he is feeling a bit of a fool right about not, huh?”
We are ALL fools in one form or fashion. The beginning of true godly humility is recognizing how truly foolish you are. If Hitchens responce is as you “bet” then he is blessed indeed.
Report Post »Brooke Lorren
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:25amI’m sorry to hear this. Only because he is probably in hell because as far as I know, he never repented before he died.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:41amA brilliant thinker…now in hell….tsk tsk. Yes i mock those who turn away from Christ. Just as much as i mock a liberal…
Report Post »TumbleBumble
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:55amLIBERAL BASHER ~
You do spend a lot of time chastising those of us who follow Christ. If you think we are simpleton’s, why even bother to address us? Something (or Someone) has your hair up.
Quite a few of your posts end with a Hitchens quote. I’d prefer to quote the Bible…
Report Post »“A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult”.
Brooke Lorren
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:39amLiberal Basher, you do realize that you have paid me one of the highest compliments ever by calling me an imbecile and a religious freak for the Lord’s sake.
Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”
Thanks for the blessing :-)
Report Post »Balpit
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 4:07pmHa ha! Good one, Brooke Lorren!
Report Post »MrMagoo
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:23amDammit.I always liked his unbridled opinion.He made me THINK.At 62,too early.
God Bless ya Christopher Hitchens!
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:38amI didn’t like him. He really trashed Ron Paul.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:59amV-MAN MACE
He trashed Palin too, but I still like some of his work.
Report Post »bullcrapbuster
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:20amNow you can tell God personally.
Report Post »TTEXASTYLER
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:18amHe is now a believer.
Report Post »TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:23amProve it.
WHAT CAN BE ASSERTED WITHOUT PROOF CAN BE DISMISSED WITHOUT PROOF – Christopher Hitchens
Report Post »rdietz7
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:31amEasy, the greatest story ever told, the Bible…. read it CASE4TRUTH. That is enough proof, since God, the creator of heavens, earth, YOU and us all, deemed it worthy.
Jesus is Alive!
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:48amYou go first. Prove there isn’t a God. I think I have more proof than you do.
Report Post »Can you see air? No, you can see the effects of air moving. Kinda like Christ moving in people’s lives.
Atheist make me laugh. I like to say “Turn or burn to them”. It makes them so mad….but why? They don’t believe, so it should not bother them. Neither should a nativity scene. But they go nuts when they see one. hmmmmmmmmm, must be that God they don’t believe in ******* them off…hehehe
ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:56am@Big
Can you see the air moving? HAHAHA, Uh, you do know what WIND is right? I can’t believe there are still religious fundamentals walking around in the US. Please, go on completely ignoring science. It will be too funny to see in future generations how our children and grandchildren will be able to look back at us and see how stupid and ignorant of people we really. That in the year 2011, we still have people holding vehemently to such bogus and moronic superstitions.
Report Post »pennswoods
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:03amDitto
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:11amWhatever you or I believe is not the issue. He now knows with 100% certainty what happens after you die.
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:14am@Mimi
He can’t know….he’s dead.
You can’t make such a statement as “Whatever you or I believe is not the issue.“ and then say ”he knows with 100% certainty what happens after you die.”
Those are contradictory statements because if you believe that once you die, you die, then he can’t know what happens after he dies.
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:34am@moderationisbest. Ok. Here’s the thing. I’m Christiian. I have chosen by faith to believe in God. I believe that He sent His only Son to die for me and for you and all others that will accept him. It’s a free gift. All you have to do is accept it. I hope you will. You don’t have to. I’m not trying to force you to. Your choice. I hope you don’t mind if I pray for you. Is that ok?
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:43am@MIMI24
It’s perfectly fine, i was just pointing out your statement wasn’t logical.
It’s perfectly fine to have your belief, I wast just saying that you can’t say
“it doesn’t matter what you or I believe” and then your next statement strikes at the very core of beliefs.
I was merely pointing out that if he believes that you just die, then he has no knowledge of what happens after death, because he is dead.
Again, I’m fine with your beliefs, but just be careful how you word it so you aren’t contradicting yourself.
Report Post »TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:51am@BADDOGGY
Thats not how proof works. If you made the claim something/someone exists, you must have some sort of verifiable evidence to base that on.
By your standard you are saying that Allah is also real because a book says so. You are saying Harry Potter is real because a book says so. You are saying The Cat in The Hat is real because a book says so. You are saying Santa is real because his image is plastered all over the shopping malls. By your standard you are saying that ANY claim can be made and it is True until proven False, when its almost the opposite.
I say ‘almost’ the opposite, because I cannot ‘prove’ that there is not a god of some sort. I also cannot prove that we are not simply the creation of a mad scientist who is controlling our brains. I cannot prove that what we see and feel and taste and experience is actually real and not just illusions that we ‘see’ because our brains are being manipulated by aliens. I can’t prove that gravity has a color…. ect… ect…. But what evidence do we have to base our entire lives on any of these propositions? None.
There is always room for reassessment for a person who thinks. Even once something is proven to an acceptable point, we say that “the evidence shows ect… ect…“ not that ”this is how it is and will be forever no matter what else we discover”
The EVIDENCE shows me evolution is the cause for human life. However, if we discover something else, and it is tested and verified with proo
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:52am@moderationisbest. I didn’t say that I thought that life was over after you die. I don‘t think you die and that’s it. I believe in eternal life. We get to choose where we spend it. Like I said. It’s a gift. The greatest one ever given. But you do have to choose. Everyone will spend eternity somewhere.
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:57am@Mimi
Unfortunately I don‘t think you’re understanding what I’m trying to convey here. Please re-read what I wrote.
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 10:38amThe following link is a wonderful testimony of “Why I Choose to Believe the Bible”. Dr. Baucham’s logic-filled argument is a true gift for any believer making a case for Christ. The intro and sound quality is tedious but still worth one’s time to watch. If you watch the video, I highly encourage you to make it to Part 2. The clips are 10 minutes long and the total series is about an hour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPNraxxxRO8
H/T to the Blazer who originally posted the link a month or so ago with my apologies for forgetting your screen name.
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 12:46pmAdding to Dr. Baucham’s well presented argument, I would add…….why were so many early disciples and followers willing to suffer and die believing that Jesus was the Christ and refusing to denounce their faith? Peter denied Christ three times before His death. Why did Peter become so faithful to the point of his own suffering and death? What changed Paul so significantly from persecuting Christians to becoming such a steadfast follower? Does one really think such a phenomenal lie was propagated over hundreds of years by men…..many of whom were uneducated in their time? Were all the witnesses to Jesus’ return really willing to suffer and die to advance a lie? What benefit would they have received? How does one accept the historicity of the Bible yet discount the One to whom it points?
I’m curious, atheists, are you willing to suffer (floggings, imprisonment, stonings, etc) and die a death on a cross for your belief that there is no God?
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:22pmIn the spirit of time because I must go now, I know the favorite argument that will arise to my questions. An atheist will point to today’s Muslims who are willing to die for their faith. I indicated that my belief was founded on a similar argument as Dr. Baucham presented and I was adding further reasoning to the discussion. As such, I would also add the Bible answers the questions most thinking people ask at some point in their lives. Where did we come from? Where are we going? How was the earth formed? There are numerous reasons why I believe. This is simply the start.
As to Islam, it is Satan’s pathetic answer to Christianity. It was written by one man….unlike the Bible. It came approx 700 years after Christ. It steals from the Bible in its prophecies. It is and was primarily advanced in the Middle East through child indoctrination in communal cultish settings. Unlike the New Testament which teaches love, the Quran teaches hate. As Mohammed aged, the earlier teachings he wrote of were to be replaced with his later hate-filled “learnings”. Islam is advancing as the anti-thesis to Christianity just as Revelation foretold.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:17amNow he can tell God to his face, why he is not great.
Report Post »TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:28amWhich god? Allah? Mithra? Zeus? Dionysus? Yahweh? The Great Ju Ju at the bottom of the sea? Prove it. Where are your facts?
“I have one consistency, which is [being] against the totalitarian – on the left and on the right. The totalitarian, to me, is the enemy – the one that’s absolute, the one that wants control over the inside of your head, not just your actions and your taxes. And the origins of that are theocratic, obviously. The beginning of that is the idea that there is a supreme leader, or infallible pope, or a chief rabbi, or whatever, who can ventriloquise the divine and tell us what to do.” – Christopher Hitchens 1949–2011, he will be missed.
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:01am@Caseofreason
How dare you bring reason to a place as ignorant as this. Your intelligence is evil and of the devil and has no value here.
Seriously, this is how these people think.
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:58amI didn’t like him because he trashed Ron Paul.
Report Post »ron2win
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 7:30am“MODERATIONISBEST”
I think Mr.Hitchens would even agree with this.Wether you‘re religious or not it dosen’t matter.When we die ,we will either know everything or we will know nothing.
R.I.P. Hitch
Report Post »tarm778
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:49pmeven though Hitchens was a bigoted and twisted God-hater who obviously has lots of internal issues to deal with, we must nonetheless recognise that God has made him in his image, and although he is fallen big time – as we all are – he is still someone for whom Christ died.
Report Post »I have no idea what he is going through now. I do know he appeared not to have the slightest bit of remorse for his barbaric attacks. But we can all pray that despite this cold steel exterior somewhere deep down inside there was still a soft spot that God can work with.
Baddoggy
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:16amGod is not ghreat huh? he killed your sorry a@@…
Report Post »AzDebi
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:23amBaddoggy…God didn’t kill him…CANCER DID! God is incapable of even looking upon evil much less committing it! But, I do get your point! Some day we are all going to stand in judgment whether we choose to believe in HIM or not…the thought of our choices NOW creating our destination into ETERNITY is truly humbling and horrifying!
Report Post »OklahomaMike
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:29amReligious people will, understandably, have found Hitchens objectionable, and even many non-religious people found him overly aggressive and rude in his attacks on those with whom he disagreed.
And, indeed, on the very day of Jerry Falwell’s death, Hitchens was very uncharitable in mocking and ridiculing him. So I don‘t say he doesn’t “deserve” similar treatment from others–but some of us may consider it beneath us. We don’t have to stoop to the uncivil standards of the deceased.
Moreover, to claim that God killed Hitchens is both assuming to know God’s mind on such matters as who dies for what reasons, which few sane people claim to know and nobody can prove–and it’s also not supported by any strong evidence. Many of the best and kindest people have died far younger. That Hitchens died at 62 is no proof of anything. May I remind people that Someone very important to a certain religion died at about half his age.
In the face of another human’s death, let us not learn from Hitchens to react with crude pettiness. Let us rather be gracious, or at least civil.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:36amI was making a joke, but he did step out from under god’s protection…zap! Another joke…
Report Post »And GOD does number our days. Like it or not. It is His will as to how long anyone lives.
TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:39amThere is that good ‘ole “christian” love we always hear about. I could say something about how you are not acting like the Bible or Jesus said to act, to love one another, to sacrifice and follow Gods example, ect.. ect… But you are acting exactly like is described in the Bible, with hate towards those not like you, with a tribalistic view of the world, and complete lack of knowledge. Keep wearing those blinders, but they will not answer the questions you have, nor fix the emptiness you try so hard to hide that comes and spews forth like an over-heated volcano into a explosion of vile filth aimed towards a fellow human being that just lost his life. You gotta love these “Loving, tolerant, Christians”
“Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it.” – Christopher Hitchens
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 1:59amRead the old testament. God had His enemies slaughtered. Just because I have no tolerance for atheist does not mean a thing about me or my religion. Many Christians take thie foolish line of reasoning. Not me. A saying like Turn or burn will actually sometimes make an atheist look at their mortality. It will open their eyes to a constant nagging of the Spirit…Kinda like why I’m getting under your skin right now…hehehe
Report Post »Really, without Christ as savior, hell awaits you. Like it or not. Fire and brimstone and demons oh my!! Now if you don’t believe, why are you so upset? It couldn’t be that you are feeling a poke from God would it? hahaha
ModerationIsBest
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:12am@Bag
You honestly do your faith a disservice. Christians would be good if they were to stand up against people like this and say “he doesn’t represent us.”
Report Post »TheCaseForReason
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 3:09am@BADDOGGY
I love this little ‘hit’ Xtians always try to ding Atheists with.
“If you don’t believe in Jesus, then why bother arguing – maybe you are really just angry at god and you are reflecting on your soul and you know you are sentenced to hell and it scares you”
:)
Ok, I’ll answer your little infantile musing with an argument that will silence your petulance.
Why do you rail against Islam if you don’t believe in it? Maybe you know that Allah is the one true god and you just want to rebel.
Why do you rail against Atheism if you believe in a god, you are right and we are wrong, so why argue with us….. maybe deep down you know you are nothing more than an empty shell filled to the brim with mysticism and ignorance and to admit to such would mean you wasted your whole life for a lie.
By the way, the reason i didn’t say ” If you don’t believe in Atheism…” is because Atheism is not a belief system, it is simply a label thrust upon us by people who partake in illusion. You don‘t call someone who doesn’t believe in Psychics an A-Psychist, you don‘t call someone who doesn’t believe in Santa an A-Santaist, ect…. ect…. the same applies to Atheist. We don’t need the label, but we are stuck with it thanks to religious loonatics who needed a ‘brand’ to rally the troops against – a common cause. Oldest trick in the book. Gestalt’s Law of Common Fate.
You are an Atheist too in respect to Islam, Judaism, Mithraism, ect.. We just go
Report Post »