Harris on Hitch

I loved this snippet from Sam Harris’ Eulogy on Christopher Hitchens.

I first met Hitch at a dinner at the end of April 2007, just before the release of his remarkable book god is not Great. After a long evening, my wife and I left him standing on the sidewalk in front of his hotel. His book tour was just beginning, and he was scheduled to debate on a panel the next morning. It was well after midnight, but it was evident from his demeanor that his clock had a few hours left to run. I had heard the stories about his ability to burn the candle at both ends, but staggering there alongside him in the glare of a street lamp, I made a mental note of what struck me as a fact of nature—tomorrow’s panel would be a disaster.

I rolled out of bed the following morning, feeling quite wrecked, to see Hitch holding forth on C-SPAN’s Book TV, dressed in the same suit he had been wearing the night before. Needless to say, he was effortlessly lucid and witty—and taking no prisoners. There should be a name for the peculiar cocktail of emotion I then enjoyed: one part astonishment, one part relief, two parts envy; stir. It would not be the last time I drank it in his honor.

The Internets are abuzz with #Hitch

Last night, regular reader Wes posted on my profile that Christopher Hitchens died.

“Just in case you hadn’t seen yet,” he wrote. He followed it with a sad-faced emoticon.

I had not heard yet. And I was thankful that Wes thought enough to tell me personally. He said he checked the blog first to make sure I had not yet posted about it.

The news was definitely a deflated honk.

In a knee-jerk, I wrote a quick piece about it here.

It’s not like I’ll really miss him. The only way I really know him is through his books, articles and debates. And those are all still available. He left many ways to remember him, exactly the way he was in his prime.

My favorite Hitch bit was the one that he pulled toward the end of debates. He would say something about God stood with folded arms for 1,000s of years before finally intervening for humanity through Yeshua. What kind of a crock is that?

Hitch put into words thoughts that I had trouble articulating. I mean, God stood around for 100s of 1,000s of years to develop modern science to save people with, say, malaria or diabetes.

Before modern science — which evolved through memetics, not through some slowly developing divine intervention — how many people died not experiencing life? How many didn’t see their children grow up, get married, have children, etc.?

Humanity has science to thank for its modern treasures of lifespan and good health, and yet science appears to be the most disrespected educational discipline when belief puts its grubby hands around its neck.

There’s a reason why prayer doesn’t work and going to a hospital does.

Hell, Hitch probably wouldn’t have made it this far without modern medicine. And for that, I bet his loved ones are thankful.

I echo my atheist colleagues and say that Hitch is not standing before God, Allah, or any other god he pissed off during his life time. He’s not burning in hell.

Plain and simply, he’s not.

He’s not anymore. He’s not sleeping. His soul wasn’t floating around in the cosmos for all of history and 62 years ago it was inserted into a child only to live on for eternity.

The energy that powered his body is done. There is no “Rest in Peace.” That conjures superstition.

Hitch is dead.

No more. No less.

Now we make sure the road he paved is maintained and it increases in size and traffic volume.

Below the fold, I’ll add some links for talk about Hitch around the internets.

Christopher Hitchens …

Well damn.

Chris Hitchens … he heft us with an arsenal of information so dense, so thick, so brilliant and ever witty.

My friends are crediting him with his influence over their lives.

I credit him with making me feel stupider, less read, less smart, less educated.

I credit him with wanting to make myself better, smarter, more productive.

I credit Christopher Hitchens with showing a lot of us how, if you treat your body like shit now, you better expect an earlier grave than you imagined.

Hitch was an atheist.

But he was damn good at rhetoric.

And moving forward, none of us, not even Christians, can act the same.

He wasn’t mythic.

He was just Hitch.

No more.

No less.

We’ve got more than memories.

We have his work. His writings. His debates.

We are more fortunate to have lived longer than him.

I only hope we don’t screw it up.

What the kids are posting

The kids over at reddit.com/r/atheism are busily making other folks in the world upset with their posts. Check out this quick selection of images and a link.

PZ’s letter to a 9 year old was pretty damn sweet. Read that here.

 

Image of Darth Vader in Pope hat reads, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” 

 

Christopher Hitchens quote and image reads, “God did not make man. A single creator did not make us. Our species, mankind, instead made and continues to make many hundreds and thousands of gods. The gods that we’ve made are exactly the gods you’d expect to be made by a species that’s about half a chromosome away from being chimpanzee.” 

Image of Cleveland Brown says, “Christianity makes sense: A virgin had God’s baby, who then grew up to be murdered by *cough* Romans, so you and I could be forgiven for Eve eating that apple she got from the talking snake. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead to tell everyone he was coming back someday to fight the devil. Then he flew up to his mansion in Heaven where he sits in judgement of the gays! How can you not believe that?!

 

That God cannot lie, is no advantage to your argument, because it is no proof that priests cannot, or that the Bible does not. 

Headline reads: Bishops agree sex abuse rules

Christopher Hitchens debates Barry Brummett

I haven’t watched this debate yet, but I really (really) want to.

I’m posting it here now, so that I can return to it when I have time.

About the vid:

Debate between renowned journalist and author Christopher Hitchens and Dr. Barry Brummett (Chair, Department of Communication Studies, University of Texas at Austin) on the resolution “Religion has been a positive force in culture,” June 4, 2011. Organized by the Department of English Language and Literature, University of Waterloo (http://www.english.uwaterloo.ca/), as part of the Literature, Rhetoric, and Values Conference, 3-5 June 2011.

Moderated by Jian Ghomeshi, an award-winning broadcaster, writer, musician and producer. He is the host and co-creator of the national daily talk program, Q, on CBC Radio One and CBC TV (http://www.cbc.ca/q/). Since its inception in 2007, Q has garnered the largest audience of any cultural affairs program in Canada and has become the highest-rated show in its morning time slot in CBC history.

Christopher Hitchens on the Consequences of Religious Tradition

Complete video at Fora TV

In this highlight from May 2007, author and atheist Christopher Hitchens notes an increasing audience for “resistance to clerical bullying.” He cites examples of society’s widespread frustration with outdated religious traditions and champions the perseverance of scientific thought.

Reblogged from Atheist Media. 

Ahh, snap Sam Harris, them’s fightin’ words

Sam Harris wants to word battle with Dr. David Eagleman.

We should all encourage this word battle to happen.

Harris says on his blog:

The above talk was sent to me by a reader and is well worth watching. In it, the neuroscientist David Eagleman says many very reasonable things and says them well. Unfortunately, on the subject of religion he appears to make a conscious effort to play the good cop to the bad cop of “the new atheism.” This posture will win him many friends, but it is intellectually dishonest. When one reads between the lines—or even when one just reads the lines—it becomes clear that what Eagleman is saying is every bit as deflationary as anything Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens or I say about the cherished doctrines of the faithful.

I don’t know Eagleman, but I’ve invited him to discuss these and other issues with me on this blog. He also has a book out on the brain that looks very interesting and which I intend to read:

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

This is the kind of thing that pastors should do, but they don’t.

Let’s go Sam Harris and David Eagleman … bore us with your word fight!

To good to be true: “How Wendy Wright changed my mother’s life for the better.”

I saw this over at reddit, and thought you might like to see how one college-age atheist “proselytized” her mother into a world-view altered state.

I have trouble believing that anyone’s mom or dad is open-minded enough to actually read or listen to first-hand accounts of reality-based information, but I had to at least try to believe this person’s account.

Here’s the reddit post:

I am a Stanford student natively from Texas. I chose California because I am much more liberal in my beliefs than my conservative, Tea Party-style family. At least, I thought they were Tea Partiers… I came out to them as an atheist six months ago. Mom cried; Dad fumed. They loved me, so they didn’t cut off communication or college funding or whatever, but they did try to convert me a bit.

Well, I made a facebook status about Wendy Wright awhile ago. My fundie mother took the time to watch all 7 parts of her interview with Dawkins, and found herself thinking, “Dawkins was polite and sensible and that woman was crazy.” She then proceeded to watch dozens of other Dawkins videos, Hitchens videos, and general “liberal politics” videos, in an attempt to understand her godless heathen daughter.

When I came home to visit today, we had a long talk. My mother, clearly confessing something dirty to me, said, “I now believe in gay marriage, and abortion, and separation of church and state, and universal health care, and… and evolution…” She then took a deep breath. “I still believe in God, but I don’t think I can let him speak for my life anymore.” Richard Dawkins and Wendy Wright changed my fundie mom into a wavering agnostic liberal.

TL;DR: Youtube educated my mom.

In case you are interested in knowing the video series in question, start here.

Reblog: Christopher Hitchens & Sam Harris vs. David Wolpe & Bradley Artson – Is There An Afterlife? » Atheist Media

Full debate available on Jewish TV Network

 

In this recent Whizin Center for Continuine Education program, renown scholar, author and atheists Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris square off against Newsweek top rabbis, David Wolpe and Bradley Artson Shavit to determine what may or may not happen in the hereafter.

The possibility of an afterlife has challenged believers and atheists alike for centuries. Because its very nature defies conclusive definitions or proof, it remains a heated topic for debate and exploration. This debate is moderated by the Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal, Rob Eshman.

Via Atheist Media

 

Damn, it’s time to send Hitch a funeral card already?

Come on, atheists. Let’s capitalize on the imminent death of or Lord and Savior CHRISTopher Hitchens. It’s time to be just as dumb as everything and everyone we criticize! Submit your personal story to the “Make Christopher Hitchens a god” movement!

Put together an homage to Chris Hitchens so he’ll know how much you love him! How has Hitch impacted your life? How did he make you hate Jesus? How much did he influence your hate for god?

Need an opportunity to kiss and fondle Hitch’s balls while blood is still coursing through his veins and just before he roasts in eternal torment?

Here’s a link from Think Atheist that’ll help you kiss Hitch’s hairy ass.

Wait, does cancer therapy eliminate hair on buttocks, too? Maybe hairy isn’t the right descriptor.

Remember: don’t be too obsequious, you might get passed over.

Don’t forget: Don’t be too verbose, no one likes to read more than a few paragraphs.

Be just the right amount of clever. Be just the right amount of emotional. And just the right amount of atheist, and you might get published and used to generate ad sales and income for Think Atheist!

If Hitch notices you, you might get famous and become … the … next … (big Oprah voice) … CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS!!!

There are some days when I can’t stand the atheist movement.