I have recently been worried and saddened to learn that one of my favourite writers and commentators, Christopher Hitchens, is battling esophogeal cancer.
I've been a fan of his since buying and reading his book, God is not Great, (twice...once in paper and once in e-book format), and subsequently googling and enjoying many videos in which he butts heads with naysayers, or converses with other favorite atheists such as Stephen Fry and Bill Maher. I've also recently started reading his autobiography, Hitch 22. His writing style is elegant and intensely literate. Every sentence is a perfect, self-contained statement which says exactly what he means to say, and leaves no room for misunderstanding. I can only dream of writing as convincingly and articulately as he does. He is a brilliant communicator and an unapologetic critic of the things he dislikes, the most notable being religion and belief in supernatural beings.
One of the memes going around asks who would comprise one's guests at a dream dinner party. Christoper Hitchens would be the first name on my list, followed, in no particular order, by Stephen Fry, Richard Dawkins, John Stewart, Bill Maher and Dennis Miller. Looking at that list, it's apparent that I have a penchant for funny-looking, outspoken, brilliant, often British, anti-PC atheists. I think every one of those men has some very important things to say to the world and I would hate for any of their voices to be silenced.
The fact that Hitchens is suffering from cancer of the esophogus in particular is ironic indeed. In many recent videos I've watched of him, he frequently clears his throat. Obviously a sign of the danger lurking within. For a man who makes his living so much with his voice, the coincidence is just too rich, and I'm sure the irony of it hasn't escaped Hitch himself. I'm sure it hasn't escaped his detractors either, though I've been deliberately avoiding reading or watching any of their vile gloating.
But I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect their reaction. "Turn the other cheek" is, I think, one of Jesus' least obeyed bits of advice. Judging from the reactions of Hitchens supporters who've commented on the wave of theist "told you so's", there's a lot of people who are happy that Hitchens is suffering this calamity. They think he deserves it. They think it's a punishment from god...a long-overdue punishment at that. It never seems to occur to them that their reactions are completely opposed to what their god and their church teach them to do, which is to forgive, tolerate, love and support, even those people you consider your enemies. They don't see their own hypocrisy at all. No wonder this world is so fucked up.
I admire Christopher Hitchens on many levels. As a writer, I admire his incredible skill with words, and his ability to express his ideas so clearly and concisely. He allows no literary chinks in the walls he builds through which debators might access vulnerabilities. I love his sardonic wit, which is delivered with such finesse and such confidence that I'm often left in awe of his brilliance. As an atheist, I admire his ability to speak his mind, without apology, without fear, without concern for the opinions of others. I like that he doesn't hold back. I wish I had nerve and wit and intelligence like his, rather than being yet another namby pamby atheist -- I'm 100% convinced of my stance, yet I usually try too hard not to offend anyone with it, so I might as well be an agnostic or even a weak believer for all the progress I make with my opinions. Hitchens inspires me and gets my blood going, much like King Leonidas of the Spartans inspired his small army. Hitch makes me want to change the world.
It's my true and fervent hope that Hitchens's cancer treatments are completely successful and that he will be back at his writing and debating and offending the true believers as quickly as possible. I suspect this brush with ultimate fate may influence him to give up some of the habits...the smoking and drinking...that probably played a major role in putting him in this situation in the first place (contrary to what the god-botherers would say, which is that his opinions and his mouth got him in this mess). But even without the ever-present fag and glass of amber mystery liquid by his arm, I know he'll continue to be a voice of reason and intelligence in this world that so often clamours with the insanity of unprovable superstition.
No comments:
Post a Comment