CNN Hitchens Cancer Interview

[yuriythebest]

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/07/vi...d-atheism/

let's all (not) prey for him. He is awesome and hopefully he'll live to make do more interviews/books/debates/etc. Even if not his contributions were immense as is.
Kind of shocking to see him all bald after the kimo.

[Edward the Theist]

I thoroughly respect this man, and I read his book, "God is not Great." I can say this from my hybrid theist position, it doesn't matter in the end if we believe in God or not. If it hadn't been for C. Hitchens, I probably would have never been haunted by the question, "Why do atheists throw out the baby with the bathwater." That is, why do atheists disbelieve in God because of the failing of the Church. Why don't they just modify their theism into something that makes more sense? And I believe that's what I've done. But it was because of writers like Hitchens that I did that.

He talks about how in the end, if dementia or drug related delirium should cause him to utter a religious statement that we shouldn't believe it. I can tell you this, I've seen several people take their last breath after a long battle, and leading up to that, I've never known anyone to pray, or talk about God, or talk talk about heaven, not even religious people. In fact, they don't even seem to be afraid of dying. They just get weaker and weaker, and then they sleep more and more and then they stop breathing as often, their 02 sats fall, and eventually, they don't breath anymore at all. Then they go into asystole.

Hitchens will go that way, too. And there won't be any heaven or hell waiting for him. He will sleep; he will dream, and then from that dream he will gradually wake up until he realizes he's making the whole universe happen.

There's no theology in that all. It is a simple implication of consciousness being external to us, and monism being the state of reality. Now, if I'm wrong about those two things, then I suppose he will simply blink out as if he never was. But I don't think that's the way it works. I think he will indeed cease to exist, but he will cease to exist the way we all cease to exist as we grow from a child into an adult. He will cease to exist the way a doughnut ceases to exist as it turns into a coffe cup in topology theory.

I'm curious as to what atheists think will happen to him.

[KichigaiNeko]

He will die....

[Tiberius]

That is, why do atheists disbelieve in God because of the failing of the Church.

They don't. If you got that from "God is not Great" then I don't think you were reading the book very well.

As for Hitchens, he will die someday, as we all will. I'm hoping he'll last another 40 years.

[yuriythebest]

I'm curious as to what atheists think will happen to him.

the same thing that was "happening" to him the 13 billion years or so (age of the universe) prior to his birth = no ability to think/see/feel/sense time/etc... he will be "off"

[solja247]

Great man passing...

If heaven is real, I dont see why he wont get there...

I wonder if him and his brother will sought their issues out.

[SleepingDemon]

Cancer is something that I think scares the shit out of most people. The very word cancer has the power to make some people lose their dignity, lose their hope. The remarkable thing is that there are primarily two types of cancer patients, those who die within the time restraints their doctors give them, and those that do not. It's almost as if one gives up hope when told they have 9 months to live.

In any event, it was a good interview with a man whom I deeply deeply respect, not just for what he has done for skeptics worldwide, but for his very distinguishable style of commenting and writing. Here's to Hitch, I hope cancer has taken on more than it can handle with him, and that he kicks it's ass.

[yuriythebest]

If heaven is real, I dont see why he wont get there...

..or the egyptian afterlife for that matter

[Autumnlicious]

I want to pick the Norse afterlife for 200$ Alex...

[Ace Otana]

That is, why do atheists disbelieve in God because of the failing of the Church.

Quick answer, I've never gone to church (except on school trips and my uncle's wedding). I was an atheist long before I even knew of the word 'atheist', I have always been an atheist. So you can't say it's because of the church if I never went there. I don't believe in god, that is why I'm an atheist.
--

I think cancer would scare the hell out of anyone. The idea of one day waking up and finding a lump and then to go and have a doctor confirm your worst fears is something that some people would fall to the floor in dispare.

I'm not affraid of death. Since when dead, you won't even be aware that you had lived. You just won't exist anymore. It's the dying that scares me. Going too soon. I would be able to accept it more if I had lived my life but not when I'm still so very young. Existance is temporary, if only we could accept that.

If I had cancer, I would never jump to religion for help. I'd rather die with dignity than live with none.