Christopher Hitchens dies at 62

[Joe the Destroyer]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501363_162-57344017/christopher-hitchens-militant-pundit-dies-at-62/

[indianasmith]

I think we can safely say that Mr. Hitchens is no longer an atheist.

If he was correct, and death is the end of all things, then he is nothing at all.
If he was incorrect, then now he knows it.

Rest in peace.

[Jack]

"A man of ferocious intellect, who was as vibrant on the page as he was at the bar."  A great epitaph.  I didn't follow his work much, but he impressed me greatly with what little I did see.  A true one-of-a-kind, the world is a bit poorer with his passing.

[Psycho Circus]

RIP 

[Rev. Powell]

An original and a true independent thinker.  A socialist who vociferously supported the Iraq war; he loved Thomas Jefferson and Leon Trotsky, hated Bill Clinton and Mother Theresa (!)  Love him or hate him, the world is a little less interesting now.

[Jim H]

Always seemed like kind of a douche, but somehow a likable one.  The world was more interesting for having him in it, and that's a high compliment. 

On another note, he was mostly spot on about Mother Theresa.

[indianasmith]

I find that an odd comment.  A woman gives her entire life to alleviate the suffering of others, and he HATED her for it?  What's up with that?

[Newt]

I find that an odd comment.  A woman gives her entire life to alleviate the suffering of others, and he HATED her for it?  What's up with that?

I'm afraid I agree with Jim H.

For starters, he found the process of her beatification to be lacking rigor.  It's a case of "Caesar's Wife": having to be seen to be beyond reproach.  Apparently it failed at that.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2003/10/mommie_dearest.html

And his view of her 'good works' certainly does not conform to the standard PR stance:  (from the above article)

"...MT was not a friend of the poor. She was a friend of poverty. She said that suffering was a gift from God. She spent her life opposing the only known cure for poverty, which is the empowerment of women and the emancipation of them from a livestock version of compulsory reproduction. And she was a friend to the worst of the rich, taking misappropriated money from the atrocious Duvalier family in Haiti (whose rule she praised in return) ..."

[indianasmith]

Interesting.  Thanks for the clarification.  Don't know that I agree, but it explains a lot.

[RCMerchant]

The guy was an intelligent nut.
I liked him.
RIP

[indianasmith]

"An intelligent nut . . . " 

I like that.
I hope when I depart that people can say of me, that I made the world a more interesting place.

[RCMerchant]

"An intelligent nut . . . " 

I like that.
I hope when I depart that people can say of me, that I made the world a more interesting place.

I'll die before you,Indy. And if there is anotherside-I'll give you a sign. Talk over your TV like POLTERGEIST.

[indianasmith]

As long as you don't turn into a giant, killer, mutant chicken like in POULTRYGEIST!

[Sleepyskull]

He's going to rearrange all your arrowheads! 

[Allhallowsday]

I find that an odd comment.  A woman gives her entire life to alleviate the suffering of others, and he HATED her for it?  What's up with that?

I'm afraid I agree with Jim H.
For starters, he found the process of her beatification to be lacking rigor.  It's a case of "Caesar's Wife": having to be seen to be beyond reproach.  Apparently it failed at that.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2003/10/mommie_dearest.html

And his view of her 'good works' certainly does not conform to the standard PR stance:  (from the above article)

"...MT was not a friend of the poor. She was a friend of poverty. She said that suffering was a gift from God. She spent her life opposing the only known cure for poverty, which is the empowerment of women and the emancipation of them from a livestock version of compulsory reproduction. And she was a friend to the worst of the rich, taking misappropriated money from the atrocious Duvalier family in Haiti (whose rule she praised in return) ..."

HITCHENS did not understand Faith or religious commitment.  MOTHER THERESA interpreted her deep Catholic Faith fundamentally.  From a Humanist perspective, HITCHENS criticisms would have been warranted, but he apparently had a habit of denigrating the targets of his insightful criticism, which obfuscated his points. 

MOTHER THERESA and I may have shared similar views as to what any human being has the right to expect from their God.