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Atheist author skips prayer day in his honor
Source: Agencies |
September 21, 2010, Tuesday
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STRICKEN with cancer and fragile from chemotherapy, author Christopher Hitchens is still defending his atheist beliefs: He'll not take part in a prayer day devoted to him.
The writer best known to believers for his 2007 book "God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" has esophageal cancer, the same disease that killed his father. He is fighting it, but the 62-year-old Hitchens is realistic: At the very best, he says, his life will be shortened.
For some of his critics, it might be satisfying to see a man who has made a career of skewering organized religion switch sides near the end of his life and pray silently for help fighting a ravaging disease. He has that opportunity: Monday (US time) has been informally proclaimed "Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day."
Hitchens, however, won't be bowing his head, even on a day set aside just for him.
"I shall not be participating," he said.
Hitchens was diagnosed with cancer in June, forcing him to cancel a tour to promote his new book, "Hitch-22: A Memoir." He took time off from work as chemo treatments began but recently published the first of what is intended to be a series of essays in Vanity Fair magazine about his diagnosis.
On September 7, he visited Birmingham, Alabama, for his first public appearance since the diagnosis, a debate against David Berlinski, author of "The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions." They argued over the implications of a purely secular society before about 1,200 people at an event sponsored by Fixed Point Foundation, a group dedicated to defending Christianity headed by Larry Taunton.
Sitting in an armchair, Hitchens waited for the only question that can come first at such a time.
"How's your health?" asks Taunton.
"Well, I'm dying, since you asked, but so are you. I'm only doing it more rapidly," replies Hitchens. Only wisps of his dark hair remain; clothes hang on his frame.
Taunton is devoutly Christian yet has developed a fast friendship with Hitchens. Taunton is among those praying for Hitchens, and Hitchens takes no offense.
The English author doesn't know exactly how "Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day" began, other than that it's one of those things that appears on the Internet and goes viral.
The writer best known to believers for his 2007 book "God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" has esophageal cancer, the same disease that killed his father. He is fighting it, but the 62-year-old Hitchens is realistic: At the very best, he says, his life will be shortened.
For some of his critics, it might be satisfying to see a man who has made a career of skewering organized religion switch sides near the end of his life and pray silently for help fighting a ravaging disease. He has that opportunity: Monday (US time) has been informally proclaimed "Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day."
Hitchens, however, won't be bowing his head, even on a day set aside just for him.
"I shall not be participating," he said.
Hitchens was diagnosed with cancer in June, forcing him to cancel a tour to promote his new book, "Hitch-22: A Memoir." He took time off from work as chemo treatments began but recently published the first of what is intended to be a series of essays in Vanity Fair magazine about his diagnosis.
On September 7, he visited Birmingham, Alabama, for his first public appearance since the diagnosis, a debate against David Berlinski, author of "The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions." They argued over the implications of a purely secular society before about 1,200 people at an event sponsored by Fixed Point Foundation, a group dedicated to defending Christianity headed by Larry Taunton.
Sitting in an armchair, Hitchens waited for the only question that can come first at such a time.
"How's your health?" asks Taunton.
"Well, I'm dying, since you asked, but so are you. I'm only doing it more rapidly," replies Hitchens. Only wisps of his dark hair remain; clothes hang on his frame.
Taunton is devoutly Christian yet has developed a fast friendship with Hitchens. Taunton is among those praying for Hitchens, and Hitchens takes no offense.
The English author doesn't know exactly how "Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day" began, other than that it's one of those things that appears on the Internet and goes viral.
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