“It’s not at all good when your cancer is ‘palpable’ from the outside. Especially when, as at this stage, they didn’t even know where the primary source was. Carcinoma works cunningly from the inside out. Detection and treatment often work more slowly and gropingly, from the outside in. . . . The word ‘metastasized’ was the one in the report that first caught my eye, and ear. The alien had colonized a bit of my lung as well as quite a bit of my lymph node. And its original base of operations was located — had been located for quite some time — in my esophagus. My father had died, and very swiftly, too, of cancer of the esophagus. He was 79. I am 61. In whatever kind of a ‘race’ life may be, I have very abruptly become a finalist. . . . To the dumb question ‘Why me?’ the cosmos barely bothers to return the reply: Why not?”(Via: Vanity Fair by way of The Other McCain.)
I have spared with the atheist ideas of Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and Bill Maher in y years of blogging. Some I have felt a lot more incensed about than others, but the one consistent thing in my writings has been a begrudging respect for Hitchens. The guy makes some brutal attacks on my faith, but he makes more of an effort than anyone else I have seen to present a logical case without considering the bulk of religious followers stupid.
He has, after all, expressed a gratitude to the faithful who have said they have been praying for a return to good health. He does recognize the good character the faithful can have--unpoisoned by their religion, as it were.
I think Hitches makes the same flaw many critics of Christianity do--the failure of humn nature to live up to the biblical principles of do unto others as you would have done to you and love they neighbor as thyself does not negate the truth of Christianity. People poison everything, not Christianity.
As for that begrudging respect, it takes a man with strong convictions, right or wrong, to be diagnosed with the final stage of cancer shortly after writing a book called God is Not Great and not change his tune. Most people would.
I wish Hitchens the best. It is by God’s mercy he has been allowed to blaspheme as hehas for as long as he has. Who ca truly say how far God’s mercy will further extend?
