R.I.P. Christopher Hitchens

NRO ^

[Arthurio]

R.I.P. Christopher Hitchens

December 15, 2011 11:51 P.M. By Daniel Foster     Vanity Fair reports that Christopher Hitchens has passed away. Often frustrating, usually provocative, always brilliant. He added to the culture, and the conversation.

I’m sure I join many in hoping he is in for a glorious, glorious surprise.

[Vaquero]

I found him to be a bigoted, arrogant, ignorant, atheistic pompous ass

all true....but I liked him anyway...

...the wife and I had the discussion about what he thinks NOW. I, having been a lapsed Catholic for the past 40+ years admitted, he might not know anything(thus proving his own point)....the Wife who KNOWS there is something MORE, thought he would be surprised when he reached his ‘rewards’.

I intoned that if this was the only way any of us will know the truth and that I am in no hurry to find out one way or another

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Mr. Hitchens certainly added to the conversation.

RIP

[strider44]

Hitch was awesome. Fearless speaker and writer. I’ll miss him. And yes he was one of the only guys that would take down Islam in public and call it what is was.

RIP

[newfreep]

What a sad & cynical life you embrace thru your rejection of God and Jesus Christ.

Clearly you place your self above God.....that is pure arrogance.

Good-bye....and good luck with that rejection of Him.

[mkjessup]

Boy, you’re a cheerful earful on FR. You remind me of Preacher in Night of the Hunter.

One of Robert Mitchum's greatest performances (and one of the scariest), good comparison.

Christopher: rest in peace.

At the risk of setting off a whole new debate here since so many misguided posters seem to think they know Christopher Hitchen's eternal destination, here's my take on it:

One of the most universally recognized statements that Jesus made while He was walking the Earth was "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one cometh unto the Father except by Me" and it is obvious (or should be) to one and all what that means: Jesus IS the Savior, the Messiah, the ONLY One through which our sins are totally mitigated, and it means that JESUS (and ONLY Jesus) will determine who does, and who does NOT enter the Kingdom of Heaven, for He is the sole arbiter of who goes in. Christ knows the contents of every human soul, NOTHING is hidden from him, HE judges, and no one else.

Is He the perfect Judge? ABSOLUTELY. Do I trust Him?

Without a doubt. Which is why I will leave it to Judge Jesus as to what Christopher Hitchen's new residence might be, but here is a question to ponder:

Does ANYONE think that the Almighty would allow it to be said, that a bunch of flawed, sinful, human mortals (meaning us), could show more compassion, more understanding, more reasons to show mercy to Christopher Hitchens (or any soul), than the King of kings, and Lord of lords Himself?


(btw, Miss Marmelstein, I regret that we may have had some less than cordial words in the past, for which I hope you'll forgive me, and Merry Christmas to you and yours.)

[sodpoodle]

**Mr. Hitchens certainly added to the conversation.**

Getting to the end of the thread for your comment was worth the slings and arrows.

He was, in many ways a messenger - because he made us talk, think and write about falling from faith - and reclaiming it.

God probably sent him and has taken him back.

[mombonn]

Oh dear, I hope he was ready, and that he really does RIP.

[miss marmelstein]

Your words are very, very moving to me. It is words like yours that lead me in the direction of religion and not back away from it. Unfortunately, I do not have the gift of faith.

We all fight on this site and we all make up as well. I’m sure I gave as good as I got and a Merry Christmas to you, too.

Tonight I will lift a glass of single malt to the gallant Mr. H.

[mkjessup]

I will join you in that toast to Mr. Hitchens, and my sincere wishes to you for a Happy New Year.

[Vaquero]

Clearly you lack the intellect to comprehend God’s Word that ONLY believing Christ as your Lord and Savior will allow you to enter Heaven

Intellect tells you that??...so if you live in Indonesia and you are brought up listening to some moronic Imam...then Intellect will tell you what? Or you are brought up in India and your intellect will tell you to be saved by some ‘’heavenly’ guy with 8 arms.

So if you are a Jew, Muslim, Rastafarian,(Hitchens Maternal Grandmother was a Jew, ergo he was a Jew) you should believe ONLY believing Christ as your Lord and Savior will allow you to enter Heaven??

what arrogance and profound lack of intellect....Faith means belief without hard proof. Believe if you will, but it is not an intellectual exercise

[Biggirl]

I have heard that Mr. Hitchens made peace with God towards the end of his life? Do not know all the details though. Please fill in the details. Thanks!

[Biggirl]

Deathbed or near deathbed conversions can and do happen. You can hope.

[James C. Bennett]

Eight arms, you say, ay?

:^)

  "Nay, and of hearts which follow other gods

In simple faith, their prayers arise to me,

O Kunti’s Son! though they pray wrongfully:

For I am the Receiver and the Lord

Of every sacrifice, which these know not."

 

- Bhagavad-Gita, Ch: IX, Lines: 92-96.

 

 The Bhagavad-Gita.

Chapter XII

ARJUNA: LORD! of the men who serve Thee—true in heart—
As God revealed; and of the men who serve,
Worshipping Thee Unrevealed, Unbodied, far,
Which take the better way of faith and life?
KRISHNA: Whoever serve Me—as I show Myself—	5
Constantly true, in full devotion fixed,
These hold I very holy. But who serve—
Worshipping Me The One, The Invisible,
The Unrevealed, Unnamed, Unthinkable,
Uttermost, All-pervading, Highest, Sure—	10
Who thus adore Me, mastering their sense,
Of one set mind to all, glad in all good,
These blessed souls come unto Me.
Yet, hard
The travail is for whoso bend their minds	15
To reach th’ Unmanifest. That viewless path
Shall scarce be trod by man bearing his flesh!
But whereso any doeth all his deeds,
Renouncing self in Me, full of Me, fixed
To serve only the Highest, night and day	20
Musing on Me—him will I swiftly lift
Forth from life’s ocean of distress and death
Whose soul clings fast to Me. Cling thou to Me!
Clasp Me with heart and mind! so shalt thou dwell
Surely with Me on high. But if thy thought	25
Droops from such height; if thou be’st weak to set
Body and soul upon Me constantly,
Despair not! give Me lower service! seek
To read Me, worshipping with steadfast will;
And, if thou canst not worship steadfastly,	30
Work for Me, toil in works pleasing to Me!
For he that laboreth right for love of Me
Shall finally attain! But, if in this
Thy faint heart fails, bring Me thy failure! find
Refuge in Me! let fruits of labor go,	35
Renouncing all for Me, with lowliest heart,
So shalt thou come; for, though to know is more
Than diligence, yet worship better is
Than knowing, and renouncing better still
Near to renunciation—very near—	40
Dwelleth Eternal Peace!
Who hateth nought
Of all which lives, living himself benign,
Compassionate, from arrogance exempt,
Exempt from love of self, unchangeable	45
By good or ill; patient, contented, firm
In faith, mastering himself, true to his word,
Seeking Me, heart and soul; vowed unto Me,—
That man I love! Who troubleth not his kind,
And is not troubled by them; clear of wrath,	50
Living too high for gladness, grief, or fear,
That man I love!  Who, dwelling quiet-eyed,
Stainless, serene, well-balanced, unperplexed,
Working with Me, yet from all works detached,
That man I love!  Who, fixed in faith on Me,	55
Dotes upon none, scorns none; rejoices not,
And grieves not, letting good and evil hap
Light when it will, and when it will depart,
That man I love!  Who, unto friend and foe
Keeping an equal heart, with equal mind	60
Bears shame and glory, with an equal peace
Takes heat and cold, pleasure and pain; abides
Quit of desires, hears praise or calumny
In passionless restraint, unmoved by each,
Linked by no ties to earth, steadfast in Me,	65
That man I love!  But most of all I love
Those happy ones to whom ’tis life to live
In single fervid faith and love unseeing,
Eating the blessèd Amrit of my Being!
Here endeth Chapter XII. of the Bhagavad-Gîtâ,	70
entitled “Bhakityôgô,” or “The Book of
the Religion of Faith”.

“Here shall no end be hindered, no hope marred

No loss be feared: faith—yea, a little faith—

Shall save thee from the anguish of thy dread.”

 

-          Bhagavad-Gita, Ch: II, Lines 140-142.

 

ARJUNA:

“And what road goeth he who, having faith,

Fails, Krishna! in the striving; falling back

From holiness, missing the perfect rule?

Is he not lost, straying from Brahma’s light,

Like the vain cloud, which floats ’twixt earth and Heaven

When lightning splits it, and it vanisheth?

Fain would I hear thee answer me herein,

Since, Krishna! none save thou can clear the doubt.”

 

KRISHNA:

“He is not lost, thou Son of Prithâ! No!

Nor earth, nor heaven is forfeit, even for him,

Because no heart that holds one right desire

Treadeth the road of loss! He who should fail,

Desiring righteousness, cometh at death

Unto the Region of the Just.”

 

-          Bhagavad-Gita, Ch: VI, Lines 125-138.

 

  “Of many thousand mortals, one, perchance,

Striveth for Truth; and of those few that strive—

Nay, and rise high—one only—here and there—

Knoweth Me, as I am, the very Truth.”

 

-          Bhagavad-Gita, Ch: VII, Lines 8-11.

 

  “There be those, too, whose knowledge, turned aside

By this desire or that, gives them to serve

Some lower gods, with various rites, constrained

By that which mouldeth them. Unto all such—

Worship what shrine they will, what shapes, in faith—

’Tis I who give them faith! I am content!

The heart thus asking favor from its God,

Darkened but ardent, hath the end it craves,

The lesser blessing—but ’tis I who give!

Yet soon is withered what small fruit they reap

Those men of little minds, who worship so,

Go where they worship, passing with their gods.

But Mine come unto me! Blind are the eyes

Which deem th’ Unmanifested manifest,

Not comprehending Me in my true Self!

Imperishable, viewless, undeclared,

Hidden behind my magic veil of shows,

I am not seen by all; I am not known—

Unborn and changeless—to the idle world.

But I, Arjuna! know all things which were,

And all which are, and all which are to be,

Albeit not one among them knoweth Me!”

 

-          Bhagavad-Gita, Ch: VII, Lines 69-90.

 

  “Nay, and of hearts which follow other gods

In simple faith, their prayers arise to me,

O Kunti’s Son! though they pray wrongfully:

For I am the Receiver and the Lord

Of every sacrifice, which these know not

Rightfully; so they fall to earth again!”

 

-          Bhagavad-Gita, Ch: IX, Lines 92-97.

 

 

“Yet not by the Vedas, nor from sacrifice,

Nor penance, nor gift-giving, nor with prayer

Shall any so behold, as thou hast seen!

Only by fullest service, perfect faith,

And uttermost surrender am I known

And seen, and entered into, Indian Prince!

Who doeth all for Me; who findeth Me

In all; adoreth always; loveth all

Which I have made, and Me, for Love’s sole end,

That man, Arjuna! unto Me doth wend.”

 

-          Bhagavad-Gita, Ch: XI, Lines 332-344.

 

[aruanan]

what arrogance and profound lack of intellect....Faith means belief without hard proof. Believe if you will, but it is not an intellectual exercise

First, that, together with your characterization of intellect as something distinct from belief, is part of a more modern and truncated definition of faith (See Francis Schaeffer's Escape from Reason for a discussion of how this arose in the West over the past several hundred years). Second, you're missing the most important elements regarding faith: the object of the faith and one's actions based on that faith.

[Vaquero]

“Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

Bhagavad Gita....Vishnu and J. Robert Oppenheimer

[aruanan]

Atheists are at least willing to debate. They are interested in the question of spiritual things. Then all you have to do is show them that the atheist case is extremely weak.

Again, you're making an ad hoc definition of atheist. There are plenty of atheists who are not willing to debate. There are others who claim to be willing to "debate" but who have, as a matter of first principles, defined the theist's position out of existence, the "debate," then, being little more than "let me show you all the ways you're wrong."

[HelloooClareece]

Cancer sucks.

RIP Mr Hitchens

[miss marmelstein]

Bless you!

[TheWriterTX]

God is an incredibly loving and forgiving Heavenly Father, of that there is no doubt.

He continues to give and to bless even those who intentionally spit in His eye and claim He does not exist.

He even loves us enough to respect our last wishes; living away from God.

I don't understand why folks find this peculiar. He doesn't choose where folks spend eternity; they do.

I'm sure that would be surprising to folks who expect that their good deeds will get them to Heaven even if they don't believe, but you can't reject God and expect to live an eternity in His presence.

[unkus]

You seem to wish him in Hell.