 |
|
|
|
|
December 16th, 2011
04:45 PM ET
My Take: An evangelical remembers his friend Hitchens
By Larry Alex Taunton, Special to CNN (CNN)– I first met Christopher Hitchens at the Edinburgh International Festival. We were both there for the same event, and foremost in my mind was the sort of man I would meet. A journalist and polemicist, his reputation as a critic of religion, politics, Britain's royal family, and, well, just about everything else was unparalleled. As an evangelical, I was certain that he would hate me. When the expected knock came at my hotel room door, I braced for the fire-breather who surely stood on the other side of it. With trepidation, I opened it and he burst forth into my room. Wheeling on me, he began the conversation as if it was the continuance of some earlier encounter: “The Archbishop of Canterbury has effectively endorsed the adoption of Sharia law. Can you believe that? Whatever happened to a Church of England that believed in something?” He alternated between sips of his Johnnie Walker and steady tugs on a cigarette. My eyebrows shot up. “‘Believed in something?’ Why, Christopher, you sound nostalgic for a church that actually took the Bible seriously.” He considered me for a moment and smiled. “Indeed. Perhaps I do.”
There was never a formal introduction. There was no need for one. From that moment, I knew that I liked him. We immediately discovered that we had much in common. We were descendants of martial traditions; we loved literature and history; we enjoyed lively discussion with people who didn’t take opposition to a given opinion personally; and we both found small talk boring. Over the next few years, we would meet irregularly. The location was invariably expensive, a Ritz Carlton or a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. He disliked cheap restaurants and cheap liquor. In his view, plastic menus were indicative of bad food. I never ate so well as when I was with Hitch.  Christopher Hitchens, standing, debates his friend Larry Taunton. More than bad food, however, he disliked unintelligent conversation. “What do you think about gay marriage?” He didn’t wait for a response. “I don’t get it. I really don’t. It’s like wanting the worst of both worlds.” He drank deeply of his whiskey. “I mean, if I was gay, I would console myself by saying, ‘Well, I’m gay, but at least I don’t have to get married.’” That was classic Hitch. Witty. Provocative. Unpredictable. Calling him on his cell one day, he sounded like he was flat on his back. Breathing heavily, there was desperation in his voice. “What’s wrong?” I asked, anticipating some tragedy. “Only minutes ago, I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.” He was almost gasping. I didn’t know what to say. No one ever does in such moments, so we resort to meaningless stock phrases like, “I’m sorry.” Instead, I just groaned. I will never forget his response: “I had plans for the next decade of my life. I think I should cancel them.” He asked me to keep the matter private until he could tell his family and make the news public. Hesitatingly, I told him that while I knew that he did not believe in such things, I would pray for him. He seemed genuinely moved by the thought. “We are still on for our event in Birmingham, right?” He asked. I was stunned. Sensing my surprise, he continued. “I have made a commitment,” he insisted. “Besides, what else am I going to do? I can’t just sit around waiting to die.” Hitchens brothers debate if civilization can survive without God As time approached, he suggested a road trip from his D.C. apartment to my home in Birmingham, Alabama. “Flying has become a humiliating experience, don’t you think?” He said. “Besides, I haven’t taken a road trip in 20 years and it will give us a chance to talk and for me to finally take you up on your challenge.” Arriving in Washington some five months after his diagnosis, I was shocked by his appearance. Heavy doses of chemotherapy had left him emaciated, and hairless but for his eyelashes. His clothes hung off of him as though he were a boy wearing a man’s garments. He was, nonetheless, looking forward to our journey, having packed a picnic lunch and, predictably, enough Johnnie Walker for a battalion. After breakfast with his lovely wife, Carol, and his sweet daughter, Antonia, Hitch and I headed south on an eleven-hour road trip. “Have you a copy of Saint John with you?” He asked with a smile. “If not, you know I do actually have one.” This was a reference to my challenge of two years before: a joint study of the Gospel of John. It was my assertion that he had never really read the Bible, but only cherry-picked it. “Not necessary.” I was smiling, too. “I brought mine.” A few hours later we were wending our way through the Shenandoah Valley on a beautiful fall morning. As I drove, Hitch read aloud from the first chapter of John’s Gospel. We then discussed its meaning. No cameras, no microphones, no audience. And that always made for better conversation with Hitch. When he referenced our journey in a televised debate with David Berlinski the next day, various media representatives descended on me to ask about our “argument.” When I said that we didn’t really argue, they lost interest. But that was the truth. It was a civilized, rational discussion. I did my best to move through the prologue verse by verse, and Christopher asked thoughtful questions. That was it. A bit put off by how the Berlinski event had played out, Hitch suggested we debate one another. Friend though he was, I knew that Hitch could be a savage debater. More than once I had chaired such engagements where Hitch went after his opponents remorselessly. Hence, I was more than a bit anxious. Here he was, a celebrated public intellectual, an Oxonian, and bestselling author, and that is to say nothing of that Richard Burton-like, aristocratic, English-accented baritone. That always added a few I.Q. points in the minds of people. With hesitation, I agreed. We met in Billings, Montana. Hitch had once told me that Montana was the only state he had never been in. I decided to complete his tour of the contiguous United States and arranged for the two of us to meet there. Before the debate, a local television station sent a camera crew over to interview us. When he was asked what he thought of me, a Christian, and an evangelical at that, Hitch replied: “If everyone in the United States had the same qualities of loyalty and care and concern for others that Larry Taunton had, we'd be living in a much better society than we do.” I was moved. Stunned, really. As we left, I told him that I really appreciated the gracious remark. “I meant it and have been waiting for an opportunity to say it.” Later that night we met one another in rhetorical combat. The hall was full. Christopher, not I, was of course the real attraction. He was at the peak of his fame. His fans had traveled near and far to see him demolish another Christian. Overall, it was a hard-fought but friendly affair. Unknown to the audience were the inside jokes. When I told a little story from our road trip, he loved it. The debate over, I crossed the stage to shake Christopher’s hand. “You were quite good tonight,” he said with a charming smile as he accepted my proffered hand. “I think they enjoyed us.” “You were gentle with me,” I said as we turned to walk off the stage. He shook his head. “Oh, I held nothing back.” He then surveyed the auditorium that still pulsed with energy. “We are still having dinner?” he asked. “Absolutely.” After a quick cigarette on the sidewalk near the backstage door, he went back inside to meet his fans and sign their books. There was something macabre about it all. I had the unsettling feeling that these weren’t people who cared about him in the least. Instead, they seemed like a bunch of groupies who wanted to have a photo taken with a famous but dying man, so that one day they could show it to their buddies and say, “I knew him before he died.” It was a sad spectacle. Turning away, I entered the foyer, where 30 or so Christians greeted me excitedly. Mostly students, they were encouraged by what had happened onstage that night. Someone had spoken for them, and it had put a bounce in their step. One young man told me that he had been close to abandoning his faith, but that the debate had restored his confidence in the truth of the gospel. Another student said that she saw how she could use some of the same arguments. It is a daunting task, really, debating someone of Hitchens' intellect and experience, but if this cheery gathering of believers thought I had done well, then all of the preparation and expense had been worth it. The next day, the Fixed Point Foundation staff piled into a Suburban and headed for Yellowstone National Park. Christopher and I followed behind in a rented pick-up truck. Accompanied by Simon & Garfunkel (his choice), we drove through the park at a leisurely pace and enjoyed the grandeur of it all. The second chapter of John’s Gospel was on the agenda: The wedding at Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. “That is my favorite miracle,” Hitch quipped. Lunching at a roadside grill, he regaled our staff with stories. Afterwards, he was in high spirits. “That’s quite a - how shall I put it? A clan? - team that you’ve got there,” he said, watching the teenage members of our group clamber into the big Chevrolet. “Yes, it is,” I said, starting the truck. “They enjoyed your stories.” “I enjoy them.” He reclined his seat and we were off again. “Shall we do all of the national parks?” “Yes, and maybe the whole Bible, too,” I suggested playfully. He gave a laugh. “Oh, and Larry, I’ve looked at your book.” He added. “And?” “Well, all that you say about our conversation is true, but you have one detail wrong.” “And what is that?” I feared a total rewrite was coming. “You have me drinking Johnnie Walker Red Label. That’s the cheap stuff. I only drink Black Label.” The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Larry Alex Taunton.
Next entry »My take: My love/hate relationship with Hitchens
« Previous entry'Tebowing' leads to teens' suspension
|
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
|
|
|
Editor's note: Larry Alex Taunton is the founder and executive director of the 
JESUS IS COMING. LOOK BUSY.
oh, how long has he been coming? I feel stood up and feeling a little let down.
He meant to add...on the chests of altar boys.
Thoughtful, civilized discourse from opposing points of view. What a concept in our society today. Losing such a famous praticioner at such an early age is tragic.
Like many of his admirers, I hope Hitch was wrong about God...but, if not...what difference does it make? I will behave no differently and expect no less from my ending. And pray no less for Hitch's happiness...
Anderson Cooper asked Hitchens if he would hedge his bet before he died. He said that he might as death drew closer. We will all know the truth someday, or we won't.
So, what was so capturing and "intelligent" to discuss in the gospel of john?? A fantasy story about Jesus who obviously never spoke those long and very elaborate discourses, a gospel that mostly does not follow the other 3, and is so evidently made up from a Gnostic sect. But most of the evangelicals take it so seriously because is the only gospel that can be used to "prove" jesus' somehow claim of divinity. I say it is full of lies and made up stories to make this jesus a type of god or super human or the founder of a religion.
You use the term, "obviously." must have been there then, huh? Let's just say that John's gospel has a little more chance of being true than you do. Think about it....
Many of you say that 'god' is a HE. Have you seen his penis?
No, I haven't. But you seem to be a real dick who will do just fine. LOL
Everyone knows he is an old white man with a long beard.
We know that God is a "he" because man is made in God's image, and he created Adam first.
George knows because he felt it up his backside.
George is giving us some insight into god's form. We should all take not that he has the body shape of a human. This should make it easier for us to kill him.
'God' is a CHIMERA (watch all the religious nuts search their online dictionaries). End of story.
Your versions of GOD are all laughable Farce's and big hoaxes perpetuated Throughout time...SEE THE ONE TRUE RELIGION OF THE FOUNDERS OF THIS NATION: DEISM........http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism
Washington refused to take communion.
"Washington refused to take communion."
That's because he didn't feel worthy.
Actually, no. Washington denied the divinity of Jesus as well.
Unfortunately.... the problem with humanity is that ignorance is too embedded in ones mind. I can provide all the proof however one will just turn to making fun or trying to post a stupid comment or simply just not wanting to listen and analyze.
Talk about ignorance. You are the proponent of a ridiculous dogma simply because you were born in a region that brain washes every child with hours of reciting the Koran. If you had been born in Dallas Texas, then you would be a baptist. But you can never achieve the objectivity to see the truth.
That is a good description of Islam/Christianity/Judaism......
Pablo... Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world becuase it offers proof and has uncorrupted teachings that warns mankind .. No need to get upset you can have your faith i will have mine and in the end we shall see who was wrong. Allah almighty describes people like you in the quran. and btw where I was born has nothing to do with it. Prophet Muhammad was a messenger sent for all Mankind and Jinns (spirit world) not just arabs. It is our parents that lead us down the wrong path otherwise all babies are born muslim. The truth of Islam speaks for itself.
humanity doesn't need warnings about god. They need warnings about Islam. How about I leave you to your beliefs and you leave me to mine and we all get along. I know that is a foreign idea to Islam but it gives us all a chance to enjoy a peaceful life for the short time we are on earth.
God Wins!!! Whether you are a "believer" or an atheist God wins because all of us are engaged in the conversation of his existance. No one debates the existance of any other deity as much as God. God is on everyones mind all of the time. If you are believer, you are praying to God. If you are not a beliver you are always asking yourself how can people waste thier time believing in God. Either way, we are all giving him credit.... Kinda funny
Correct...but you can be a winner with God as well:
Philippians 1:21 – For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
2 Thessalonians 2:14 – It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
All of us talk about Lindsey Lohan's drunken driving, too, but that doesn't mean she has any special powers.
Not quite...in the minds of atheists God has already lost. We hardly give it a second thought. But every time we drive by a church(by we I mean TruthPrevails and I)and laugh at all the sheeple at the steeple. Or when we are downtown and pass the crazy old woman who drives the car plastered with religious stickers(seriously it is completely covered with them). On billboards, signs, TV, and in the very language used by people the talons of religion assault us at every turn. It is inescapable and since the moment I realized that God was fiction and became an atheist the entire world took on an eerie similarity to the alternate 'evil' universe in Star Trek or the bizarro world of Superman. It is astounding to see that the vast majority of the world lives in the 'Matrix' of religious duplicity. I'm so happy I took the red pill.
To Atheist Steve: someday, friend you will die, and then you will know the truth. Better to find it before then. Think about it...
I have.... I was Catholic for the first oh...nearly 20 years of my life. i'll waste no more of my life worried about a heaven or hell and a God that doesn't exist. Freed of the guilt and dogma my life has never been happier. I've lost nothing and I risk nothing. But I've gained a great deal...an appreciation for this one and only existence...a realization that religion has no answers to questions about the unknown. It is like I've escaped the 'Borg', the awful a$$imilating monster of Christianity.
The man killed himself with J.Walker. Pretty easy to figure that out by reading the article. To say that any "god" punished him is a farce.
Then again, i'm an idiot.
Hi everyone. I want to apologize to all the Christians on this site that I have been insulting with my comments, including my username, which was designed to insult. I forgot to take my medicine this weekend, and it’s let out all the anger and hate, and left me a bit confused and delusional. Sorry again! Merry Christmas!
Happy Winter Solstice!!!!
A christian has taken my name to spread lies. How Christian of you! No sarcasm meant by that.
Merry Christmas!
I hope you put up your Yule tree, George.
have one quick point... christopher hitchens now found his answer if there is a God but unfortunately its too late. The notion of saying there is no God and that this balanced world and its resources, its male and female species to say that this all happened by chance is like saying if i drop a bomb one billion times or lets say 1 trillion times in a junkyard out of all those times i will one time drop that and out of that explosion i will have a car right in front of me with the engine purring and all i have to do is sit in it and drive away. Sounds ridiculous huh? well thats the athiest's logic. But then also to say that God created many different religions for different people to make matters confusing is also illogical. The messages preached by all the prophets and messengers of God is the message of ISLAM, from Adam to Muhammad ( peace be on them all. I dare anyone to challenge the message of ISLAM and in that research without a doubt they will find the one true religion of God (ALLAH in arabic) which is ISLAM and the final revelation which is the Quran that has remain unchanged and uncorrupted till this day please look into it fellow bloggers.
Reported as abuse. Stop spamming! Is your argument THAT weak?
Do you renounce all of the killing done by Muslims in the name of their religion? Yes or no?
You missed the entire point of the article. Congratulations! Myopia such as yours can only be the result of indoctrination.
Mujeeb I feel sorry for you. What a horrible existence living with so much hatred and fear.
observer.... if its justified i do not denounce it such as in cases of defending life, land, lifestyle, or justified revenge otherwise it is a sin upon a muslim to kill another human being and in war we are prohibited from killing woman and children and causing destruction to even plants as specifically mentioned by prophet Muhammed (pbuh). Do u not agree?
Observer –
Do YOU renounce all the killing done in the name of Christianity and Jesus Christ?
Oh, I also feel sorry for you as you've chosen to live your life in complete ignorance. As you would have people read the Koran to understand Islam before judging it, please read a rudimentary book on evolution instead of making the idiotic points that you do about randomness and chance
Ninety percent of all terrorism in the world is carried out by muslims. I will admit they they are equal opportunity terrorist since they blow up other muslims as often as they do persons of other religions. If I could accept any religion, it would never be muslim. Read the history of Mohammed. He was not a virtuous man and he left a religious belief that breeds terrorism throughout the world.
you do kill woman and children when you bomb schools and the market place. Many of the muslim terrorist targets are innocent civilian victims not soldiers. For example, people standing in unemployment lines trying to find work to support their families.
You bloggers who use the terrorist response are unfortunate victims of indoctrination by your media... any thing they say you beleive. Go do your own unbiased research from reliable sources and stop dissmissing truth as if you think you've already figured it all out.... The reason most of you I assume have left your faith is becuase youve listened to the reasoning of the athiests now go listen and read into the Message of Islam from the Quran and the life of prophet Muhammad ... Just two things you have to study geniuses... And i guarnatee you will be put in a position where you have finally found the truth but unfortunately people will dismiss you the way you are doing me.
pablo.. your "ad hominem" argumentation is so limited no wonder you don't convince anyone even if you were right...
Pablo... Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world becuase it offers proof and has uncorrupted teachings that warns mankind .. No need to get upset you can have your faith i will have mine and in the end we shall see who was wrong. Allah almighty describes people like you in the quran. and btw where I was born has nothing to do with it. Prophet Muhammad was a messenger sent for all Mankind and Jinns (spirit world) not just arabs. It is our parents that lead us down the wrong path otherwise all babies are born muslim. The truth of Islam speaks for itself.
To debate the existence of something invisible and that cannot be proved or disproved is ludicrous. I can't see how any one who is capable of rational thought can believe in the Koran, the bible or and other mythological premise that contains such absurd stories and parables. Talking snakes, talking burning bushes, turning into pillars of salt, collecting two of every creature on earth to survive a great flood. Amazing. The bible is a collection of Jewish mythology and fuzzy history. There probably was a great flood about 10 or 11 thousand years ago when the black sea went from a fresh water lake to a salt water sea. Unfortunately, the human race evolved to intellectual level that they could contemplate the future and therefore, their own demise. Having developed an egotistical sense of importance, we cannot accept our own end so we had to invent religion as an escape from the inevitable. We will ultimately cease to exist. Hitchens as well as Bertrand Russel and other intellectuals realize this. But I envy the unenlightened masses who believe in the great escape. Ignorance is bliss.
Any your proof is? If man has progressed to his highest development (from a blob of goo I might add), then why can we not solve our problems and treat each other with decency and goodness? It is because we must have a basis for absolute truth. The Bible is the most validated book in history, not the Quran, Four Vedas, etc. 25000+ original manuscripts, numerous archeological evidence to support its author. And the most basic message of all, God loves you and sent his son to die so that you could be free from the very thing that keeps you from treating other with decency and goodness. But only a loving God would give you a choice and it is left in your hands to decide friend. Creation shows of his loving goodness. Peace.
Ah, ignorance. Such an apt name. I don't need proof when a snake oil salesman is trying to sell tonic to me. He is the one who should offer the proof that the tonic works. I only express skepticism.
I would have liked to see more coverage of this in the "print media". NPR did a wonderful piece on him and would not have expected this to be buried(pun intended).
It's not Hitchens' arguments that turn me from religion, it's viewing the follow-up comments of purported christians in an article like this, and the hate filled comments in the political arena if commentor thinks you are on the wrong side of the "christian" political party. There may be a god, but he/she is not shown in a decent light here.
I have one quick point... the notion of saying there is no God and that this balanced world and its resources, its male and female species to say that this all happened by chance is like saying if i drop a bomb one billion times or lets say 1 trillion times in a junkyard out of all those times i will one time drop that and out of that explosion i will have a car right in front of me with the engine purring and all i have to do is sit in it and drive away. Sounds ridiculous huh? well thats the athiest's logic. But then also to say that God created many different religions for different people to make matters confusing is also illogical. The messages preached by all the prophets and messengers of God is the message of ISLAM, from Adam to Muhammad ( peace be on them all. I dare anyone to challenge the message of ISLAM and in that research without a doubt they will find the one true religion of God (ALLAH in arabic) which is ISLAM and the final revelation which is the Quran that has remain unchanged and uncorrupted till this day please look into it fellow bloggers.
Islam... Isn't that the one where they like to fly planes into buildings??
BNB42, you got it.
Hitchens is a brave person for not being afraid to speak out against religion and he is intelligent enough to do it effectively. The human race cannot make progress as a whole until religion is eradicated.
I have one quick point... the notion of saying there is no God and that this balanced world and its resources, its male and female species to say that this all happened by chance is like saying if i drop a bomb one billion times or lets say 1 trillion times in a junkyard out of all those times i will one time drop that and out of that explosion i will have a car right in front of me with the engine purring and all i have to do is sit in it and drive away. Sounds ridiculous huh? well thats the athiest's logic. But then also to say that God created many different religions for different people to make matters confusing is also illogical. The messages preached by all the prophets and messengers of God is the message of ISLAM, from Adam to Muhammad ( peace be on them all. I dare anyone to challenger the message of ISLAM in that research without a doubt they will find the one true religion of God ( ALLAH in arabic).
No atheist believes the garbage you just wrote. I think it is closer to what YOU believe. That a wand can be waved over every unanswered question and that seeking the truth is evil. The tree of knowledge bears fruit that YOU gladly deny and fear.
religion depends on loaction = arbitrary
I cannot stand the whole god bless america crap that americans love to say. why would god bless america? America was not a christian country before we came here and slaughtered the native americans and took their land, so yeah I'm sure God would approve of that and be on our side. Also Jesus was not American....................duh. He was born in the middle east so you better hope he's not routing for his home team. Stupid american mentality makes me nearly ashamed to be American.
everyone knows the islamic religion was a bunch of moon worshippers who had a 'new' religion forced on them by mohammed who was jealous of the jews and christians for having the 'true' religion. he tries to make islam 'seem' legit by borrowing elements from both and then sticking a gun at your head if you don't believe.
@Brian
Your comments sicken me.
God of lunatics... Do atheists not say that life originated from the big bang?? and dougassiee.... The God of Islam was never a moon God you dont know your facts... Back in the day people called their idols Allah becuase it was the arabic name for god.. Just as greeks had a "god" of lighning and a "God" of water. The name of God can be put on anything but it doesnt mean that it is the God they are referring to . They didnt know who God was but they used the name "God" as in the term for your object of Worship. However one must find out who God truly is which is the one and only, the eternal the absolute, non is born of him nor is he born and there is nothing like him.
You can see. My dear frie;nds. That is very nice! Christmas is coming!!! You wanna find your lover to have this wonderful time together? And if you desire to live the billi;onaire lifestyle, you may try BillionaireFriends.COMit's where for dating a billion;aire. The best cl;ub for seeking the ric;h in the world.....It's for rich and wealthy people who are seek;ing long last and enduring relati;onships!
Hitchens has to be appreciated for bringing logic to a question thats plagued generations of men...though no one group/ideology nor belief can ever answer the question definitively...being open to all, allows for an expanded, comprehensive view...there are many things mankind will/have discover, that will not conform to our understanding..and whether believer or not, at the core, both ideologies are flawed, missing fundamental components and..to some degree driven by personal bias...these issues obscures reality for the minds that are wedded to these camps....Hithens was a militant atheist... thats all...remove the labels and find the truth now..
but as an american i have to be christian because everyone around me is christian and it is convenient for me to believe what everyone else believes. forget logic and rationale, I want to believe in fairy tales because it makes me feel better about dying. lollipops and rainbows for everyone hooorrayyyyyyyyyyyyy
Only when a religious wacko expresses fondness for Hitch does it become mainpage news. Thats such BS.
Exactly my thought. Yet the slave masters and willful slaves who demand your enslavement, cry oppression.
You two got to the point. It's already a win for Hitchens. RIP Christopher!
The author is far from being a "wacko." I even question his being an evangelical Christian.