Monday, August 9, 2010

Hitchens on cancer diagnosis: 'Why not me?'



Anderson Cooper
I just flew down to Washington to talk with author Christopher Hitchens. He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in June, and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

Many people upon receiving a cancer diagnosis would ask "why me?" Hitchens's answer, is "why not me?"

Much of his hair has fallen out, but he seems strong as ever. We discussed whether his diagnosis has in any way altered his well-known opinion of religion and prayer.

Is it a turn off if you find out someone believes in god?

This morning I was reading my usual websites and catching up on a little news, after a weekend of running the City2Surf competition and drinking excessively afterwards, and I came across this little questions on one of my favourite sites and I thought I'd share it with you:
Recently I met a guy online who I liked. We got into a discussion about god and it became pretty obvious that he didn't believe in any kind of higher power. Soon after finding out I do, he stopped replying to my messages. Now I might be completely wrong about why he stopped messaging me, but it made me think: Is it really such a big of a turn off?
I'd be interested to hear of anyones thoughts on the matter. For me personally I think I genuinely could not form a romantic relationship with someone who believed that God was looking out for them. I'm too opinionated and wouldn't be able to let the topic drop, for that is a flaw of mine.

However, there was probably a more reasonable response that I'll also share with you, but I'd love to know your opinion on the subject too.

No, believing in a higher power isn't a turn-off for me. However things like:
  • Young-Earth creationism
  • Denial of the scientific method as a self-correcting and objective way to ascertain the nature of Reality
  • Inability to argue logically
  • Inability to entertain a notion without agreeing to it
  • Inability to question one's beliefs
  • Inability to grant the possibility that one is wrong about the existence or nonexistence of God
Those things are turn-offs for me. I wobbled between being an atheist, a theist, and a deist all while dating a Christian girl. Only broke up because she had trouble not fucking another guy.
I know... I know. I thought that too.


So anyone else have any other thoughts?