Dancing on Graves

I've been reading some of the tributes to Christopher Hitchens who died last week - and what strikes me is the nasty and mean spirited things - that some people have to say.

Many of them must be 'good', God fearing Christians or suchlike - since the most bilious comments come from those taking issue with Christopher Hitchens's well known atheism - and his contempt for all organised religions.

Now maybe this should come as no surprise - because history teaches us that in certain circumstances religious people can be extremely hateful - willing to kill, maim and hurt others all in the name of their religion.

One of those happy to 'dance' on Hitchens's grave said that he only had himself to blame for dying of cancer - because he smoked like a chimney for most of his life.

Well my dad died of lung cancer and he smoked like a chimney for most of his life -  from a young age - but I still think he and others like him deserve a bit more compassion and understanding that - 'serves you right'.

And I'm not even a religious person - so excuse me if I spit in the eye of those who promote the glory of God - metaphorically speaking of course - iwhile behaving in such an obnoxious way towards someone who just happens to take a different view.

I was gobsmacked at the comment of one horrible person who said that - 'how do we know that in his final, perhaps even unconscious, moments that Christopher Hitchens did not have deathbed conversion and finally embrace God?'. 

Well what you have is the evidence of a life lived in an uncompromising way - for good or ill - together with the public and private views of a man - who said what he meant and meant what he said, to coin a phrase.

To second guess and gainsay the evidence of your own eyes and ears - is a religious trait - and not a very admirable one in my opinion.

I take some comfort from the fact that the people who say such things online - invariably do so by way of anonymous and often silly user names - and then crawl back to whatever stone they normally hide under.

Christopher Hitchens on the other hand was unafraid to stand up and be counted - in fact he often threw his spear right into the midst of his enemies - and then ran after it as fast as he could.