I will listen to any of you who have cancer, like me, and ignore the cranks who don't. When you get cancer like Mr. Hutchens & I, I'll listen. As to " cure rate? Yeah, hear it all the time. No one ever talks about the pain & s--t you have to through to get 'cured,' or the fear or recurrence. Get real. Get a life A cancer-free one, I hope.

One of the most intelligent men to have walked this earth, a man who will one day be more understood (when the rest of us progress far enough), and a mind that's thought will hold high value on this world long after it's gone... and people feel they can take a pop at him... people who will never achieve a fraction of what he can whilst cancer ridden and in the space of a week.

@Daniele "Who cares?" I think that's the point James is making.

He's flagging the predictably dull individuals who think it's clever to ask the question. But yes, I agree, to refer to him as "fanatical" is poor. It ranks alongside the word "militant" that mildly vocal atheists are now charged with.

Oh well, James forgot to mention the other cliché that inevitably rears its head when discussing cancer and that's the perception that there is a 'battle' with it. H

Hitchen's best bet for survival is neither prayer or lack of prayer or his will-to-live or lack thereof. I suspect it resides solely with the medical treatment he receives and how early they detected it.

Our frontal lobes are too small and our adrenal glands over productive. What a wasted article written with just a tinge of spite one might think. Oh hang on, it's the new statesman.
I can only hope Hitch has a full recovery, the world needs him. :-)

I must agree with Steve O. Although contentious at times, Hitch is remarkably well informed and adds much to a discussion. As a believer in God, I pray for Hitch and sincerely hope he is able to continue to "shake up" the literary world. I have the greatest respect for his talent.

Hitchens is a rather beastly individual who cheers for the current Middle Eastern wars, including the murder of more than a million people in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

But one should still abide by the principle of the golden rule as far as he is concerned, lest one become an apologist for barbarism, like the militarist buffoon in question.

Your comment, James Macintyre, is totally a self-aggrandizing "holier-than-thou" comment. Remember the Pharisee who pompously prayed something like this in public, "I thank thee, O God, that I am not like other men (i.e. scumbag sinners)...."

Unfortunately, life is cruel...just when you're getting the hang of it, it's time to go. We're all in the same boat. People with such brilliance do not come into this world that often. A great farewell to you,sir.

esophageal cancer found in the early stages has an 80% cure rate. Christopher,I hope you're in that 80%. The world needs you, whether they know it or not.

Having read 'God is not Great' and the writings of Zizek, Badiou, Eagleton etc... I find this discussion trivial and superfluous. Come on New Statesman - you are better than this!!

Touchs of 'Jeffrey Barnard is Unwell'.

James:
I object to calling Hitchen a "Fanatical atheist". It is a total nonsense. How can you be fanatical about believing in NOTHING?
As to the comments above, I find them depressingly nasty and/or trivial.
As to the article "Pray or not pray?" Are you serious ? Same as your article about Charles and the pope. WHO CARES?
Come on James! You can write more interesting things than that!