I remember the first time that I saw Christopher Hitchens. He was on Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, drinking and talking about how Mother Teresa promoted suffering among the people that she was supposed to help. I was new to atheism and skepticism, and I didn’t know much, but I thought Hitchens was awesome.

Christopher Hitchens had the reputation for being harsh, but that’s not really what he was. To me, he was a thoughtful person who could find beauty and meaning in life and literature, but he had no regard for fantasies of the supernatural or things that kept us from experiencing life and gaining knowledge. Sure, the “Hitchslap” became his signature move, and it sounds painful, but it was only painful because he was unafraid of the truth. He was right about so many things, and he had the evidence and the logic. He knew that reality was on his side.

So, I don’t have anything else to add, except to ask that we all take a minute to give thanks for what time we do have with each other to find beauty, to know the world, and to spread reason.

Here are some pieces to showcase the work and life of Christopher Hitchens:

Hitchens vs. Hitchens Debate with CFI Michigan

Fighting the Faith – USA from the Texas Freethought Convention

In Memoriam: Christopher Hitchens, 1949-2011 in Vanity Fair

Dawkins and Hitchens Interview