Dear Belly,

As I said earlier - you take care of yourself.

I've just had a conversation with a girlfriend who's overseas.
She has some very tricky operations performed to remove
tumours from her brain. She's doing fine - but she told me
that her family won't be able to spend Christmas with her
this year (for a variety of reasons). She's rather upset -
and made the remark - "I hate it when people turn up at
someone's funeral and cry and weep and say how much they
miss that person, but heck why didn't they appreciate them
while they were still alive? I need my children now - but
I'll bet they'll all be there at my funeral."

I tried to comfort her - but I don't think it did much good.

i know its futile to try to comfort athiests
and certainly can imagine the frustrations of mr ditckins
now he realises he has..oh so eloquently missled...so many
what in heaven is he now to do with his guilt

he clearly is abouve inteligence..etc
if he lived a moral life he is assured his place in heaven by his avoiding of doing bad..[but on the other hand,,he has decieved even innocent children...away from their father..god]..

there is little to say
and he is too dedicated a figure head of athism..for any to take his after death communications seriously..so the guy has installed himself into a personal hell..

he who was given so much
did so little

but heck dont speak ill of the dead
but heck by his own measure he cant hear
bet he now fervantly wishes that were true

you faithfull cant even pray for him
its so hard on you...who reject the all living
all gracefull loving good...

yep he is dead..
now what]

nothing
the life energy..essence that he yet is..cant be destroyed
but to those who claim to have loved him..he is now nuthin
yet you still hold sacred his words

look what adults chose to believe
is neither here nor there...but those
who decieve others away from the good/grace/mercy..of god...[not religeon..its not the same thing]...well their enduring life has become a living hell

and god didnt judge that
nor any others..its a curse
he now uttters upon himself

simply because he presumed much;..of what he put
his anti/faith in..to be right..when much..is provably wrong..

[he is forgiven..but cant forgive himself
or those..who decieved him]

Lexi/OUG Thanks Friends.
I understand your Friend Lexi, so much about human nature is like that.
Keep showing you are better than that.
In fact sneak a letter to those who need to help her!
OUG fear not my Friend, Like the subject of this thread, saw the ABC repeat of an interview last night, what a loss!
I made my own road,inch by inch assisted in my mind by my understanding.
An understanding I MUST be accountable for my life.
And understand my what you would call sins, I do, wish [no buried bones] I had been kinder more understanding, some times firmer.
I will sail in to my future no matter what it is all flags flying.
And I am ok.
I want no harm to religions,but think while very many need a belief to prop them up.
Humanity, is advancing,in most cases away from religion, and that once it gains its legs, we may just be one.
So maybe this never again believer still understands some of those rules to live by are Worth while.

its ok belly..to walk away from religeon
but thats no excuse to walk away from god

[no matter how clever the religeon or science peers are
they in the main put forth their facts...that others must take on trust

wether you wear a dress or a lab coat
none can prove nor disproove that they did it
no proof of god..[except every little bit of creation
and the fact that we live..and we know science didnt do it]

but smooth talkers can convince us of many things
earlier it was said...'he was the best in the business''
and business it is

its about getting your followers
then selling them your books[books so long no one[or few]..can read them..when god is as simple as love..[a child can know that..and be right]

if its not l;ove..if its nmot gracefulll..if its not mercyfull..its not of god...[god sustains us all our very lives..and want nothuing from us but to try to love neighbour..to try to be good/mercyfull/gracefull..full stop

god dont care about cash..nor want a share
nor say buy my clever book...or sit on your bumb till it goes numb

god simply wants us to try to love others
cause he alone loves us all..[yes even hitchkids]
god alone dont threaten..god alone knows there are 'no just wars'

those who judge god
or claim he judges us
well their both wrong

being wrong dont mean they are bad
only wrong

the trouble is many get blessings
have high claim..hold high talents
those who use those talents to abuse others
well after 'death'..they get given yet more..of the same
justy like those who tried to love others..get more of that same

thing is till we get the full facts
why judge anything..why throw out any possability
god dont..so why should we

things we judge evil [bad things]..isnt a proof of no god
the good things we try to do to minimise bad affect..is closer to the good of god...but only god is all good

what we think we believe
is simply belief...[its by our works others will sek to judge us]

Dear OUG,

Thank you, you have cheered me up considerably with thoughts of how the Hitch would have replied to your pontifications.

Probably with the missive 'This is my death now just Fxxx Off'!'.

You might need to the explain the morality of seeking comfort in the imagined discomfort of another.

But then moral bankruptcy is the price exacted from those who would worship a deity that orders any contrarian to face hell and damnation.

I think you have eloquently made Hitchens' case.

Blowing raspberries at the dead compared to allowing ones self to be waterboarded speaks volumes about the relative moral conviction required for either act, although admittedly Hitchens happily indulged in both.

Again thank you.

Dear csteele,

Richard Dawkins interviewed Hitchens before his death
and wrote that the man was too complex to be placed
on a single left-right dimension. Dawkins said that
Hitchens was "unclassifiable." That even in his last
days Hitchens shone his relentless light on "uncomfotable
truths."

As Dawkins points out Hitchens will live on, alongside
other secular giants - Bertrand Russell, Thomas
Paine, David Hume.