Early this summer, prolific writer and provocateur Christopher Hitchens revealed that he has terminal esophageal cancer. Since then, he’s been remarkably open about his condition — he even sat down with Anderson Cooper to discuss the disease in August. During that interview, the atheistic Hitchens also gave his opinion about the numerous people who have said that they would pray for him. As Frances Martel wrote at Mediaite:
On the topic of prayer, Hitchens noted that the prayers about his cancer—both the people praying for his health and those who have “lavish websites… praying for me to suffer and die”—are meaningless to him, even “Everyone Pray for Hitchens Day,” which he says has been designated to be the 20th of September. “I don’t think souls or bodies can be changed by incantation– or anything else, by the way.”
One month later, the God is Not Great author hasn’t changed his tune: ”I shall not be participating” in “Pray for Hitchens Day,” he told the Associated Press.
