Now you're dying...

Hitchens on, amongst other things, those who pray for him, and those looking for a death-bed repentance:

"I wrote back to some of the people — some of them in holy orders who are running registered organizations: 'When you say, "Oh pray for me," do you mind if I ask, "What for?" ' A lot of them said, quite honestly, 'Not really for your recovery, but that you see the error of your ways.' Now I find that not as easy to be graceful about, because though it's put in a nice way, it's part of a phenomenon that I've always thought of as very disgusting, which is the belief of the religious — which they keep expressing — that surely now you're dying, your fears will overcome your reason. I hope I don't have to underline what's horrible about that. There's an element of blackmail to it. And an element of tremendous insecurity on their part; I mean they don't seem to feel they'd win the argument so easily with someone who's mentally and physically strong. By the way, I think they're right."

Comments

[Laban]

"Not really for your recovery, but that you see the error of your ways"

Because his soul is more important than his body?

"I do not set my life at a pin's fee,
And for my soul, what can it do for that,
Being a thing immortal as itself?"

"it's part of a phenomenon that I've always thought of as very disgusting, which is the belief of the religious — which they keep expressing — that surely now you're dying, your fears will overcome your reason. I hope I don't have to underline what's horrible about that. There's an element of blackmail to it."

I can't look into the minds of those who write to him - but why can't they want him to come to God for his sake, not theirs? He's not some atheist Emperor to be bagged for a spiritual trophy cabinet.

[Abdullah]

'why can't they want him to come to God for his sake, not theirs?'

Spot on. In their position, there's more than an element of self-agrandisement (which I understand God hates).

[Mick H]

"He's not some atheist Emperor to be bagged for a spiritual trophy cabinet."

I think that's just what he is for many of those offering prayers, who'd love to see a death-bed repentance.

[Laban]

I'm sure they'd love to see a death-bed repentance - but none of us can say from here whether that's because he will thereby be saved (which is what their religion tells them to hope for), or because as fallen men they are hoping to expand an earthly power-base. You say the latter, I hope the former - and both are IMHO faith positions as we're not mind-readers.

(isn't there a passage in Darkness At Noon where God is accused of sneakily waiting until someone's sore afflicted to manifest Himself?)

[Mick H]

Well OK: I'm more cynical about their motives than you are.