| − | Christopher Hitchens died on December 15, 2011. The media has reported that the cause of his death was pneumonia, a complication of oesophageal cancer.<ref>Minzesheimer, Bob. "Writer Christopher Hitchens dies at age 62." USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2011-12-16/obit-hitchens/51999910/1</ref> The cancer was likely caused by his heavy drinking and smoking. Hitchens, during the last period of his life, conducted himself with pride and self-respect, refusing to bow down to religious apolgists and fundamentalists who either sought to 'save his soul' or revelled in his imminent departure to hell. He remained true to his life-long devotion to logic, reason and truth and demonstrated how an atheist may die in peace, assured that he is right, and always has been. | + | Christopher Hitchens died on December 15, 2011. The media has reported that the cause of his death was pneumonia, a complication of oesophageal cancer.<ref>Minzesheimer, Bob. "Writer Christopher Hitchens dies at age 62." USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2011-12-16/obit-hitchens/51999910/1</ref> The cancer was likely caused by his heavy drinking and smoking. Hitchens, during the last period of his life, conducted himself with pride and self-respect, refusing to bow down to religious apolgists and fundamentalists who either sought to 'save his soul' or revelled in his imminent departure to hell. He remained true to his life-long devotion to atheism and demonstrated how an atheist may die in peace regardless of the correctness of his beliefs. |