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Deliberate ignorance is the practice of refusing to consider or discuss logic or evidence disproving ideologically motivated positions. Related concepts are wishful thinking and the fallacy of invincible ignorance. Examples of deliberate ignorance include:

- materialists refuse to address the impossibility of material explanation for migration and homing
- evolutionists refuse to address the lack of a plausible evolutionary path for the whale and the other counterexamples to evolution.
- Believing that only one ideology could ever make mistakes; constantly demonizing that ideology while ignoring the faults of one's own (a particularly Liberal fault).
- liberals refuse to address how socialism destroys productivity
- Liberals who refuse to acknowledge the many fundamental truths in the Bible and even dismiss out-of-hand the many examples of Biblical scientific foreknowledge but refuse to read the Bible.
- Advocates of the global warming theory refuse to consider any scientific evidence which shows that natural causes have always had a greater effect on terrestrial air temperature than human activity.
- Liberal cafeteria Christians refuse to consider Bible verses that contradict their preconceived notions of what the Bible should say.
- Liberal Internet discussion boards quickly delete posts that present facts contradicting liberal ideology and ban users making such posts.
- Believing sentimental fallacies about public figures even when all the objective facts clearly indicate that said fallacies are false.
- Liberals who claim that the first amendment says that public officials are not allowed to acknowledge America's Christian heritage.
- Pushing a "scientific" theory for political purposes or because it fits one's belief system or preconceived notions, while dismissing actual scientific evidence that discredits the theory [...]

The possiblity that Hitchens' unfortunate death from cancer could have been directly or indirectly influenced by his atheism remains open. In the indirect sense, it is known that the atheistic philosophy of the objective meaninglessness of life correlates with vices and mental unwellness. Atheists and secular Americans are known to have higher rates of drug abuse(which in a broad sense could include smoking and drinking as well), and regular churchgoers are known to have much lower rates of mental illness and depression. The depression that sometimes persists alongside atheism could have conceivably influenced him to use harmful matericalistic pleasures like tobacco and alcohol as a coping mechanism, since an avowed atheist like Hitchens would not decide to seek spiritual health, attend a Christian church or look for "answers" in the Bible. This provides reason to speculate that atheism influenced Hitchens' bad habits, which lead to his cancer and death.

Whether Hichens' cancer death was influenced in any direct sense remains more uncertain. While a Christian should not speak directly for God, the Bible does show that, in specific instances, God has been known to punish sinners and the unrepentant with disease. The Bible has also made it clear that those who wish evil on others deserve no better themselves, and as Hitchens praised the sad and gruesome death of Rev. Jerry Falwell, the possibility of divine retribution remains as well depending on a Christians interpretation of God's word and actions.

On the flip side, God has been shown to bestow mercy on those who are sick and seek His help. The many stories of Jesus healing the blind, crippled, and ill are the first examples. Even during today's times, there have been claims of modern day miracles as well, such as the possible "curing" of a person's cancer by a Roman Catholic priest, through the power of prayer - something which Hitchens likely rejected to his deathbed. Again it would be presumptuous for a Christian to speak directly on God's behalf, as is Hitchen's most obvious eternal fate according to the Bible (for only God knows for a fact whether or not he repented on his deathbead) nevertheless the possibilities are a good topic of discussion among Christians and non-Christians alike.