Aug 10
13
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American Vision – August 13, 2010
Christopher Hitchens, Dying Man
By Joel McDurmon
Christopher Hitchens is dying of cancer. He says five years, maybe. If he is as bad as he says, I would suspect less. Christian groups are praying for him—a few misguided ones for him to suffer and burn in hell, most however for his recovery and salvation. He is most at pains on this subject of prayer to assure us he will make no death bed conversion while he remains in control of his faculties. If there is a death bed conversion, the emaciated, drugged, or demented figure that does so will long since not have been him anymore.
Someone ought to tell him, that’s what Christian conversion is all about: the death of the old man, the rebirth of a new. It is a question of one’s true identity and glory. Better to die spiritually to that old identity than foolhardily to affirm his stubborn clinging to the cancer of his sin until physical death. Let us examine a bit about that identity and its foolhardiness.
Meet the Real Christopher Hitchens
Hitchens is one of the most widely published people whom many evangelical Christians had never heard of until recently. Despite dozens of books and pamphlets, and hundreds of articles and interviews, his almost exclusive attention to global political issues and his radical leftism kept him off the evangelical radar. This is less true for Roman Catholics due to the fact that he publicly excoriated and ridiculed Mother Teresa in a crass exposé subtitled The Missionary Position. Hitchens later narrated his politically-motivated disgust for Teresa into a public television format indelicately titled Hell’s Angel. While many Catholics have been outraged, Protestants and Evangelicals had largely been spared such abuse from our subject atheist.
That was, until March of 2007. In that month the Rev. Jerry Falwell died, garnering national media attention. The atheist, with his newly released book on atheism, and coveting the attention which he normally demands, was beside himself, outraged especially at liberal media outlets. The following day, Hitchens graced CNN with his judgment on Falwell: “I think it’s a pity there isn’t a hell for him to go to.”
Why any news organization with an obligation to public decency would call up an incendiary smoke-bomb like Hitchens to comment on, of all things, the death of Jerry Falwell, escapes me, unless it were to exploit his shamelessness for ratings, or to level cheap-shots at rival conservatives. Hitchens served both purposes well. Led by newsman Anderson Cooper, Hitchens referred to Falwell as an “ugly little charlatan” who was “giggling and sniggering all the time with what he was getting away with.” Hitchens snorted at the idea that Falwell actually believed what he preached, charging that the Reverend only used religion as a means of extorting money from “gullible” and “credulous” people: “He woke up every morning pinching his chubby little flanks, thinking, ‘I’ve got away with it again.’ . . . I think he was a conscious charlatan and fraud.”
When confronted for his hatefulness on Fox News’ “Hannity and Colmes,” Hitchens refused to show the slightest pity even toward the grieving family, saying, “I don’t care whether his family’s feelings are hurt or not.”
If Hitchens, along with other atheists, makes the complaint that atheists are unduly outcast by the majority of the American populace, well, perhaps he can at least understand why they are disliked. He makes it quite easy for us to do so.
A Tale of Two Faces
What drives a man to such violent, implacable one-sidedness? Whence the immovable, unrepentant, stubborn hate?
Do not pray for Christopher Hitchens. He has made it plain that he do not want anyone praying for him, lest a “miraculous” recovery from his cancer is upheld by evangelical Christians as proof that there is indeed a God Who answers prayer (and He has answered plenty of mine!)
Hitchens, like all atheists, is an empty-headed, babbling fool. There is no such thing as an “intellectual atheist”. If Hitchens, Dawkins, and their ilk really do not accept the reality of a Creator, then why spend so much time fighting Him? Because it gives them plenty of publicity and it sells their books.
Hitchens must be reminded of the fact that it is the atheistic doctrines of communism – not religion – that has unleashed the greatest suffering and shocking cruelty upon mankind. Witness the appalling suffering of the popluations of North Korea, Zimbabwe and Cuba under rabid Marxism. I find it amusing that the atheist would dare to point an accusing finger at the Christian who believes in a God Who created everything from nothing, while the atheist himself believes that nothing turned itself into everything.
Do not pray for Christopher Hitchens. But DO pray for the millions that he has misled and deceived through his poisoned words and hateful rhetoric. One can only imagine the absolute horror that will befall Hitchens two minutes after he steps into eternity. Let us pray that his followers will not join him in sharing the same fate.
Bill.
“One can only imagine the absolute horror that will befall Hitchens two minutes after he steps into eternity.”
What horror Bill? Please explain.
I find it amusing that when the devout wish to slander atheism they trot out communism as if it were the same thing. That’s as foolish as claiming all Catholics are child molesters.
Communism fails because of oppressive control over it’s population not from a lack of faith.
Bill:
“… while the atheist himself believes that nothing turned itself into everything.”
You really ought to avoid statements like this. If you falsely represent our opposition’s views, you do little more than alienate them. There is no conversation, no conversion, no progress — just mutual hate. And that’s not good for them or us.
“What horror Bill? Please explain.” My take on Hitchens worst nightmare would be going to a heaven populated by xtians such as Bill. Maybe that’s what he meant.
I will pray for the wretch — Hitchens. I am happy my praying for his soul upsets him.