Subscribe
Latest Activity
-
This week on CrossExamine.com -Kyle West Story-Truth Project - :
Kyle West Story-Truth Project
Why would God use a boy with cerebral palsy? That’s what 7 year-old Kyle West asked. Now 18, God has used Kyle in incredible ways, including on The Truth Project. Despite Kyle’s difficulties, God has a plan and purpose for his life and for yours. Watch Del's bonus teaching looking at the topic now or watch the full episode online now at Cross Examine's Facebook page www.facebook.com/CrossExamine.
-
About
Dr. Del Tackett is the author, architect and teacher for Focus on the Family's The Truth Project, a nationwide initiative designed to bring the Christian worldview to the body of Christ.
-
By Month
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
Links
Taking No Pleasure in the Death of Christopher Hitchens
Posted on December 18, 2011
Filed Under Community, Worldview | 6 Comments
“Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” Ezek 33:11
On December 15, 2011, one of the most vocal opponents of Christianity walked through the door that separates mortal life from the immortal.
Christopher Hitchens book, “God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything” was one of many openly hostile atheistic books that have become popular in recent years. “Hitch” as he was called, was one of the champions of the “New Atheism” although he personally tagged himself as an “antitheist” because an atheist, as he saw it, could deny God but wish he were wrong, whereas an antitheist is one who delights in finding no evidence for Him.
Hitch stated that the Bible “was put together by crude, uncultured human mammals.”
He didn’t soften or hide his hostility to religion:
“We keep on being told that religion, whatever its imperfections, at least instills morality. On every side, there is conclusive evidence that the contrary is the case and that faith causes people to be more mean, more selfish, and perhaps above all, more stupid.”
“Organised religion is violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children.”
Dr. Mark Roberts analyzed Hitchen’s book “God is Not Great” and found that just in the areas where Hitch made truth claims about the New Testament (all derogatory), there were 15 errors and 16 distortions. For example, his claim that the four gospels couldn’t agree on anything of importance is blatantly false by even the most hostile of literary critic’s examination.
But this isn’t surprising in many ways. Hitch had a deep hostility toward religion and hostility can cloud observations and stimulate gross overstatements and false charges. It would be very good for Christians to keep this in mind when writers hostile to a biblical wordview speak or write. The same goes for most of the media.
It should also temper us when we write about our own opponents.
It may surprise people that one of my favorite quotes actually comes from Hitch:
“[O]wners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.” The Portable Atheist
That won’t win me any friends with cat-people, but I think it is actually quite a good observation of the stark difference between cats and dogs!
This is also the man who deeply loved his daughters and said that he would calmly and unquestionably lay down his life for them.
He also spoke of death as “being certain” and of life as “there is nothing more; but I want nothing more.”
When Hitch announced that he had esophageal cancer in 2010, much to his surprise, he was deluged with support and prayer from religious people. That should warm your heart. It did mine.
Why?
Because we see the worth of every human being, even those who openly deny and hate the One we love.
Because we do not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, because neither does our God, even though Hitch hated Him.
Sound familiar?
It should.
Because that is what we once were.
That should drive our perspective. Our Book demands it.
“Remind the people…to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” Titus 3:1-5
For me and several of my friends, this was a sad day.
Comments
6 Responses to “Taking No Pleasure in the Death of Christopher Hitchens”
Leave a Reply
Comments are moderated and will not appear until they've been approved. While we are eager to facilitate conversation by publishing most comments, we may withhold one from time to time if we deem it to be inappropriate, i.e. offensive, vulgar, overly personal, cynical, disrespectful, irrelevant, redundant or unnecessarily contentious (what a list, huh?). Check it over for spelling and grammar before you submit so that nothing will hinder your eloquence!
Thanks be to our Lord and Savior that you wrote a blog on Christopher Hitchens. Yes, his death was sad but it is good to hear that he knew people still prayed for him inspite of the hostility towards our beliefs that he “preached.” It’s funny that one of your favorite quotes come from him because I listen to Bill Maher and love him although he is also known to distort different scriptures from the Bible to prove a point that he is making. But you also made me think of 1 Peter 3:15: “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” which is a reminder to me to study God’s Word and build up knowledge on history and science so present the case for Christ as those like you and Lee Strobel but to do it with a “gentleness and respect” because hatred plus hatred begats more of it and the love of Jesus is not shown.
May God bless and keep you! I pray that I am blessed with the chance to meet you some day since C.S. Lewis is already gone and I would love to hear more of God’s Wisdom.
[Jerome, the wisdom you seek is not to be found in me, but in Him. Your desire to study His Word is the right choice. The 1 Peter passage is actually going to be the theme verse for the new Truth Encounter that I hope we can film in the coming year. Blessings to you! dt]
Jerome
Well said, Dr Tackett and actually quite a nice eulogy.
[Thanks, Jeanine. Merry Christmas to you and yours! dt]
I was deeply saddened to hear that Christopher Hitchens had died. I used to listen to him on some of the radio shows and always had an a sense that he was running as fast as he could from God but God had other plans, and actually was hunting him down. He was a very worthy opponent, knowing God so well he could challenge everything that humans attached to him. I began praying for this man in 2010 when I heard he had cancer, knowing that few survive esophageal cancer. The knowledge that his brother is a Christian made me think that there must have been a point in time when Mr. Hitches experienced something he could not explain and turned away, instead of toward the one who could heal. My prayer is that God did heal him as he contemplated the end of his earthly life. He loved too well to be an unbeliever. It would be wonderful to hear that Christopher had bowed his heart to the Lord.
[We may never know, Rachel. My prayer is that the Lord looked upon him as He did the thief in his final moments. Thank you for praying for him. Blessings to you and your household this Christmas! dt]
Many athiests who describe their percieved attributes of God only show their deep ignorance of who God really is. The attributes they describe are of the evil one and the people he has influenced throughout history, up to this day. I liked Mr. Hitchens. After the 9/11 attacks he defended our country against people who blamed us for what happened. He was articulate and passionate about right and wrong and good and evil. Later, I was a little shocked at his strong contempt for God. Now that he has died I feel very sad that he seems to have died believing a lie. The father of lies is stunningly skilled at fooling even the very intelligent to dismiss our Lord. Thank you for the eulogy. I hope by the grace of God he did not die in the lie.
[My prayer as well, Paul. All lies ultimately are a lie about God, his nature, His word. Thank you! dt]
He knew the body of believers was praying for him before he died. And he admitted that had an affect on him. Here is hoping that he saw the light of salvation prior to his own death.
Trey
[That is my prayer as well. Thanks, Trey. dt]
I often listened to Christopher Hitchins and wondered what a lucid mind like this would do for the Kingdom of God if only he was a believer. His ability to string words and reason together in a pursuasive argument was impressive. I can only wonder if his sickness may have given him pause to step back from his long history of hostility toward God.
[He was a brilliant and articulate man, no doubt. Who knows what God might have been doing in his last year or last moments. Thanks, Ryan. dt]