Comments on: On the Passing of Christopher Hitchens

By: Pastor Spomer

Pastor Spomer — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:48:27 +0000

“He was an ardent opponent of Christianity, but I will miss him.”

I feel the same way. It’s curious how so many Christians do. Reading or listening to Hitch was always a pleasure. Even when he said something with which one strongly disagreed, it would elicit a grin.

By: teleologist

teleologist — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:13:42 +0000

There is very little doubt that Hitchens was gifted in rhetoric. I liked his straightforward debating style; he comes at you like a bulldog and not beat around the bush. However, because he is so good at rhetoric many times his debate opponents missed the flaws in many of his arguments which contained false assertions. And many of his debate opponents do not challenge the atheistic basis that his argument stems from. Too often they are like boxers pinned against the ropes and being pummeled by Hitchens, if they survive that was supposed to be a victory.
Doug Wilson was such a case when he went on that debating tour with Hitchens. Wilson probably thought he did well against Hitchens but in truth, Hitchens probably mopped the floor with him. D’Souza was the only one in my opinion that did well against Hitchens. Alas, I think Christians will miss sharpening our swords with Hitchens.

By: Tom Gilson

Tom Gilson — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:04:19 +0000

Bret, thank you. He was a great man in his way, yes. He was a tragic man. He contributed greatly to others’ tragedies. Greatness is not always goodness.

By: Steve Drake

Steve Drake — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:06:34 +0000

‘At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and stood him in their midst, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”‘ (Matt. 18:1-4).

‘For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world (greatness), yet loses his soul’… (Matt. 16:26).

By: Bret Lythgoe

Bret Lythgoe — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 08:06:43 +0000

Tom, thanks for your beautiful essay celebrating the life of a great man.

By: Arthur Sido

Arthur Sido — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:41:11 +0000

That should start “It doesn’t seem”

By: Arthur Sido

Arthur Sido — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:26:12 +0000

Unable to distinguish between religion and God. That is good stuff. I doesn’t seem to be the case that the most ardent atheists understand God outside of the context of our cultural religious expression, an expression that causes me no end of concern and that in many ways is a barrier to our actual mission in the world.

It is quite easy for believers and unbelievers alike to rail against religion but God apart from religion is a whole different issue, one that is much harder to dismiss.