Christopher Hitchens was able to not only speak out against the evils of religion, but was able to do it with such eloquence and passion that even religious believers were forced to consider what he had to say. It isn’t just that he was respected within the atheist community; he was also respected and accepted by the mainstream of America.
His book, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, didn’t really introduce any new arguments, but it did articulate the criticisms of religion with such passion in a way that really resonated with people. Hitchens was blunt in his criticisms of religion and never held back his opinion on any subject no matter how controversial his opinion might be.
What made Hitchens different than other voices within the atheist community is that he couldn’t be pigeonholed as “the atheist” but rather he was a public intellectual who was also a passionate voice for atheism. He truly was the Mark Twain of our day.
Still, there is a special spot in the hearts of many atheists for Christopher Hitchens. This is why last month the reddit atheist community didn’t wait for his death to let him know how much he meant to us. Atheists from around the global made videos raising their glasses to Hitchens to show him just how much he changed their lives and appreciated him.
Christopher Hitchens lives on in the lives that he has touched and the words that he has left behind. This type of afterlife is far better than the imaginary afterlife that religion promises. For one thing, it is real. But it is also not selfish. Hitchens doesn’t receive the benefit of his afterlife; we do for being exposed to his wit and wisdom through his books, articles, videos, etc. Christopher Hitchens will be remembered fondly and missed.
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