Christopher Hitchens Death: A Reformed Reflection

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment (Hebrew 9:27), Christopher Hitchens, one of the “Four Horsemen” of New Atheism destined day was Thursday night of 15 December 2011. He died at the age of 62, after a 18-month combat with esophageal cancer.

The “blogshere” was kidnapped by reflections of his death. Here are highlights of some of reflection coming from Christians blogoshere:

Justin Taylor’s at Between Two Worlds in Gospel Coalition: Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011)

He was a brilliant and entertaining man. He was enormously gifted, and in his final years he took those gifts and used them to mock God, using his considerable wit and sharp tongue to convince as many people as possible to do the same.

Glenn Peoples’ at Say Hello to my Little Friend: Hitch: Being dead does not make him any more noble

He may have been a good journalist and writer, but in the arena he became notorious in – attacking religion, he was a prat, and deliberately so. And not just a prat, a pretending, smug, arrogant (certainly more arrogant than was warranted by his ignorance), belligerent prat. He – along with his equally vapid adoring fan base – was quite taken by the idea that you’ve offered a sensible critique of Christianity if you just describe it in scornful terms with a serious look on your face, or that a deep Oxford educated voice and some dirty innuendos made a point all that more logically compelling.

Douglas Wilson’s at Christianity Today: Christopher Hitchens Has Died, Doug Wilson Reflects

Christopher knew that faithful Christians believe that it is appointed to man once to die, and after that the Judgment. He knew that we believe what Jesus taught about the reality of damnation. He also knew that we believe—for I told him—that in this life, the door of repentance is always open. A wise Puritan once noted what we learn from the last-minute conversion of the thief on the cross—one, that no one might despair, but only one, that no one might presume. We have no indication that Christopher ever called on the Lord before he died, and if he did not, then Scriptures plainly teach that he is lost forever. But we do have every indication that Christ died for sinners, men and women just like Christopher. We know that the Lord has more than once hired workers for his vineyard when the sun was almost down (Matt. 20:6).

Edward Feser’s: Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011)

Except on religion, where he was a complete bore and an insufferable hack. There is no use sugar-coating that fact now that he is gone, and Hitchens was not in any event a fan of the polite obituary. Religion is the last subject about which to have a tin ear or a closed mind, and Hitchens had both.

Russel Moore’s at Moore to the Point: Christopher Hitchens Might Be in Heaven

Christopher Hitchens was a blasphemer, true enough, and a nasty character. Aren’t we all, in our different ways. Christ Jesus came for nasty characters like us. And the same blood of Jesus that can deliver us from wrath could do the same for Hitchens had he, if he, at any point, embraced it. It’s not likely, but it’s possible, and, if he did, then Christopher Hitchens’s past atheism would be no barrier to communion with God. It would be, like my sin, crucified with Christ, buried, and remembered no more.

And John Podhoretz, Commentary, Juli Weiner, Vanity Fair, Christopher Buckley, The New Yorker on list goes.

I do agree with much that has been said by all brilliant thinkers and writers above. As Christians who hold to the truthfulness of the doctrine of grace, the death of Hitchens’ reminds us how grateful we ought to be to our Sovereign and wise God. We are to thank him because the Cross of Christ is not a stumbling block to us as with Jewish nor fool as with non-believers but power of God and the wisdom of God ( 1 Cor. 1:23-24)

I was not better than Hitchens. I also was a blasphemer. I hated God and unable to walk to the Calvary. Jesus put it this way: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”(John 6:44) I am a Christian because the Father drew me to His Son. As Lydia of Thyatira(Acts 16:14), it’s Yahweh that opened my heart to give heed unto the Gospel of the crucified and resurrected Savior.

When non-believer dies, we ought to ponder on how wonderful our Lord and God is that in His grace and mercy we found favor. As Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”(Ephesians 2:8)

NB: Please do read the blogs for the context of the quoted part.