An Atheist Goes to His...Well, Something

There has been much lamentation in the blogosphere today over the passing of Christopher Hitchens, the writer, thinker and militant atheist.  He was a favorite of many on the right because of his intelligence and insight, while at the same time he was hopelessly close-minded about religion.  One of his later works was the book "God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything".

I saw this tweet from a conservative I respect and frankly, it bugged me:

@NolteNC: If there's a Heaven, Christopher Hitchens made it. Heaven wouldn't be Heaven without him.

That's awfully weak theology. While I hope in his final days Hitchens was able to reconcile with the Maker he denied all those years (and the God his brother Peter actively serves), I have my doubts since even when diagnosed with the disease that killed him he wasn't a bit open to any possibility other than a black whole of nothingness once his life ended. What a waste of a great mind.

If the only prerequisite for getting into heaven is an entertaining personality or being on the right side of certain issues, that's not a heaven that's worth dedicating your life to.  It's certainly not a heaven worth dying for.

Hitchens had many great earthly achievements.  He was by many standards a great man who profited mightily from his skills.  However:

Matthew 16:26 - For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Shortly after Hitchens death was announced Joshua Treviño posted this on Twitter:

@jstrevino No longer an atheist. RT @VanityFair: Christopher Hitchens, 1949 — 2011

Treviño took a lot of grief for that reaction, but he was right.