Peter Hitchens says Christopher Hitchens is wrong about God

Peter Hitchens, Christopher’s conservative younger brother, says Christopher has gone too far with his new book, “God Is Not Great.”

First, I need to point out that Peter Hitchens opposed the liberation of Iraq. The pseudo-liberal defenders of Saddam Hussein will claim it ironic that a conservative opposed the end of tyranny. I do not. Liberating Iraq is clearly a liberal cause. Only a conservative impulse, ultra-conservative, could have conjured defenses for Saddam’s fascism.

I take that well-intentioned shot at Peter Hitchens because he uses Christopher’s support for the liberation of Iraq to make the case against Christopher’s atheism. Peter says:

We are in the process – encouraged by Christopher – of abolishing religion, and so of abolishing conscience, too.

It is one of his favourite jibes that a world ruled by faith is like North Korea, a place where all is known and all is ordered.

On the contrary, North Korea is the precise opposite of a land governed by conscience.

It is a country governed by men who do not believe in God or conscience, where nobody can be trusted to make his own choices, and where the State decides for the people what is right and what is wrong.

And it is the ultimate destination of atheist thought.

If you do not worship God, you end up worshipping power, whether it is Kim Jong Il, Leon Trotsky or the military might of George W. Bush. In which case, God help you.

Religion and conscience. Perhaps the Brothers Hitchens are both wrong about God and religion. Maybe Christopher has oversold religion as the major source of the world’s troubles, when it’s obvious that anti-religious philosophies killed more people in the 20th century than all the religious wars combined.

And maybe Peter is wrong to assume there is no conscience outside religion. Christopher has shown conscience in Iraq. Christopher saw oppression and tried to end it. Peter just went to church.

Frank Warner