Maybe Hitchens will do us all a favor and ask for a sign

I just listened to a debate about the existence of God and the evils of religion on the Hugh Hewitt show. This debate was between between Christopher Hitchen's, journalist and author of "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything," and Dr. Mark Roberts, evangelical pastor and author of "Can We Trust The Gospels?" I also recently heard a similar, but less lengthy, debate between Dennis Prager and Mr. Hitchens. Hitchen's is not only an atheist but also a a very strong, almost militant sounding, anti-religious bigot. Although he has made a number of anti-Mormon statements, mostly inspired by Mitt Romney, he seems to despise all religions equally.

As I listened to Mr. Htichen's arguments against religion and a belief in God, or should I say his smoke and mirror arguments, I was reminded of a number of individuals in the Book of Mormon. The first, Sherem, went about preaching against the doctrine of Christ and was described in Jacob 7:4 as follows.

And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil.

Mr. Hitchen's was educated at Oxford and is a very articulate speaker. His magniloquent speaking style and staccato use of literary quotes and half-truths can be very persuasive if one does not look closely at what he is saying. He has a way of using only partial-facts to support his thesis. For instance, during the Hugh Hewitt debate he notes that Hitler was born into the Catholic church and never denounced this faith, but dissembles about the truth that Hitler's actions were really more representative of his pagen views and likely his psychosis. The fact that his parents were Catholic does not mean that the teachings of the Catholic religion led him to become what he was or to do the things that he did. Mr. Hitchen's arguments also reminded me of Zeezrom who tried to trap Alma and Amulek by asking them questions and then misstating and warping their responses.

Finally, while istening to this debate I was minded of Korihor who said, in Alma 30:

O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come. Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers. How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ. Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so.

Of course, Korihor went on to ask the prophet Alma for a sign of the existence of God and wasn't very happy about the results of his request. Maybe if we are lucky, Christopher Hitchens will also run into a prophet and ask for a sign. Unfortunately, many people today are easily persuaded to evil and the damage done by just one Mr. Hitchens would have lasting effects even if he were no longer able to continue in his anti-religious ministry, much like the priestcraft of Nehor persisted long after his death.