Atheist Christopher Hitchens, author of "God is not great" died of cancer at age 62. Sadly, it is reported, he died as unrepentant as he lived. Just something that made me shake my head today. Do we ever pray for people like this man? I know I don't. We should, shouldn't we?
It is always sad to hear of a sinner dying in sin. I think of Hebrews 2, "If every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward... how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation." I recall hearing this earlier in the year as I had listened to some of his debates. Two observations:
1. smoking, for some reason, so I am told gives the smoker a sense that everything is going to be 'all right' when they light up. I was with a dying woman once that had not eaten in over a week and had not drank any liquids in as long. She lived on an IV in her body. When she arose from her bed she did not ask for food or water, but a cigarette. She died a few days later.
2. "alcohol gives a sense of escape from a life that the person dies not like." That is a direct quote from a friend who borders on alcoholism.
That said, the man medicated himself in order to entertain his world view. These things were substitutions for God. We have an interesting passage in Hosea 3:1. Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of [her] friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
They were taking the love that belonged to God and giving it to other gods and then He singles one out, 'they love flagons of wine.' There is no new thing under the sun. Wine is a mocker and it corrupts judgment in those that are deceived thereby. Once the pain of the cancer came and the heavy meds for soothing it were administered, unless God granted respite, he never had a sober moment to the end. Today if we hear His voice we must not harden our hearts. It's too late for him, but there is still hope for the living.
RobertW wrote:Today if we hear His voice we must not harden our hearts. It's too late for him, but there is still hope for the living.
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Very true words here that you have shared and a very much needed reminder. I pray for the lost around me and those that GOD gives me leading to because as you said as long is their is life in the body there is hope they will see their sin, repent, and cry out to the LORD.
God bless
maryjane
I vaguely remember praying for his healing. . .I think I wanted him to become a testimony. . .and what a testimony he would have been. . .all that intellect doing a massive 180.
I think perhaps the real moral of his life is that God has said enough, creation is testimony enough, Christian apologetics gives the earnest soul enough logic to turn to God . ..
And yet our work of witnessing and duty/challenge to give a sound answer for our faith remains.
For anyone who hasn't seen this, this is a great intellectual outlining of the 'new' atheists arguments in a casual setting . . .be warned; the weak of faith can be swept away by it, the strong of faith will likely become stronger and better equipped to witness:
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