Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens was an English-American writer, journalist, commentator, political activist and self described anti-theist. Hitchens contends that organised religion is "[v]iolent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children", and that accordingly it "ought to have a great deal on its conscience."

Biography

Personal life

Born April 13, 1949. Died December 15 2011

Education

He was educated at the independent Leys School, in Cambridge, and at Balliol College, Oxford, and read philosophy, politics, and economics.

Professional life

Hitchens authored God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. He comes to 4 main conclusions in his critique of religion:

• Religion distorts the origins of humanity and the universe;
• Religion commands unreasonable suppression of human nature;
• Religion impels people to violence and blind submission to authority; and
• Religion is hostile to free inquiry.

Works

Bibliography

• The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice, 1995
• God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything 2007. ISBN 0-446-57980-7
• Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer 2007. ISBN 978-0-306-81608-6