The American Spectator

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p> strong> God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything br> By Christopher Hitchens br> (Twelve Books, 320 pages, $24.99) /strong> /p>

Watching Christopher Hitchens on television after Jerry Falwell died, it was clear the celebrated writer was beyond irked. Rather than politely disagreeing with the deceased preacher's doctrine, Hitchens smeared on gobs of spite, from "it's a pity there isn't a hell for him to go to" to "if you gave Falwell an enema, he could be buried in a matchbox."

p>Why the clear psychological torment? For starters, he no doubt played it up to promote his new book, God Is Not Great It's a case for atheism, and he states his reason for writing it (and presumably by extension, for lashing out at Falwell) thusly: br> /p>

I would be quite content to go to [my religious friends'] children's bar mitzvahs, to marvel at their Gothic cathedrals, to 'respect' their belief that the Koran was dictated.... I will continue to do so without insisting on the polite reciprocal condition -- which is that they in turn leave me alone. But this, religion is ultimately incapable of doing. As I write these words, and as you read them, people of faith are in their different ways planning your and my destruction.

Very dramatic, particularly the clever shift between his friends (whom he wishes would leave him alone, apparently) and terrorists. And it's certainly true that some religious fanatics threaten their fellow human beings. But are Hitchens's friends the threat he makes them out to be?

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