'God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything'

Christopher Hitchens’ New Atheist novel, “God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything” written in 2007, highlights everything that is wrong with religion, and how its effects are detrimental to society. Hitchens critiques Christianity, Judaism, and even Hinduism and Buddhism, for their atrocities and blasphemous beliefs and makes a very valid point as to why many individuals have turned away from religion. Though quite persuasive in some cases, other times the novel makes points that seem weak or trivial in regards to the “evilness” of religion. Each chapter of Hitchens’ book emphasizes a certain wrongdoing religion has committed, or how religion has poisoned society.
In chapter one, Hitchens discusses how as a child his teacher, Mrs.
He claims that “religion does not, and in the long run cannot, be content with its own marvelous claims and sublime assurances” and thus, “it must seek to interfere with the lives of nonbelievers, or heretics, or adherents of other faiths” and thus, religion is seeking power over the present world (Hitchens 7). His prime example of these interferences are his “B’s” which include religious brutalities that have occurred in Belfast, Beirut, Bombay, Belgrade, Bethlehem, and Baghdad. He makes a final point that “religion is not unlike racism” (Hitchens 13). It is alarming that Hitchens is able to discuss so many religious massacres using only one letter of the alphabet, and it is a good point. However, not every member of said religion was responsible for the events that transpired. In fact, most people are innately good, but a few bad members of a religious group cannot define the whole community. Additionally, most religions do not condone violence, thus people of faith do not necessarily idolize it. Though the argument here is valid in that all of these incidents did occur and are affiliated with religions, it does not encompass how a whole community of faith is evil. Since there are evil people in the world, it is probable that they would be a part of every community. Therefore, this is no way to judge a society of faith, since this only a small population of people who may have
Though he is strong in his belief and can back up his reasoning thoroughly, he often makes hasty generalizations, which is a logical fallacy. One cannot claim that because a few atrocities that all religion is evil. Religion itself was not created to inflict evil onto the world, it its mission is in most cases of peace. Many people find hope and happiness through religion’s message, and this makes it important to society. Thus, though Hitchens’ arguments are persuasive, but all the beneficial aspects about religion can undermine