I have just watched Jeremy Paxman's (more than slightly sycophantic) interview Christopher Hitchens (can be found on BBC iPlayer). Christopher shows again that he doesn't have a clear understanding of the Gospel and the God he so vigorously and vocally rejects.
He said that, according to Christian teaching, we are "born sick and commanded to be well" - how wrong he is! It is true that we are born with the disability of the sinful nature, but it is completely untrue that we are "commanded to be well". Rather we are offered a cure, i.e. salvation through faith in Christ. He is offering to do the work for us, because we can't do it for ourselves. Salvation is not presented in the Bible as a reward to be achieved, or a prize to be won, or a product to be bought, but a gift to be received. God is not commanding us to do something we can't do. He has done the work and paid the price. If someone refuses that gift and chooses to remain in the condition in which they were born, then what are they complaining about? Does Christopher want God to make him receive the gift? Given how much he prizes his freedom and autonomy, I don't think so.
