Is this our weekly comedy segment?

I was educated by Anglican nuns. From them I learned the high Anglican version of Christianity.

These nuns were exceptional women who did not indoctrinate us, and allowed us to learn widely. They were dedicated to educating girls for careers, very much ahead of their time.

They taught us to respect other faiths. They taught us to see human beings first, and their religious affiliation second. Their most important and unforgettable teaching was that God is love.

I haven't been a Christian for a very long time, in terms of belonging to any religious institution. I'd be described as an atheist. I don't know if there is or isn't a god, or what form that god might take should he or she exist. Unlike the author of this article, I'm not covering my bases and committing to belief just in case. I would find that an ethically unacceptable, half hearted reason for a belief that seems to me to demand strong commitment if it is to mean anything.

I have the utmost sympathy with Christopher Hitchens' increasing distaste for and anger at Christian institutions. My own anger and distaste has similarly increased over the years.
I will not go into all the reasons for that here.

My point is, I was brought up in the Christian faith, and I left it a long time ago and nothing I've seen thus far has tempted me to return.In retrospect, I can see that we girls were miraculously fortunate to have encountered that particular group of religious women at that particular time.

"...as with all atheists, Christopher is his own chief opponent. As long as he can convince himself, nobody else will persuade him," the author notes. It is precisely this arrogant dismissal of any view that does not correspond with their militant Christian perspective that brings believers into increasing disfavour in the modern world. This attitude becomes increasingly more dangerous, and more threatening to stability in a world that is crying out for acceptance of difference if it is to survive.

God, my Christian friend, is love.

“Yet, in 2010, Christianity is being pushed underground. Thanks to “multiculturalism”, books by uncelebrated believers, like Peter, are shunned.”
“Pushed underground”?? Hardly, Ben-Peter - Christianity is too frequently, and currently, manifest as the modern equivalent of Mars: “Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war”. We have Koran-burning in the USA; two gratuitous Papal incursions into Spain in determined campaigns to re-capture territory lost since dictator Franco’s death; the Catholic-only “World Youth Day” expeditionary force into Sydney at great expense to the largely non-faith Australian public; invasion of secular public education in Australia by school chaplains - publicly funded contrary to law pertaining to education; Voting direction inaccurately and improperly suggested against a particular party in the recent federal election by a Christian Archbishop. And that is far from a complete list.
Ben-Peter, open your eyes to the truth if you wish to be saved - from make-believe in this case. Rather than being pushed underground, the reality is a clutching at straws by an organization in fear of drowning; and to be saved, there is a need to face up to reality. Christianity, like a multiplicity of other religions, has many decently moral adherents. It should be given respect where respect is due; and disrespect where it sweeps objectionable actions under a carpet of pretence - as in this article.

Briar – your own comments suggest you are an agnostic (not an atheist). It is also interesting how you associate Christianity with church attendance(because I certainly don’t want to do that). But the more free speech the better, I say.

"" .. in 2010, Christianity is being pushed underground. Thanks to “multiculturalism”, books by uncelebrated believers, like Peter, are shunned. ""

Books like P Hitchen's are not being shunned because of multi-culturalism; and, Christianity is not being pushed underground, it is just being shunned as people rationalise its messages
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Colin Sett:

The fact that the media has highlighted a few people burning a Koran only reinforces my point. Bibles are burned across the world on a regular basis with no media coverage.

And you raise the question of chaplains or a so-called “invasion”? Incidentally, left-wingers are trying to drive them out of schools. Do you miss the communist terror state?

But thank you for showing your Christophobic attitudes in public. When atheists and their enablers manifest and say “open your eyes to the truth if you wish to be saved” they are simply projecting