The Hitchens Challenge

Arch-atheist Christopher Hitchens repeatedly held out the following challenge to religious people:-
“Name me an ethical statement made or an action performed by a believer that could not have been made or performed by a non-believer.”
Hitchens seems to think that he has religious folk stumped. “As yet,” he claims, “I have no takers.”
I am very far from wanting to defend ‘religion’ in general. So I would respond by asserting that it is not difficult to find multiple instances of moral acts that would only be performed by followers of Jesus Christ, and others that would more prevalent amongst followers of Jesus Christ than among non-believers. I am thinking of
- worshiping God
- praying for others
- sharing the good news of salvation
- forgiving our enemies
Of course, Hitchens would cry, “foul!”, because he does not regard these as morally good things to do (including the forgiveness one, probably). But that’s our response, whether he likes it or not. If Christianity is true, then it follows that the greatest moral good is to love God with all our being, and to love our neighbours in ways that are consistent with our love for God – e.g. by prayer, evangelism, and forgiveness.