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Christopher Hitchens, who is arguably the most famous public atheist in the world, has penned a fine essay in which he expresses his esteem for the King James Version of the Bible. Hitchens, of course, celebrates the language, and the culture of dissent that gave birth to the King James. But, he is strangely silent on the fact that the King James Bible was, after all, a translation. His praise for the inspired translators does not extend to the text that inspired them.
This is, of course, a bit like commending St. Paul because he made such fine tents. Paul was a tent-maker by trade before he became an apostle. Inspiration comes in many flavors, but it is more than a little strange to think the translators inspired and have nary a word about what inspired them, which was more than language. Still, the Lord works in mysterious ways. We can hope that the magnificent words of the King James Bible will lead Hitchens to consider the story of salvation those words convey.