Eric Reitan

At the same time as this year’s Soulforce Equality Ride hit the road carrying busloads of young adults to confront anti-gay school policies at campuses nationwide, the Oklahoma State Senate considered a bill that would have denied the legal protection of hate crimes law to victims of gay bashing. One step forward, two steps back.

In a recent interview with a Unitarian minister, the Vanity Fair columnist seemed to be nibbling at the edges of what can only be described as spirituality, leading our author to wonder whether Christopher Hitchens isn’t the best of the New Atheists for his willingness to reject atheistic dogmas.

The secular world, in confronting evil, has long relied on one solution: the use of coercive power to violently incapacitate those who do evil—often with “collateral damage.” Maybe it’s time to explore other options?