Part 4/11:
He recounted instances where religious individuals explicitly admitted that their prayers for him were not primarily for his recovery but to "help him see the error of his ways" or to "find God." Hitchens expressed disdain for what he saw as a form of spiritual blackmail—particularly under the guise of compassion—and labeled it as part of a long-standing phenomenon wherein religion preys on the fears of the dying, attempting to sway them from rational thought.
"The belief that your fears will overcome your reason as you die," he said, was a moral fail of religion. He viewed this as disgusting and as exhibiting tremendous insecurity on the part of believers, a sign that they perhaps lack confidence in their faith without the pressure of impending death to bolster it.