Atheists seem to be hedging their bets

AS a believer (and recovering atheist), I am constantly bemused by the irrationalities/contradictions of my former comrades.

Two current examples illustrate this perfectly. Firstly, we have the spectacle of that avowed atheist and papal basher Eamon Gilmore broadcasting the fact that he is taking two weeks off for the Christmas holidays. Given that Christmas means literally, the ”Mass of Christ“, does Mr. Gilmore’s announcement indicate a belated conversion or more likely is it a case of brass-necked hypocrisy?

Given the state of the nation and Mr Gilmore’s pivotal role in same, it seems irresponsible in the extreme for an atheist minister to avail of two weeks Christmas holidays. Secondly, on the recent sad passing of Christopher Hitchens, the editor of Vanity Fair magazine stated that those who had known Mr Hitchens were “profoundly fortunate souls”. I understood that atheists, only believing in the material, rejected the concept of a soul. Is this another case of hedging your atheist bets?