An Atheist's Sincere Question

Read what Christopher Hitchens writes in his book God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.

Imagine that you can perform a feat of which I am incapable. Imagine, in other words, that you can picture an infinitely benign and all-powerful creator, who conceived you, then made and shaped you, brought you into the world he had made for you, and now supervises and cares for you even while you sleep. Imagine, further, that if you obey the rules and commandments that he has lovingly prescribed, you will qualify for an eternity of bliss and repose. I do not say that I envy you this belief (because to me it seems like the wish for a horrible form of benevolent and unalterable dictatorship), but I do have a sincere question. Why does such a belief not make its adherents happy? It must seem to them that they have come into possession of a marvelous secret, of the sort that they could cling to in moments of even the most extreme adversity.

Not all of the details that he gives in the scenario above are ultimately correct about Christianity, but isn't his question concerning religion legit? Hitchens' primary point when writing the above paragraph is that religion is a man-made institution designed to keep people from proper reason concerning the world around them. It looks good on paper, but unfortunately he has erroneously left out (or is blinded to) one key ingredient: the sinfulness of man.

With that being said, it makes me wonder that if Hitchens did not feel the need that ask that "sincere question," would he reconsider his perspective on religion or a particular religion? Maybe not. But maybe.