I don’t know or follow Hentoff, so can’t say he has ever offended me.
I have no idea how many parts per gallon that Nat H. is both a self-professed athiest and a “liberal icon”, and what parts he is conservative. Conservative icon was just not a part of the title. Your issue might be better taken up with the columnist who wrote the title and called him a liberal icon.
For me, athiest thinking in general is suspect, though I admit that even a stopped clock can be right twice a day. Kudos to Nat, twice a day. :)
Who knows, maybe by now he's a disciple of Jesus Christ Our Lord. I have been putting the invisible prayer beams on him :o)