Religulous II

Yglesias responds to Damon Linker's article on Bill Maher:

...what I take to be the key idea of the “new atheists” is that it’s somehow not good enough to just try to go along and get along and hope that things will sort themselves out. Instead, for some reason they think it would be a good idea for everyone who’s not currently observant to form some kind of mass movement based around observing a lack of observancy in order to do battle with those who do. Hence, the need to preach to the choir. Why they think an organized, self-consciously atheistic mass movement would be a good thing is a bit beyond me. But I think that’s really the issue here.

Frankly, I think the new atheists' challenge to people of faith is a bracing one that we should engage. My dialogue on faith with Sam Harris last year can be read here.