I'm puzzled by the premise of the featured article. What is new about this brand of atheism, other than the new marketing term 'bright'? Dawkins militant assertions and Dennis's naturalistic dismissal of our religious drive have been the stock in trade of socialistic regimes for the last 60 years. Dawkins viewson child rearing are still considered foundational to party membership in China or North Korea. What really takes the cake in this article is that Harris proposes a 'religion of reason' while embracing an embarrassing logical fallacy. He predicts 'unless we renounce faith, religious violence will soon bring civilization to an end.' This assertion is made without a logical basis and in the face of contradictory evidence. If atheism were the answer to human rights and peace, the USSR, Peoples Republic of China and PRNK would be models we could all look to for proof. Their human rights records should speak loudly enough to the contrary for even Mr. Harris to hear. The greatest threats of global thermonuclear war in the past 5 decades haven't come from the Vatican but from people who embrace the old atheism.
Glenn JohnsonGreenville, South Carolina
