When Atheism Becomes Religion

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From the New York Times bestselling author of American Fascists and War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning comes a timely exploration of new atheists, who attack religion to further global capitalism, intolerance, and imperialism. Chris Hedges, a Harvard Divinity School graduate, highlights the dangerous polarization in America's faith debate: fundamentalists who see religious belief as a right and new atheists who deem all religion irrational. Both factions promote radical agendas, leaving the tolerant and compassionate religious majority caught in the crossfire. Leaders like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris do not engage in moral discourse about religion; instead, they foster a new form of fundamentalism that emphasizes human reason and moral superiority. Hedges critiques this radical mindset, revealing that the strict rules of the new atheists mirror those of religious practices. He argues that blind faith in reason and science leads to the creation of idols, a sin across the spectrum. Hedges makes a compelling case against both religious and secular fundamentalism, which divides people into the morally worthy and the condemned. He dismantles the new atheists' critique of religion in America, paving the way for moderate voices in the ongoing debate about faith. This essential read sheds light on the current state of the faith battle.