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The new atheism, reconsidered.

Article Excerpt
The God Delusion By Richard Dawkins Houghton Mifflin Company Boston - New York

In a world threatened by religious extremism, the need to take stock in religion and to search for new perspectives is an urgent one.

Among the most vigorous of such examinations is a movement dubbed "the new atheism," led by scientists who argue that not only can science better explain reality than a belief in God but also that religious belief itself has become a threat to humanity.

Foremost among this group is Richard Dawkins, a British ethologist and evolutionary biologist at Oxford University, whose latest book, The God Delusion, has remained near the top of best-seller lists.

"Faith can be very, very dangerous," writes Dr. Dawkins. "Suicide bombers do what they do because they really believe what they were taught in their religious schools: that duty to God exceeds all other priorities ...."

But while Dr. Dawkins and other new atheists believe the way forward lies in a world without religion, Bahai'is approach the issue of God, nature, and religion from an entirely different perspective.

Stating that traditional religious beliefs are inadequate for the modern age, the Baha'i Faith recasts the whole conception...