It is important to recognize the limits of reason, and also to acknowledge that atheists have no monopoly on it. The new atheism, however, tends to claim reason as a decisive combatant on its side only. With its talk of ‘spells’ and ‘delusions,’ it gives the impression that only through stupidity or crass disregard for reason could anyone be anything other than an atheist. ‘Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence,’ says Dawkins, once again implying that reason and evidence are strangers to religion. This is arrogant, and attributes to reason a power it does not have.
— Atheist philosopher, Julian Baggini (via ifconfig)
