Excellent piece by Frank Furedi about how the so-called rationalists in our society can be given to their own forms of irrational behavior:
Superstition and prejudice should continually be countered by rational argument. But the vitriolic invective hurled at Christian believers today is symptomatic of the passions normally associated with a fanatical Inquisitor. Like the old Spanish Inquisition, anti-religious fanatics are constantly on the look out for fundamentalist plots. Richard Dawkins’ recent two-part TV rant against religion on Channel 4 demonstrated the fanatical intolerance of critics of religion. The language and tone adopted by the anti-religious crusade – especially in the US – frequently acquires pathological dimensions. So, many anti-religious warriors repeat Dawkins’ assertion that St Paul’s idea of atonement for original sin is ‘essentially, psychological and emotional child abuse’ (1).
Article here.