Battleangel

Truthdig via David Galbraith - Imagine There’s No Heaven - At a time when fundamentalist religion has an unparalleled influence in the highest government levels in the United States, and religion-based terror dominates the world stage, Sam Harris argues that progressive tolerance of “faith-based unreason” is as great a menace as religion itself. Harris, a philosophy graduate of Stanford who has studied eastern and western religions, won the 2004 PEN Award for nonfiction for The End of Faith, which powerfully examines and explodes the absurdities of organized religion. Truthdig asked Harris to write a charter document for his thesis that belief in God, and appeasement of religious extremists of all faiths by moderates, has been—and continues to be—the greatest threat to world peace and a sustained assault on reason.

Though of course many would question if it really is religion that is driving terror and the US or indeed much simpler, secular yet difficult processes. It remains a historical simplification that generally all wars were started over religion. Though of course religion has often been used as a casus belli, to fuel the masses from the Crusades to present day American leaders.
That being said, religion is still an assault on reason, with its dogmatic and intolerant stance as we know from contemporary issues. As David notes, the real problem is being an atheist without falling into the same trap of intolerance that is supposed to separate us from them.