Aggressive atheists have used the terrorist outrages of September 11 as an excuse to attack all religions, according to the former head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Lord Carey. He said the destruction of the World Trade Center by Muslim fanatics marked the start of a new war waged by "aggressive and strident" writers such as Professor Richard Dawkins.
And he went on to say that the "unpleasant and reactionary" tone of atheists who dismiss all faiths has created a "dialogue of the deaf".
Lord Carey's remarks came amid the launch of a major advertising campaign by atheists. The campaign features 800 buses emblazoned with posters declaring: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
In a speech to the University of Gloucestershire, Lord Carey said: "We now live in such a divided and dangerous world, that the most urgent challenge facing us all is to build bridges of understanding and hope. The contribution [of religions] is being hindered, not only by deep misunderstanding between the faiths but, more worryingly, by a troubling polarisation between two intellectual worlds – faith and secularism, or faith and science.
"September 11th 2001, is a key date in modern history. It is usually taken to represent a watershed between West and Islam, and this is true. But it is also the date that symbolises a growing split between faith and reason, illustrated in the hostility to all religions by Richard Dawkins and others."
He went on: "The attacks on the World Trade Centre, Pentagon and the White House woke us all up to a resurgent and militant Islam which remains an active presence seven years on. For some writers, such events are illustrations of the evils of religion, all religions.
"I have no doubt that one can trace a direct link from 9/11 to the aggressive and strident tones of such writers as Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and others. The result is a widening gap between religion and science; an unwillingness to engage, concluding in a dialogue of the deaf."
Christians, he said, should engage in a more "positive, respectful and critical" way towards science. However, he added, that atheists must concede that religion can benefit believers and society in general.
Referring to the atheist bus campaign, Lord Carey said: "The inference is that all religions are bad for human flourishing; they are diseased and atrophied vestiges of human life. A reasonable and careful conversation is needed for us to overcome the infantile and trivial way matters of ethical behaviour are being discussed."
The bus campaign raised £140,000 to place adverts on 800 buses around Britain and 1,000 posters on Tube trains.
Following its success, the BBC agreed to broadcast a non-religious version of Thought for the Day for the first time.
Heads of the corporation had previously refused to allow unbelievers to speak in the prestigious "God slot" on Radio 4's Today programme, restricting contributors to figures from established faiths.
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(Source: CIN)