God in comeback

'In academic, scientific and media circles it has become the fashion to fly the flag of militant atheism. It seems to be de rigueur for scientists who launch books aimed at a mass audience to make some sort of assertion that religious belief is incompatible with scientific progress and technological advance. The assumption is that attacking religion is popular and belief is backward. Yet there are a number of indications that active atheism, by stirring up debate, actually strengthens belief in God or implants it in the minds of those who had never thought much about the matter before.

And when people begin to think about nonmaterial issues--about the spiritual significance of death, the possibility of a future life, the notion of eternity and the meaning of personal morals--they tend to lean toward the view that a life totally without God is not enough.

It's a curious fact that when an atheist debates with a believer today, his own deeply cherished beliefs are just as much at risk as anyone else's.'

- Paul Johnson, 'God in a British comeback'.