I've read the main article in an edition of Wired Magazine about the new 'evangelical atheism'. The "Brights movement" it is called. Richard Dawkins is at the forefront.

To be quite frank, they make me uneasy. Taking a more aggressive approach to debating religion I think just makes the situation worse. If anything, people will come off with a worse view on atheists and reinforce their religious beliefs and put more trust into what ever their institutional dogma may be, instead of questioning the logical premise of their faith.

Obviously, a lot of people will be immediately turned off by his book just by looking at the title, "The God Delusion". Right away it implies that religious people are living under a delusion. That's not really a great way to start off a persuasive essay, even if he may think it to be true.

I'll concede the point that he did say that agnostics and faith-questioning Christians (mostly liberal Catholics) are the intended targets of the "Brights movement". But the point still stands...I think the aggressive approach will still turn away even the most questioning religious people.

That aside, from an atheist standpoint, I obviously like Richard Dawkins. I think he has great ideas. Although I might not agree how he delivers his message, I still think he's a great person for already-atheists to read. I haven't read this book yet, but I do intend to.