By Cliff Helm

A recent package of articles from Wired explores the philosophy of the intellectual movement known as New Atheism. With “Battle of the New Atheism,” contributing editor Gary Wolf delves into the principles and possibilities of what is sometimes called “fundamental atheism.” Trying to understand the reason and logic of the movement, Wolf assumes the role of “spiritual” journeyman, and discovers that New Atheism comes with its own set of absurdities.

Elsewhere Wired offers profiles on public proponents of the forceful rebuttal of religion ranging from the magicians Penn and Teller to Bad Religion singer Greg Graffin. Wolf, for his part, focuses on the bestselling authors Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. Dawkins insists on calling religiously minded people stupid and Harris sees the apocalypse catered by religious ideologies and not metaphysics. Both men are noted scholars and acclaimed intellectuals animatedly opposed to organized religions and their “absurd dogmas.”

The path of this article feels like it will soon reduce to name calling (it does, indeed, represent the voice of the New Atheist as calling religion not only wrong but evil) and may put off a few religious readers. Yet Wolf’s journey does not devolve into what he dubs the irony of New Atheism: a “prophetic attack on the prophecies.” While taken from the perspective of a prospective New Atheist, Wolf lets his beliefs be challenged – something New Atheists abhor.

Through his examination of New Atheism scholars, spiritual scientists, atheistic community meetings, and religious sites, Wolf finds that even though he sympathizes with their understanding of the world, completely eliminating religious questioning would be the same level of “evil” that the New Atheists fight against.

In the end, Wolf’s journey returns us to the idea of intellectual democracy, and questions any religious or intellectual ideology seeking to eliminate critical thinking and conversation. Perhaps in exploring New Atheism, we might all take a lesson in understanding the strictness of our own faith.

Cliff Helm is a student at the University of Southern California.