We chase "fast culture" at our peril - unusual words and difficult art are good for us, says Will Self.

New support for the value of fiction is arriving from an unexpected quarter: neuroscience.

If you turn on the news tonight and hear of a bomber slaughtering civilians anywhere from Nigeria to the London Underground, I can reassure you of one point: the bombers will not be readers of Richard Dawkins.

Their assault illustrates the extent to which defenders of religion still dominate our press, the brutal retaliation exacted on clever opponents of faith and the incorrigible stupidity of Sayeeda Warsi's claim about "militant secularism" last week.

I can’t help wondering at the quality of journalism which sees a scoop in attacking a man for what his five-greats grandfather did.

Which, talking of dissimulation, brings me to Richard Dawkins, a fanatic disguised as a scientist.

Yes, life without God can be bleak. Atheism is about facing up to that

Why do the religious insist on presenting a united front?

Religious leaders of different faiths have no problem being critical of anyone – apart from each other. Something's going on

Godlessness is the last big taboo in the US, where non-believers face discrimination and isolation