Church of England is struggling to counter the image of atheism as "the new cool thing".

By Jonathan Wynne-Jones,
Religious Affairs Correspondent
19 Sep 2011

Dr Rowan Williams argued it has become difficult for the Church to convey its message because of the popularity of non-believers such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.

He said attempts to reverse the decline in worshippers had begun but that there will be "no quick fix".

His remarks came despite new research, released by the Roman Catholic Church, suggesting that the Pope's visit to Britain a year ago has brought a lasting rise in the level of spiritual and religious feeling in the country.

Speaking at Canterbury Cathedral in a public conversation with Frank Skinner, the comedian, Dr Williams argued that the growing popularity of atheism had not necessarily led to a fall in the number of people who believe in God.

"I'd want to know how many atheists [Richard Dawkins' book] The God Delusion created," he said. the rest