From the article:
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But if religion is simply a licence for bad behaviour, how does one explain the mammoth gap between the charitable acts of those who believe and those who do not?
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It can be explained quite easily, actually. Do religious people tend to give more than atheists because they are genuinely more charitable, or do they give more because it's demanded by their church (tithing, collection basket, etc.) and/or they think it's requirement for a good afterlife (i.e. entrance to heaven, avoidance of hell)?
If it's the latter case, is it even appropriate to say that religious people are more generous if they're making donations for self-serving reasons? I wouldn't be surprised that if you discount donations given to one's own church or other religious organizations, then there isn't much of a difference between believers and non-believers with respect to the amount they donate.