Dawkins -- O'Reilly interview
Last night FOX News commentator Bill O'Reilly broadcast a five-minute interview with British ethologist, evolutionary biologist, popular science writer and advocate of atheism Richard Dawkins.
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If he had every letter from our founding fathers he would've realized some of them didn't believe in Christ or God. Also it is common knowledge that Hitler was a devout Christian killing in the name of Jesus. Look up your facts O'reilly.
Hell, O'Reilly wasn't that bad on Mr. Dawkins. I think he let him make his points. I guess what the real problem was time constraint since it was such a short interview. As a guy who's pretty much a flaming liberal, I do like O'Reilly because he is not afraid to cross party lines once(he thinks it's absurd that Exxon is making record profits which is very non Republcan) in a while on certain issues(as can I), where as someone like Sean Hannity would never dream of disagreeing with our president and has his lips firmly planted on his ass.
I loved it when O'reilly stated that Hitler and Stalin were atheists, and Dawkins fired back with the fact that both men had mustaches too but that doesn't mean all men with mustaches are bad.
Wow were are up to 12% of non believers in this country. Kick Ass.
To sum it up Mr. O'Reilly had some much weaker arguments that I am used to seeing the Christians post around here.
xrayman
Dawkins was embarassed
In the real world, we call that "cut off" or "bait and run argumentation".
interviews I've seen, this one wasn't too bad. He didn't stoop much to his usual self-righteous
bullying and blustering, and did let Dawkins get in a few comments.
But of course, he used the same tired example of Hitler and Stalin being atheists. Hitler was indeed
a Roman Catholic and referred to
himself as doing "God's work".
Yes, Stalin was an atheist, and yes, he killed millions; so by
Fundamentalist logic (an oxymoron
if there ever was one) anyone who
is an Atheist is going to be a mass
murderer. Astreja, in a letter
regarding another posting, made an
excellent point about going to
your local jail and finding out
how many Christians are behind
bars.
The problem was in the way that they were put - that sneering, condescending tone used throughout the interview, as if O'Reilly was flaunting his bias and ignorance.
No wonder paul enjoyed it!
"I think this is true"
"you can't prove my belief is wrong"
"That guy believed in god and did..."
"That guy didn't believe and did ..."
Bill showed no imagination or knowledge at all pulling up the same tired old arguments. Dawkins had a valid answer to every single one. Not that Bill actually listened.
The key here is that Bill, nor any fundy, ever really stops to consider what they are hearing other than pinpoint some insignificant point that they can continue their attack from. Does anyone here think Bill went away from this with the new found knowledge that Hitler was a Roman Catholic? Has ANY believer actually listened to the responses Dawkins presented to those same, tired, arguments and realized that their arguments are nothing more than tired rhetoric?
It really gets frustrating to see the self deluded never stepping back for a moment and considering the responses they get for their claims.
Yes, Stalin was an atheist, and yes, he killed millions...
As an historian of Stalin's Soviet Union I can state that there was no evidence thst Stalin was an atheist. In fact, no one knows what his beliefs/nonbeliefs were. This is a myth that was invented during the McCarthy era - all communist countries were atheist, which is patently ludicrous.
Ww, i am humbled by mr o!reallys panache.
I must go thank baby jesus now.
I think we are headed in a positive director and the fundies are getting scared. I always love how they try to dominate the conversation and play the "Hitler was an atheist(which he was not)" card. That is the last bastion of their defense.
Anyway, hopefully we will trend away from religion. Everyone will not be an atheist, but it will be good just to get away from the stranglehold of religion on this country. We are a first world nation guided by an imaginary friend. How sick is that?
Why didn't Dawkins throw the old "Where did God come from?" question his way? I love listening to Christians answer that one.
xrayman
How refreshing is the voice of reason compared to the manic shouting of nonsensical Bible verses!
BTW a good Hitler/Catholicism pictorial:
http://www.nobeliefs.com/nazis.htm
And yet, what did we see in this interview? Bill O'Reilly saying that Dawkins was welcome to have one truth while he had another. And Dawkins saying that, no, truth doesn't work like that.
So, the shoe was on the other foot, at least in this interview. I wonder what all the evangelical pastors made of that?
Stalin was an Atheist. I guess
the McCarthy people did a good job.
One of the reasons I enjoy this site is because with so many different contributors, I learn
something every day.
I think the part of the show with Dr. Dawkins was purposefully short because O'reilly knew he would be in way over his head.
I too am just glad Dawkins got the exposure and a plug for his book! It is a step forward as far as I am concerned.
Too bad that only 12% of the US have come to their senses, but at least the number is on the rise :)
As much as I respect Dawkins, he doesn't do very well at interviews. He needs a bulldog to do his work for him.
Brett Robson
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