Only caught part of this interview / debate involving Dawkins, but thought I’d better blog the link so I don’t lose it. Got the impression he was looking for compromise ground (?) based on what little I did hear, but reaction by those on the God side of the debate don’t seem to have made that iterpretation … need to find time for a closer listen.
(Post Note : The link is just a news report
… can’t see the link to hear the programme itself ?)
Link to the “Talking Point” video recording provided my Mardé.
December 2007 Link on this page.
Interestingly, the first caller’s point is the same as Dan Dennett’s. Atheist or agnostic, the existence of God is an uninteresting question. What good / bad is caused by professed religious faith in God’s name is the much more real, pragmatic issue. Dawkins still doesn’t seem to get that.
Some wonderfully dirty rhetorical tricks later on from the religious side trying to smear the atheist agenda with the authoritatian evils of Stalin and Hitler prepetrated “in the name of atheism”. Heh heh. I thought Dawkins was remarkably reserved in maintaining his moral high-ground – and as you know, I’m no fan of Dawkins.
Dawkins may be tolerant on comparative religion as historical cultural fact, but his pure scientific outlook means he misses other values in faith and denies any parallels with the “dogmas” of science itself – meta-dogmas.
Here’s a link to the RealPlayer audio:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks/wservice/aod.shtml?wservice/talkingpoint#
Better, here’s a video link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/talking_point_programme/default.stm
Scroll down to lower right and click on Prof Richard Dawkins under December.
Thanks Mardé. I knew there was a BBC talking point recording … just needed to look for it. Thanks.
Your welcome, Ian. That’s an interesting point you make that Dawkins ignores any parallels in religion with the “dogma” of science itself as a form of faith.