I think Dawkins wrt religion has taken demagogue-like qualities, but as a scientist, he's pretty well renowned and have written several influential biology books. His God books are pretty weak to any serious discussion though. Dawkins as biologist= Pretty damn good yet contentious Dawkins as philosopher/theologist= Weak attention w****
I always avoid these types of things like the plague, always some religious psycho that wants to blow up the non-believers.
It seems it's going to be a veritable Clutchfans get-together this evening. I, too, shall be reveling in Mr. Dawkins's eloquence. Guess I'll see y'all there.
I know y'all are my people, and all, but damn if a concert hall full of highly-educated agnostics still doesn't come off as a group of seriously self-righteous pricks. I get it: we're right about everything. Almost made me root for some protesters. Oh well, free (cost-included) book is free (cost-included) book.
There was an extremely annoying skinny little college-age kid sitting next to me doing that really condescending snicker-laugh the entire time. Other than that, awesome night. Got my book signed and a picture with Ricky D to top it off.
I was beginning to wonder when the circle jerk was going to commence. WE TOTALLY TOOK A **** ON AMERICA! Haha! Richard is quite articulate, intelligent, and wonderfully logical. I think Americans automatically give too much credence to a British accent though. Seriously people... he said "rubbish", it isn't THAT funny.
heh heh, the one thing that kept going through my mind: man, he is NOT shy about mocking and belittling people who don't agree with him. don't get me wrong, that kind of exasperated tone of dismissal is most definitely needed at times, but dawkins just seems to ooze it. you can tell how much he loathes religion. as everyone says, fun for those on "his" side, infuriating for everyone else.
I'm on his side, and I though I agree with your observation, I don't particularly mind when he uses it. The man is brilliant whatever else, and speaks with the resounding force of clarity. It's just when the half- (okay, meeting of agnostics: three-quarters-) wit fellow travelers sitting next to me use the same tone to describe how awesome their (under their breath) putdowns of the philistines are, that it got to be annoying. The same thing happens anytime I'm in a room of my own people: I apparently don't like to be around mysel(v)es.
I'm pretty sure it was in the book-signing queue afterward. Less of a circle, more of a conga line. .... Yeah, everyone was rooting just a bit too hard for a vicious verbal comeback against the Believers. But there was no one in the opposition there for us to oppose.
It is just that moment you sit around thinking "wow everyone around me is such a snobby *******"... then you think about it for another second, shut your mouth, and get back to being better than everyone else.
