Richard Dawkins at the Reason Rally

Here's an interesting video from Saturday's Reason Rally in Washington. It's worth listening to, even though you need to sit through some very loud cheering (his much-deserved welcome) at the beginning; I suggest you turn the volume way down until Dawkins starts talking.


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What I found particularly interesting was Dawkins's suggestion that if you meet someone who claims to be a Christian or religious person you should follow up and ask them what they mean when they say that: what are the specific beliefs they have that lead them to make such a statement?

I thought this was a provocative suggestion to engage believers in the kind of discussion that might actually get somewhere (maybe not, but you never know), and then he continues to say that it is important to ridicule believers. I used to think the same thing, and I still have to admit that I enjoy it, especially among other atheists and nonbelievers, but I have come to question its utility.

In discussions with a young friend about politics (we haven't really talked about religion) I've come to see that exploring the political ideas my friend expresses, their foundations, and where they lead, we can actually get somewhere, to the point where she probably would no longer describe herself as a conservative.

What if we could do the same thing with religion?

I recognize it's not easy, because these ideas are pretty entrenched, but I do know that ridiculing someone to his face isn't going to get you anywhere.

It might be worth a shot.