You've Got to be Joking!

Revised on February 24, 2012

I came across an article titled For once, Richard Dawkins is lost for words at The Telegraph. The subtitle is the following: ”Atheists’ arrogance is their Achilles’ heel, as a cringemaking radio performance has proved.”

Christians – in their numerous literary attempts to do so – have utterly failed to rebut the vast majority of Richard Dawkins' arguments in his best-selling The God Delusion so they are now reduced to belittling him because he couldn't recall the title of a damn book!!!

Here is a recording of the conversation (don't pay any attention to this Christian who mixed this video and his stupid comments):



Here is the part of the discussion between Dawkins and Rev. Giles Fraser under discussion:

Fraser: Richard, if I said to you what is the full title of The Origin Of Species, I’m sure you could tell me that.

Dawkins: Yes I could.

Fraser: Go on then.

Dawkins: On the Origin of Species…Uh…With, oh, God, On the Origin of Species. There is a sub-title with respect to the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life.

The dullard, Stephen Pollard, who authored the article went on to write,

It was a golden minute of radio. But as well as being hilarious, it was hugely symbolic. In The Daily Telegraph yesterday, Baroness Warsi highlighted the militant secularism on the march in Britain. But as Dr Fraser revealed, the atheist army is led by an embarrassingly feeble general. The arrogance and intolerance of the atheists, exemplified by Prof Dawkins, is their Achilles’ heel.

I find it to be incredibly stupid that Fraser said that by Dawkins' reasoning, because he couldn't remember the entire title of The Origin of Species, people should doubt evolution. Dawkins was not saying that people should doubt Christianity because they can't remember the name of the first book of the New Testament! His point was that Christians in Europe seem to call themselves Christian but do not adhere to the typical beliefs of Christianity, such as believing Jesus was the son of god, don't read the bible, or go to church. As several sociologists have noted, such as Phil Zuckerman, it seems the Christianity in Europe is largely cultural and most people there could be considered atheists, or maybe even Deists, but still call themselves Christian in order to acknowledge and remember their cultural roots. So, Dawkins' point was ultimately that Christians there call themselves Christian, but when looking at their beliefs as a whole, don't actually seem to be Christian in the common usage of the word. This was completely ignored by Fraser and every other idiotic Christian who has caused this discussion to blaze the internet in an attempt to embarrass Dawkins.

Most important of all, Dawkins actually knows about evolution and Darwin's work while Christians don't know what their very own bible contains. And they also are glossing over the fact that Dawkins did for the most part recall the sub-title to Darwin's book! Even the radio host said the same thing, that he did “not bad, actually.” The full sub-title is By Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. No he didn't recall the By Means of Natural Selection part, but that's sure a hell of a lot better than most Christians know their own bible. Most can't even name the four gospels and in Dawkins' survey couldn't name the first book in their own scriptures at all.

I find it despicable that Dawkins is the target of so many dishonest smears. First, they try outright lying about him by dishonestly setting him up and now Christians are spreading around this strawman, essentially, because they are completely ignoring Dawkins' point with the study he cited. His point was that in Europe Christians are Christians by name only and often don't even believe some of the basic tenants of what we would normally call Christianity.

As to Fraser's comment that “it's just not fair to ask people these questions. They self-identity as Christians and I think you should respect that.”

Why isn't it fair? Dawkins was simply curious about peoples' personal beliefs and when it came back that many of them don't even follow the typical Christian doctrines it's natural to ask the question if they are actually “Christian” after all. Besides, I don't doubt other sects of Christianity are saying or thinking the same thing, but I guess it's just somehow wrong for an atheist do ask such questions.

I cannot believe there was an entire article in a paper about this! How stupid can some people be?