Re: How Accommodationism and NOMA self-destruct.

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:43:45 GMT

"I have from time to time expressed sympathy for the accommodationist tendency so ably criticized here by Jerry Coyne. I have occasionally worried that – just maybe – Eugenie Scott and the appeasers might have a point, a purely political point but one, nevertheless, that we should carefully consider. I have lately found myself moving away from that sympathy.

I suspect that most of our regular readers here would agree that ridicule, of a humorous nature, is likely to be more effective than the sort of snuggling-up and head-patting that Jerry is attacking. I lately started to think that we need to go further: go beyond humorous ridicule, sharpen our barbs to a point where they really hurt.

Michael Shermer, Michael Ruse, Eugenie Scott and others are probably right that contemptuous ridicule is not an expedient way to change the minds of those who are deeply religious. But I think we should probably abandon the irremediably religious precisely because that is what they are – irremediable. I am more interested in the fence-sitters who haven’t really considered the question very long or very carefully. And I think that they are likely to be swayed by a display of naked contempt. Nobody likes to be laughed at. Nobody wants to be the butt of contempt."
16. Comment #368197 by Richard Dawkins on April 22, 2009 at 9:32 am

It is certainly refreshing to read your thoughts on this issuen Steve, even if we disagree on the basics.
How sad that the "man" himself would stoop to this, don't you think?

Zarbi - How Accommodationism and NOMA self-destruct.

Re: How Accommodationism and NOMA self-destruct.