I admire some qualities of Dawkins, but Tyson is much more my style of skeptic. Maybe the importance of being nice was just drummed into me as I was growing up.

Chris OConnor wrote:I sure hope everyone participating right now will be reading and discussing "A Devil's Chaplain" at some point.

I'll pass on the discussion.

I agree with you DWill. Social skills are more important when trying to persuade than when finding answers in the field. Truth may be had without having to deal with people but it's inevitable when trying to get people to acknowledge it.

Dawkins should pay a blond supermodel with a high school cheerleader's indignant under-bite to talk for him. He'd at least have 100% of Fox news viewers watching - his target audience.

We definitely shouldn't make fun of people who are leading a prayer vigil for lower gas prices
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/0 ... _stea.html

Why hast thou forsaken us?

DWill wrote:I admire some qualities of Dawkins, but Tyson is much more my style of skeptic. Maybe the importance of being nice was just drummed into me as I was growing up.

Thank God for moms and dads! I appreciate yours

DWill wrote:I admire some qualities of Dawkins, but Tyson is much more my style of skeptic. Maybe the importance of being nice was just drummed into me as I was growing up.

Dawkins could take some tips from Aristotle's On Rhetoric where he lays out his notion of how people form their beliefs. There are three factors: logos--corresponding to logic and common sense, pathos--that which 'resonates with our deepest self' making the truth attractive and personally satisfying, and ethos—that which is influenced by our social circles, upbringing and circle of friends: "It is part of our human nature to accept more readily the views of people we know, admire, trust and love" --John Dickson

Then again, maybe he does his case more harm than good this way and maybe that's not a bad thing...

I Dawkins.

In a totally heterosexual kind of way.