Dawkins vs. O’Reilly April 19, 2007

Dawkins vs. O’Reilly

By Guest Contributor
April 19, 2007

Richard Dawkins will be appearing on Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor on Monday evening (8:00pm, EST).

Who wants to guess the questions Bill O’Reilly will be asking?


[tags]atheist, atheism. Richard Dawkins, Bill O’Reilly[/tags]

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What Are Your Thoughts?leave a comment

  • Wow, good luck with that. I have a hard time believing that they aren’t going to edit his appearance to make him look foolish. Few Fox viewers want to actually listen to an atheist evolutionary biologist. Most want to laugh at him. I know we have to reach out to the other side, I just don’t know if that message is going to get out in any reasonable form on Fox News.

  • I guess Dawkins takes his role as one of atheism’s top popularizers very seriously. Fox News viewers are really out-to-lunch, and I guess he’s trying to at least expose them to the presence of an atheist as a very preliminary step. Still, I doubt this is going to go well, but at least it shows he has balls.

    Re: editting, I’m picturing Homer trying to explain the gummy Venus de Milo incident on Hardline.

  • Questions? He won’t ask no steenkin’ questions. His badgering and preaching may be in the form of questions, but they won’t be questions Richard will be allowed to answer adequately.

  • Here’s a question which will be asked of Dawkins, “How do you get your hair to look like that?” That’s about as serious of a discussion we’ll see.

  • Prokop

    Throwdown of the Century.

  • Richard Wade

    Bill O’Rile-me will open with, “So Dr. Dawkins, the main thing my viewers want to know is how a low life scum atheist like you can look yourself in the mirror knowing you’re going to hell and taking our country with you?”

    And the interview will go downhill from there.

    I really don’t understand why anyone of intelligence and integrity goes on Bill O’Really’s show. Dawkins will just lend him credibility he doesn’t deserve and get nothing but abuse in return. O’Lookatme will do 95% of the talking, most of which will be him telling Dawkins what Dawkins thinks and feels, and how all that is evil, un-American and just plain wrong. What is the point of having a guest at all? Un’Ruly makes wall-to-wall speeches.

    Big mistake to go on the show.

  • Vincent

    I imagine it will be something like Laura McMahon’s visit to the Oprah Winfrey show – lopsided and edited beyond belief.

    To read about that incident, go here:
    http://www.randi.org/jr/2007-03/030207harpo.html#i1

  • Steve

    Hey as a Fox viewer and fellow free thinker, I resemble that! I’m a Libertarian, sort of a hippie Republican, so I get from Fox what I can’t find on other channels.( Tucker on MSNBC being the exception.)

    I think Bill is out to lunch on religous freedom issues, but I still love his confrontational style, and hey, he is giving Dawks a huge audience.

  • Richard Wade

    Dropping a sandbag on a guest and using the “interview” for a soapbox isn’t what I call “confrontational style.” The more threatened O’Ruinme feels the less his guest can get a word in edgewise. When you watch the show have a number clicker in your hand and count the number of sentences that Dawkins does not get to finish. Be sure the clicker has four digits.

  • Bill O’Rile-me will open with, “So Dr. Dawkins, the main thing my viewers want to know is how a low life scum atheist like you can look yourself in the mirror knowing you’re going to hell and taking our country with you?”

    If something like this happens, I would love to see Dawkins calmly take his mic off, get up and walk away from the camera, and out the studio, saying only “You call this an interview?”

  • Prokop

    Dawkins wouldn’t back down like that.

  • Aimee

    Questions? HA! There wont be any because O’Reilly will be too busy flappin’ his gums about how awful atheists are and Dawkins will have no chance to put his 2 cents in. Hannity is just as bad if not worse. Can’t stand either of them.

  • netgk

    Here’s a question that should leap to O’Reilly’s mind: “Why would my parents claim that I am an instrument of divine punishment against them, if there is no god?”

  • Richard Wade

    Huh?

  • Aimee

    I say get your shot glasses ready. Everytime O’Reilly calles Dawkins an SP (Secular Progressive), take your drink. I’d bet you’d either get a really nice buzz, or be drunk off your ass.

  • Matt Jarvis

    Hey is this not “FriendlyAtheist.com”? You guys are so negative. The interview w/ O’Reilly was good. There was no hostility and no disrespect shown on either side, and they both were able to express their views. Its a shame it could not have been longer. There’s a reason why us Atheists are the minority in the world. Natural selection governs this, as it governs all things. Atheism does not aid in human prosperity nearly as much as religion does.

  • netgk

    Why do you believe that “Atheism does not aid in human prosperity nearly as much as religion does”?

  • Matt

    One of the most important properties of religion (belief in a higher power) has greater power to create meaning in people’s lives, and serves as a stronger driving force for humanity. It has stood the test of time longer than Atheism has, and has contributed to human survival by creating stronger communities (as crazy as some may get), and greater aggression towards “enemies” that threaten their way of life. When I say humanity, I am refering to the species, not to what you may consider a moral definition of what a “human” should be.
    People need to find their own way out of Religious ideas. Taunting their beliefs, or even questioning them unwelcomed does no good for anybody and only causes unproductive conflict.
    What is your view?