Listen to These Interviews

Two good ones:

First, D.J. Grothe‘s interview with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on Point of Inquiry.

Damn, I wish I could write as eloquently as Tyson speaks.

He shares why “atheism” isn’t an ideal term, the upsides and downsides of science education, and an absolutely beautiful story about Carl Sagan.

Tyson is the author of Death by Black Hole.

The other interview is from NPR’s Weekend Edition. It features Hanna Rosin, author of God’s Harvard: A Christian College on a Mission to Save America. The reference is to the über-Christian Patrick Henry College. An alumnus from the school, Daniel Noa, is also on the program.

The interview was too short. I could’ve listened to them for a while… but it’s well worth the brief conversation.

As for Rosin’s book:

What began as a 2005 New Yorker article became, Rosin says, a work of anthropology and an examination of how one school has become an experiment in shaping the future of Christian politics and education.

If you haven’t read the cited New Yorker article, you’ll want to check it out.

[tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]

Hugo

Just listened to POI’s podcast this morning.
I must say that I wanted to say a word or 2 to Neil. He may have me beat on intelligence and knowledge of the cosmos but he’s wrong about atheism.
I found it strange that he would say that Dawkins and Hitchens want to eradicate religion, they and the whole atheist community know that that will never happen, we do want it reduced to a form that does not stand in the way of human progress (the kind of religion the 7 or so % of scientists have according to Neil).
At the end Neil’s miffed that Colins does not accept his plausible proposition as a belief shattering thing, it would have really surprised me if Colins had accepted it as a possibility.
When a brain is so conditioned to a delusion it cannot be persuaded otherwise by a mere proposition, the delusion can be eroded little by little but not crushed, even with the evidence the believer will not be persuaded, I’m very sure of that and it is a delusion.
Karen

I found it strange that he would say that Dawkins and Hitchens want to eradicate religion, they and the whole atheist community know that that will never happen,

They are realistic enough to know it won’t happen in their lifetimes, but I think they’ve both said they’d like to see religion disappear and they think the world would be a better place without it. Haven’t they?
Aj

This was one of Point of Inquiry’s best interviews.
Hugo

I think they’ve both said they’d like to see religion disappear and they think the world would be a better place without it. Haven’t they?

Anybody of a certain religion would say the world would be better without the other religions and as atheist I say the world would be better without all religions, Dawkins and Hitchens indeed say that too, however that does not mean that they and I say that all believers are delusional, just delusional about their belief. It just seemed like Neil didn’t actually read Dawkins or Hitchens.
Plus the Colins part seems to contradict what Neil said about Dawkins, he infers that Colins is deluded for not taking his proposition as faith shattering, Colins should have answered the way Neil thinks, isn’t he a bit “militant” there?
JeffN

The more posts i read on this sight the more atheism begins to look like a religion deny it though you well. No not sarcasm. observation.