Sunday, November 26, 2006

Richard Dawkins pt 2

Well, it's Sunday night. My 4 day weekend is slowly coming to an end. It has been a nice relaxing 4 days off. I have a refrigerator that is packed with leftover containers that I'll probably deplete as the week goes on. I always have a sense of guilt towards the end of Thanksgiving to know that there are so many people in the world that have so little. I don't know how to combat this guilt other than to give to a local food bank charity. Yet even that brings about a different guilt, that if I just throw some money towards a charity it will make things better. I've yet to figure out how to resolve that guilt.
Well, Another good video (actually a two parter) was posted on one of my new favorite websites called "Throw away your TV". I finally got to hear a speech by this Richard Dawkins guy and it was very interesting. (Note the blogger who posted the video mistakenly claims the speech was given at Liberty University (Owned or started by Jerry Falwell)). The speech was covered by my other favorite TV channel (hmm, ironic that the "throw-away-your-tv" site is rebroadcasting a tv show) on C-span called BookTV.
Dawkins is entertaining, well spoken (In his harry potter accent), and passionate in his beliefs. He is a bit disrespectful at times, but I did not detect any outright hostility.
What bothered me most about his speech? The audience of the "Randolph Macon Women's College". Their laughter, cheers, jeers, and clapping felt more like it was a pep-rally than a college level speech. What was also somewhat embarrassing... the people asking the questions were having difficulties in getting their questions out. Perhaps it was just nerves, but I expected college level students to be a bit more eloquent.
If you are the least bit interested you should check out the video(s). But I will warn you that he may rub some Christians the wrong way.
On a side note: One member from the audience said that the Liberty University has on display fossils that they claim are 3,000 years old. I just googled Liberty University and found their website... I thought it a bit funny that on their homepage they are saying that if you register for their "distance learning" you could win an ipod or a dell computer. But wait! That's not all! For just $19.99 you can win this entire set of Ginsu knives too...

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