All the world already knows that Richard Dawkins is an intellectual coward. He used not less than 12 excuses for not debating William lane Craig:
Now, Patrick Coffin, the host of the Catholic Answers Live radio program, has published an open invitation to Richard Dawkins to debate Christian philosopher Edward Feser (the author of the book The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism).
An Open Invitation to Richard Dawkins
Dear Dr. Dawkins: Last week, on November 28, 2011, we devoted an hour on Catholic Answers Live to “Deconstructing Atheism,” with philosopher Edward Feser, author of The Last Superstition and other philosophical works. I invited you, albeit last minute, to call the show and you replied that it was too late in the UK but that you would deputize an American representative from your foundation, Sean Faircloth, who did call in the show. Dr. Feser and I tried to steer Mr. Faircloth back to the central question of whether God exists, and extract from him an answer as to why you refuse to debate William Lane Craig, the Christian philosopher and apologist. Mr. Faircloth had no answer, although he did exhibit above average question-dodging. What a disappointment. After the show aired, you emailed me to complain that Feser and I misrepresented the truth, that you indeed did debate William Lane Craig on national Mexican television in 2010, and that you hoped I would make an on-air correction to set the record straight.
Firstly, to put it charitably, it is a stretch indeed to call the Cuidad de Las Ideas event in Mexico a “debate with William Lane Craig” since there were six panelists, including you and Craig, on the question of whether the universe has a purpose. I watched the whole thing on YouTube, and there was no direct Q&A interaction between you and Bill Craig (who, by the way, blogged at the time that you told him to his face that you did not consider it a debate with him).
Second, I read with interest your essay in The Guardian titled, “Why I Refuse to Debate William Lane Craig.” I am no logician, Dr. Dawkins, but I do know that these propositions cannot both be true. I also note your willingness to confront lightweights like Rev. Ted Haggard, actor Kirk Cameron, or non-philosophers who happen to be English archbishops. I hereby invite you to set the record straight and debate Dr. Edward Feser on whether or not God exists. I know your dismissive line about the CV, and perhaps you’ll play that card here. But I hope not. Edward Feser is also not a professional debater (neither is Craig, but that’s another matter) but a philosophy professor. He’s not asking for a debate. I pitched the idea, and he accepted. As you know, even fellow atheists such as Oxford’s own David Came are recognizing a pattern of ducking substantial one-on-one debates when he sees one. We all see it. One atheist commenter on your website called on his fellow atheists to “inundate” our phone system as a protest against Catholic Answers Live. This is intellectual discourse? I posted an invitation there for any atheist to call and voice his or her arguments. None have taken me up on my offer. This is known as chicken hawk behavior, or: courage in speech, cowardice in deed. The Dawkins-Feser debate would be taped and released thereafter.
Either way, you would be free to upload the debate on your website both as proof of your victory and as the occasion to make your critics fall silent. Finally, because you live in the UK, we would be happy to accommodate you with a reasonable time of day. We would go with our preference. I believe the world is ready for an updated version of the famous 1948 BBC debate between Bertrand Russell and Fred Copleston, SJ. Please let me know. This is a sincere invitation.
Patrick Coffin
Host Catholic Answers Live radio program
www.catholic.com/radio
Firstly, to put it charitably, it is a stretch indeed to call the Cuidad de Las Ideas event in Mexico a “debate with William Lane Craig” since there were six panelists, including you and Craig, on the question of whether the universe has a purpose. I watched the whole thing on YouTube, and there was no direct Q&A interaction between you and Bill Craig (who, by the way, blogged at the time that you told him to his face that you did not consider it a debate with him).
Second, I read with interest your essay in The Guardian titled, “Why I Refuse to Debate William Lane Craig.” I am no logician, Dr. Dawkins, but I do know that these propositions cannot both be true. I also note your willingness to confront lightweights like Rev. Ted Haggard, actor Kirk Cameron, or non-philosophers who happen to be English archbishops. I hereby invite you to set the record straight and debate Dr. Edward Feser on whether or not God exists. I know your dismissive line about the CV, and perhaps you’ll play that card here. But I hope not. Edward Feser is also not a professional debater (neither is Craig, but that’s another matter) but a philosophy professor. He’s not asking for a debate. I pitched the idea, and he accepted. As you know, even fellow atheists such as Oxford’s own David Came are recognizing a pattern of ducking substantial one-on-one debates when he sees one. We all see it. One atheist commenter on your website called on his fellow atheists to “inundate” our phone system as a protest against Catholic Answers Live. This is intellectual discourse? I posted an invitation there for any atheist to call and voice his or her arguments. None have taken me up on my offer. This is known as chicken hawk behavior, or: courage in speech, cowardice in deed. The Dawkins-Feser debate would be taped and released thereafter.
Either way, you would be free to upload the debate on your website both as proof of your victory and as the occasion to make your critics fall silent. Finally, because you live in the UK, we would be happy to accommodate you with a reasonable time of day. We would go with our preference. I believe the world is ready for an updated version of the famous 1948 BBC debate between Bertrand Russell and Fred Copleston, SJ. Please let me know. This is a sincere invitation.
Patrick Coffin
Host Catholic Answers Live radio program
www.catholic.com/radio
Having read most of Edward Feser's books, I know he's an intellectually honest, serious, erudite and rigurous thinker; in contrast with Dawkins, who's at most an intellectual lightweight and an inconsistent thinker. (Dawkins' main virtue is that his books are very readable, this is true. But people familiar with intellectually sophisticated thinkers would instantaneously recognize that Dawkins is not a great thinker. He's more like a sophist. See this post as evidence for this conclusion).
As consequence, I'm pretty sure that Feser would destroy Dawkins very easily in a debate about God's existence.
I predict that this debate won't happen, because Dawkins (if he knows who Feser is) won't accept the challenge. Dawkins will chicken away again.
But if (and this is a big IF) that debate happens, for sure Dawkins will be intellectually humilliated.
As consequence, I'm pretty sure that Feser would destroy Dawkins very easily in a debate about God's existence.
I predict that this debate won't happen, because Dawkins (if he knows who Feser is) won't accept the challenge. Dawkins will chicken away again.
But if (and this is a big IF) that debate happens, for sure Dawkins will be intellectually humilliated.
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