LuckyDonkey

It's really early in the morning so I'm a little cranky. While clicking around on my del.icio.us feed this article appeared: How to Persuade an Atheist to Become a Christian. Now normally I'm a pretty angry kind of guy and after only a few hours sleep and a single coffee I'm not the kind of atheist you want to fuck around with. I've got to say though, I really hope this article doesn't get taken down from wikiHow. Here are my blurry, mono-coffee, anti meridian reasons:

1. It's quite frankly such a weak set of steps that it isn't going to do any harm.
2. It's quite charming in an new testament, jesus loves you kind of a way.
3. It does at least treat Atheists with some degree of respect although not a lot.
4. I'm sure there are many many sites trying to achieve the reverse. In fact many Christians claim the whole secular movement (and thus the western world) is trying to turn Christians bad.
5. Atheism as a movement was first galvanized by the french and as an Englishmen I'll do support anything that even remotely undermines the french

So are all atheists angry?

As an adjunct to this, here is a REALLY scary picture

(It's from IT the movie and yes he is getting closer and if you look for too long he leaps out from the screen and persuades you to become a clown... Jesus christ!)

and a NOT so scary picture

(fear my automated build system... and my tiny penguin. Or maybe I have a normal sized penguin and a giant robot arm, calculator, mario mug, pens and desk... either way fear something or other... Jesus saves!)

I'm am not a fan of O'Reilly. I think he manipulates his guests. He is rude and is seeking nothing other then to prove his point at the cost of truth. I'm not the only one who dislikes O'Reilly. So I was surprised when Dawkin said he would appear on The O'Reilly Show.

After watching it there are two things that came to mind:

• O'Reilly is for once almost repsectful. He still interupts Dawkins but not as frequently as usual.
• Dawkins comes across as kind, considerate and a gentleman.

I've seen O'Reilly be rude many times. If a British journalist behaved in such a manner I would refuse to watch the channel and write to the broadcasting standards commission. However this interview is in contrast relatively calm and considered.

O'Reilly takes an interesting interview stance. Knowing that Dawkins is unable to prove there is no god but he can prove with 'less' doubt that there was a man called Jesus. He hangs his argument on this fact. It's a good starting point. However Dawkins choses not to argue with him on this point. I presume Dawkins knew there was no point. Even though the existence of Jesus can be doubted and is by many Atheists to argue on this point would not help Dawkins cause. Denying Jesus would play in to the hands of O'Reilly and alienate the Fox audience, most of whom are committed Christians. Because Dawkins doesn't bite O'Reilly seems flustered. He doesn't have a Plan B.

I think Dawkins sole aim was to come across as a nice, gentle man. A man that can be talked to, can be trusted. After all Atheists are the most distrusted group in America today. By choosing to not confront O'Reilly on his terms Dawkins wins the PR battle.

Whether the powers of Europe like it or not the constitution they tried to launch last year fell flat on it's face....

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