Richard Dawkins | Bill O'Reilly | Interview on Monday, April 23

[Lullaby Chainer]

Is Richard Dawkins wasting his time?

What are your thoughts on Bill O'Reilly?

At the time I am posting this, the interview has yet to happen. Please use this thread to express your thoughts on the interview if you have a chance to see it. I'll have a link to the video as soon as I can in case you miss it.

On a side note..
YouTube - Bill O'Reilly and Geraldo Rivera Shouting Match

[Osborn F Enready]

If Dawkins doesn't agree 100% with O'Reilly, yes, he is wasting his time.

[Lullaby Chainer]

If Dawkins doesn't agree 100% with O'Reilly, yes, he is wasting his time.

Is that the only purpose of going on the show? To win the argument? Isn't getting one's beliefs out in the open worth something?

[Jack]

O'Reilly is one of the worst interviewers I've ever seen. He cannot be objective or control his bias. Between his eye rolls and attempts to put words in Dawkins' mouth, I doubt the interview will amount to much.

[Osborn F Enready]

Lullaby said:
Is that the only purpose of going on the show?

Is what the only purpose?

Lullaby said:
To win the argument?

Winning any argument is important to your case, if your case depends on public perception.

O'Reilly is an opinion generator, not a journalist or an investigative reporter. O'Reilly holding an interview with someone he doesn't agree with is liking giving editing power to your biggest enemy, on their own show, at their mercy.

I would not be prone to go on O'Reilly, though I have challenged him to a debate he never took me up on, of course.

Lullaby said:
Isn't getting one's beliefs out in the open worth something?

Totally, but doing so on a show like O'Reilly's is like asking to be skewered with dishonest tactics, and admitting that most of your important points will be butchered or edited to fit "his agenda".

[Lullaby Chainer]

Here's the video

At first, you may be taken by how Dawkins didn't get an hour or so to present a well-rounded case. Bill has a way of covering his interviewers points with his own snot. But if you analyze it, all Bill had to say was that he believes because he believes, and I feel Dawkins did a very good job defending atheism despite his oafish interviewer. I think Dawkin's projected an intelligent and rational persona for Atheism to the many many theists who undoubtedly watched the interview. Not to mention, Bill went over some statistics about how atheism is growing which I feel is a positive message.

[StrongHeartsWin]

That's all!? Disappointing.

[Lullaby Chainer]

That's all!? Disappointing.

I know.. I was hoping for a much longer segment.

[Osborn F Enready]

I watched it when it aired on Fox. Dawkins did well against the spinmaster.

[Hmm]

I also watched it as it aired tonight. The "interview," if you wish to name it as such, was far too short to even have any type of involved argument.

It was mainly Dawkins responding to O'Reilly for twenty seconds, and then O'Reilly blabbering some remark to get the last word in before moving on to the next question.

Dawkins should have refused the "interview" if he knew it was going to be so short.

[StrongHeartsWin]

I also watched it as it aired tonight. The "interview," if you wish to name it as such, was far too short to even have any type of involved argument.

Dawkins should have refused the "interview" if he knew it was going to be so short.

Exactly. I think Bill made it so short because he knew that getting too deep on the topic would have opened him and his Jesus/God fairy tale up to too much scrutiny and fraud exposure.

However, if Dawkins knew that the interview was going to be this short, like you said, he should have refused it out of principle for not getting a fair hearing on his views or the issues.

If he did it just to get some time to plug the book...well, at least it gets the info out a little more and perhaps those who are having a crisis in keeping their faith could be convinced to go buy one and then be pushed off the fence into reality.

[Jack]

Is Richard Dawkins wasting his time?

I can't speak for Dawkins, but I will say watching even a few minutes of O'Reilly's show was certainly a waste of mine.