Posted by Hemant Mehta in After doing a segment on how atheists are discriminated, and then following that with a panel discussion that unwittingly showed this discrimination first hand, Paula Zahn is trying again.
This time she’s including an atheist in the discussion.
What a novel idea.
Richard Dawkins will be a guest on Paula Zahn Now Friday night, 8:00 p.m. EST.
This time, they’re showing the first segment but not the panel discussion.
Isn’t this a discussion about atheism in America, though? Why are they asking a British guy to speak about this topic?
As Dawkins himself posted on Pharyngula:
Yes, I independently had the same thought yesterday, about the need for American voices rather than my English one. I suggested some names, including Michael Newdow who was actually slandered by one of the morons on the previous program. Unfortunately, however, CNN were adamant that they wanted a one-on-one between me and Paula Zahn. So I’ll just have to do the best I can, with apologies to those who could surely have done a better job. I think it is possible that CNN don’t want to concentrate on American attitudes to atheists this time, so much as on atheism more generaly (I was told that Paula Zahn is reading The God Delusion).
Richard
It’ll be some good viewing. And you can bet it’ll be up on YouTube even faster than last time. The only person who won’t be able to find it will be Debbie Schlussel.
[tags]atheist, atheism, Paula Zahn, Richard Dawkins, Pharyngula, Michael Newdow, CNN, The God Delusion, YouTube, Debbie Schlussel, discrimination[/tags]
Looking forward to it. I don’t always like the approach he takes in writing (which can definitely offend some people), but on tv he seems to always present a calm and rational argument even when people say the most ridiculous things. I just hope she doesn’t say anything about evolution being “random”, or she might be sorry.
He was supposed to be on Thursday but that whole Anna Nicole Smith deal caused a push back. Amazing how little it takes for the nation’s media outlets to stand stock still. And by amazing I mean pathetically amusing.
[...] After the embarrassing panel discussion from last week, CNN tried once again to talk about atheism… this time they even included atheists! [...]
[...] By the way, if you go to the American Atheists website, there’s a video message from Ellen Johnson regarding the whole Paula Zahn debacle. [...]
Dawkins is never offensive, just honest. He may be witty and cunning, but not offensive, not even in his written work of which I’ve read all but 2 books.
Offensive to whom, the ones with the cognitively discoherent thoughts? If we want intellectual honesty, which I hope we do, then we have to stop being so concerned about upsetting the poor religious folk. Authors like Dawkins, Dennett and Harris are being as polite as they can while maitaining just a shred of scientific and rational dignity. This is actually a huge obstacle in the debate over and understanding of, the value and necessity of religion…the thought that some cherished thoughts are somehow sacred and cannot be criticized. Nonsense, say I!!!
CJ Renzi
Houston, Texas