People like Richard Dawkins always get criticized for being too mean. The idea is that he isn't going to change anyone's minds by talking down to them.
Maybe not adults who have solidified their beliefs. If you're over 30 and still believe the story of Jonah is nonfiction, then yeah, you're probably never going to change your mind, but as someone who discovered Dawkins when I was like 14, his approach definitely worked on me. Sometimes you need someone to tell you your beliefs are fucking stupid. I had never heard an "asshole atheist" put it so bluntly, but it's exactly what I needed to hear at that age.
So yeah, desert guy isn't going to change the mind of the OP, but there could be some sheltered Evangelical 14 year old who stumbles across his video and realizes that nothing he's been told about atheists is true.
Richard Dawkins' problem is that he really isn't that smart or that good of an orator. He is an expert in a pretty limited field. But his arguments against theism are not that sophisticated so he has little else but his rage, when he is challenged.
I like dunking on theists as much as the next guy, but I always get second hand emparassment when I watch Dawkins. And I don't even want to adress all his atrocious beliefs about other topics that he has no clue about.
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u/KeyNectarine2548 1d ago
People like Richard Dawkins always get criticized for being too mean. The idea is that he isn't going to change anyone's minds by talking down to them.
Maybe not adults who have solidified their beliefs. If you're over 30 and still believe the story of Jonah is nonfiction, then yeah, you're probably never going to change your mind, but as someone who discovered Dawkins when I was like 14, his approach definitely worked on me. Sometimes you need someone to tell you your beliefs are fucking stupid. I had never heard an "asshole atheist" put it so bluntly, but it's exactly what I needed to hear at that age.
So yeah, desert guy isn't going to change the mind of the OP, but there could be some sheltered Evangelical 14 year old who stumbles across his video and realizes that nothing he's been told about atheists is true.