I have been to a few of these talks in the Difficult Dialogues series at KU and have found them quite interesting. At the end of each talk, they have a Q&A period where the audience members can write down a question for the speaker, in hopes that their question might be selected at the end for a reply.

So here is the idea.
I was thinking that it might be a good idea to start a thread whereby posters in this forum can submit questions that they would want to ask Mr. Dawkins at the talk Monday night. After we compile a few questions, maybe Mr. Krebs or someone from the KCFS staff could select the best question from this thread, and maybe (if possible) make sure the question gets selected for an answer. If it in fact does get answered by Mr. Dawkins, then we come back here after the talk and post his response.

Since Robert likes making polls, maybe he could make a poll out of all of the good questions in this thread and we could all take a vote on it over the weekend or something. I wish I’d thought of this a couple of weeks ago instead of only 4 days before the speech. Maybe it is something we do with the next speaker more in advance.

So lets get this thread rolling. What would be a good question for Richard Dawkins Monday night?

Many high school science students and their parents are wary of science because a few scientists, like yourself, seem to view religion with contempt.

Dr. Dawkins, do you understand that your statements equating science with atheism make my job - teaching good science - infinitely more difficult? That, given the dichotomy you present, they're less likely to accept scientific explanations?

Please, this is coming out more harshly than I intend, so revise away.

Q - Mr. Dawkins, this is a two part question. First, you've been criticized by many people, from both inside and outside the scientific community, for being too abrasive in regards to religion. Where do you - personally - draw the line on what is appropriate and inappropriate to say about people's beliefs, and second, do you think that it may be counterproductive to be so harsh on people's cherished beliefs?

Or...

Do you have an agenda, or a goal, in regards to religion in general, and if so, would you mind sharing it with us?

*Note*

It's very possible that both of these questions might be answered during his talk, making them pointless. Not having read "The God Delusion" beforehand, I'm offering these sample questions with a large degree of ignorance about what his talk is about in the first place.

Perhaps a better question might be, "Mr Dawkins, set aside the existence of god for a moment, and focus for a minute on people. Whether god exists or does not exist, many people believe - really believe - that he does. Furthermore, these people are told by their preachers, pastors, friends, etc that "science" and "scientists" are trying to disprove God. That they're trying to take their God away from them. And then they point the finger at you to confirm their statements, and further elevate the fear in the flock. Do you think that your...style...may be counterproductive in discussing this issue? God may be totally bogus, but people's fear is real...is your way the best way to deal with that fear?

(I'm assuming he thinks it *is* the best way. If he thought another way would work better, I'm sure he'd be doing that instead.)

Or...

"Mr. Dawkins, perhaps no other quote has been offered as evidence that evolution leads to atheism than your comment that "Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist." Would you care to comment on that? Does evolution really lead to atheism?

Or...

"Mr. Dawkins, while it may be correct to treat religion like any other question, surely you'd have to acknowledge that it is a volatile subject. Religion is important not so much because it is or isn't true, but because people *believe* it is or isn't true. Doesn't that mean that we're pretty much forced to treat it differently, whether we want to or not?

Or...

If you could somehow rub the magic lantern and do away with religion, would you?

Or...

What do you care what other people believe? Why is it so important to you that other people "wake up", and realize that god is just a fairy tale? Don't they have a right to be delusional? After all, they think you're delusional because you *don't* believe in god. Why should your opinion on it count any more than anyone elses?

Prof. Dawkins,

Once you have labeled someone's religious beliefs stupid, insane, etc., and their attempts to teach their children the same as equivalent to child abuse, you must realize that their minds are clamped shut to anything else you have to say.

In your endowed chair, you are in charge of Public Education about Science. How do you think insulting those who need scientific education the most will further your cause?

"Mr. Dawkins, would you consider joining KCFS?"

I consider Richard Dawkins to be the antithesis of what KCFS represents. Why in the world would you want him to join? And what makes you think KCFS would want him?

Mr. Dawkins, some accuse you of being a fundamentalist atheist. You've said that given proof you were wrong, you would at once change your opinions, whereas a *true* fundamentalist clings to his faith, regardless of the evidence.

That being said, what sort of evidence would convince you that you were wrong about god?

I understand your concern, but I don't see it that way. Dawkins is a very vocal supporter of science. *I* am a (somewhat) vocal supporter of science. The way I see it, we're on the same team.



Because (1) I think it'd be a feather in our cap to have such a famous (infamous) supporter of science in our ranks, and (2) it'd show that KCFS as an organization is neutral about religion, regardless of what theological positions various individuals of KCFS hold. Theists and Atheists, working together in the name of science, not in the name of (or against) religion.

I would like to ask him what he thinks are the differences are between religion and spirtuality- that is, if he thinks there are any differences between them at all.