Patrick Coffin, the sharp and witty host of Catholic Answers Live, has a long history with prominent atheist Richard Dawkins. Patrick has repeatedly invited Dawkins to appear on his radio show or, at the very least, to debate a Catholic with a legitimate philosophical background. The two have even exchanged emails, though so far Dawkins has yet to accept Patrick’s offer.
But when Patrick heard Dawkins would be in town to host an atheistic convention, he knew he couldn’t pass up the chance. Here’s Patrick’s account from a few days ago:
So how did you spend your Good Friday evening? I went to the “Richard Dawkins in San Diego” event at the San Diego Concourse in the marrow of downtown San Diego.
………
The mikes were opened for questions, and I got in line fast. The first guy meant well, but made himself and his faith look foolish. He started off fine with, “God loves even you, Richard Dawkins,” but ended up asking “What makes your arguments more powerful than the Lamb that was slain for me?” Dawkins shot him his famous glare and, to the exultant jeers of the offended throng, dispatched the young man with, “Yes, died for you. And what a disgusting, sadistic doctrine!” Applause and extended catcalls ensued. (Dawkins had already advertised his misunderstanding of the atonement, did the guy not even listen to the talk?)
Another question followed, a softball from a fan.I was next.
The video footage may be available at some point, but my main goal was to ask him a yes or no question: would he appear on a top-rated Catholic radio show before an international audience to talk about his atheistic worldview? No debate, no questions about why he refuses to debate his nemesis, Dr. William Lane Craig, no gotcha ambushes.
The crowd went silent and turned from me to Dawkins.
How did Dawkins respond? Find out at Patrick’s blog.
As Dawkins has shown time and again, most New Atheists flee from serious debate. They host these big rah-rah conventions, bashing shallow caricatures of religion and exchanging fiery rhetoric, but they shy away from any sort of dialogue with respected theologians and philosophers.
I truly hope Dawkins eventually takes up Patrick’s invitation to appear on the radio show, not because it would convert Dawkins to theism, but because it would give atheist listeners a chance to discover the many holes in their religious system–maybe for the first time.
PS. In two weeks I’ll be featuring a recent interview I did with Patrick where we discuss conversion, apologetics, Fulton Sheen, and more, so stay tuned!
UPDATE: Here’s actual video of the exchange (thanks to Dan Sealana):