16. Comment #368197 by Richard Dawkins

Excellent!

Is it gloves off time?

I think it's been a gloves off time since long.

I do not even see a debate between science and religion. I do not think atheist scientists should even engage in a debate with the religious ones. These debates merely legitimize the beliefs of scientists like Miller in the minds of the religious. Imagine if 90% of the scientists point blank said that Christianity was nonsense and that they would not bother to debate their religious counterparts. Then the parasitic legitimacy they derive from science will be gone. Since the scientific method is completely in conflict with faith, I think it is acceptable to deny such religious scientists respect the moment they start talking about faith

The attitude should just be that we do science and we don't accept any claims without evidence. Force the moderates to make a choice. I don't see the moderates skipping science classes just to avoid the conflict. Some of them will compartmentalize it, some of them will further remove the bits from their holy books that conflict with science, and maybe some of them will give it up.

I don't see why scientists who do the most intellectually honest work you can do should pander even the least bit to those who lie to themselves. It is not only unfair, it is also the wrong tactic.