Atheist’s USC Visit Expected To Draw Crowd, Critics
Given the collapse of its Innovista “research campus” and the annual “November collapse” of its football teams, you would think that the University of South Carolina might be looking for all the “divine intervention” it could muster.
Apparently not.
USC is going another route – inviting the world’s foremost atheist to lecture on its campus next week.
As reported first on FITS back in August, Richard Dawkins – a celebrated evolutionary biologist who as been dubbed “Darwin’s Rottweiler” – will be in the heart of God’s Country next week, telling its inhabitants that God doesn’t exist.
Dawkins’ lecture will take place on Tuesday, October 13 at the Carolina Coliseum in downtown Columbia, S.C. It will begin “promptly” at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public, which has prompted interest among the state’s evangelical community.
Dawkins is the author of several books including The God Delusion and The Selfish Gene. According to our sources, he was apparently debating between coming to the University of Southern California and our USC, which is known in the other forty-nine states as “the other USC.”
He eventually settled on South Carolina because he reportedly wanted to “acknowledge the growing atheist population” in the Palmetto State.
According to a Facebook page set up to promote Dawkins’ visit, over 250 people have confirmed that they will attend his lecture.
USC has taken considerable heat in the past for some of its controversial invited guests – including former domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, who has spoken at the school six times.
WEB EXTRA
Richard Dawkins Official Website
Comments
By Fashizzle on October 8th, 2009 at 1:26 am
The Facebook page says this lecture is on October 13. Has it changed or did you write the wrong date in the story above?
By Strom's Daughter on October 8th, 2009 at 1:39 am
If I had a nickel for every time God fucked me in my ass, I could buy a tube of Preparation H.
Maybe I’d be better off if I didn’t believe in Him so much.
After all, South Carolina is one of the most God-fearing of all the states, and look where it is . . . in the bottom of the shitter.
Why, look at Mark Sanford.
Mark Sanford believes in God and loves to quote the Bible for anybody who will listen, but I don’t think he was too preoccupied with the good Lord or His good book when he was porking Maria. He’d found himself a real “soul mate,” which sounds kinda pagan-like or something you’d read in a horoscope.
I’m just so confused.
It occured to me that if everybody in South Carolina who plans on going to church this Sunday would instead get themselves checked out for STD’s (sexually-transmitted disease) we’d have a much better handle on this particular problem and might not rank first in one of the bad things.
Somebody once said that whoever seriously thinks that superhuman beings have ever given our race information as to the aim of its existence and that of the world, is still in his childhood.
Holy shit . . . if true, that means our state is one of the largest day-care centers in the world.
A place as juvenile as that might elect another juvenile to run it.
By Boom Boom Longtime on October 8th, 2009 at 6:59 am
This event should be interesting enough. But most of the people in South Carolina would rather see Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens in a cage-match against Jimmy Swaggart and Ted Haggard. And personally, so would I.
By Calhoun Fawls on October 8th, 2009 at 7:12 am
I am reminded of the old Steve Martin routine. Martin goes on about dying, and says to St. Peter, “They told me in college this was all bullshit. Can’t you give me a break?”
By Cooter Brown on October 8th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Whacha ’spect frum dis scalawag institushun ov yankee indoctrinashun? Hell, it tooks me years t’ unlearn all th’ mule shit dey taut mee down dere!
By Nyet on October 8th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Strom’s Daughter = not amusing anymore
By Ralph on October 8th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
I think USC deserves a pat on the back for bringing in a world class intellectual. Richard Dawkins is a fantastic author. Pick up a copy of The Selfish Gene if you want to expand your horizons on evolution.
By Fashizzle on October 8th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
It is a great thing that USC was able to bring in such a highly regarded speaker. I just hope the evangelicals don’t get together and find some way to make South Carolina look like idiots again. I can just see someone making a statement like “God put the fossil record there to test our faith.”
By Ben on October 8th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
http://www.answersingenesis.org
By seymour on October 8th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Let’s see: we’ve got over 250 million fossils. Not one convincing “missing link” yet.
How many more million fossils will it take?
Methinks the evolutionist has a lot more “faith” than the creationist.
By Eric on October 8th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Seymour. If only you had said that in April you might have some validity.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/may/19/ida-fossil-missing-link
By Strom's Daughter on October 8th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Seymour,
If a “convincing missing link” was found — and I don’t care if it looked like a full-grown Dwight Drake skeleton — I still would hesitate to believe in evolution.
Personally, I think a 6,000-year-old earth just sounds more like home. It’s a “South Carolina thing” and hard to explain to outsiders.
“The Flintstones,” for example, tells me more about creation than science ever could. It proved that dinosaurs and people could have lived together, worked together and enjoyed a man/pet relationship together.
Nobody, of course, has all the answers except Noah — and he ain’t talking.
But if you brought Noah back to life and asked him how he managed to shovel that much fecal product overboard without losing his mind, the answer would likely astound you. Then you would realize what a non-miracle a Sham-Wow is compared to Noah’s Magic Shovel.
By Strom's Daughter on October 8th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Even if a “convincing missing link” was found — and I don’t care if it looked like a full-grown Dwight Drake skeleton — I still would hesitate to believe in evolution.
Personally, I think a 6,000-year-old earth just sounds more like home. It’s a “South Carolina thing” and hard to explain to outsiders.
“The Flintstones,” for example, tells me more about creation than science ever could. It proved that dinosaurs and people could have lived together, worked together and enjoyed a man/pet relationship together.
Nobody, of course, has all the answers except Noah — and he ain’t talking.
But if you brought Noah back to life and asked him how he managed to shovel that much fecal product overboard without losing his mind, the answer would likely astound you. Then you would realize what a non-miracle a Sham-Wow is compared to Noah’s Magic Shovel.
By Laura Campbell on October 8th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Don’t worry about the evangelicals making SC look like idiots.
Mande’s article, “Swayze & Polanski:The Paralells” will do so to the point that no one else will have to lift a finger.
Read it, people. Basically states if Americans are demanding Polanski serve prison time, Swayze’s character, yes, character, should be considered a child molester, too.
I know, unbelievable, but before you call me crazy, please read the article and posts. And Mande’s response to posters regarding her “ethics” about “reporting”.
By Ralph on October 8th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Seymour,
Evolution is all facts . It is not about talking snakes, men riding around in whales for days, Noah loading dinosaurs into an ark, or other superstitious beliefs from the Bronze Age.
Your DNA is very, very close to a monkey. There is nothing wrong with accepting Science into your life and not taking the book of Jewish fairly tales so literally.
After all , it is the 21st century.
By Fashizzle on October 8th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Like I said…making us look like idiots. Creationists ignore existing evidence of transitional species while harping on those for which we lack data. Every time we add another piece to the puzzle they move the target another step further.
The truth exists regardless of what we wish it to be. For that reason we should lay out all the evidence and accept the most likely scenario based upon the facts at hand. The fact that many creationists instead homeschool their children to shield them from having a fully informed debate really says it all about their true confidence of which side wins in an open forum.
By T4 on October 8th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
I love the comparison drawn between Dawkins and Ayers. You keep “reaching for the stars,” fits.
By Andrew Cederdahl on October 9th, 2009 at 1:51 am
As the main organizer of this event, let me correct some problems with this article.
First and foremost. Dawkins’ new book and this lecture will not be “telling its (South Carolina’s) inhabitants that God doesn’t exist.” This is not the God Delusion part two.
Second, the Unviersity of South Carolina in general did not invite Dawkins, we (Pastafarians at USC, a student organization) did so and worked with the biology department for a co-sponsor.
Do you really think USC would invite Richard Dawkins on its own? Duh
By Red Bank Bar on October 9th, 2009 at 3:51 am
seymour the moron. Now, that’s convincing.
Go thump that bible, I have faith you’re still a mo.
By Toyota Kawaski on October 9th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Stroms Daughter i will pray for you.
By Ben on October 9th, 2009 at 9:06 am
Ralph, Evolution is far from “all facts”. I guess you missed the second word that is used when describing evolution…”theory”. In regards to DNA like monkeys….what an uneducated statement. DNA is THE SAME in all living creatures, its the genetics thats different.
For someone evidently concerned with the “blind faith” people describe about creationists, your “faith” in evolution is just as blind. Whats worse, you try to write about things you don’t even understand.
By Strom's Daughter on October 9th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Toyota Kawasaki:
That’s awesome!
You pray for me, and I’ll eat some crispy fried bacon for you!
Ben:
You forgot to mention how old the earth really is! She don’t look a day older than six thousand years! And no Botox!
By seymour on October 9th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Eric, that fossil may be your great, great,great, great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great, great, great, great granddaddy, but it shore ain’t mine!
By Ralph on October 9th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Ben,
Evolution is not a theory. Some backwards folks call it that,who refuse to grasp reality. Evolution is well documented throughout an abundance of scientific literature. Just open your eyes and look around.
As to DNA, you got it all wrong there too. DNA is not the same in all living creatures. Take monkeys versus humans.
The DNA of chimpanzees and humans are a 99% match. Whereas the rhesus monkey only shares 93% of the same DNA as humans.
I know you can not grasp this as it doesn’t mesh well with the Genesis fairy tale of God creating the critters first and man separately.
Scientists recently released details of our 4.4 million year old ancestor, Ardi, from Ethiopia, which is 1.2 million years older than Lucy. These finds are a perfect example of evolution being factual with real evidence. There is no faith necessary when the facts back up your beliefs.
By Darth on October 9th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
So when did Holderman invite Dawkins and has he recovered from Ben Stein pulling Dawkins pants down over evolution? Darwin unfortuantely remains only a theory and doesn’t stand up well when the fossil record is examined.
One will have to forgive Mr. Dawkins for defending his position as strongly as the Papacy defended a flat earth. God expects his followers to forgive Dawkins, though it would be better for Dawkins to have a millstone cast around his neck…
By Strom's Daughter on October 9th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Darth,
You’re another one of our Bible scientists who forgot to trumpet the wonderful youth of our earth — only six thousand years old and counting!
It’s a young world after all
It’s a young world after all
It’s a young world
It’s a young world
It’s a young world after all.
Makes me feel young just knowing how young our earth is. It’s not a cougar or a MILF earth. It’s an earth that Roman Polanski would have tried to lure with champagne and Quaaludes.
And it makes my fossil record stand up just thinkin’ about it.