SocraticGadfly: Dear NECSS: Re-invite Richard Dawkins!

February 03, 2016

Dear NECSS: Re-invite Richard Dawkins!

I like my coffee strong, with
a spoonful or two of Watson
Per the North East Conference on Science and Skepticism disinviting Richard Dawkins from its annual meeting, after an even-for-him offensive tweet of a cartoonish video that was designed to offend both feminists and Muslims, as covered here by Massimo Pigliucci, I had some follow-up thoughts.

Namely —

Re-invite Dawkins, but require him to speak on a particular topic.
Samples would be —
1. Is there an “Islamist gene”?
2. Is there an “offensive British curmudgeon gene, or meme”?
3. Please give a multi-level selection account for the evolution of Gnu Atheists
4. Is there a “brights gene”?
5. Do genes for "Gnu Atheism" and "Social Justice Warriordom" co-evolve?
6. Yes or no: You'd like Rebecca Watson to have your children
7. Yes or no: You think all the Atheism Plus chicks should be your groupies.

For the actual video that Dawkins tweeted, then later tried to soft-sell:


With that as illustration, I seriously note this is nothing new, in the larger scope of things, for Dawkins. His Twitter account is a paean of anti-Muslim, anti-feminist invective.

Anyway, to get back to the sarcastic main point ..

Allegedly, that's Atheism Plus darling Rebecca Watson
at left. (Link of photo implies no consent to all content.)
Or hell, let's just co-invite Dawkins and Watkins.

Sample topics —
1. Discuss how evolutionary psychology created "homo elevatoricus."
2. Discuss the merits or demerits of hotel room service beer vs. hotel room service coffee as pick-ups.
3. Discuss using alcohol as an excuse for avoiding personal responsibility. Discuss whether men or women are worse at this; discuss this as a campus, academic, and professional conference issue.
4. Discuss common psychological, physiological definitions of alcoholism, and abusive drinking.

Or, let's invite the shunted-aside soon-to-be former head of the Center for Inquiry, Ron Lindsay, with CFI merging with the Richard Dawkins Educational Foundation. Because we know the Gnus and Atheism Plus kiddies love him. And, maybe he's butthurt in private about the CFI set-aside.

And, not invite him instead of Dawkins, or Dawkins/Watson. In addition!

Insert three-way jokes here.

Note to all offended persons: Per Harvard, I'm improving my mental health. Thanks for participating.


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