Andrew Copson was on BBC News to say what he thought about the cardinal’s yips about religious freedome and Wearing the Cross. He said it very nicely, but the cardinal won’t like it any better for that.
Andrew’s bit starts at 2:14.
H/t Author.
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That was just beautifully handled. A scalpel so sharp no one felt the slice.
But he’s just so strident!
Oh. Wait. No.
I like Andrew a lot. He’s a great voice for the BHA (which I’m a member of, btw). His calm, reasonable, matter-of-fact manner really makes the religious types seem bigoted, fatuous, or both.
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I love Andrew so much. And with that beard! So hot!
Also, I agree with PZ’s post on this entirely (can someone take a screenshot of this? =D): an excellent example of steel and velvet. Such a likable and positive tone, while remaining absolutely firm on principle. More of this please!
I can’t imagine a U.S. news channel allowing a humanist to have that much uninterrupted speaking time, especially without some Christian counterparts for “balance”.
OH SNAP!
That was awesome.
I saw Dawkins on Q&A (A debate/talk show here in Australia) last night opposing a Roman Catholic cardinal. Much as I admire Dawkins’ work, he’s a better writer than speaker. From this example I’d say that Mr. Copson is a much better public face of atheism/humanism than Dawkins as far as public speaking goes.
Well Done, Mr Copson !
I entirely agree with you – it is extremely rare for something like this to happen in the USA – which is why I was so surprised when it happened to me on Arizona Television!
Concerning atheist/freethought depictions on American television, I was pleasantly shocked to see advertisements for…. FFRF (Freedom From Religion Foundation) here in the Southeast Michigan region in recent weeks.
Could the message of freethought/atheism be making inroads???
Ha-ha!
I’m glad that those of us who sometimes find ourselves on opposing sides on the methods discussion can find some common ground here. Steel and velvet is an apt description of Andrew’s method and message.
Got to love the common ground – let’s build some bridges! =P
@ FossilFishy
I agree — from that example. Richard was clearly suffering from jet lag or fatigue. He has had a punishing schedule over the past couple of weeks.
Richard and Andrew were side by side on a tv show discussing the results of the RDF-sponsored Ipsos-MORI poll (no longer available on YT, afaik), and there was very little between them in tone.
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PS. Richard was unhappy himself! Although he blames not just jet lag.
Religious emblems are worn for one reason, and one reason alone: Passive-aggressive antagonism of an out-group.
Christians wear the cross (and muslims the veil, wiccans the pentagram, and so forth) so that they can identify themselves as superior to anyone not wearing it. If they aren’t allowed to wear the cross, then how are they supposed to mark themselves out as “special”, “different” or “better” ? They run the risk of being mistaken for someone who is just the same as everyone else!
@ BecomingJulie
Does the same apply to atheists who wear the red “A”?
I liked Andrew’s response here.
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I’m going to send the link to this clip to various media outlets in the US. My jaw dropped that Cobson wasn’t sneered at by the anchor and was allowed to actually finish sentences.
@BecomingJulie: I think the presumption of antagonism is unjustified. Granted, it’s a reasonable assumption that people regard their own worldview as superior to that of others (else why would they hold to it). However, there are other reasons for people to identify themselves – what if they just want to find out if there are any like-minded people out there?
There’s also the “you are not alone” aspect. If I’m a secret X and see lots of people wearing X badges then I’m a lot more likely to be open about my X-ism. Living the life is fine but it doesn’t communicate to random passers-by in the street.
Where can I buy an “Atheist A” pin?</p?
@ Bob
Here.
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PS. I agree with your “you are not alone” interpretation – pretty much the idea behind the Out Campaign.
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