My new book What's So Great About Christianity has just hit the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. It's currently number 21 on the amazon bestseller list which includes fiction and nonfiction books. Especially amusing is the fact that the book is the number one seller in the categories of both "religion" and "atheism." The success of the book has the atheist websites buzzing. So I cruised richarddawkins.net, the site of the renowned author of The God Delusion. Dawkins has posted on his site videos of my Oregon State debate with Michael Shermer, and my New York debate with Christopher Hitchens.
Oh, my.
The atheists were mighty upset with what many of them perceived as my triumph in the Shermer debate. Here are a sampling of comments. "I hate to admit this, but purely in terms of who came off better, the answer in my view has to be that D'Souza did." "It's too bad Shermer...was an inferior debater." "I think D'Souza was likely perceived to be the winner of this debate." "But take heart, Men of Reason. Several atheists consoled themselves after the Shermer debate this way. "The only consolation is that D'Souza mentioned he'll be debating Christopher Hitchens soon, and I predict that Hitch will eat this odious little squirt alive and spit out the bones." "The Hitchens one is gonna be way better, I'm sure of it." "Boy, I really want to see Hitch take no prisoners. This guy needs his head handed to him." "D'Souza is taking on Hitch next? Ha, ha, RIP in advance D'Souza."
Alas for the Apostles of Evidence, it was not to be. Here is a sampling of atheist comment after my debate with Hitchens. "A little disappointing that Hitchens didn't tear him in half, instead adopting a defensive-passive approach." "It is sad that Hitchens did not nail D'Souza." "Unfortunately the trashing we expected did not occur." "I don't want to see a liar like D'Souza beat another atheist again."
After some frustrated name-calling, combined with attempts to blame the ignorance of the audience, the atheists made some revealing admissions. "D'Souza is the most challenging debater we have thus far encountered. He is extremely intelligent and in possession of superior verbal abilities. He wins many arguments because he is able to assemble a vast array of factoids that...often have the effect of overwhelming his opponents." "As much as I dislike D'Souza, he is the most able debater I have seen go up against Hitchens or any of the others on our team yet." "Hitchens...is not used to debating with someone as articulate and finely-tuned as D'Souza. D'Souza is an entirely different animal than what Hitchens is used to debating on MSNBC or Fox News. Christopher's standard boiler-plate just does not win with a guy like this."
In The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins portrays the atheist position as rooted in reason and the theist position as rooted in blind faith. If this is true, Dawkins should easily be able to defeat me in a debate. I have written to invite him to debate me, and I don't mind doing it in a venue sympathetic to him, not a church setting but a liberal campus such as Berkeley or UCLA. Moreover, I am willing to have an unbeliever like Michael Shermer moderate the debate. A donor has offered to pay Dawkins' and my honorarium, and so we are ready to move ahead if Dawkins is willing.
It's time to find out whose position is truly based on reason and evidence and skepticism and science. How can atheists march behind these banners and then decline the opportunity to defend their positions in open discussion in an intellectual setting? I'm waiting to hear if Dawkins is up for the challenge.
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 18)
46. In Response to Rita's post at 10/10am. May God Bless you always. That was a very impressive and love filled post. God is everywhere and lives on in the hearts of true believers and no one can take that away from God's children. I have been so worried over the Godless nation we have become. As Christians we MUST all stand up for God and demand that satan's work of taking God out of our great nation be stopped! It is beyond my comprehension how anyone when looking upon the miraculous workings of nature from the smallest ant to the largest elephant, that they cannot believe that God is the creator of all things. Stand Up For Jesus!
cher3993 at 1:40PM on Oct 30th 2007
47. Fair enough, Bri, we were saying the same thing. There was just a semantic twistybunch on the front of what "winning an argument" means. To your merit, you have declared distinction between victory and the loser's acceptance of defeat.
Mokele Mbembe at 12:51PM on Oct 30th 2007
48. I do agree with you only so far as that Mr. D'Souza should choose another topic of discussion. I am tired of his self-promotion.
-------------------------------------------------
It is unattractive, isn't it? And isn't it also more than a bit hypocritical? Would Jesus pander to the public and self-promote and push his book like that, quoting HIMSELF extensively in the process? Would Jesus attack our (atheists) intelligence?
PRIDE is one of the seven deadly sins for a reason. It sneaks in like a thief in the night. Those guilty of it are ALWAYS blissfully unaware of it. Guilt-free, they can do much evil in the world. And they sleep very well, secure in the sure knowledge of their own greatness.
Brian at 1:00PM on Oct 30th 2007
49.
What I find amusing about the atheist camp is the idea that they have posited something new in this latest onslaught. Yes they are resurgent and successful, more open and likely to attack.
However…D’Souza has simply rounded up the available argument and synthesized it in a single book to answer all the considerable attacks on belief. The fact that it is successful is due to the fact that philosophically such arguments remain very strong.
Why are atheists in the main so unaware of the multiple responses to their attack. They sell themselves as sophisticated and adroit… yet when confronted with counter arguments collapse into sniping and mewing.
Fitz at 1:01PM on Oct 30th 2007
50. 43. Fair enough, Bri, we were saying the same thing. There was just a semantic twistybunch on the front of what "winning an argument" means. To your merit, you have declared distinction between victory and the loser's acceptance of defeat.
Mokele Mbembe at
-------------------------------------------------
Thank you, Mokele. Kiseme kiswahili? Hujambo!
I think it's a real and important distinction. It's how I sees it from here. :-)
Brian at 1:05PM on Oct 30th 2007
51. What is the atheist camp? I am not aware that atheists have a camp. And I certainly wouldn't panic over what religious fanatics think or do. Atheists are used to being in the minority and because we aren't a monolithic group who takes our marching orders from any orthodoxy we aren't as organized as most religious groups. We are confidant however that in time just as the worship of now defunct gods such as zeus or odin the new crop will eventually wither on the vine. We are hopeful that with advances in science and an increase in human knowledge in general the intrusive nature of religion and superstition will recede. It is a difficult challenge because even intelligent and educated people such as Desouza, who should know better, have a blind spot when it comes to religious indoctrination. To the religious no amount of decisive evidence that religion is both factually wrong and socially destructive will ever deter them from their compulsion to justify religious beliefs.
eric at 1:42PM on Oct 30th 2007
52. Stop lying, Dinesh. It is against your religion.
Despite your propaganda, anyone who watched the whole debate with Hitchens (not that 8 min clip you put up on your site) easily recognized that your point did not carry the day -- even though it was held at a religious university. You had no counter for Hitchens repeated points -- and only fell back on your tired "Christianity also does good...!" argument that does nothing to refute all the damage it has done -- and certainly proves not the existence of god.
You'd be laughable if I wasn't in such a "panic". Zzzzzzzzzzzz.
Bill at 1:10PM on Oct 30th 2007
53. Dinesh, doll, I can explain it TO you, but I can't understand it FOR you. Oh well. Have a nice life, and don't be too surprised at the end, eh?
Gina at 3:18PM on Oct 30th 2007
54. Sounds like someone gave Brian a wedgie. Yo Bri...we used to refer to clowns like you as pseudo-intellectuals. That's before political correctness and multi-culturalism became so common place. Perhaps your fragile ego needs the opportunity spout your mindless rants.I really, really don't care if your a believer or not....however, I AM willing to forgive the Islamfascists suicide bomber who visits you to display his version of faith. Maybe he'll share some of his 72 virgins with you.
mike hogan at 1:11PM on Oct 30th 2007
55. Guess what?
The reaction to the debate... was pretty much the same as the reaction here on your blog.
About 2:1 saying you're not qualified on the subject of Christianity.
Oh, wait. The debate was held where? At an evangelical school? Ah, yes. The Con Game.
Christians who lie in order to get a Sound Bite on the front page. Never saw that in the White House?
Reply to: It's time to find out whose position is truly based on reason and evidence and skepticism and science. How can atheists march behind these banners and then decline the opportunity to defend their positions in open discussion in an intellectual setting? I'm waiting to hear if Dawkins is up for the challenge. (end)
I'm taking your challenge.
Debate. Right here. On AOL.
Not in front of students who gave up a lot to attend an Evangelical college. A FAIR audience.
Christianity is a Ghost Story about a dead man who appeared to his girlfriend in a cemetary. (Same story that was on "Ghost Whisperer" last week.) There is NO science that proves the story right, only the TRUTH that Con Men make up LIES in order to get your money.
William Hays at 1:34PM on Oct 30th 2007
56. My mother had a saying: self-praise stinks. I'll leave it at that.
emelpe at 1:34PM on Oct 30th 2007
57. I am a Christian and I keep hearing atheists ask for proof. I offer this.
If you come to my house and I tell you that I spent $1 for it but it is worth $200,000 would you believe me? Probably not. So how would I prove it? I couldn't. No matter how many documents or witnesses I bring to you, you still have a choice to believe what I say or doubt me.
Documents can be forged and people can lie, this is true. But if you really want proof that God does exist, you need to ask Him to help you and believe that He will.
I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and I know Him. He is real and everything He says He will do, He does.
I have seen sick people healed, instantly. I have seen broken hearts mended. He tells me what I need to do and He is always right.
princeyenrah@netscape.net
Yenrah at 1:40PM on Oct 30th 2007
58. Brian,
Wow! You're all over the map. One minute you sound like you are an atheist who hates DeSouza because he's pushing theism down your throat. The next you sound like your real beef is with Jesus and that he's a punk poser. Then you turn around and bash Christians for being uninformed and mean-spirited.
Make up your mind.
Your anti-christianity rhetoric does nothing to advance your disbelief in God. God MIGHT exist even if Jesus never lived.
Your anti-Christian rhetoric does nothing to discredit Jesus. So what, lots of Christians are dirtbags...big surprise...that doesn't invalidate Jesus' teachings. Lots of bad people do lots of bad things in the name of something that they don't really believe in.
Why are you so bitter and frustrated? If you were truly an atheist, I doubt that you would be so passionate in your hatred of DeSouza--you'd just ignore him...AND, you wouldn't limit your bile to Christianity...you'd rant against Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. with equal vigor.
steve at 1:39PM on Oct 30th 2007
59. God reveals himself to those that were chosen even before time began. I am sorry for you that your decision will stand forever. Why is it that unbelievers are so angry, so unhappy, so hopeless? I leave you to your reality of hopelessness, as only God can reveal his existence to you. Not one man will every come to a knowledge of the truth but that the spirit leads him. My battle is not against flesh and blood,(thats you!)but with powers and prinicpalities of the air,(thats not you!)The powers that keep you in the prison cell that your mind has created through manipulation of your six senses will never allow you to see reality as it truly is unless someone(GOD) binds or breaks that which has control over you. If Jesus christ appeared to you in person, you would still surley die and go to the place reserved for you. One day you shall see one set above you(thats me!) and there will be no sadness or weeping. The reason you deny God is because if there is a God then there is a hell. Then you would have to face the reality that you would be headed there and just might have enough sense to revise your morals and selfish desire for things of this world. You don't want to give up those evil things that your heart desires so much, so you just deny God.Thats the reality of your delusions. If I am wrong I lose nothing but my selfish evil desires, lust, greed ans so on. However, if you are wrong see how much you have to lose. Either way it goes in this matter I am the biggest winner or the smallest loser. I like those terms so I'll stick with my program. Have a GREAT LIFE! P.S. I will not be resonding to any responses to this statement.
KLD at 2:47PM on Oct 30th 2007
60. To those who think that God is just a man made illusion. You are wrong. To those of you who beleive that religion is a manipulative power brought forth to control the will of the free, yu are correct. What is important to remember in all aspects of this debate is, "There is a LIVING GOD, and he will talk directly to you." Whether your god is that of the major three, or the mother Gaea. Remember that this life is a journey and is about your PERSONAL relationship with YOUR GOD.
Just for today, I will let go of my anger.
Just for today, I will let go of my worry.
Just for today, I will give thanks for my many blessings.
Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
Just for today, I will be kind to my neighbor anmd every living thing.
Namaste
Phil at 1:52PM on Oct 30th 2007