The Destruction of Francis Collins

I'll admit that I get a certain guilty pleasure seeing believers knocked down into the dirt (rhetorically speaking, of course.) And while the internet is filled with an almost endless supply of these moments on display, the practically chapter length take-down of Collins by Harris is one of the best. Of course, it should come as no surprise that Collins will be taking a nosedive when he "freely admits that if all his scientific arguments for the plausibility of God were proven to be in error, his faith would be undiminished."

What is left, but to point and laugh? Not much, and I did a fair amount of chuckling at Collins's expense while reading Sam's description of the laughable things that Collins (and millions of Christians) profess to actually believe. Does that win me any points in the diplomacy department? No, it does not. Do I particularly care? No, not in this context. Tiptoeing around sacred cows is guaranteed to be the slowest way to affect change, and the sacred cow of religious faith is long overdue to be put out to pasture. As Frank Zappa said, "Without deviations from the norm, progress is not possible." The norm of automatic respect for faith has to change, and speaking out unapologetically against its most ridiculous manifestations is a perfectly valid way to change it.