Surveying news over the last two weeks, a cultural pattern emerges. Recently, I criticized process theologian (and former Biologian) Karl Giberson for marketing the old “Yanks is hicks” schtick to Britain, in support of his Darwin cause:
It’s a familiar pattern. People try it in Canada too (and we won’t be surprised if Giberson does). But the audience is much less receptive because the inferiority complex is much less.
It was amusing to see a very senior American Scientific Affiliation honch defending Giberson in the combox there, professing not to know what I am talking about – as if everyone doesn’t know what I am talking about: The standard defensive putdown of American achievements: “They put a man on the moon. But they’re really just anti-science rubes.” And the only appropriate response to Americans who try that abroad is: Grow up.
If there is one thing Britain does not need more of, it is self-destructive delusions. Thus, it was cheering to see historian Tim Stanley’s analysis of ultra-atheist Richard Dawkins’ months-late and ten-thousand-dollars-short excuse for not debating American Christian apologist William Lane Craig. He notes, being cruel to be kind,
Dawkins has gotten away with his illiterate, angry schtick for so many years because his opponents have been so woolly. This is a damning indictment not only of him, but of the clerical establishment of Great Britain. But this time, he understood that he was up against a pro. In America, evangelicals have to compete in a vibrant, competitive marketplace of different denominations. That breeds the very guile and theatricality that are so sorely lacking among the Anglican clergy. In Craig, Dawkins met his match. Like Jonah, he was confronted by the truth and he ran away.
Yes, the Anglican establishment was once a great intellectual tradition but its joists are rotten. And the “acceptable” evangelical churches are often no better.
Why give atheists Polly Toynbee, A.C. Grayling, and Dawkins a pass not to debate Craig?
Are there no more white feathers in England?
Why do we somehow know that these people will continue to star on Brit tax burden TV as if nothing had happened? Anyway, Stanley calls it right when he says,
In America, evangelicals have to compete in a vibrant, competitive marketplace of different denominations.
Britain is the home of an established church, whose head is actually the constitutional monarch. It shows.
Look, Brits need to start challenging their tax burden TV (like this Brit exemplarily did) about fronting hate-filled, cowardly, and for all we know, stupid atheist celebs. They’re not worthy. And keep the pressure up.
The sun should never set on the civil protests until such obstacles to a national intellectual life are retired from public importance.
It’s their country. We’ll see if they care enough.
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