Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins: head to head

i just read this.

It was definitely interesting. i'm still not sure entirely what to think about it, but here's some thoughts:

Richard Dawkins is certainly intelligent, and knows his field well. It seems like there are a couple of points in the discussion where he accuses Collins of being narrow-minded, all the while pretty much ridiculing him for his irrational and unscientific belief in God.

It's been a while since i've heard Francis Collins' name mentioned. He seems a pretty sharp fellow as well. There are several points where Dawkins seems to be saying that Collins is not really a good scientist (good being my word) because he believes in God, but standing up as bright shining evidence against this is Collins work IN THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT. i'm not really sure you can just call the director of the HUMAN GENOME PROJECT a bad scientist. But oh, he went there.

Finally, Dawkins sums up with:

When we started out and we were talking about the origins of the universe and the physical constants, I provided what I thought were cogent arguments against a supernatural intelligent designer. But it does seem to me to be a worthy idea. Refutable—but nevertheless grand and big enough to be worthy of respect. I don't see the Olympian gods or Jesus coming down and dying on the Cross as worthy of that grandeur. They strike me as parochial. If there is a God, it's going to be a whole lot bigger and a whole lot more incomprehensible than anything that any theologian of any religion has ever proposed.

Interesting.

i'll just go ahead and say it. i know what you're all thinking.

You're right Richard Dawkins. God is bigger than what any theologian of any religion has proposed. But you're also wrong Richard Dawkins. Jesus and the Olympian gods don't belong in that sentence together. They don't even belong in the same category.