Reply #3: Having watched both sides now, I have to ask...

[Silent3]

...is there anyone here who is actually impressed by Haught's presentation? Who thinks he was compelling and persuasive?

Can anyone find anything to object to in what Coyne said, something that isn't merely critical of his "tone", something more than a vague accusation that Coyne "just doesn't get it"?

I think it's a bit more than mere self-serving confirmation bias to believe that my predictions of what this video would be like when I finally got to see it were fairly much on target.

There is a bit of philosophical contradiction I have to swallow here, however.

While I personally think arguments like Haught's about the supposed compatibility of science and religion are weak, I know it would be harmful if religious people interested in the sciences felt like they were being excluded from the sciences, or forced to give up their faith in order to pursue the study of science. Peaceful, civil functioning of society and the importance of taking advantage of the scientific skills of everyone willing to develop those skills means having to have the sciences fully open to believers and non-believers alike. That openness in turn requires giving weak arguments like NOMA, or what Haught provides in this video, a pass with a wink and a nod, at least in some contexts.