Update #6.2 - Trojan Horse Ministry

We started with the most sly tactic we've used yet, something we've dubbed "Trojan Horse Ministry." This involved handing out Fixed Point CD and DVD debates to people on the street who showed an interest. We actually had planned to be very open about the fact that we were Christians handing out these resources, but we realized fairly quickly that most people had us pegged as atheists. Perhaps that was for the best. We camped out in front of Chicago's Field Museum just at the bottom of the stairs, set up our sign ("Free Atheist Professor Richard Dawkins Debate Disc"), set our resources out, and waited for interested passers-by. Without shade, without water, and without much interest, it was slow and painful going, but just as we were planning to pack up and try something different, we had two bites:

"So are these really free?" came the question from a German accented young man.

"Yup! They really are."

"Oh wow. I like listening to Dawkins; he's an interesting guy. So these are debates he did?"

"Yes. This one was held in Birmingham, Alabama and this one was a conversation they had afterwards at Oxford. Both times he's talking with a Christian who's also an Oxford Professor and a scientist named John Lennox, and Dawkins is laying out why he doesn't believe in God while Lennox is laying out why he does."

"Cool! Can I take one of each?"

"Just so long as you're going to watch them, feel free." He did, and went off interestedly reading the back of the DVD and showing them to his "significant other" who had patiently been waiting a few yards away.

Then came our second bite:

"So what is this? Just like DVDs about his work or something?" The question came from a dark complexioned young lady whose name we never caught. We're fairly confident her name was Jiffy, though; she just looked like a Jiffy.

"No, actually. These are debates that he had with a fellow Oxford professor and scientist named John Lennox who is also a Christian."

"Well that's interesting. I like the guy and all because he's really interesting, but I'd kind of like to see him sometime when he wasn't being a complete jerk."

"Well these are certainly unique resources here because Dawkins doesn't actually take on people of his own intellectual caliber all that often, which is too bad. But in these debates he's actually paired up with someone who is on his level, so it's a good representation of both sides."

"Yeah, that's awesome. I'll take one," she said.

And then, as we were giving her the DVD and CD, "so who is Fixed Point Foundation?"

Great. That wasn't really the question we wanted in this situation.... "Well, Fixed Point is an organization based out of Birmingham, Alabama and their the ones who organized all of these things."

"Ha! That's really funny because I have a friend in Alabama who hates Richard Dawkins." Clearly she had not read the situation properly, which was fine for the moment.

"Well do you know any other people who might be interested in these?"

"Yeah, I work in the genetics department in the museum, and some of my friends there might be interested. I have a friend I want to send this to, as well. Can I maybe have a couple of others?"

"Sure." We gave her two more of each and she went off. As she was leaving though, she turn and yelled back, "Hey! Keep spreading the word guys!"

Oh believe me.... we have been.

--Michael Taunton