Tonight, live streaming debate - The world is better off without religion , page

G'day all,

Tonight, 6.45pm Australian time, live streamed from the SMH website www.smh.com.au... will be the first of a six part debating series examining the question:

"Would the world be better of without religion"

SMH article

First shots fired

It should be a cracker of a debate considering the panels ... which I think are very nicely balanced.

The affirmative - that society being better off without religion - is Professor Vic Stenger. Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Physics, legal and ethical issues columnist for the SMH, Richard Ackland and former Australian Democrat Senator, Lyn Allison.

The negative - that society is better off with religion - Dr John Lennox. Three doctorates and a Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at Green College, University of Oxford, UK, Professor Suzanne Rutland, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Hebrew, Biblical & Jewish Studies at the University of Sydney and Professor Ian Plimer, Emeritus Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Melbourne and Professor of Mining Geology at the University of Adelaide.

If those in the north are up for burning the midnight oil, it will be interesting and fun to have a "live" discussion right here on ATS while the debate proper is going on.

Of course ... we don't have to wait for them to start ... if any of you would like to start the discussion right now ... well. here's the floor ...

[edit on 18/8/08 by Horza]

reply to post by GorehoundLarry

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instead they'll be nailing them to goalposts and exploding footballs. j/k Depends on which religions you choose really. There are a lot of religions that promote peace and love, then there are extreme religions that promote violence. I would have to say you can't throw all religion out. Its like the old expression don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Since this is just a hypothetical debate and we can talk about it, but realistically there will "ALWAYS" be religion and no matter what we do it will never go away.


Keeper

Ok all ... here is the link ... apologies for the delay in getting it up!

Would the world be better off without religion?

It's 40 or so mins long ... quite a good debate

Enjoy

reply to post by Keeper of Kheb

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All religions can be corrupted. There is no such thing as a "dangerous" religion and a "benign" religion - they are all inherently dangerous, as they allow people to act on behalf of a omnipotent silent partner, in the way they see fit, without anyone being able to tell them they're wrong. We've seen Christian terrorists, Muslim terrorists, Buddhist terrorists, Shinto terrorists - the lot. No religion is above being dangerous.

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