Scientist and atheist Richard Dawkins is challenged on whether
religion is a force for good or evil in the world.
July 21, 2013
Clearing House - "Al
With the headlines covering fanaticism, fundamentalism,
superstition and ignorance, religion is getting a bad press
these days. And much of the conflict in the world, from the
Middle East to Nigeria and Myanmar, is often blamed on religion.
But how are things from a different perspective? Some defenders
of religion claim Adolf Hitler was an atheist. Communism under
Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot or Mao Zedong banned religion, but also
massacred millions. And science brought incredible and amazing
advances, but also pollution and the atomic bomb.
A critic of religious dogmatism, Professor Richard Dawkins
revolutionised genetics in 1976 with the publication of The
Selfish Gene. He has since written 12 more bestsellers,
including The God Delusion which sold millions of copies, was
translated into more than 30 languages, and catapulted him to
the position of the world's foremost atheist.
Mehdi Hasan challenges evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins at
the Oxford Union in front of a varied and lively audience.
In a frank and at times heated exchange, they discuss: Is
religion a force for good or evil? Can it co-exist with science?
Is science the new religion? And why if god does not exist, is
religion so persistent?
Is Religion a Force for Good or
Evil in the World?
Michael Shermer and
Dinesh D'Souza go toe-to-toe on some of the greatest issues
related to science and religion: is there evidence for God's
existence, what is the proper relationship between science and
religion, and has religion been a force for good or evil in the
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