Dawkins Debates Religion In Schools

Update: Video fixed.


12 Comments

  1. The guy at 2:33 is pretty insane.

  2. I wonder if they intended the chorus line at 6:27.

  3. I think the arbitrator did a great job, and I think some of the speakers were really articulate. I loved the point of the Hindu guy about it all being a red herring, that talking about tolerance is just code for “we know we’re right and you’ll find out too when you die.”
    I think Dawkin’s missed his point when he was trying to talk apostacy and the death penalty. I think what he was trying to talk about is how if you teach a child that leaving their religion is a crime they will be executed for, then how can you honestly say that they’re choosing to be in the religion. But he wasn’t able to express that in this format.
    I also thought it was very interesting watching the Abrahamic folks sidle around their attitudes towards things they seemed to know are culturally unacceptable.

  4. A very civilized discussion, since fortunately there were no evangelical bible-thumpers present to vent their views of multiple sins, hell-fire and damnation.

    It took Dawkins several attempts to get the Muslim cleric to admit that punishment for apostasy [defection] within tradtional Islam is death.

  5. “Catholicism teaches me to respect other religions” – WHEN?!?!?!?

    • Every single acquaintance of mine who has gone to Catholic school has reported that they teach a pretty comprehensive “and all those other guys” course which is pretty sharp on the details of tradition and the broad strokes of belief, but gets more dicey when it comes to history (especially when that history involves interaction with Christendom). My father, on the other hand, also attended Catholic school back in the day and this was not a part of the curriculum. Perhaps a fairly recent innovation?

  6. Anyone wonder why the ’school kids’ are still in their uniform?
    Didn’t get a chance to change before going onto the show??

  7. I think that first rabbi who spoke actually had the best argument, and that it was never really refuted. frankly i dont think that dawkins was a shining star at all in this debate. he did well, but he tended to go off message a little. still, the debate overall was wonderful.

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