(8/17) Intelligence Squared - We would be better off without religion

[BritishArrow]

Oh to have Hitch say 'bravo' after you talk

[mcbrideless]

His hair is magnificent!

[adwarakanath]

@HelFKiernan The English - Don't toot your own horn. Americans - If you don't toot your own horn, then who will?

That is the reason why people in that atrocious list have such huge followings.

[adwarakanath]

Epic. These guys are EPIC. And the English are so soft, humble and gentle when debating. Compare them to the likes of Kirk Cameron, Ray Comfort, Ken Ham, Pat Robertson, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Jerry Falwell, William Lane Craig.

[Necrobutcher82]

I like his hair, and a good argument too

[azdv]

That was beautiful and I must say, much more persuasive than Hitch or Dawkins as others have mentioned. His delivery and demeanour is so reasonable and calm which Hitch and Dawkins don't have in their delivery.

[zensparkle2481]

Grayling:"My hair is a bird, your argument is invalid."

*silence, followed by bi-partisan standing ovation*

...Excuse me for the meme reference. This was a great, and a quite well-balanced debate from both parties. I was initially interested in what Richard Dawkins and though to a lesser extent, what Christopher Hitchens had to say, but I must admit that I have never heard of Anthony Grayling prior to viewing this video. He is quite an orator himself! Thanks for the video.

[zensparkle2481]

@zensparkle2481 quite a*

[420nietzsche]

Graylings hair could probably write it's own books

[TheGoblinCity88]

@420nietzsche Lmao.

[Hume77]

No surprise that a philosopher is the best of the lot. As a philosophy teacher I modestly recommend reading anything Grayling has written on virtually anything including his column in the Guardian. Also Simon Blackburn of Cambridge is terrific on religion especially his piece "On Religion and Respect."

[Dethreid]

Philosophy should be taught from 6th grade through high school.

[MusicStudyMan]

@Dethreid Earlier. Much, much earlier. Kids from about 4 get philisophical concepts, you just have to position them appropriately. My 6 year old son recently mimed gibberish duing the "love my god" part of his Beaver Scout Promise because he was adament he thinks God doesn't exist - and I swear my wife and I have tried to be very neutral, even letting him go to church with his grandparents etc... Present a balanced argument that they can understand and kids just get the right answer, every time.

[Motor42CD]

A wonderful argument from Mr. Grayling; easily the best of the six regardless of who's side your on. He's simply a fantastic and fascinating orator.

[stoprainingonme]

Grayling is the best of the three here.

[M3t4lManiac]

These guys are brilliant.

[manyannoyingthings]

He's wonderful. i love his hair too.

[Flowerblood]

Get a haircut, ya hippie!

[icemanaxs]

Morality is our biological destiny.

[MrSulake]

Top suggestion by Youtube: Snookie punched again on Jersey Shore: Behind the awesome. And it has more than 10 million views where as this debate has about 14k.

Still feel like there's any hope for our species?

[rhov233]

Gosh really? :D

[qwertyness4]

This is the kind of guy I want to marry

[bethnor]

why do people complain about how boring grayling is?

you can see at 02:59 how captivated hitch is by grayling's analogy.

[eloquenteducator]

@bethnor Who ever complained that Grayling was boring? Where do you get this information from?

[theclewis]

ALRIGHT GRAYLINGS!!

[ArrogantAtheism]

Thank God hitchens is on our side....if he weren't i would be constantly afraid of getting hitchslapped

[111E982a]

These three men together = ownage.

Hitchens = The minigun.. offensive and powerful

Dawkins = assualt rifle.. well balanced

Graylings = bolt-action rifle.. slow but accurate and deadly and beautiful too.

ownage. i would never wanna have them on the opposing side of me.

[wainker1]

@111E982a Brilliant!

[suefew]

Wolfwilliams you must have been listening to someone else - he's a brilliant speaker. Calm, some humour and won the argument! He has no need to resort to anything other than his beautiful reasoning...

[suefew]

Fabulous - I'm off to buy some his books!  A very sound and well thought through argument.

[bonesstorage]

There's nout wrong with the sermon on the mount.

He clearly missunderstands what was said, to whom and why.

[Didit4daLULZ]

I really like AC Grayling. He always brings common sense and elegant reason to the discussion. His philosophical essays on religion are a must have for every free-thinker and atheist.

[SvendsenAtheist]

such quality AC Grayling

[FortisConscius]

I can't help stare at his incredible hair. It's gorgeous! Did he say anything important?

I jest. His monologues are always entertaining and thought provoking and...

I'm sorry I'm still fascinated... How does he maintain that mane!?

Seriously again now - he mentions Thereváda Buddhism as a philosophy without supernatural superstitions. At last! I'm pleased to see this portrayed even if, like most things, it is not always absolutely so.

Now, if I watch long enough will he flick that hair? :D

[BadMannerKorea]

@FortisConscius

Your comment has annoyed me more than anything that has happened to me today, most likely because you think you are smart, with your supposed witty comments about his hair, I jest, for you are a dumbass.

[FortisConscius]

@BadMannerKorea Ok how about this; I genuinely like his hairstyle. Is that better for you? Glad to be of service. I'm surprised that a random, 6-month old YouTube tongue-in-cheek comment about Grayling's hair has been the depth of your day.I do actually like his hairstyle and I conceal my admiration of it with some hyperbole. This information might help you deal with the hardship of witnessing my comment. You missed the serious point though - I admire his relative objectivity of Buddhism.

[johnnyd101]

mother teresa was definitely following jesus by forcing people to suffer.. she was a great catholic but a horrible person. great speech by anothony

[111E982a]

@johnnyd101 hey, can you tell me more about this? ahahas..thanks.

Atheist btw, peace.

[mpawlak10]

The atheist league= Hitchens, Dawkins, Grayling, Dennett, Harris =P

[8thArmada]

there is another debate where grayling made a joke about meeting a leprechaun. and that was really funny..

[SpittD]

Why are three of the greatest minds in mordern times debating Alec Baldwin, Betty White and Gary Busse? I'm so confused!

[yeahiknow3]

@SpittD I know! The religious primates can't get anyone cleverer to defend their medieval ways.

[Kyusoath]

this man is a god, but i don't think he would agree.

[hec231]

I've never heard A.C. speak except for very short videos here and there. I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking up his books as I type.

[vp1981ad]

Ah! Grayling and his Hungarian MP...

[LeclairStudios]

I find Grayling to be very interesting and I enjoy listening to him. I am, of course, more quickly captivated by Hitchens, but regardless, I enjoy and absorb Grayling's method of public speaking.

[wolfwilliams]

Grayling needs work as a public speaker. He takes an awful long -- and uninteresting -- time to make a very simple point. I can imagine his students fighting sleep quite often.

[chiconspiracy]

@wolfwilliams

He simply has a different style. Doesn't make him any less brilliant than his allies on stage.

[wolfwilliams]

Did I comment on his brilliance? I'm not sure why you brought that up.

It's a public debate, and you'd think they'd invite people who had a facility for making a point. The guy is a labored speaker. He might be more brilliant than the rest of the panel combined; I have no idea. But he's awful painful to listen to.

[ashman165]

I can imagine sitting in one of his classes and listening to him speak knowing that he has struggled very hard, and thought with the deepest degree of integrity to do justice to the points necessary to rational thinking. If his students have troubles staying awake while he discusses the most important questions of our nature and existence, then the problem doesn't lie with him; it lies in these students' lack of intellectual firepower. Alas, he hasn't that type of student to contend with.

[QwidgyboMan]

Hitchens is a funny cunt.

[WhiteLakeDan]

Grayling is the nice, mellow, peaceful water feature in a pretty pond while Hitch is the water cannon and Dawkins smack in between. Loved them all. So lucid, so logical.

[Vidar1979]

Wow. I love Hitchens style but Grayling is always so profound and gentle.

[SvendsenAtheist]

@WhiteLakeDan that was beatiful man

[ialreadymadeone]

I haven't heard of Graylings before (i'm a big fan of dawkins and hitchens though) but he really is brilliant!

man the athiests destroyed....lmao....thats waht happens when you're really educated.

[ialreadymadeone]

I haven't heard of Graylings before (i'm a big fan of dawkins and hitchens though) but he really is brilliant!

man the athiests destroyed....lmao....thats waht happens when you're really educated.

his hair is totally awesome too!!

[GermanChocolateCake]

@WhiteLakeDan I'm increasingly fond of Grayling.

[PullMyFinger123456]

Grayling nailed it ;)

[scantconsolation]

He absolutely did. As much as I'm a fan of Hitch's more confrontational approach, I think Grayling frames a case here that is not so patently hostile towards (and therefore presumably less likely to be rejected by) those who feel the need to defend faith. Very, very good argument.