Sam Harris on Burkas—The Moral Landscape

[psychick99]

this isnt true, the burka does not inhibit grwth

[GhostofHitchens]

@psychick99 You idiot. It most certainly inhibits personal growth ....

[ravenlord06]

@GhostofHitchens by your lack of civility, you show everyone that you're pathetic...respect begets respect

[GhostofHitchens]

@ravenlord06 Yes.... very haughty ....

When someone makes the kind of assertions you have made, which are cynical distortions of truth and downright lies, then they forfeit all right to civility.

I neither want nor need respect from the kind of person who resorts to such disreputable behaviour; it is your words which show the reader what kind of person YOU are ... self-important, cynical and disrespectful of those whom you seem to assume will believe your nonsense.

No respect for you, Troll.

[ravenlord06]

@GhostofHitchens who made you judge, jury and executioner? you're outrageously self-righteous, you know that? its obnoxious! your mentality is the same as the extremists, whether they're in Afghanistan or the White House...the extremist mentality is "my way or the high way"...but the truth is that civilized people don't conduct their affairs in that manner...there has to be room for pluralism of ideologies, respect and compassion..numerous people here have shown harris's faults..nuf said

[GhostofHitchens]

@ravenlord06 No, no-one here has shown Harris' faults; there are precious few with the wit or education to do that - especially YOU.

What is obnoxious is creatures like you making dangerously innaccurate statements, with nothing to source or support them - you have made it clear that you don't know the meaning of 'civilised'.

You're just another semi-educated blowhard who thinks that the availability of the YouTube forum somehow justifies displaying his crackpot ideas.

You are IRRESPONSIBLE.

[GhostofHitchens]

@ravenlord06 AND - what could be more outrageously self-righteous than the ill-informed (for that is how I must now take you) thinking that his half-baked views are worth listening to?

Also, do not assume that numbers mean accuracy; a billion idiots still hold idiot views.

[ravenlord06]

props to sam harris for stating the obvious! he's obviously a genius! too bad he doesnt know that the taliban enforced the burqa and a strict law entailing that women had to be accompanied by male relatives to counter human trafficking from afghanistan, which even westerns ngos have been guilty of..these harsh measures were necessary because the taliban didnt have enough resources to properly police the streets and protect women from traffickers and criminals, watch "the whistleblower" (movie)

[ravenlord06]

v=DtwTgqtqRXc CHECK OUT THIS LECTURE TITLED "MUSLIM WOMEN THEN AND NOW" BY FORMER HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS, EMILIE FRANCOIS

[rebelde69ateo]

the bottom line is: wearing clothes for practical reasons makes sense. wearing clothes because of superstitious believes is stupid.

[rcguy69]

Burkas cause rickets!

[MenOfLetters]

I'm an atheist and I find Harris a Neocon charlatan. He supports the War on Terrorr and justifies torture. This vulgarian should would have been clubbed by Bertrand Russell for being an imperialist. He cheerleads the bombing of Afghanistan that's killed tens of thousands of civilians and he's got the chutzpah to talk about human wellbeing. Tell that Neocon stupidity to the dead Afghans slaughtered by the Pentagon.

[TheSWTORMMO]

@MenOfLetters Wait, so show me where he openly supports such nonsense - then we can talk.

[Reqrezentin]

@MenOfLetters

I 100% agree with you.

[pianomatteo]

@MenOfLetters point us to one single line in any of his book that supports anything remotely close to what you claim.

[CHAS1422]

@MenOfLetters I find your comment idiotic. Further proof that atheism doesn't qualify intellectual capacity.

[2048scotty]

@MenOfLetters What an incredibly stupid thing to say.

[Viconiuz]

Well, while we're at it, we can ask "is it good to throw acid in womens' faces?" or "to cut womens noses off" or "prevent girls from learning to read, or set girl-schools on fire - like they do in Afghanistan."

[viiScorp]

@Sandtrigganigga Yeah they choose to wear it alright. They can choose to wear it or not wear it and get raped. So sickening. And showing your hair off /=/ walking around naked.

[viiScorp]

@OrthodoxDarwinist. Just invade you're not a troll he's never said terrorism by Jews is OK. You fail completely.

[OrthodoxDarwinist]

Sam Harris is one of the biggest hypocrites around.

According to him, terrorism is bad (but if Zionist Jews do it it's OK).

I also wonder why he isn't talking about the extreme misogyny within Orthodox Judaism: veiled women who have to wear wigs, separated from men on public transport, absolutely no rights (ie: have to ask permission to get a divorce), even separate walkways for women.

Could this hypocrisy be explained by his Jewishness? OMG, NEVER!!

(lol)

[Sandtrigganigga]

Burka is the most beautiful concept on this earth. Its a sign of a woman who knows she is beautiful and doesn't need to walk around wearing a mini skirt with her behind showing just to look pleasing to another man. Only horses, cattle, mules, and donkeys run around with their behind showing. We are not animals, we are righteous people and therefore we understand the necessity of covering our bodies. Muslim women are not forced to wear it, they choose to wear it.

[daNDayati]

@Sandtrigganigga you poor brainwashed slob.. the notion of masculine possession and control reeks from your statement.. and yes muslim women are forced through social and family cohesion to wear that grossly offensive form of masculine control.. human (especially women's) rights are very foreign to islam..

[Sandtrigganigga]

@daNDayati First of all, do not act as if abuse of women ONLY exists among Muslim people. As a matter of fact abuse of women is a global problem not subjected to a particular race, caste, religion, or nationality. Before you go on about how wonderfully and beautifully women are treated in the western world, when was the last time there was a female president in America? Women are still just portrayed as sexual objects sold with products on advertisements.

[daNDayati]

@Sandtrigganigga Women rights in the west have seen far more gains than in countries in the islamic world. Their rights have been gained through reformation of religion and through secularization of governments. In western europe (live there, sorry) we love amongst muslims (no need to watch CNN) and I have worked in the middle east. I have met and (when allowed, depending on the country) spoken to muslim women.. and I have seen how they change their clothes in flights from Riyadh to Paris.

[ravenlord06]

@daNDayati "women's rights in the west have seen far more gains than in the islamic world", this statement only applies from the latter half of the 20th century onwards, women are essentially despised in christianity and judaism, "original sin" etc whereas the Quran acknowledges them as having equal value before God, Porphet Muhammad used to stand up whenever his daughter would enter a room he was in, out of respect for her, there are COUNTLESS other examples

[ravenlord06]

@daNDayati the world's first 2 universities were founded by muslim women, there are countless other examples of how women have floruished in Islam...the fact is that the state of human rights and women's rights in the muslim world is pathetic right now because of illiteracy and western support for dictators that do not spend on education and healthcare but instead by weapons from "civilized" western countries

[Sandtrigganigga]

@daNDayati Women in America are treated like tissue paper by men, used and then discarded. Please do not come to me sounding like you are well informed when you have NEVER even MET a Muslim women and neither have TALKED to Muslim woman in your life. You have only seen it on CNN, so it MUST be true. There are women's abuse cases everywhere, but just because its on the news it does not mean that what religion stands for.

[daNDayati]

@Sandtrigganigga I have seen the segregation, the abuse, the lack of rights.. I know what is true..

[TheGeneralCritic]

@Sandtrigganigga Women who help in the systematic oppression of themselves are the most consummately enslaved.

[DrErkencho]

@scalyc12

I rather have harmless plastic steril silverware that works than old rusted and dull, bloodstained leaded silverware from a medieval catacumb. I like my food clean and safe thanks.

[Pleendriver]

Sam is as brilliant and lucid as ever. But why is it necessary to bury his wisdom in that mind-rotting electronic noise? Sam's voice has its own music.

Thumbs up for Sam, but ten thumbs down for the video.

[BoredToDistraction]

Burkas, to me, look like KKK outfits, but even scarier. Is that their purpose, to spread fear, depression, paralysis? Nice present to children! But I suppose  most useful to cover Female Shame. Mega-mindfuck, bring on the psychoanalysts

[eriknielsen68]

we need this type of reasoning in the white house then we would not need politics!!

[mattandersonWSWS]

Sam Harris is a complete opportunist and charlatan. He has come to prominence by joining in the scapegoating of Muslims, and supporting the phony "war on terror". He has tried to co-opt the banner of atheism, science and progress, for predatory wars waged by the most powerful military nation in the world, against impoverished and historically oppressed nations. He should explain how the invasion of Iraq, the seizure of its oil, and the murder of a million innocent civilians aid human progress.

[badblueman]

@mattandersonWSWS I googled "Sam Harris Iraq" and I read his blog entry where he says nothing about support for the Iraq war. So I don't know what you're talking about, as I doubt, considering his writing and the blog post, he ever stated that the war aids human progress. So you're nothing but strawman-ing Harris and pretending that you're somehow totally debunking hum. Lies and slander!

[EllyMcCormack]

Sam Harris has taught me a lot. Mostly about how to be a rationally minded man who stops capitulating, and challenges the things in life that make no sense. To put it bluntly, Evil is illogical.

[Gnomefro]

@EllyMcCormack "To put it bluntly, Evil is illogical."

That's going too far IMO. Even in the moral regime Harris describes, it's perfectly possible to rationally prefer war for instance - simply because one disagrees about which peak on the moral landscape is best. Although I suppose you could say that such armed conflicts don't amount to "evil". Harris has also defended the use of torture in certain cases. For the record, I agree with him, but many people would probably not.

[EllyMcCormack]

@Gnomefro Morality and values relate directly to the well-being of conscious creatures. - Sam Harris. The most disadvantageous peace is better than the most just war - Desiderius Erasmus.

[bary1234]

Thank goodness for Sam Harris. We owe him a massive debt of gratitude for his efforts to end religions.

We have to end these bronze age superstitions before they end us.

[annata12]

Sam Harris is the new Buddha, not because i'm Buddhist, but because i think his views are also attractive for people who need spirituality

[trexx32]

looks like on person in here hates women

[adraim69]

Sam is so fucking hot.

[Jexka007]

I get chills watching how incredibly insightful his views are. Thank you for posting!

[Iambecome]

I love this mofo. I have never heard him say a single word that isn't spot on, and rooted in pure, clear, refreshing reason. Listening to him makes me think "THANK YOU", and pushes away the deep despair that grips my soul when I'm in the company of religious tards and irrational zealots of all stripes.

[dpknowleseaglese25]

@Iambecome Spot on. Sam is a breath of fresh air in a world of delusional hypocrisy and fuzzy thinking.

[mrcwalk]

@Iambecome very well said. I think I must experience the same feeling as a groupie would with their favourite celebrity....this is someone you'd definitely want as a friend, but I think my reasons are somewhat less shallow than those who idolise pop stars. this man offers inspiration to help achieve a happier and more fulfilling life, opposed to wishing your life away wanting to be known. mind blowing take on life

[twooffour]

@Iambecome

I know this is just a little snippet, but I don't see why the IMPOSITION of the burka on women should be reasoned by citing he "infant mortality" in those societies, when the very act of coercion is already reason enough to rebuke it.

[ryanp123456]

If everyone on earth read Sam Harris the future would happen far sooner.

[RAWLIGHT666]

and slowly, humanity begins to change...

[MrDarkbloom]

Mr Harris is incredible.

[J2124123]

Wow, I'm shocked these don't have many views.