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  • The first time I watched this, as soon as I saw Hitch writing on that pad I knew the debate was over. He and Mr Fry completely out classed Widdecombe and the Archbishop.

    Goodbye to a great mind, the like we shall not see again for a very long time, I fear. To Hitch!

  • Oh fuck i thought Hitchens had a glass a scotch with him. I was laughing pretty hard

  • The guy in the far out robes said nothing,,,

  • That priest manages to say very little with very many words.

  • Asskicking begins at 8:20. Chin chin Chris.

  • brother, friend, comrade, complete stranger- i'm just vomiting up imperfectly remembered sam harris arguments as to why we should question that such feelings as joy (which we only know exists 'cause we're alive to experience it) can be felt by anything after the alive-to-experiece-it subject is not alive to experience it. (i'm pushing the blame onto sam harris, i know) (if blame is deserved).

    i love the way you write, tho, and clap-clap-clap the use of tut-tut-tutting.

  • @MrTonyInchpractice brother? friend? comrade? i feel we are no longer complete strangers.................lets be friends :)

  • @natlawful i agree, sir is handsomely right. aaand if 2 broad-shouldered, long fingered young sirs such as ourselves can come independently to the conclusion that the feelings they are currently experiencing are feelings of a friendliness then ones of a friendliness they most assuredly are. and sir can spank me quietly with a leather shammy if it isn't so. i'll just go ask mother if i can 'play out'- she's upstairs in the cellar. i'll meet you at the treehouse.

  • @MrTonyInchpractice ..........ah being spanked (very quietly) by a leather shammy those were the days.... brings me back to my primary school education in dublin, you know those priests werent all bad, they were just misunderstood. verily verily i said unto you fine sir a day out in the treehouse sounds most inviting. as father brennan used to say it'll only hurt the first time, here have some of the holy wine.........

  • @natlawful it was his unveiling of the prayer-kneelers that always sounded the claxon of doom in my head. ah, Fr Brennan, i wonder what he is doing now? i dread to think WHO he's doing now.

    a joke: What Would Jesu Do?

    (based on Roman Catholic teaching:) Children.

    brennan told me that one. laugh out loud? i nearly converted. loved hearing him ejaculate at the peak of passion, "ah...men!"

    i jus got sonic da hedgehog so if u wanna meet down da yoof centre then we can both pull his legs off 2geva?

  • No wonder this guy is talking nonsense, he's missing a big piece of his skull. I can clearly see his brain poking through.

  • Even if the Pope were evil, it will not change my convictions about the Catholic Church. The Pope is not the Church and the Church is not the Pope.

  • Hitchens, falling into the fallacy of generalization, merely cites cases of abuses and bad deeds of some members and leaders of the Church, while Catholics could cite many millions of Catholics who have done good for the world. In the weighing scale, good deeds are tipped in favor of the Catholic Church and we cannot judge an institution by the misdeeds of a few members thereof.

  • @wbarquez All good points, it's just that your wrong. While you could argue a fallacy of generalization, this is a debate. it hardly pays to be completely honest, the point of a debate is to convince people that your position is right. I shouldn't have to explain that further.

    Secondly we aren't misjudging the institution on the misdeeds of a few members, Child rape in the church was/is a serious issue that was protected from real legal reparation for 100's of years by Vatican law.

  • @wbarquez It would be inappropriate to say that all Christians are evil, but as a institution of religion Christianity is in the top 3 of being the most wicked. so it's perfectly justifiable to condemn it so.

  • This guy is excellent. The church ministers to millions and uplifts their lives .Its message is positive and affirming of our human nature; we are a church of sinners but there is God's love that is saving grace. Thank God for such a wonderful institution and community of believers.

  • @cdawg4391 Just out of curiosity, has the church issued an apology for all the child rape yet?

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  • whats the story with every religon having a special hat on their holy heads?

  • @euroman32589 Its like in a video game, the hat gives you 10+ holiness and proctects you from skepticism and reason.

  • The balls on these people to go into a debate against Hitchens and Fry

  • hitch

  • I am a believer, not religious, but believe the gospel of Christ. GHowever, I loved Hitchens and have been inspired by him in recent years. I believe he is experiencing a joy now that he never thought possible. Laethanta grasta a chairde, laethanta grasta x

  • @natlawful Hitch is head. He has ceased to exist. That's a proven fact. "..he is experiencing a joy that he never thought possible" is an assumption and not proven. If Hitch heard you, he would ask that you go out and prove that he is experiencing this posthumous joy. Which you can't. The only thing that probably brought him joy is the fact that he no longer had to suffer from cancer, right before he died. Facts. Things that actually happened. Yep, it's that easy to believe in facts.

  • @Rh3t i think we are both guilty of assumption my friend. Hitch never claimed to have any proof that there was no after-life. I assume he is experiencing joy, you assume he is not. any proof that he's not my friend????? An absence of proof that something exists is not proving it doesnt exist. cheers x

  • @natlawful i do- or rather sam harriss does-

    brain damage= loss of faculties(recognition, reasoning...):

    death = overwhelming brain damage = loss of all recognisable mental faculties (including experience).

  • @MrTonyInchpractice c'mon bro you should know better to make huge sweeping statements like that that lack any critical thought. consciousness is still a theoretical construct. tut tut tut!! i expected more, hitch would turn in his grave mon ami x

  • uggh, I am so sad Christopher Hitchens is dead!

  • The world has lost a great man.....

  • A clear defeat for Christianity not just for the Roman Catholic Church. We must all take responsibility for the evil done by our fore fathers. We must work together to fixed the cause and effects of the 1000 years we were under evil and not true christian leaders.

    But lets not seat here blaming the Catholic church. Lets all take the blame for until we take blame nothing will be fixed.

    Christianity was deteriorated to a shadow of what it was and what it was meant to be before 312 A.C.

  • 8:23

    "Christoper Hitchens."

  • Imgur anyone?

  • this catholic guy has absolutely no argument whatsoever. none.

  • So guys... How many battalions have the poop?

  • RIP HItch, we'll miss you, and your intelligence will live on for many generations to come, burnt into the pages of history.

  • RIP Hitch

  • RIP Hitchens, we'll miss you.

  • Goodbye Christopher, you where a great man and had a profound effect on many millions of people. You will be missed. Ill raise a glass of scotch in tribute later tonight.

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  • "we have a panel which includes some of the most provocative, inteliigent and stimulating commentators and practitioners on the subject"

    Ohh and some intellectually stunted priest and this crusty old hag.

  • @MrPyrulen LOLOLOL

  • sounds like a cult lol

  • He is just trying to sell the catholic church to people =_=

  • He lost me as soon as he brought up the HIV/AIDs portion.

  • debate starts at 8:20

  • ...Is that the "eat de poopoo" guy?

  • @Surya112 i dont think you should comment on an "intelligence^2" debate if you're a fucking moron

  • @Davedz91

    I wasn't aware that asking a legitimate question made someone "a fucking moron." By that logic, even Hitch can be considered one.

  • Thumbs up if you skipped to fry and hitchens after hearing the bishops first sentence!

  • @RemorselessGM a true atheist would not skip.... you gotta hear any and all arguements that you are presented to you no matter how nonsense they sound...the essence of being an atheist is to use rational thinking and to be tolerant... thats the essence of a moral person too imo... of course that tolerance has a limit when you reach a point of influencing negatively the lives of other people because of your religion but thats just my opinion... whats your take on it?

  • Wake up people !!!! Jesus will not come back, he missed the Bus.

  • Thou shall not question Stephen Fry

  • The first few sentences from the bishop and what does he pull of?...

    Fallacies. Appeal to authority, appeal to emotion. *sigh*

  • The archbishop should be ashamed of 'hisself'. He cannot believe his good fortune so he turns around and terrorizes the people on his own continent.

  • 3:31 stephen frys face XD The guys just failed his own arguement there XD

  • They should have provided subtitles for the priest guy... and the bird lady too. They sounded horrible, especially compared to Mr Hitchens and Mr Fry.

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  • i didnt understand one single point that the first speaker made. Was he really the best the catholic church could dig up?

  • John Onaiyekan: "For me to be a Catholic is a gift of God."

    How disgusting to say that.

    The Rev's tribe in Africa were turned to Catholicism by missionaries, I wonder what they would be believing in had the white man not come to their country?

    How proud Onaiyekan's ancestors must be of him...

  • @Luchtenstein Unfortuately, Africa was Islamic since the 8th century, hundreds of years before white man ever stepped foot on their country, so, yeah, they still would've been screwed over by religion :/

  • So. how many battalions does the poop have? Nobody cared to answer this.

  • i was going to say that stephen has god on his side but im not sure christopher would be happy wearing that mantle ha ha

    wow they had to go all the way to africa to find a bishop unaware enough of the slaughter he faced, in order that anyone from the peodo cath cult would bother showing up

  • i was going to say that stephen has god on his side but im not sure christopher would be happy wearing that mantle ha ha

  • @Frikkn,

    They are probably able to spell "potato", too. And 31 people who are intelligent enough to agree with you did not notice this.

  • @neilo23 so, Hitchens was too drunk to correct the miss titling of his book by John Stewart!! whats your point?

  • @neilo23 Or, 31 people simply agreed with the sentiment and didn't care about a petty spelling mistake.

  • @neilo23 I can count to potatoe!

  • @styot are you Dan Quayle?

  • @neilo23 Or perhaps 31 people aren't pedantic enough to get into pointless one-upmanship grammar policing on youtube. Kudos to you for breaking that trend

  • @neilo23 Or perhaps 31 people aren't pedantic enough to get into pointless one-upmanship grammar policing on youtube. Kudos to you for breaking that trend

  • It's a shame because the Arch Bishop seems like a genuinely nice and good man who is simply deeply misguided. Widdecombe on the other hand is an evil minded old bitch with very limited intelligence and deserves a mauling by Fry and Hitchens.

  • @punkmanjon Agreed.

  • @grillaaaarv Ahahahaa!I was thinking the exact same thing!!!!Maybe he already teleports but doesn´t want to look as a show off. Everybody would go: "Off course he teleports!!!Have you listened to him!?"

  • the archbishop is just hilarious...

    and he hasnt got a clue..

    the stupid arrogance..

    and this is their best? omg...

  • 4:53 LOL the dude, stoned :D

  • Hitchens and Fry are hands down my two favorite speakers, but I had to empathize with the opposition as soon as they started their opening remarks... Didn't take long to see that this was going to get ugly.

  • Even though I'm 100% on Hitchens and Frys side I feel kind of bad for that Archbishop just reading a nice little prepared speech, not knowing whats about to hit him^^

  • I totally agree with Fry and Hichens - but they might have shown more compassion and sportsmanship at the end - by shacking hands or something - it's not personal - it's about the institution - and like Fry states - he's not against individuals who are genuine hearted in their desire to do good in the world - despite their ignorance and religious indoctrination. After all - there being no such thing as contra causal free will - they are determined to be that way - as are the other billions...

  • @xephani76

    Well that's horseshit, and a perfect example of how the concept of "determinism" can be misused.

    No... they are not "determined" to be that way. The were determined to have been this way until the present point; no one KNOWS how they are determined to be in the future.

    Determinism or not, people's opinions can rest on reason, delusion, evidence, or bias, and pointing this out with sportsmanship or vitriol is known to have effects.

  • Beeeeeehhhhhh blackadder!

    Seriously, did they stand a chance?

  • "Hitchens dont care, Hitchens dont give shit. He just rips them apart.

    Eewww whats that in his jaw? A religion! That's nasty.

    The Hitchens."

  • That two white male middle class gents are arguing against a black man and a woman should speak volumes to any cultural studies students.

  • @jacobean09

    @jacobean09

    Except that in this case, the black man and the woman are representing the conservative status quo while the two white men are representing the progressive, humanistic, rational point-of-view.

    Moreover, don't think for a moment that being an atheist doesn't quality a person as a minority.

  • @jacobean09

    How fucking stupid and pretentious is this comment??

    I'm pretty sure "cultural studies students" can do better than... STEREOTYPING PEOPLE ON THE BASIS OF GENDER AND RACE, you BUFFFOON.

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  • @jacobean09

    Still no idea what you're talking about.

    The two debaters happened to be a white woman and a black man. Most people Hitchens debates against, are actually white men. A few brown ones in case of Muslim / Middle Eastern opponents.

    So that doesn't speak "volumes" - all it can do, at best, is generating a smirk in a "cultural studies student" by providing him with an association, should what you just said be true.

    As far as I'm concerned, the apparent disdain Hitch and Fry seem to...

  • @jacobean09

    ... feel towards the two, in combination with the fact that Ann is an unlikeable hag and the priest comes off as insecure, defensive, and has a bit of an annoying accent and difficulties to speak fluid sentences, speaks far more volumes.

    I can almost see the wheels spinning inside their heads... or am I just projecting? Maybe it's my perception of this that speaks volumes.

  • @jacobean09 :Your statement implies that Ann Widdecombe and the Archbishop are being unfairly subjugated and oppressed from a racial and sexist perspective based on a class agenda which is wholly false. Remember that Stephen Fry is an openly gay man so you could argue that Ann Widdecombe, as a right-wing ex-politician, is complicit with the church in the persecution of homosexuals. What would a Cultural Studies student have to say about that?

  • cunt dont beleive in condoms but hes got one on his head

  • i love the bishop ,in his fancy dress ,and his death symbol ,round his neck ,perhaps he should get with the times ,and get ,an electric chair or a syringe , AMEN

  • How can Stephen Fry be so cute but so old?

  • Malcolm X and Marthin Luther King jnr. spoke out against the oppression of black people, the Suffragettes spoke out against the oppression of women; about time someone spoke out against the discrimination inflicted by religion upon rational people, Hitchens, Fry, Sam Harris, Dawkins.....about time!!

  • I'd say that the funniest part of this video is watching some guy out of the renaissance try to argue with modern day free-thinkers. It is so beautiful to see the Catholic church being humiliating. After the many persecutions of free-thinkers in the past and after demoting science for so long, its not about getting along, the world is fine without them, I just want to see them leave, and have St. Peter's basillica turned into a library or museum for the general public.

  • A stuttering guy and a screechy woman versus the captivating oratory of Hitchens? It's like asking a midget to fight mike tyson, funny but not a display of skill.

  • @mishrathium As Ricky Gervais would say, it's like holding a flailing midget at arm's length while you're kicking him in the bollocks.

  • @mishrathium Right on target. The advocates for the motion weren't exactly the most presentable, which made their horrible arguments all the more horrible.

  • @mishrathium really? you gotta make light of his stuttering (what three instances in front of a public audience?) why not just paint "internet atheist" on your chest.

  • The bishop just skirts around the motion, only touching upon it when he says 'Its obvious that the catholic church is good'

  • the Catholic Church is made up of Mormons just like the two who spoke at this debate!!!  They have no education, just brainwashed for years

  • I think this debate wasnt fair. One side had the high IQ, educated, articulate people and the other one had a couple of retards ! :)

  • @astoma199 The debate was fair, Catholic church representives had no brains, no substance, no information, NOTHING,,,,,,, these are the kind of people who defend the false CHURCH

  • Fry and Hitchens....why did the other clowns even bother turning up. These guys could argue that a potatoe can build an intergalactic battlecruiser

  • @Frikkn hell Fry could just SAY that, with no debate, and I would believe him

  • @Stevie2Sxc Touche...

  • @Frikkn ...operational

  • @Frikkn And be convincing at that.

  • @Frikkn It's time to fund the potato space program...

  • @Frikkn lol

  • @Frikkn

    that statement is so epic, i cant get my mind round how epic it is.

  • @Frikkn Not only that, but I wouldn't be surprised if they could convince the potato that it could as well.

  • @Frikkn ^^ this x1000

  • hitchens "acts" like an atheist. He is one but if you research atheism, he doesn't reach the far limits.

    I am a proud Catholic so I am biased.

  • @xukeith33 Hitchens rejects the hypothesis of a god. You can't get any more atheist than that. What definition are YOU using?

  • @DissenteensInRevolt Actually, Hitchens is a self-professed Antitheist, not Atheist. So, yeah - you can get more Atheist than that. d=

  • This debate was way too one-sided. On the one hand a well-meaning but not very intelligent African bishop and an idiotic old bag who is terrified of sex versus two very clever, erudite and brilliant minds.

  • medieval cretins, child rapists, trying to "debate" with the likes of Hitchens and Fry???? how absurd, they don't have the brains, which this event clearly demonstrates

  • every comment by a youtuber favours hitchens and antitheism. so why are there so many religious crackheads in the world. do they not believe in youtube?

  • @johnykoop They are busy watching Fox news as well as Kent Hovind and Ray Comfort on Youtube.

  • @johnykoop They don't believe in the Internet. Or science. Or thought.

  • The bishop seemed decent enough, even as deluded as he is.. Ms. John-Cleese-in-drag, on the other hand...

  • @DissenteensInRevolt 'Ms. John-Cleese-in-drag' best comparison ever.

  • Let us see the same debate regarding the role of Islam in the world shall we?...

    Wouldn't happen.

  • @TheLastRolo We should have that debate, though...

  • @TheLastRolo it should happen though. for us not to allow that debate is like saying, we are bullied by islam and fear retaliation.

  • Love how the cultist gets such a warm introduction. Constantly being called "his grace" on the account he peddles bullshit, wears funny clothes and practices faux cannibalism/vamprism with stale crackers and booze. Fucking creepy bullshit is that anyway? Pretending to eat flesh & drinkblood, then expecting zombie uprisings. WTF is wrong with these people? There religion deserves it's own personal mst3k rift track.

  • Ann Widdecombe is a Catholic? I had no idea.

  • I'm sure I would have watched this when it was on but I don't remember it at all.

  • I love this debate! Hitchens/Fry destroy Catholics.

    However, I feel the Cathoilcs didn't get fair representation and it was to easy for the atheists. Widdy's a dumb cow with an annoying voice and the darkie was useless.

  • Just like saying the black plauge is a force for good, it has stood the test of time and spread all over the world.

    The cuurent pope once said- " The faithful are simple people and should be protected against the power of interlectuals. " how apt.

    Glad he noted he only exsists because of the believers not because any God acctually exsists.

  • @MrUsername5678888 @Mizozowo I think you two should get a room.

  • Please don't let me be the only American to find this astoundingly interesting.

    Hitch 22 - reading it - can't put it down - suggest it to everyone - even your pets.

  • @newloser amazing memoir it kind of depresses me though.

  • @ArrogantAtheism

    I agree - We're at the brink of true 3D television and we're still debating on what shade of witchcraft suites us best. I weep for the future.

  • @newloser Don't. Eventually all those people will die out. Or be unable to live amongst civilized members of society

  • @newloser What a stupid comment. This is the Enlightenment in action. Debating, discussing, marshalling evidence and reasoning. Why on earth would you weep for that? Weep for the dumbing down of society, the mass semi-illiteracy of kids today because of technology not for a debate.

  • @stevesg92

    You've obviously misinterpreted my meaning. I weep for a future that this is actually debatable - I believe that we are behind schedule - we should have flying cars by now - not flying banners saying "Put Jesus Back In Our Schools" - You and I are in agreement - I've just taken a more cynical stance.

  • i would have laughed my fucking ass off if during the archbishops speech...the bbc world news banner read "another child molested by catholic priest"....would have been funny

  • @ProudAtheist90 Brilliant!!

    I fell asleep during his speech to be honest!

  • Well, this first part of the video is so laughable and full of meaningless statistics... I can't wait to see Hitchens' and Fry's responses!!

  • Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens vs. the Catholic Church. This would have been the event of my life. I wish I moved to London two years before I did. The people watching this clip would have seen be climbing the stage licking the two gentlemen's ears and kissing their feet.

  • The religion debates are the only Intelligence Squared debates that have been so one-sided. Partly because the other makes bad arguments.

    Other topics I"ve heard like healthcare and gun control really made me think. Not this one.

  • Yeah, the best organized criminal institution in the world.

  • I am a Catholic but I admire how these 2 atheists . I wish I have Hitchen's brain!

  • The Catholic is hilarious. He gave a list of human values, not Catholic-only values, then said, "Look how good we are," as if the Catholic Church invented goodness and shouldn't bear the weight of those who've done unspeakable harm in that very church's name. Ugh, he's hysterical.

  • @Ematched excellent point, also I'm sure many secular organisations help with foreign aid in HIV Africa too and more than a mere 26%

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  • Love both atheists.

  • Where they find this uncle tom at

  • Wow, you are freaking crazy. Look, I remember when I was 15 too. It was a strange time. Look, why don't you go outside, play some basketball, and enjoy life. Just because there's no god, doesn't mean you should be a weird motherf*****. There are plenty of people just like you. Don't feel lonely. Seriously though, you are nuts. And an arrogant douche.

  • @Mizozowo "You should have used "then" not "than," Mr. Genius"

    Hey, that's MR. Genius to you! Oh, wait... oh my god I am so dumb. Oh Jesus please forgive me! Oh why do I have these sinful thoughts of having anal sex with Mizozowo!! Oh please lord, help me find the strength to fight these urges! His butt cheeks are just so hairy and supple... LORD JESUS PLEASE HELP ME FIGHT THE TEMPTATION. Oh great, now I'm masturbating to Mizozowo's channel. I'm a filthy filthy sinner!

  • Simple typo. Insulting a simple one-letter mistake is just pathetic. I am sure you have never made such a slight error in your whole life! Is there any reason you are still messaging me? By the way, I never said I was a genius at all, I just explained I liked to fully express my opinions... I still do not understand why you feel the need to repeatedly insult me.... why are you so hateful? I think you need to do some soul-searching and figure out why you are such a shallow lady. Cya sweetums :-)

  • *denigrating (typo)

  • Once again, I was simply pointing out a silly logical flaw in your precious hyperbole. If it makes no sense logically it should not have been said. Do you at least see the point I was making? It is YOU who do not understand my point I was making because instead of realizing what I was saying you say my comment was reflecting that I did not understand what YOU were saying. And by the way, I was drunk when I made my original comment btw, and I do apologize for calling you dumb.

  • ...i think he was trying to sell us ribena.

    ...i don't want any of your ribena, mate.

  • @MrTonyInchpractice What? xDD

  • @TheDarkSide599 god knows. AHAHAHAHA... oh...