The Great SITC Debate: Dinesh D'Souza vs. Peter Singer (Excerpt)

[writersblock26]

Thank you for posting this, socratesinthecity.

[Yekerable]

I don't think athiste people understand the darwin's theory in which clearly dosen't account for morality, if your a primate how do u explain morality because in darwin's theory you don't need morality to survive in the natural selection. That is what you learn been exposed to religious environment even if your atheist.

[1empathy]

@Yekerable I suspect you do not accept the scientific theory of biological evolution. Most christians (all catholics, greek orthodox and most protestant) accept evolution (and some muslims), it is not controversial. Our morality can be expalined , by my monicker, "empathy" If you see an animal in pain (human or otherwise) you feel their distress, this; combined with language produced our morality/ethics. Please don't say the bible or quran are moral as both say infinite torture for finite crimes

[hcdangerfield211]

Religon is the primary moral compass for average people. It works. However, morals/ethics fit the model of Darwinian standards and achieves similar results. Because we live in a world of by definition mostly average people, most people will need an imagined moral center (religon) to guide them. Living a better life because you actually want to, will tap into the much greater scope of human potential then living a better life because your imagined moral center tells you to, or else! Sorry Dinesh

[richi3mass3]

@LogicalFlawDetector: What makes you say that? I think Dinesh sets up a straw person (i.e. resets the scope of the question), and then argues (perhaps) circularly (i.e. we all have "morality", God is the only thing which could give something to everyone, therefore God gave us morality.) That's how I see it.

[ballersack]

@LogicalFlawDetector

Maybe if you judge it based on the style (and the subsequent cheap applause) and not the content. Singer too humble and reasoned to make an unprovable claim about where morality comes from.

[Existentialisht]

I've always questioned why the fact that God is all powerful makes what he says moral to follow :p

[talkingtoothpick]

Morality is just an optimal approach at social community; do the best thing for the group and it helps you as well, a way of building a well functioning community. Its built on empathy, which other animals exhibit as well. The fact that we evolve a more complex version of it and turn aspects of it into law is in no way explained by a God.

[jormorcastan]

If a God gaves us the morality for free acording to Dinesh to what God do a need to thank, to Alha, Hitzilopoztly, to whom?

[MattMirabile]

I think Dinesh is arguing too strongly from a Christian worldview and is thus unprovable. The straw man in Hitchens argument is that if morality appears to derived from a certain community, as it always is - religious or otherwise - then it is dependent upon the very fragile moral vision of that community. Thus one community could be headhunters and another one virtuous. He cannot therefore point to a universal morality, even if he can say that some cultures arrived at a morality without God.

[MattMirabile]

The problem is also that this is a minimalist moral vision. Any moral vision or religion lives out its core symbols. The christian moral vision is superior because the core image is God in Christ giving himself for all mankind. This propels the Christian moral vision around self-sacrifice for the sake of others. An atheistic morality has no such core image and is therefore powerless to truly affect change. The moral vision belongs to the community that most faithfully adheres a divine ethic

[99Leo]

When will the whole debate be uploaded?

[andreyakura]

Where do I find the full transcript or video of this debate. I did some preliminary searching but was unable to find a link. ~adam

[CowardsBendTheKnee]

@matthewdschultz Ok, would you like to try to answer it, then?

[CowardsBendTheKnee]

Dinesh, do you have some evidence to back up your claim of the existence of that god you mention?

(cricket sound...)

Thought so.

[diogotomediogo]

oh thank you so much for this, will you please upload the whole debate? I really want to see it!!

[TheWinepusher]

@diogotomediogo Me Too! Please, you would be grealty appreciate!!! :D

[shrinkdad01]

Thank you Dinesh! You're an incredible gift to us in these days. I pre-ordered your new book, "The Roots of Obama's Rage" today. Thank you for all of your wonderful insights. God bless you!