Brockport Student Government Presents Hitchens Vs. Wolpe 4 of 10

Brockport Student Government sponsored a historic debate between Christopher Hitchens and Rabbi David Wolpe, moderated by BSG Vice President, Nathan Herbert, on Wednesday, December 02, 2009 at The College at Brockport on the question: "Why Does God Matter?". The debate filled the venue to capacity with nearly seven hundred attendants.

For more information please visit www.bsgonline.org

Special thanks to Greater Talent Network, Inc. and The Stylus, specifically, Nick Wurl and Amanda Seef

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Christopher
• Hitchens
• David
• Wolpe
• Why
• Does
• God
• Matter
• Religion
• Debate
• Brockport
• Student
• Government

[adknerr]

Hitchens starts again @ 5:25... for those looking to skip Wolpe.

[Triploblast1]

How dare Wolpe say that no long-standing charitable act could be committed by non-believers. This man has no idea what he is talking about.

[TonyBtheEG]

Thanks for sharing.

[qarohc]

@adknerr

ty

[epiksonik]

I don't think I can understand the religious...they make no sense, and after all, Mister Hitchens only seems to debate men on this matter....funny, so high and mighty the religious, but feminine reps? So f*cked up..Off with his head!

[region1111]

Putting your hands on your kid and "blessing" him, nice act though it may be, still doesn't make religion true.

I refuse to lie to myself. No matter what positive side effects religious actions may have, religion is still a 100% fabrication and 100% man-made. That's a point that apparently must be driven home again and again and again.

[RAMSEY1987]

thanks for this

[leporidus]

Empowerment of women, giving them control over their reproductive cycle (9:24); a human right more societies should try to establish and honor.

[antonc81]

hmm the rabbi comes close to making an interesting point about consciousness and morality then wrecks himself by giving a non-answer to Hitchens point about ethical nonreligious behaviour and unethical religious behaviour.. he totally misconstrues the argument.

[201curzonst]

Oh yeah, and it's rather like a parent wishing their child 'good luck' - a parent doesn't have to believe that they can influence the course of fate, fortune or whatever.

I thought this was interesting because I'm a 3rd generation atheist and my family is perfectly happy to use the word bless in this secular sense as in, 'I asked for my parents' blessing before going off to university/ getting married/ etc.'

[jessc1979]

If anything, the *un*ethical act is making the kid believe in the power of 'blesses' in the first place.