Hitchens / McGrath - Religion: The Center vs The Fringe, Pt 1

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2007/10/11/Christopher_Hitchens_Debates_Alister_McGrath

Oxford University Professor of Historical Theology Alister McGrath debates atheist author Christopher Hitchens on the conflict between mainstream and extremist religions.

This is part one of a three-part excerpt.

Part two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VVYtJhbJHI

Part three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EuDYGnWMiQ

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Poison or Cure? Religious Belief in the Modern World: A debate, dialogue, and discussion with Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath.

The Ethics and Public Policy Center and the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University host a debate between writer Christopher Hitchens and Oxford University professor Alister McGrath on the role of religious belief in the modern world.

Christopher Hitchens is an author, journalist and literary critic. Now living in Washington, D.C., he has been a columnist at Vanity Fair, The Nation and Slate; additionally, he is an occasional contributor to many other publications. He is most recently the author of "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" (2007) and editor of "The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever" (2007).

Alister McGrath is a biochemist and Christian theologian born in Belfast, North Ireland. He currently enjoys the title of distinction "Professor of Historical Theology" granted by the University of Oxford. He has written extensively on history and theology, including "In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture" (2001), and "The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall of Disbelief in the Modern World" (2005).

He has written biographies of John Calvin, Thomas Torrance, and J. I. Packer. He has also written on the interaction of science and theology and his "A Scientific Theology" (4 volumes, 2001-2004) has been hailed as one the most important works of systematic theology to appear in recent years. He has written two critiques of the biologist "Richard Dawkins: The Dawkins Delusion?" (2007) and "Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life" (2005). His most recent book is "Christianity's Dangerous Idea: The Protestant Revolution - A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First," published by HarperOne. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2005 and in 2009 he will give the prestigious Gifford Lectures at the University of Aberdeen.

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News & Politics

Tags:

• religious
• beliefs
• faith
• athiesm
• athiests
• atheists
• christians
• christianity
• extremism
• fundamentalism
• jewish
• islam
• foratv
• fora.tv
• fora
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[Devinchi18]

Hey wanna hear a funny joke... RELIGION!!! I could so do standup

[Devinchi18]

@proximaism Rage on little man... rage on

[TheAtheologian]

@MrGuldfisk Hei svenske, I think you should be aware that people comment on something because they think they have something to say, like you did, and this is where they can say something relevant to the clip.

Also, it's easy to say there's no significant insight by being an atheist when you live in Sweden, the least religious country in the entire world. Not so easy for those poor Americans, and even for me, as a Norwegian, with a state religion.

[MrGuldfisk]

Hitchens was an intelligent critic of religion. Those who comments the clip are retards who probably hasn't given their atheism any serious thought. No, you don't have an amazing insight by not believing in God because you can't experience God with your five senses or because there aren't any scientific theories that proves God's existence.

[eyestepback]

ahhh a dislike bar must be a wave of McGrath followers

[SuperStrik9]

Every human should look at the pale blue dot photo. We think we are SO important and SO vital to the universe. Looking at that photo should not only humble you, but make you realize that in the grand scheme of things we aren't shit and should get over ourselves. If it doesn't make you realize that you're a lost cause and/or full of shit yourself.

[gizmofly870]

Ad next to the video,date muslim girls. Oh the irony.

[Blanestar]

@proximaism Well if you didn't believe in such a made up pile of shit, we wouldn't need to make fun of you. Go to school and learn about evolution.

[NaitSSaN]

I really wanna punch McGrath! I should perhaps become christian myself so I can learn all the good things the Bible has to offer! Because it's all about doing good, right?!

[nikhilr57]

No Hitchens in this part, watch next directly

[Devinchi18]

@gogolplex74 Excellent retort...

[mellamosean]

@proximaism

who are you to say what causes conflicts in society? no one.