[Jim meets....] The Archbishop of Canterbury - University of Surrey

Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Professor of Physics and Public Engagement in Science at the University of Surrey hosts an audience with The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams - live at University of Surrey, Guildford

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• Religion

[sc23uk]

Lmao at 18:46

[joshurichardson]

Men like Rowan Williams show Athiests that there is a distinction to be made between the individual and institutional elements of religious belief.

[GodTheHypothesis]

I'd love to actually know what Rowan Williams' objections are to memes cos he doesn't really offer any actual arguments- and I've seen him say the same in various places. It strikes me as patently obvious that if religion A and B start 2000 years ago- they are identical in every way except religion B includes the promise that all followers will go to heaven. If you come back in 2000 years time, I'd love to know what you'd "philosophically" expect to see.

[GodTheHypothesis]

@joshurichardson

Yep, all of those millions of slightly different, personally customised beliefs, and they all claim to be of the same religion. It's quite clear why this is the case, although it's mostly unconscious- if you sign up to one of the main religions, your beliefs are respected by society. Otherwise, people laugh at you. As they probably should.

[lucidman100]

@naishjam naishjam, thanks for the "conversations with history" tip. never heard of the series and loving it. great stuff.

[naishjam]

@lucidman100 Actually, a forum where that happens rather than, say, the confrontational style of interview that you'd find on, say, Newsnight is quite rare. The only other example I can think of off the top of my head is the "Conversations with history" series from Berkeley.

[naishjam]

@lucidman100 It's not a debate, it's an interview. Jim does a decent job. He sits back and lets people have their say. He's not trying to tear anyone's point of view down here, it's just a nice opportunity to hear what well-known figures think about various issues.

[lucidman100]

wow! am i the only one who thinks jim is a bad interviewer and failed to see the holes in rowan's comments?

[godlosme]

However you view the topic you have to keep in mind that Kurt Gödel produced the scientific proof that you can neither disprove or prove Gods existance, the incompletness theorems. Anyhow, religion does bring a lot of good and is vital for some during times of depression, but those who seek to exploit the name of religion to oppress others, well, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned to put it mildly. /Agnostic

[bored1980]

Very interesting perspective from Dr Williams.