"Can Atheism Save Europe?" - Christopher Hitchens vs John Lennox debate (preview)

At the 2008 Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, Christopher Hitchens and Prof. John Lennox debate on the question of whether or not Europe should jettison its religious past and welcome the "New Atheism."

Read media coverage of this debate:
http://www.festmag.co.uk/blog/fest-blog/53-hitchens-vs-john-lennox

http://wetlenses.blogspot.com/2008/08/new-europe-new-atheism.html

http://www.edinburghguide.com/story/edinburghinternationalfestival/1474

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A New Europe is emerging from the old order and with it, a modern version of an old philosophy. Dubbed the "New Atheism," advocates are calling for the abandonment of Europe's religious heritage and the adoption of an aggressive secularism. Religion is detrimental to society, they argue. Indeed, in the words of Christopher Hitchens, it "poisons everything."

Some, such as Prof. John Lennox, strongly disagree. They maintain that, far from undermining society, the preservation of religious thought, and Christianity in particular, is vital to the survival of Western civilization.

All this leads to the inevitable questions: Should atheism replace Christianity in Europe? Does atheism have a better record than Christianity? And finally: Where would the New Atheism lead the New Europe? (August 2008)

For the full debate DVD, see http://www.fixed-point.org

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