Can We Live Better Lives Without Religion? ( Q & A Session - 4 of 4 )

Is religion important in peoples lives?

Can we live better lives without religion?

Can there be ethics without God?

Is it possible to be moral without God?

Can we have morality without God?

The Big Debate

Representing the Muslim perspective was Hamza Andreas Tzortzis, Brother Hamza is an international public speaker on Islam. He is a writer with articles, essays and commentaries on political philosophy, the philosophy of religion and society. Hamza is an intellectual activist actively engaging on issues pertaining to religion, social cohesion and politics. Hamza is also a researcher with a recent publication on non-Muslim perceptions on Islam and Muslims.

Hamza regularly participates in debates and symposiums with leading intellectuals, public speakers and academics on topics concerning western and Islamic philosophy, politics and current affairs. For example he participated in a debate with the president of American Atheists, Dr. Ed Buckner on "Islam or Atheism?", he also debated the editor of the Philosophy Now magazine Rick Lewis, entitled God: Delusion or Truth? and he participated in a debate with the best selling author, philosophy lecturer and chair of the British Humanist Association's Philosophers Group Peter Cave on Can We Live Better Lives Without Religion? More recently Hamza debated the highly acclaimed professor, Simon Blackburn, who is one of the leading atheist and humanist academics in the world. The debate was held in the historic Cambridge University debating chambers.

Hamza regularly appears in the media explaining and demystifying Islam and providing unique perspectives on current affairs. He has appeared on the BBC, BBC Arabic, BBC Radio 4, Press TV, Islam Channel, Nile TV, Ummah TV, Iqra TV, TV3 (Malaysia) and National Public Radio of America.

Hamza lectures all around the world on topics related to Islam, philosophy and politics. He is a regular speaker at universities across the UK and he is one of the main initiators of the contemporary emergence of Muslim public speakers using Islamic and Western philosophy to shed light on Islam and demystify its way of life.

Representing the Atheist/Humanist side was Mr Peter Cave, Mr Cave is a philosophy lecturer and the British Humanist Association's chair of the humanist philosophers group.

He gives talks, lectures, debates and publishes papers on a wide range of philosophical topics, often with humorous content.

He is the author of "Humanism: A Beginners Guide", and of the best-selling "Can a robot be a human?" and "What's wrong with eating people?"

The Topic of Debate: God Delusion or Truth? Was Dawkins Right?

Hamza Andreas Tzortzis (www.hamzatzortzis.com)

vs.

Peter Cave (www.petercave.com)

(Imperial University, London, UK 1st December 2009)

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[mcrd2001]

@ahyahyahy 1. To western ears a fast rate of speech is associated with con artists. I guess it's just a cultural thing, my bad, please excuse.

2. The media (barf)? Not sure where you are going with that one but I likely agree with you.

3. I never said Hamza was crying or screaming.

3. If someone breaks into your house in the middle of the might do you reach for a holy book or a shotgun?

4. We bomb people because our leaders are morons.

5. I wish you & yours health and prosperity in 2011.

[bobo225884]

Hamza is really smart

[slaughterthedaises]

Lol, poor guy stuck in the middle.

[muslim2theend]

From a non-muslim point if view, it's hard to say who won. The fact Hamza could do that well, from a NON religous point of view and w/o bringing the Qur'ans validity into it, is excellent. Great video, MashAllah.

[teedonster]

@ahyahyahy because our goverment is corrupt, just like your goverment is corrupt

[mcrd2001]

@ahyahyahy Sadly our prisons are crowded but, adjusted for per capita violent crime, the USA isn't even in the top 20. We're niether angels nor devils.There is also the phenomenon of under-reporting from middle east countries to be considered.

Your last 2 sentances are total guano and you & I both know it. Were you in the military? ..I was.

Death to apostates? Chop off hand of a thief? Stonings for infidelity? You guys can have all that crap if you want it, but I can't see why you would.

[ahyahyahy]

@mcrd2001 Riight and i know the western sociologists will say that speaking quieter and more relaxed draws in the audience to believe them to be more truthful. Just like media reporters/news reporters yet they lie out their where the sun don't shine.

So being passionate and outspoken is 'crying' and 'screaming' huh.

Why you have shotguns huh? Wonderful way of life you have. That's why you also bomb other countries and invade them. See that's a beautiful way of life indeed you have.

[mcrd2001]

@ahyahyahy Whoa Hoss! Let's get back to my original point of 3 weeks ago; Hamza, apparently, thinks that the louder and faster you say something the more true it is....full stop. Many muslim debaters use this method.

I wasn't crying about crime in the west as you & edlgotbanged imply. Crime in the west is why we have shotguns here, very effective crime deterrents except in states where it's illegal to own a firearm; what a stupid f-ing law that is.

Which group does follow islam correctly?

[ahyahyahy]

@mcrd2001 Also its rather well known that crimes in muslim countries are less than in western countries. There is a rape every 2 minutes in america. Go to american rape statistic/support websites and you'll see what I mean. The american prison system is OVER FLOWING and they don't know what to do with all the prisoners. In fact they sent prisoners to iraq, afghanistan, MURDERERS, RAPISTS, SERIAL KILLERS! The deal was either they stay in jail or they get free jail card to go to war.

[ahyahyahy]

@mcrd2001 There is only one islam. I don't see where you're confused. The fact that some groups came up that decided to make up their own things does not change the fact there is only one Islam. For instance shias adding to the call to prayer Ali (ra), this is an innovation. For instance, sufis going to graves asking of dead people, this is shirk, forbidden in islam. Etc... So yes, there are many different groups who do not follow islam correclty, however there is only one Islam.

[mcrd2001]

@edlgotbanged Which is the true islam, sunni, shia, sufi..? Which denomination are you? The true one, right? Is sharia consistent throughout islam or do ifferent sects interpret it differently? No thanks, we in the west don't want 7th century laws in our countries, we have enough laws as it is.

I'd like to see your data on theft, murder, gang violence, rape, honor killing, stonings etc, or are your assertions pulled out of your burka?

I never said muslims are crooks, where'd you get that?