Debate: Chris Hedges vs. Sam Harris - Religion, Politics and the End of the World (2 of 2)

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 - Sam Harris and Chris Hedges debate over the role that religion and politics play in Islamic extremism.

Credit: Truthdig
http://www.truthdig.com/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• sam harris
• chris hedges
• robert scheer
• truthdig
• debate
• islam
• muslim
• christian
• christianity
• atheist
• atheism
• iraq
• politics
• philosophy
• science

[oneirishpoet]

Sam Harris is a god (not THE God) and the moderator is a douchebag...and Chris Hedges loses my respect for his defense of ANY religious 'faith'

[kirkeichler]

this moderator loves to hear himself talk. 

[HalcyonSunset]

Suicide 'bombings' are just newest method of it. Not that I'm claiming religion holds no place within the situation, but that imo, it's simply a justification for these individuals and their family. Many, regardless of religion, would have killed themselves if deemed necessary to destroy their supposed "enemy" and/or occupier. I think culture (which yes is heavily influenced by religion) is the target that should be looked at more closely.

[HalcyonSunset]

Sam Harris is brilliant when it comes to debunking religion itself.. but, as this debate has shown me, isn't the greatest when it comes to socio-political debates. He claims that martyrdom is the biggest cause of suicide attacks yet throughout all of human history, through every war, men and women, even children, have committed suicide to kill an opposing force or enemy. From kids running up to GI's with grenades in Vietnam to Kamikaze pilots in WWII, there has and always will be suicide attacks

[ymatmband]

@TheHippo18 And you lose for not knowing what the word apologist means. Understanding the CAUSE of something does not mean you think it is RIGHT. Furthermore, the facts support Hedges position when it comes to the causes of violent behaviour. I recommend you investigate the study of System Justification in social psychology. People tend to be stronger adherents to religion when they begin to feel like the secular world (the state) is losing control. look up research by john jost and aaron kay.

[ymatmband]

I am an atheist... but I hate how Harris totally missed the point. Hedges does not ignore fundamentalism... his critique is that Harris goes beyond fundamentalism to paint all religion as somehow evil or malicious. And frankly that opinion of his is completely divorced from facts. Hedges is right about the circumstances that lead people towards extremism. And extremism can impact both secular and religious movements. Too bad Harris has never understood that.

[237Michael]

What Sam Harris fails to understand is that most Muslims would just mind their own business in peace and would keep away of violent radicalism if we, the Western powers and Israel, just left them alone instead of constantly invading and occupying their lands and interfering in their societies and internal affairs. Contrary to him, Chris Hedges seems to comprehend this perfectly.

[TheHippo18]

Chris Hedges lost the debate purely for using the non-word 'irregardless'. Plus the fact he's an apologist for suicide bombers and faith heads.

[lawndog6794]

@oneirishpoet can i ask why do people spell it pwned?

[lawndog6794]

@librazone yes

[lawndog6794]

first off hedges isnt defending religion he is saying that it is other factors that are to blame for suicide bombers and hes kind of right. the point that i would like to make is that if we take religion away, then the reasons these bombers give for what they do can be looked at more rationally and judged without reverting to fundamentalist islam clichés. but the US and Israel dont want that because then they have no smokescreen. sam harriss won this before it started