Sharpton / Hitchens Debate - Can Morality Exist Without God?

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Author Christopher Hitchens debates the Reverend Al Sharpton on the question of whether morality can exist in the absence of God.

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A Debate: God Is Not Great with Al Sharpton and Christopher Hitchens.

Taking on possibly the greatest issue of our time - the malignant force of religion in the world - Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion through a close and learned reading of the major religious texts, citing numerous historical instances in which sexual repression and outrageous acts of violence have been committed in the name of God. He argues for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble telescope's awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix. -- NYPL

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.

Al Sharpton Jr. is a Pentecostal minister, a political activist, civil rights activist and film actor. In recent years, Sharpton has also become a perennial candidate in his quest for the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States. Author of "Go and Tell Pharaoh: The Autobiography of the Reverend Al Sharpton."

Channel: News & Politics
Uploaded: May 16, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Author: ForaTv

Length: 00:09:40
Rating: 4.83
Views: 133470

Tags: al sharpton chris hitchens religion faith atheists agnostics atheism immoral ethics right wrong romney fora tv fora.tv

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Video Comments:
AbdielAbiram (December 5, 2008 at 9:17 am)
Well I don't really care, because on atheism nothing is good or evil. There is simply no such thing in the absence of God. Which was the question. We are animals are we not, animals kill other animals all the time, animals rape other animals all the time. Why would it make a difference now if humans did the same? Are atheist not being hypocritical.
AbdielAbiram (December 5, 2008 at 9:12 am)
The human mind, that is the new basis for morality? Atheist Communist nations killed over 130,000,000 people! (Atheist communism separate from normal communism). Adolf Hitler thought it was a good idea to kill millions of Jews. Human judgment is flawed, if this is the new world you are proposing, then I'm getting out of here.
cmba101 (December 5, 2008 at 7:11 am)
@ AdielAbiram
The argument Hitchens makes is that only in the presence of religion can an otherwise moral person do something wicked, whilst simultaneously thinking they are doing something good.

The implication is that all people have good and bad aspects in their personality from the get go. Being an atheist doesn't change that fact. What it does mean however is that those negative impulses in people who are otherwise very moral, wont be exploited by religion, which has on many an occasion.
cmba101 (December 5, 2008 at 7:10 am)
@ AdielAbiram
are you talking about Sharpton's question at 4:21 ?

Cos I think Hitchens actually did moments before he asked it.

2:56

Just to clarify, atheism was never suggested to be exclusively synonymous with moral people. It was also never suggested that there are no immoral atheists (this is in fact what many religious ppl accuse us of saying).
spikezula (December 5, 2008 at 6:57 am)
He most certainly did answer the question. "In the absence of God, where does one base morality?" In their own mind. I believe he said that quite clearly. If you believe a god can invent morality, then so can the human mind.
diebauma (December 5, 2008 at 6:06 am)
"Hitchens didn't answer the question!". No, you just did not understand the answer. Go take some English lessons.
diebauma (December 5, 2008 at 5:58 am)
Please tell us: What are the implications of our atheism that we somehow forgot with the time?, I'll use Hitchens question on you: Name me one moral action that an atheist can't do that a religious person can. The very fact that you can't answer this question lays down the conclusion that believing morality comes from religion is simply stupid. Religion borrows morality from humanism, not the other way around.
AbdielAbiram (December 4, 2008 at 11:39 am)
Atheist who live in modern times. The old atheist like Frued, Humes, Karl Marx, Nische Understood the implications of there atheism, as where the modern ones seem to not.
kurosword (December 4, 2008 at 5:29 am)
whats a "modern atheist"?
kurosword (December 4, 2008 at 5:27 am)
thats horribe logic.