Questions for Sam Harris (best question wins a movie)
Sam Harris has committed to appearing on the Rational Response Squad in conjunction with the release of his new book "Letter to a Christian Nation." His appearance will air Friday September 22nd, the book is released on the 19th. As with all of our shows, it will be prerecorded. We'll allow you another behind the scenes look and listen during the recording session on September 9th, at 1pm est/10am pst. After the Sam Harris interview we'll record more shows, so plan on making a day out of it. Look for our homepage to have a stickam portal on September 9th. Keep in mind, the stickam audio can be choppy and is by no means intended to be a replacement for our Friday night show, this is just a "favor" to our friends/supporters/fans.
This is your opportunity to ask questions of Sam for his appearance. The best question will receive a free copy of "The God Who Wasn't There" movie. All questions must be asked in this thread. Questions pertaining to ending faith can also be asked of The Rational Response Squad. You might not realize, but while Sam lays out a great case against theistic belief, he doesn't claim to know the best route to ending it, which is a fight we are on the frontline of. Both Sam and the Squad believe that publicly ridiculing ridiculous beliefs is a step in the right direction. Ask away...
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Sam,
I am a huge fan of your work and am totally commited to fighting the mind virus that is religion. I have a question: What advice would you give someone who says that they wouldn't want to live without their God or their religion? In other words, what argument or consolation could you tell such a person suffering from such a deeply embedded condition of faith? Is there anything an atheist can do against this type of denial, or are they too far gone to even be helped?
-Nick Poling, age 15
Wilson: "We were afraid that if you found out you solved a case with absolutely no medical evidence you'd think you were God." House: "God doesn't limp."
I'm curious as to what Dr. Harris thinks about Voltaire's famous saying that "If God did not exist, it would become necessary to invent him"? By this I mean that the average person isn't really "bright enough" or "compassionate enough" to adhere to a moral code were they to disbelieve in an eternal punishment or reward. Over 50% of the Unites States' population believes in these afterlives in the Judeo-Christian manner, so this doesn't even include the Hindu or Buddhist ideas.
I guess the main question is:
If we were to undermine religion, would civilization be able to uphold moral obligation or would it fold in on itself and thus make it necessary to invent another God?
I myself am an atheist, but I'm terrified of the idea of the rest of the world being so.
Thanks,
-=Grim=-
No Nyarlathotep, Know Peace.
Know Nyarlathotep, No Peace.
Hi Sam,
I've been an non-believer my entire life, but up until just recently I hadn't realized that my passion in life is to be a part of the process required to end faith. While discovering this, many questions and scenario's came to me about exactly what would happen if faith was destroyed. One that I still cannot answer is what about the people who think that morality and or goodness cannot be part of someone's life without a religion or god figure dictating it? What would become of those people if they one day realized that faith is false?
Edit: Crap... I guess I pretty much asked the same thing Grim did.
Questions for Sam:
Are you married?
If not, may I have your phone number?
If so, might I mention that the lady got herself a class act!
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
Sam,
You?ve proposed conversational intolerance, but this doesn?t necessarily encourage argumentation. Do you think we should bother arguing with religious fundamentalists?
I commend your calling out the religious moderates and the attitude of political correctness and passivity that surrounds belief in the country. My question is this; how might we effectively call attention to the institutionalized norm of religious belief and the covert forms of discrimination levied toward the secular? Might this happen in the political realm, the courts, or somewhere else?
Hello Mr. Harris,
I watched your speech at Idea City and thought it was quite insightful, but I wished you had been given more time to make stronger points. A question came to mind when you spoke about religious moderation or, those who tolerate and respect all religions (i.e religious moderates).
You described how they are more of an issue than fundamentalists, for funamentalists are at least the honest ones about their faith. My question to you with regard to this subject ties in with the current Iraqi occupation.
Do you believe, or to what extent should those who represent a state respect the religious faith and values of another? For example, when U.S. soldiers seize, search or evacuate an Iraqi home, often U.S. soldiers physically touch the women of the muslim family (moving them to another position, leading them out of the home, etc) and of course, this is one of the big "no-no's" of the muslim faith (other than husbands, children and close family members, males may not come into physical contact with muslim women) and U.S. soldiers, being young American males, do this with no thought whatsoever (partially because they are under-trained by our government, and they grow up in a culture where it is common, traditionally, for men to touch women). Of course this is just one small example, there are thousands of others.
Is this a problem? Should those soldiers, the representation of our state in Iraq, be more religiously tolerant?
Thanks,
Jody
Questions fro Sam Harris from Samuel Thomas Poling:
What is the absolute worst part of faith?
Can faith do anything positive that reason cannot?
Have you ever directly coverted a theist?
What argument for helping another renounce their faith have you noticed works best, if any?
How can atheists unionize?
Is there a political atheist group map to find a place near you or something along those lines?
Have you heard of "BattleCry?"
What are your thoughts on "BattleCry?"
Okay, there's some questions. If I win best question, or something, then give the free DVD I won to the runner-up. I already got one.
I have some questions for Mr. Harris
1)Should god-believers be allowed to vote?
2)How do you explain the papal infallibity errors in your book?
3)On page 13 you say that "...criticizing a person's faith is currently taboo in every corner of our culture". Isn't this a spurious claim considering that you're being interviewed on a website that is decidedly critical of faith, and that similarly-oriented websites abound?
Thanks.
cheeseburger
All folks here seem to agree that religion has been a leading cause of hate, intolerance and all other 'evils' since it's creation.
Those brain-washed from birth with religion (among other social diseases) are so programmed, that it's much like the movie 'The Matrix.' The zealots of religion are so asleep to reality, they are like circles trying to understand squares. In fact, if we actually could pull all their plugs tomorrow, most of them would be shattered and unable to cope.
It seems to me that many people when confronted with doubting 'god' simply shift gears to other religions to answer their 'questions'. They are simply too frightened to swim in the infinite possibilities of reality without their perceived lifeline, 'faith'.
How can we the 'rational' speak to those who believe in deities directly, in a way which can both convince them of their delusion, and give them the cushion they need to come down off the opiate of religion without crashing or leaping elsewhere?
i personally leaped to Eastern Philosophies from a loose Catholic background that i never really bought. i've been a skeptic since my dad died when i was six. No 'gods' ever comforted me, i learned to comfort myself.
I have three
1. If you know that people have such stronge, unwavering faith in their religion, how do you expect them to listen? to you or to anybody?
2. I know numerous people who are like this and I ask them questions about it like, "why do you believe in something and not question it?", and "what if its all just wrong no if's, and's, or but's, just wrong?". And they always say the same thing "I just do I guess". what do you say to something like that but " IDIOT!"
3.and the last one i swear. one thing that i usually like to ask them is their postition and contraversal things like abortion or gay marriage. they usually say things like "b/c its wrong" or b/c its just wrong for some unreasonable purpose. and then i usually ask them what do THEY think, not what their religion thinks or what god thinks, but what they think. and they never answer it they always or keep saying "b/c god says its wrong" how do you try and reason and get the point across to someone who doesnt even think for themselves?
Sometimes i feel as if I were talking to little kids who are angry and wont talk. Then they will have an answer that is complete shit. Well thats all for me I guess.
thank you
Sam,
Thanks for the broadcast, but getting straight to the point, it SEEMS to me you've mixed up several concepts.
E.g. You consistently talk about Judaism, Christianity and Islam as if they are THREE different religions, when the roots of all three, geographically, culturally and main characters wise, are identical: e.g. ALL THREE believe in Adam and Eve, Abraham, King Solomon etc. They are in fact, from some angles, far, far more similar than they are different, hence some of us would say they are effectively branches of the same ONE religion.
So yes, I agree that THIS religion, of the 'Children of Abraham', or 'the Believers of the Adam and Eve Myth', IS an intolerant, destructive religion, whihc MANY of us find incomprehensible, hypocritical and contradictory, and many of us would like to see the fundmentalists within the different branches of this ONE religion brought to task for their arrogance and self-delusions, as indeed you DO point out, and these points I agree with.
But I do ask, WHICH religions are you opposed to? For it SEEMS to me that ALL your examples in your broadcast were aimed effectively at the ONE religion.
Also I'd ask - and I am aware of this to some extent - WHAT have the OTHER religions done that you would seek intloerance and hostility towards them? Could you give me examples? (I'll give you one of my own - Hindusim with the Caste system as an inherent 'truth' is blatantly racist and bigoted from the top down, so yes I AM critical of other religions, so now we have TWO religions in the debate, Hinduism and 'The C.O.A.' - but what OTHERS would you cross-reference?)
Lastly, this question of lack of 'respect' - you would call them 'idiots' - towards people who would advocate 'moderation'. While I understand that argument, and recently I have had zero problem in stating I am cateogrically opposed to the tyrannical mass murderers who call themselves Jews/Christians and Muslims, do you not think that to preach anti-moderation is in fact a call towards an intolerance which can also easily be interpreted as a rigid and divisive dogmatic Fundamentalism of your own?
IF you were a liberal, and I have no evidence of that, I would call it Liberal Fundamentlism. personally I might agree with your generalised attitude towards 'reason would win through', but not all peoples are the same. People HAVE different mindsets. WOuld you try to force them all into your - or mine - approach? You also mentin spiritual truths'. As these are often semantics, linguistics and 'imaginative' in concept, would you call people who tried to 'demonstrate' spiritual truths 'idiots'? These 'spiritual truths' are as difficult to demonstrate as indeed 'consciousness' seems to be to people studying neurology. Even behaviourists seem to have a tough time 'demonstrating' 'consciousness'.
For me, the problem is your stance advocates the dismissal of ALL religions, based on your - and to be honest my own - attitudes towards ONE religion, that of the 'Children of Abraham', or 'The believers of the Adam and Eve Myth'. This does NOT encompass ALL religions, and your examples FAILED to highlight the real very dangerous events which are taking place today, as they have done so in history thanks to this ONE RELIGION: It is sweeping everything away destructively in its assault against the world while creating a 'Mono'-istic, call it monotheism, mono-cultural, mono-tolerant, approach to the world; Mono-One-World Government.
If it were DIFFERENT religions, we might in fact be able to celebrate that 'diversity' and 'moderation' and 'tolerance' shown by 'religions'. But because ONE religion - split into different families - shows so much intolerance, does not mean they ALL do, and we need 'throw out the baby with the bathwater'.
So I repeat, WHICH religions are you so opposed to? And I would assume if you answer ALL of them, that you have a GOOD understanding of ALL of them...?
Myself? I DO come from a religion which encourages freedom of thought, the challenging of empty rituals and dogma, AND moderation towards other people's beliefs', no matter how ridiculous they might sound, SO LONG as they are NOT killing, oppressing, or perpetuating 'idiocies' ;-0)
I did find your lecture, brief as it was, on the right path, but just missing that crucial link between Judiaism, Christianity AND Islam that might help 'heal' wounds, not create more. (And yes, I do think they are all stories, no more relevant than Hercules, Poseiden or Spiderman ;-0)
Thanks.
I think that in an ever expanding world where science takes precedence, blind faith in a diety of some sort is just what is stated, blind faith. It can be respected for what it is to the individual for we are a race that makes associations and connections in order to understand our place but with further education(which seems to be a struggle under the current medieval values that have resurfaced in atleast the US, this realization is faltered), we are able to overthrow the necessity of power for powers sake and in trying times of nature's forces dealing directly with evolutionary processes, we will be forced to take a more responsible look. Hopefully, with the technology in communication(even thought the forces that control it, limit it), we will be able to achieve this level of understanding before it is too late. Hopefully, the technology that we have created will not take over our ability to think and reason and put it in the hands of the computers we have created "to make us more efficient". This would be a true travisty. But, maybe humans are meant to be slaves to computers in the future. There is not much room for organized religion in a technical world anyway. Either way, we will have to learn that we are a part of a process and not really controlling the process. Humble. Humble.
Rant rant rant...
Hell, if your not in, cou can't sin, I might try something.
Are there faiths that you would rather see mankind shift away from and faiths that would be less damaging for the masses move towards? Or do you think this doesn?t make a difference, that no matter what, once a faith gets enough manpower behind it, it begins to impose its will upon non-believers and that?s where the problem lies?
-----------------------
I'll get back to you when I think of something worthwhile to say.
A few questions:
1) I have heard you state when asked if there is any hope for the world that you did not know. What are your thoughts on simply starting over with a new society, similar to something presented by Ayn Rand in "Atlas Shrugged", that could pave the way for other societies to follow suit and do you think the timeline for such a venture would be short enough to succeed before the inevitability of some sort of fundamentalist nuclear holocaust occurs? Or would you consider this to simply be a pipe-dream?
2) Some issues such as abortion seem to only hinge on either religious viewpoints or personal convictions. How would you propose we go about using a rational and natural system of morality to establish definate views on these issues, if definate views can even be settled upon?
3) Have you considered the possibility of using a sort of Manchurian Candidate for atheism and rational thought to get into a position of power in America or any other country of international influence, and if so, what chance do you think this would have of succeeding?
I know 1) and 3) have a sort of extremist solution to this problem, but I am sure you would agree (the mere writing of your book suggests you would at least) that an extreme action may be needed. Philisophical arguments against using deception to achieve the goal of replacing religion and irrationality with reason (referring to question 3) may be brought up, but another argument for the greater good and saving the blind from themselves in my mind wins the argument outright.
"It's not so much staying alive. It's staying human that's important." - 1984
www.myspace.com/applesforadam
applesforadam.blogspot.com
I really like BBB's post. A lot.
-=Grim=-
Another trite question: does it make you scratch your head in wonder when someone asks you a question that you have already answered in either your book or your public and media appearances?
"It's not so much staying alive. It's staying human that's important." - 1984
www.myspace.com/applesforadam
applesforadam.blogspot.com
Okay i'm new here and have for the first time heard Sam Harris speak about anything, but i was intrigued. I have been researching theolgy and have been studying history from a revisionist perspective for over 5 years now and have found that not only history is bunk ( to quote ford) but that religion is bunk as well.
Religion has since it creation just continued to borrow from the fables of other religions and mislead the masses and in the lOOOOng process of doing so has even forgotten that it has done this unto itself. For example, Christianity is nothing more than Sun worship. The SUN of God .. our rising saviour... the light of the world... the god of egypt whom they referred to as Amen Ra (where we still use Amen at the tail end of prayer) and we get Ra-ys of the sun from to which we equate the long flowing hair of Samson or should i say SAM-SUN. Solomon is even three different ways to refer to the Sun. Sol-Om-On. We even go to church on SUN_DAY. On and on it goes. The virgin mother Mary is taken from ancient goddess worship in Isis, Semiramis, Ninkharsag, etc. And then there is the worship of the planet Saturn referred to as El. Where we get Satur-n-day. In researching i would find that if you put these three together (Isis, Amen-Ra, and El) to form a trinity you would have Is-Ra-El. How bout the idea that the ancient hindus referred to God as RAIN who would impregnate Mother Earth to which all life grows upon it's seed. The Most high god from the heavens.
I could talk for hours about how we get not only christianity, but all religion from the ancient pagan sun and star worship. The same astrology that christianity for one denounces as EVIL. So with that all said, would you say that our leaders today who use religion for their own sick and twisted games of politics (many blood sucking insects) know about all this and have hidden the truth from us all this time or are they victims as well?
With what i have been finding out about religion i refuse to believe it is the latter. When you find out that all the major players in the history of religion have been bloodline you have to wonder whether or not they have an agenda. I mean they run their operation from what is commonly called CONGRESS (which would seem to be the opposite of PROGRESS unless i'm missing something) Look into the Piso family for instance and you'll find a very important bread crumb in this whole mess.
Both Muslims and Christians believe in the Anti-Christ, who will "deny the father and the son". This is both seen as an individual and a group of individuals in the Bible and in different religious beliefs. How do you propose attacking this self-reinforcing delusion? More importantly, if this movement is successful, how will you deal with the innevitable accusation that YOU and the rational responders are the anti-christ?
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful"
-- Seneca
When someone finally realizes there truly is no god watching over them it can set them into major depression and intense anger not only at those who caused them to believe in a god, but in themselves for being so gullible. I know this first hand because I was a person who searched every religion looking for answers.
It was when I searched in wicca that I saw all the repeated stories of a goddess giving birth to a god, and came to realize religion and beliefs is something very made up.
But a belief in god is something many need. Sort of like a child's imaginary friend to make it through times when no one else seems to love them.
I am now an atheist and very happy at this point in my life. But there was a time when I hurt so bad I could hardly cope with the feelings I had. I wished I had someone to give me some answers.
This leads to my question:
: What words can you give someone who will go through depression and anger when your logic has made them realize there is no god?
I have begun debating with several Pastors on myspace.com.
The problem with these guys is that they try to nullify every argument I give them as to why the bible is NOT the infallible word of God using examples such as:
The Bible
* contains internal contradictions.
* contains numerical contradictions.
* contains failed prophecies.
Apart from these simple errors, the Bible also contains numerous scientific errors. These include errors in:
* the physical sciences
* the biological sciences
* mathematics.
Then they respond by stating:
Col 2:8 - See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
They use this verse as a counter argument EVERY time to get believers to reject scientific evidence, and to take the Bible as the only evidence they need.
They also use verses such as:
Luke 10:21
At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."
Matthew 18:3
"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
I Corinthians 1:18-25
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. [Isaiah 29:14]
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe ... Greeks look for wisdom, but ... the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
I Corinthians 3:18-20
Do not deceive yourselves. If anyone of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a fool so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of the world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written:
He catches the wise in their craftiness. [Job 5:13]
and again:
The Lord knows that the thought of the wise are futile. [Psalms 94:11]
Now, I know, and you know that spouting bible verses is NO sort of proof at all. But to a believer who believes this to be the word of God, this IS proof. This kind of thing even takes hold of my wife, and she spreads this nonsense to my children.
How do we get around these verses?
Do we really need to? Basically they are saying in order to truly be a Christian you have to be stupid. I will concede that point to them.
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
Mr Harris
I read your book with great interest, it offered a refreshingly different viewpoint.
Let me pose a question: I know you are a "fan" of spiritual experience as long as it doesn't sacrifice reason. I ask, is this even possible? It is rather difficult to determine exactly what goes on in the mind, let alone scrutinize these concepts with reason. Are the mysteries of spiritual mind simply out of reach of total reason (and the rigors demanded by logical positivism and naturalism)? And should we be deriding people who offer seemingly ridiculous explanations for what goes on in their own mind.
"Character is higher than intellect... A great soul will be strong to live, as well as to think."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
A question about your "perfect weapon" argument in "The End Of Faith." You seem to make the argument with the assumption that George Bush, if indeed he had a means to use such a "perfect weapon" would not use it against innocent civilians. However, if the type of destabilization required in the region to achieve the goals of the administration which were apparently to install a pro-american government, or at least remain in control of the region ourselves, and mass amounts of chaos brought about by the destruction of civilians and infrastructure were required to reach this goal, wouldnt it be rational to assume that Bush would still use such means? I think in the event that we had a perfect weapon at our disposal, the administration simply wouldnt be able to continue this neoconservative campaign to take over the worlds energy sources, thus making the idea of going to war in iraq and having public support for it a pipe dream and making the argument in the context of such a perfect weapon not relevant. I think Chomskys comparision of Bush to Bin Laden was appropriate in that both are willing to use whatever force they deem necessary to ensure that their ideals are imposed on the rest of the world, even if that means killing innocent people, although neither specifically sets out JUST to kill innocent people.
"It's not so much staying alive. It's staying human that's important." - 1984
www.myspace.com/applesforadam
applesforadam.blogspot.com
Do you think it would be beneficial to society if atheists could form so-called "churches" so freethinkers have a support group?
That's a good idea. I'd love to see that happen.
Wilson: "We were afraid that if you found out you solved a case with absolutely no medical evidence you'd think you were God." House: "God doesn't limp."
Ok RR Squad.. this is take 2 of my question.. its seems my 1st post disappeared into cyberspace as the website switched servers....
Sam,
I have 2 children... and we live in a world surrounded by the Christian faith (daycare is Christian based, School is public but mentions God in the pledge of allegiance etc, and the US Govt- well- 'nough said)... my question is- how do I raise my kids to be true free thinkers while they are surrounded by irrational thought? I am agnostic but find myself keeping quiet about my( (lack of) faith- for fear of being the outcast and pushing a negative vibe onto my kids.. I dont want them to be viewed as bad, or doomed to hell becasue we happen not to beleive in such fairytales... any advice? thanks!! Caroline , Trenton Ohio
Sam Harris,
I don't attend church, but I have spent some time with a church group and I was harassed for my beliefs. I try to avoid arguing with them about it.
As a student in high school and a friend of many Christians, how do I take part in Ending Faith without being targeted?
I don't want to lose my Christian friends, but I want to be able to stand my ground and make a difference.
Michael, 17, Ohio
I would like to see scienceprodigy's post addressed.
What do you think about taking the idea of faith from the point of view of those in power, like it being a great tool of mass psychology to keep power?
"It's not so much staying alive. It's staying human that's important." - 1984
www.myspace.com/applesforadam
applesforadam.blogspot.com
Mr. Harris, what is your opinion regarding discussing religion with young theists who believe in whichever god that is at the center of the particular religion they are apart of simply because they are extremely impressionable and had the ideas drilled into them by their overbearing parents from a young age? Do you believe that we as atheists should take advantage of the impressionable nature as well if they look up to us? If yes, then does this make us as bad as the theist parents who hammered religion into them in the first place? If no, then what strategy do you recommend using in helping them free their minds from religion?
-Question from Trey aka GodStoleMyFriends
"If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name at a Swiss Bank."-Woody Allen
"Atheism is life affirming in a way religion can never be."-Richard Dawkins
i'm against religion just as much as the next guy. i spend most of my time debating theists on matters like evolution and gay marriage in hopes of waking them up out of their comas. one thing separates me though from most of the other secularists i've come across., and that is that i'm not a liberal.
obviously i don't care much for our current president and did not vote for him, but i am disturbed by the attitude of people who feel that iraq should not be invaded. and i'm not talking about the people who are against the specific way in which america invaded iraq. i'm talking about the people who are against "policing the world" and who believe that sovereign nations should have the right to run their countries however they see fit. (it would seem that not only is it a taboo to question religion and faith, but also a taboo to question culture and sovereignty.)
as you know, many countries religiously oppress their people,,, not to mention kill, torture, enslave, and rape them. so my question to you is, do you support the invasions of countries like this in order to provide the people there with religious freedom, even at the risk of war and loss of innocent life? and if so, then are you as frustrated as i am that so many non-theists believe that we should leave these countries alone and let them "work their problems out" on their own?
Just as a heads up, not sure you realize Iraq was secular and wasn't religiously oppressed.
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