Topic: Dawkins v Williams: the Union debate (Feb. 2013)

[Jetavan]

“Richard Dawwwkins!”, came the cry of a student as the six speakers entered the chamber last night. The eager greeting was emblematic of the excitement which surrounded the Cambridge Union’s debate last night. The prospect of a clash between celebrated thinkers Richard Dawkins and new Master of Magdalene Rowan Williams on the motion ‘this house believes religion has no place in the 21st century’ culminated in this term’s most popular debate.

A thousand students were watching, the Union’s President-elect told the crowd, many unable to get a place in the chamber but following the debate in rooms around the building. Hundreds more had been turned away, with lines stretching into the streets since late afternoon.
....
"I have to declare something of an interest here”, Williams began, alluding to his long career in the Church of England, before setting forth his argument for religion’s continuing role in the 21st century. “Religion has always been a matter of community building,” he said, “a matter of building precisely those relations of compassion, fellow feeling and, I dare to use the word, inclusion, which would otherwise be absent from our societies."

A youtube video of the debate (which I think is not the official video of the debate) is here.

[stavros_388]

“Richard Dawwwkins!”, came the cry of a student as the six speakers entered the chamber last night. The eager greeting was emblematic of the excitement which surrounded the Cambridge Union’s debate last night. The prospect of a clash between celebrated thinkers Richard Dawkins and new Master of Magdalene Rowan Williams on the motion ‘this house believes religion has no place in the 21st century’ culminated in this term’s most popular debate.

A thousand students were watching, the Union’s President-elect told the crowd, many unable to get a place in the chamber but following the debate in rooms around the building. Hundreds more had been turned away, with lines stretching into the streets since late afternoon.
....
"I have to declare something of an interest here”, Williams began, alluding to his long career in the Church of England, before setting forth his argument for religion’s continuing role in the 21st century. “Religion has always been a matter of community building,” he said, “a matter of building precisely those relations of compassion, fellow feeling and, I dare to use the word, inclusion, which would otherwise be absent from our societies."

A youtube video of the debate (which I think is not the official video of the debate) is here.

Thanks for posting this. 

[pmpn8rGPT]

“Richard Dawwwkins!”, came the cry of a student as the six speakers entered the chamber last night. The eager greeting was emblematic of the excitement which surrounded the Cambridge Union’s debate last night. The prospect of a clash between celebrated thinkers Richard Dawkins and new Master of Magdalene Rowan Williams on the motion ‘this house believes religion has no place in the 21st century’ culminated in this term’s most popular debate.

A thousand students were watching, the Union’s President-elect told the crowd, many unable to get a place in the chamber but following the debate in rooms around the building. Hundreds more had been turned away, with lines stretching into the streets since late afternoon.
....
"I have to declare something of an interest here”, Williams began, alluding to his long career in the Church of England, before setting forth his argument for religion’s continuing role in the 21st century. “Religion has always been a matter of community building,” he said, “a matter of building precisely those relations of compassion, fellow feeling and, I dare to use the word, inclusion, which would otherwise be absent from our societies."

A youtube video of the debate (which I think is not the official video of the debate) is here.

Didn't Rowan found the Arian Church of England?

[jmbejdl]

“Richard Dawwwkins!”, came the cry of a student as the six speakers entered the chamber last night. The eager greeting was emblematic of the excitement which surrounded the Cambridge Union’s debate last night. The prospect of a clash between celebrated thinkers Richard Dawkins and new Master of Magdalene Rowan Williams on the motion ‘this house believes religion has no place in the 21st century’ culminated in this term’s most popular debate.

A thousand students were watching, the Union’s President-elect told the crowd, many unable to get a place in the chamber but following the debate in rooms around the building. Hundreds more had been turned away, with lines stretching into the streets since late afternoon.
....
"I have to declare something of an interest here”, Williams began, alluding to his long career in the Church of England, before setting forth his argument for religion’s continuing role in the 21st century. “Religion has always been a matter of community building,” he said, “a matter of building precisely those relations of compassion, fellow feeling and, I dare to use the word, inclusion, which would otherwise be absent from our societies."

A youtube video of the debate (which I think is not the official video of the debate) is here.

Didn't Rowan found the Arian Church of England?

No, he's the last Archbishop of Canterbury.

[NightOwl]

Richard Dawkins "lost" the debate by the Opposition's 324 votes to the Prop's 136:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/richard-dawkins-loses-debate-against-former-anglican-head-rowan-williams-at-cambridge-university-full-video-89364/

[pmpn8rGPT]

“Richard Dawwwkins!”, came the cry of a student as the six speakers entered the chamber last night. The eager greeting was emblematic of the excitement which surrounded the Cambridge Union’s debate last night. The prospect of a clash between celebrated thinkers Richard Dawkins and new Master of Magdalene Rowan Williams on the motion ‘this house believes religion has no place in the 21st century’ culminated in this term’s most popular debate.

A thousand students were watching, the Union’s President-elect told the crowd, many unable to get a place in the chamber but following the debate in rooms around the building. Hundreds more had been turned away, with lines stretching into the streets since late afternoon.
....
"I have to declare something of an interest here”, Williams began, alluding to his long career in the Church of England, before setting forth his argument for religion’s continuing role in the 21st century. “Religion has always been a matter of community building,” he said, “a matter of building precisely those relations of compassion, fellow feeling and, I dare to use the word, inclusion, which would otherwise be absent from our societies."

A youtube video of the debate (which I think is not the official video of the debate) is here.

Didn't Rowan found the Arian Church of England?

No, he's the last Archbishop of Canterbury.

My bad, I was thinking about his book on Arius and somehow got him mixed up...

[Alveus Lacuna]

Putting all religions on ontologically equal footing and fighting for all of them seems ridiculous to me. It should be more a question of Truth than pragmaticism and functionality of institutional organizations. IT seems like a dumb topic to begin with. For example, who would agree that atheism has NO place to play in society in the 21st century? Everything has its place, and to speak so categorically from the outset seem juvenile.

[Shiny]

Putting all religions on ontologically equal footing and fighting for all of them seems ridiculous to me. It should be more a question of Truth than pragmaticism and functionality of institutional organizations. IT seems like a dumb topic to begin with. For example, who would agree that atheism has NO place to play in society in the 21st century? Everything has its place, and to speak so categorically from the outset seem juvenile.

Don't be fooled by internet atheism into believing there are more atheists out there, because the truth is they represent such a miniority. The only place they can portend to have any clout whatsoever is on the internet. There influence, let alone action, in society is really marginalized.

[Balthasar]

British monkey-elites who contributed immensely to the destruction of Christianity in the UK. They did it in just one generation. How I'm tired of watching their primitiv and unpleasant sense of arrogance and superiority. 

[Alveus Lacuna]

British monkey-elites who contributed immensely to the destruction of Christianity in the UK. They did it in just one generation. How I'm tired of watching their primitive and unpleasant sense of arrogance and superiority. 

I suppose they would agree that they are indeed primates! *rimshot*

[NicholasMyra]

How I'm tired of watching their primitiv and unpleasant sense of arrogance and superiority. 

So, let's ban Islam in Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Budha countries, let's expel those ungrateful Muslims from those countries.