I will never forget the first time I heard Sam Harris speak, 20 years ago. It was like a bomb went off in my consciousness. Never had I heard someone deliver such knock-out blows so seemingly effortlessly in speech. To this day, it is a music that still rings as devastatingly mighty as on that very first.
Yea.....ppl say "Sam is the most boring speaker I've ever heard" and to me it's the complete opposite. His calm, precise speech, brevity and wit are unmatched by anyone else I've EVER HEARD SPEAK whe it comes to speaking off the cuff Also no woo woo bS and he'll say something that I've been thinking or feeling for a while a put it into words better than I could have even if I sat down and tried to write it
I heard Sam Harris say on a video standing behind the pulpit saying.. "Hell is not a bad place to spend eternity, if I could go to hell right now, I would" I thought to myself, just wait, you're time is coming
The sausage of religion has been made in one way or another by almost every civilisation in history. Without the transcendent every one was doomed as will ours if we completely throw out the best of our heritage. The arrogance of atheists is very understandable given the realities of life and the suffering of the innocent and the harm of so much religion. But the arrogance is still what it is. Humility isn't in big in most of our repertoires.
I stated listening to Dr. Harris about 7 years ago and was immediately intrigued. I was addicted instantly. He has a way of putting things into perspective, and he does it in a way that cannot even be debated. He and a few others convinced me that it is pointless to believe in ANY religion. He and the other 3 horsemen opened my eyes to the silliness of it all. The contradictions… the lies… the unmistakable evil of “the good book”. Aron Ra, Seth Andrews, Matt Dillahunty… I know I’m forgetting some others but… they’re all amazing people.
Homie, the diamond buried in the backyard analogy should have sealed the door for "meaningful" religion for all time. But of course, that only works if religion were being turned to by dispassionate reasoning that does not just depend on when and where you were born.
It is reassuring to see so many positive responses, as below, to Sam Harris. Maybe people are at last waking up to the truth but we have a long way to go especially in apparently well-educated nations like the USA, where as he says biology teachers are afraid to teach the established principle of evolution based on genetics, in case the parents of the students, remove that teacher from the school. Think about it. Elderly white middle class male Australian
How was this perfectly said? He didn't actually give any reasons to be good to people after saying that. All he said was "we just should be" but why? It's almost like he knows he can't give an objective reason to love others from his worldviews or something. He said fear and punishment are the motivators to love others but the Bible never actually uses fear to make us love others. In fact it does the opposite: 'There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. ' 1 John 4:18
Sometimes I find myself making these very same arguments when having conversations with my fellow countrymen in benign social gatherings. It is still to this day very surprising to see how Italians look at me as if they had never thought nor entertained themselves with such ideas and arguments. I then try to throw some Ricky Gervais remarks to try to lighten up the situation but not even comedy and some hitch slaps can save me. Oh Thor this makes me feel really lonely sometimes
People are not likely to change their minds as you present an argument that goes against their cemented beliefs. So don't despair. They may modify their thinking gradually and privately. I'd only recommend that you not ridicule their intellect but rather simply show the other possibilities. Keep at it, though.youre Italian. You get things done and have since the days of the Roman Empire.
It's very difficult to escape the beliefs you've been indoctrinated into since childhood. I felt betrayed, duped, afraid of what loved ones would think. But at some point, you can't pretend anymore. Once you've seen the truth, it's tough to put the blinders back on. Good luck to those of you going through this. You have my support!
I like Sam's invented religion. where if you don't follow the beliefs of his religion. you will be forced to live out eternity with a seven headed demon named Dexter. it still sounds more sane than any of our current religions.
Mr. Harris! Just discovered you from Canada! Fantastic! I guess somebody finally got that old '50's NORAD base up and running! I'd better go around on my snowmobile and tell all the locals that the war is over !!! And Yay for us ! Who the hell is this Trump 'A' hole? and what's a Skittle? As a fellow atheist, keep plugging' Brother. I dropped that stone off my back in my early teens. Great stuff !!
"If God is willing to prevent Evil but not able, then God is not omnipotent, if God is able but not willing, then God is malevolent...". Reductio Ad Absurdum - example, Greek Philosophy.
Greatest Exponent of Critical thinking and reasoning in the understanding of deluded beliefs...we can open our minds to scientific thinking and get away from superstition and religious dogma...man has to do this and change humanity..Thank you Mr Harris for your great discourse ❤❤
You are absolutely deluded if you think science and religion are not mutually exclusive. Further to this, point us all towards: 1) The scientific evidence for the non-existence of a God. 2) Please post the scientific explanation of why science is the only way to find truth. The question you should really be asking is: “Is it unreasonable to believe in a Theistic God” The answer is a solid “No”. I can also tell you that science backs this claim more than it does yours
This guy very clearly does not understand the religious beliefs he’s constantly preaching against “Theists love people out of fear and selfishness” No… that’s not even love bro
EVERY individual religious person cobbles together their own version of their religion, in exactly the same way that Sam describes religion doing it generally. EVERY person takes whatever parts of their religion they decide to, and rejects that which doesn't suit them personally...every single one of them. For many, and I suspect it's the vast majority, what they may know or remember of their religion will be piecemeal, out of context, and nothing more than their own interpretation of whatever they may have heard and think they understood. They'll accept whatever fits their lifestyle and prejudices, and not bother with the rest. They claim to believe in their religion SOLELY because it's the one they were born into, not because they've ever done any honest religious comparison, in the rare case any is done at all. They generally don't really know much about their own religion, and it wouldn't occur to them to question it. EVERY religious person is making it up for themselves as they go along, which means that this word "god" has absolutely no agreed meaning, so that it really has no meaning at all. Until ALL the world's religious people get together and agree on ONE god, ONE theology, and ONE mythology that is verifiably authentic, no single one of them should arrogate to themselves to expect ANYONE to accept their personal delusions.
But at least we know that God is Light (1John 1:5), and to know Him a little more we need to LOVE one another like Jesus Christ taught us. Christ told us we'll do greater things than we saw him do, I'd not mind to have such magical powers.
I am not interested in origins, opinions or propoganda. I deal with my situation as it confronts me every day. Everyone should be treated with kindness and compassion. Judge no one on face value.
Around 30:50 I love this argument about those who believe Elvis is not dead aren’t sitting on our board of directors. There isn’t good evidence for it. Even if Elvis appeared again and said, “gotcha!” the reasons that people believed he was alive before his unveiling of gotcha, were bad. Same with if a god actually exists. The reasons people have are bad until good evidence shows to be true. Otherwise it’s just luck.
He is a very worthy advocate but please do not continue to promote people who have media exposure to the presidential status. The USA has lots of rational young people who could do a good job in the white house.
I cannot vote for someone with TDS. Ironically, a man that can see how ludicrous religion can be. He has fallen for 'the orange man bad' mantra. Trump may be a blowhard and a jersey but he is not orange hit ler
Great to hear it for Scandinavia...Meyt many Ameriicans (in Denark) who over te years readily confirmed that view. LONG live the genius of the Vikings...
If I believed in religion , I would say the devils greatest deception was not to make people believe he doesn't exist but that he is the god half the world believe in.
You mean "I create both good and evil" probably, but does it really cut it, though, as the being referred to as the opposer literally speaks with god? Schitzo god?
"Religion gives bad reasons to be good where good reasons are actually available. Which is more moral? Helping the poor, feeding the hungry, defending the weak our of a mere concernfor their well being. Or doing so because you think the creator of the universe wants you to do it." I really understand that line, before I even know this guy this is what I am saying all along that its much better to do something out of your own goodness rather than doing it to please God or because that's God wants you to do because if you dont you get burned to hell. I mean, we are not supposed to be afraid of God if he's an unconditional loving God. Man I like this man already.
You are very cheeky. Maybe you are on to something. I am sceptical. The almost overwhelmingly pervasive preponderance of religious nonsense will not be cured by economics, it can only be cured by education. Elderly white middle class male Australian
Just to break the ice -- because SOMEONE needs to do it -- Harris should run for president. No one can be elected president who does not profess belief in Yahweh, that's true enough. There was a time when a woman could not be so elected. No longer. An atheist should absolutely make the attempt.
A self proclaimed ashiest will never succeed at being elected until we the people educate our children until we have a voting generation that understands the difference between Church and the Classroom.
@JHernandezsb Here in the UK nobody could care less if our leader is religious so I know America could achieve this as well. It'll take a long time though and unfortunately you've got people like Andrew Tate and all the Daily Wire hosts promoting religion despite having no idea what they're talking about
As great of a thinker and speaker as he is, he’d likely make a terrible politician. Most political figures have extensive legal and international relations education, all for some very good reasons.
@@willymack5677 In our lifetime it is a fact that political figures know zip about legal and international relations. Presidents represent the Nation. Vice Presidents deal in foreign international relations. Obama had great domestic policy, if one who is not a racist or bigot would agree to. But his policy outside our boarders were terrible. Letting the CIA use drones to strike weddings and birthday parties. Trump divided the nation with his BS. Biden cant stay awake long enough to remember which way is the exit. Don't get me started on our congress. AOC, a liberal representative who was previously a food server. She had zero experience and she makes more sense today than most of her counterparts and comrades. Wake the frack up. These people we elect because they seem cool are shallow and greedy. I think if we elected some highly intelligent people, they would put scientists in charge of science and education, instead of putting a neuro surgeon in charge of Government Housing for the poor. I think we need more reasonable NON religious folks in office.
In this UK we have lots of Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims etc.etc. Here's a question worth thinking about. Why is there no Hinduophobia or Sikhophobia in this country ????
Because many Hindus hate Muslims and therefore make common cause with Christians. If there were no more Muslims there would be a sudden anti-Hindu wave by the white Christian majority.
“For hundreds of thousands of years, heaven watches all this extinction, genocide, famine, and decay, and only 2,000 years ago says, ‘boy, I guess it’s about time we intervened! How about a human sacrifice!? That should teach them!’ You are free to believe that. I just think you should hear what it sounds like played back to you.” -Hitchens
I struggled for years to purge the last poisonous religious ideology out of my mind. I eventually came to the simple conclusion that I am too good a person to be religious.
@@MrAlexR123 Yes. I am not motivated to do good because I'm afraid of some sky monster. Non-believers behave morally because they understand that treating others with respect and kindness is simply how civilized people should behave. We don't need the fear of eternal damnation or the promise of endless virgins to be good people. That makes us morally superior to believers in magic.
@@michaelbrent5950 I think you overestimate your “moral superiority”. Had you been born a Roman nobleman or an American plantation owner you would have certainly been okay with what your environment told you was okay. Had you been an Aztec or Phoenician priest you would have certainly sacrificed other humans. Had you refused you would have been shunned from society with very serious repercussions. Far greater than what you’d face today. Which I argue is essentially nothing. It’s easy to claim that you wouldn’t have engaged in the atrocities of your time but in my experience those who claim superiority whether it be moral, intellectual or racial are the most likely to use their beliefs of superiority as justification for atrocity. Which to them is simply natural law.
@@michaelbrent5950had you been born a Roman noble or a plantation owner you’d almost certainly adopt their views on slavery. Or had you been born into the Phoenician or Aztec priest class it’s likely you’d sacrifice humans. To think that you are somehow unaffected by the environment you were raised in especially when there are essentially no alternatives is wishful thinking. When the benefits of conforming are high and the consequences of not are even higher the likelihood of defection from group norms is almost non existent. In my experience those who believe themselves superior whether it be morally or intellectually or racially are the most likely to justify the atrocities they commit and to see them not as evil but as a sort of natural law. It’s likely you benefit from being raised in a society predicated on hundreds of years of Christian values and seem to take credit for it on your own. At least Richard Dawkins is honest enough to admit this and claim he’s a cultural Christian. Keep believing in your superiority to your own detriment.
@@MrAlexR123 Most of your comments are irrelevant strawman arguments and not worth responding to. I believe anyone who derives their morality from ancient books and invisible sky gods who condone or demand genocide, rape, slavery, murder, genital mutilation, animal cruelty, etc... is morally inferior. I've never committed any atrocities and am unlikely to do so, in large measure because I don't believe in imaginary boogey men who want me to do so.
The concept of God represents our hope for manager: as children we were omnipotent director of our play. The religion is adult application of this monotheistic view. Problem is then: How you can explain the impossibilities? The more thesis is needed to explain the more unconvincing the God and religion becomes.
Ya, we need SOMEONE to be in charge 😂. Every single one of us just popped into existence (in our perspective), and then the people that have been here longer let us in on what we've learned about the situation thus far. I mean, to be a species with metacognition in our precarious situation on a planet in the vast expanse of this seemingly desolate and violent universe is terrifying. I get while we feel that need. I'm a lifelong atheist, but the first time I saw a total solar eclipse, I could imagine the dread and terror that something so bizarre would spark in humans with no understanding of what's going on. The wildlife gets quiet, the light is a hue that isn't normal, there are thousands of little crescent moon-shaped shadows all over the ground. Plus, let's face it, there's a giant black hole in the middle of the sun. It's a strange feeling. Even knowing exactly what's happening (we can literally predict it to the second), it was an awesome sight. I just wish we could stop sh*tting on humans by burdening them with original sin. We deal with enough. We can be selfish and violent, and we can be incredibly selfless and compassionate. We developed language and can weave words into poetry to soothe others or use words to abuse. We are not filthy sinners. We have ONE chance to experience life, and this life is not to wipe your feet on your way into heaven. All we have to offer humanity is science, language, and the memories we leave behind in those who are still living. We are literally all we have.
Yeh over 90% in US prisons. Religion has only ever encouraged people to do bad things. Those who are good might think it's their Religion but they would have been good anyway
@@yumyum723 It’s sad that most people have no clue where morals come from. So many theists claim that they get their morals from their religion or god. It’s simply not how it works.
@@yumyum723 I advise you watch inspiring philosophy’s debate with Matt dillahunty and godless engineer regarding if Christianity has done more good or bad, you’ll see that the statistics show otherwise
(May 2, 2024) 10:0410:2010:40 Large audience with groups of opposing beliefs 13:33 Multiple interpretations of gospels 15:0415:45 Iron Age philosophy w 21st century technology 22:23 I may offend some of u, that is not the point, i am genuinely worried 22:53
just a quick reminder that the first amendment conflicts with the first commandment "thou shalt worship whoever you want" and that the declaration of human rights gives ME more rights than god. and a history lesson cos the USA is a secular nation, not many people seem to know that, and the founding fathers were at best deists and certainly not christian. hitchens became a naturalised american purely because of the constitution. the UK is officially christian, the US is officially secular. is it annoying that the satanic temple has the SAME RIGHTS as the church / mosque?
Interesting how despite the efforts of such intelligent and well lettered men like Sam Harris, we are again suffering under the irrational and intractable thumb of religious zealotry. Considering the rise of a demagogue and utter and profound disrespect for life parading around as "pro-life" it would be in humanities best interest to recognize that we have been given some great tools by Harris, Hitchens and Dawkins et al to combat ignorance-cum-ancient wisdom, we just need to use them.
The level of atheism throughout the rest of the developed world refutes any argument that religion is somehow a moral necessity, Countries like Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom are among the least religious societies on Earth. According to the United Nations’ Human Development Report (2005) they are also the healthiest, as indicated by measures of life expectancy, adult literacy, per capita income, educational attainment, gender equality, homicide rate and infant mortality. Conversely, the 50 nations now ranked lowest in terms of human development are unwaveringly religious. Other analyses paint the same picture: The United States is unique among wealthy democracies in its level of religious literalism and opposition to evolutionary theory; it is also uniquely beleaguered by high rates of homicide, abortion, teen pregnancy, STD infection and infant mortality. The same comparison holds true within the United States itself: Southern and Midwestern states, characterized by the highest levels of religious superstition and hostility to evolutionary theory, are especially plagued by the above indicators of societal dysfunction, while the comparatively secular states of the Northeast conform to European norms. Of course, correlational data of this sort do not resolve questions of causality--belief in God may lead to societal dysfunction; societal dysfunction may foster a belief in God; each factor may enable the other; or both may spring from some deeper source of mischief. Leaving aside the issue of cause and effect, these facts prove that atheism is perfectly compatible with the basic aspirations of a civil society; they also prove, conclusively, that religious faith does nothing to ensure a society’s health.
Where did most of these countries come from? Did they spring out of nowhere? Did an emergent ethic evolve over the course of human evolution and then take hold of these places? Is that emergent ethic the bedrock of that society? How long have they been countries and how long have they been atheistic? How atheistic are they? How are they doing in terms of feeling purpose, suicide and mental health? Is material prosperity the only marker of a prosperous nation?
I will challenge your sense of reality here. You point out the Midwest and South as a religious drag on the comparative success of the secular Northeast. Uh, the crime and other problems that you mention seem to be concentrated in the large mostly secular cities throughout the country. It is not difficulty to make this case.
@@seanwilloughby3053 crime is not concentrated in the secular cities in the Northeast, here's a current report on the 10 most dangerous cities in the country. The top seven are in the Bible belt: Here's a concise ranking of U.S. states with the highest murder rates per 100,000 population, based on recent data: 1. Louisiana 2. Mississippi 3. Alabama 4. Missouri 5. Arkansas 6. South Carolina 7. Tennessee 8. Maryland 9. Illinois 10. New Mexico This list reflects recent trends, but exact rankings can vary slightly year to year. Additional information on specific cities: Within the states mentioned, here are some of the States and cities that typically have the highest murder rates: 1. Louisiana: New Orleans, Baton Rouge 2. Mississippi: Jackson 3. Alabama: Birmingham 4. Missouri: St. Louis, Kansas City 5. Arkansas: Little Rock 6. South Carolina: North Charleston 7. Tennessee: Memphis 8. Maryland: Baltimore 9. Illinois: Chicago 10. New Mexico: Albuquerque It's important to note a few things: 1. Crime rates can fluctuate year to year, so rankings may shift. 2. Smaller cities might have high per-capita rates but fewer total incidents. 3. These statistics don't tell the whole story of a city. Many of these places are also known for rich culture, history, and ongoing revitalization efforts. 4. Crime is often concentrated in specific neighborhoods rather than evenly distributed across a city.
He's brilliant following Carl Sagan, Dawkins, Hitchens my hero and never mind meditation or sing or group therapy I like 6 pints of strong larger after a hard day laying bricks and a good aithiest discussion on why God needed a day off
It’s so obvious, people like Sam, Richard the late Hitchens are true on the correct path and how humanity needs to think, basically we don’t no why or how we here but we here, I could go on forever but these dudes have it correct
The argument at the end is absolute rubbish,,, bad things happen because god is mysterious,,,, so the 2004 tsunami was so goodness will come in the future? God is supposed to be almighty, so he can do anything, so he could've allowed those people to live and still had goodness come, he's god fo gods sake,,,,, 'cept he's not, because the whole concept is just stupid,,,, I'd like to hear of a few good things god has done, because I've never seen any of it
1 John 1:5 (KJV) " This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." Christ gave the greatest commandment as Love, In that the closeness, we can feel GOD, So we need to get a little close and stop 'just arguing' . That is what we lack greatly in our world.
@@timothycahill7535”I don’t know what happens after you die, & I don’t care.” ~ Bill Maher I don’t need to know or pretend to know. I’m content to wonder, to explore the world & in my own imagination. It makes every sunrise, every kiss, every selfless act, every work of art, every time I stand amidst the sequoias, or watch the waves at the beach, even more beautiful, inspiring, miraculous & precious without there being a purpose or cause for it all imo. No reason, just because..
The Bible does say that God does those things. Isaiah 45:7 I make peace, I create evil, I'm the Lord thy god, I do All things... Also Dueteronomy 10:14-19 ( notice Dueteronomy 10:14 is what Paul horribly repeated in Romans 10:8) Also read Dueteronomy Cha 28.
I don’t think religion is really the problem, it’s more religious fundamentalism, especially radical Islam that is a problem. The fundamentals of Islam are not peaceful.
The problem is that the fundamentalists are very good muslims and christians. Suicide bombings and stoning gay people is perfectly in alignment with the holy books. This is what happens when you think the creator of the universe authored a book.
My to quote Sam “if fundamentalists are a problem then there is a problem with the fundamentals of the religion”. I don’t understand how you can watch a video of Sam talking about belief and its impact and the power of religious belief and identity and then comment what you commented.
The definition of religion is that to which we are bound which is the entire cosmos. Humanity will go with the broader perspective, no one wants to be reduced to the elemental or the biological when the cosmos is ours. We come from it not from some mid-nineteenth century perspective on biology, which is just our outer coat, we are much more than that limited perspective ordains. As well as consciousness and mind the complexity of DNA, of the cell is not fully understood. It appears there is intelligence there, and in the cosmos, that is causal to the full spectrum of life. Darwin focused on the cell, being clueless even about its complexity and equally clueless about much else; what is consciousness, (todays ‘hard problem’ ) mind, the electricities, electromagnetism and magnetism itself, which even today is a total mystery. People are not ready to be so biologically identified with the cellular, with biology, that they ignore the full range of the human -- consciousness, mind, electricity, electromagnetism, magnetism, etc. The elemental and cellular; the biological, is important but focusing on it exclusively is limiting and at the cusp of a quantum age we can, and should, do better. Religion takes in the entire spectrum and that is its appeal.
Here is a religion's definition of "God". GOD=The Universe. It shapes human growth and development by natural selection. So, let's see if that God exists. Does the Universe exist? Yes. Does it shape human growth and development by natural selection? Yes. Then, by definition, God exists.
Religious people have this habit call it narcissism where by they assert their authority. The rabbi in the one vignette basically says you can't say that. Sam had no right to challenge the authority of the torah or Old Testament because the rabbi tells him he can't. They start from a position of un falsifiability in other words we are right and that's it
If you want to poke holes in fundamental Christianity here's a list: 1. If the Earth is only 8000 years old, how old does that make our sun than, and how do you explain Zoroastrianism which is older than Christianity (6000 years old), and Christianity been accused of stealing or copying their beliefs etc and claiming them to be their own 2. Why do fundamental Christians put so much faith in a book that's missing other books that were omitted (see Councils of Nicaea and more) like the Gnostic Gospels, the Apocrypha, the gospel of Peter and more. 3. What role did Pope Julius and Constantine play in establishing December 25th as the birth of Jesus? 4. This is the finishing punch as in " Mortal Combat -Finish him" lol. Ask John Lennox or any religious zealot/Christian on the street if they put up a Christmas tree, giving gifts and celebrating the birth of Jesus( Christ-mas) on December 25th, then say this. Well, as a rational clear thinking person, you must know then that 1. December 25th is in fact a pagan holiday (Winter Solstice)and not the birth of "Jesus" 2. The Christmas tree is a pagan symbol 3. Gift giving on December 25th is a pagan ritual? Finally tell them that their Christianity is not 2000 years old, Roman Catholicism is 2000 years old. Tell them, their offshoot of Christianity/belief/faith dates back to the 1800's not the "Day of Pentecost" as they falsely and erroneously claim, and is courtesy of John Wesley White and the Methodist movement. Ask them to also prove and provide evidence how they know categorically for sure their "God" is a he and they're not just being sexist. And look up the10,500 year basket they unearthed somewhere in the middle east and show them that.. I could go on lol.. Have a Merry Christmas
What an incredible strawman with claims refuted by a simple google search. Outside of the Da Vinci code (a work of fiction) and arguments atheist like to repeat in their echo chamber/ bubble nobody that has any knowledge of history thinks that the council of Nicea had anything to do with the canon of the bible (deciding the list of books accepted). How could you ever claim for yourself to be a thinker while not dooing a simple fact check of anything you hear ? Do you have blind faith in what Sam is telling you ?
In general, his description of the Bible is roughly at a kindergarten level. He seems like quite an intelligent man, so there is some level of deceit here. It would be equivalent to someone calling you a damned liar for saying the horse was fast as lightning. There is a part at roughly 30 minutes where he says that people having their own viewpoints is bad and that nowhere else do we apply this principle. He appears to be complaining that if he makes a rational argument it would be unacceptable for you to disagree. This is possibily the most totalitarian statement I have ever heard. He seems to be arguing against freedom of speech or even thought.
Cluesless. I will just address his total ignorance about Christianity, and not the religious misrepresentations of it. 1. God does not cause all things to happen. Jesus said, Luke 10:31 KJV - And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.". 2. The suffering in the world is what man created, not God. Romans 5:12 KJV - Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" Blame great, great,great, great,great great, great great grandaddy. Also, when Adam and Eve sinned, they did not seek forgiveness. Never said, "I am sorry". Didn't say "sorry", Even "My bad". Its God who initiated and provided reconciliation. That is why God kicked Adam out of the garden to prevent him from staying separated from him and unable to be redemmed. Genesis 3:22 KJV - And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:," 3. The miracles of Jesus are NOT used as a reason to beleive in Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV - (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)" Romans 10:17 KJV - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Even Peter said about his experience on the Mt. of transfiguration: 2 Peter 18, "And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy" The "word" is superior to the experience. 4. Nowhere does God says he has a plan for our individuals lives. The word "plan" or "planes" is not even in a bible. 5. God does not hear all mens prayers. John 9:31, "Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will,". 6. The bible does not say a snake was in the garden of eden. It says a "serpent", speaking to character of Satan, subtle. Also, Satan means adversary. There are over 20 different descriptive names for satan. Which is why he called a beast and calf. 7. During the "dispenation of grace" there are no prophecies one can observe to know about the return of christ. 8. The next thing in the bible to happen is not the return of christ but: Romans 11:25 KJV - For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." 9. The bible does not say we are made in God's image. It says Adam was. It says we are made Adams image. Genesis 5:3 KJV - And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:" Fallen. A sinner. Rebellious. Thats enough. Yall are listening to a guy who doesn't even know the bible. Yet you are assuming he does while leading you astray because how he speaks. He is just like Satan - subtle. Ephesians 4:32 KJV - And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
It appears you are relying on authority for your argument. Sam and his colleagues are explaining that knowledge is not based on authority but on actual experience and investigation. See the difference?
@donaldwhittaker7987 Yeah, no. He is misinformed about the very basics of the subject, Christianity, which he is critiquing. An eight-year-old who attends Sunday school knows more.
@@mlayton1904 an 8 year old attending Sunday school is receiving unwanted child abuse. I would not teach kids stuff about which I was totally unsure. Lying to kidd makes them distrustful later on, either that or very gullible.
If God, no, gods are there somewhere, generally up above somewhere because people always look up whenever god is mentioned, they all must definitely be practicing different cultures as we do and speak different languages as we do. Also, they might be visiting each other, greeting each other and discussing about us, mortal humans. They also must be having divided opinions on how we mortals should pray, propitiate and ask for delivarance. Each god belonging to a particular religion has to be 'on call' whenever some human (other life forms do nothing to invoke any god) wants something and these calls come in millions and because they are gods, they can sort out everything, listen to millions of messages at one go. There are also problems when some people belonging to other faiths call other gods of different faiths. May be they know all languages and can cope with everything as these religious heads of various faiths believe.
I'm confused as to why Sam, at the very end, mention Buddhism a long side Christianity and Judaism. What I have loved about Buddhism is that it insists that you do not believe things solely on faith or by authority. If anyone has another perspective as to why he lumped Buddhism in with those religions I am all ears. That one statement lost Sam a lot of respect from me.
I will never forget the first time I heard Sam Harris speak, 20 years ago. It was like a bomb went off in my consciousness. Never had I heard someone deliver such knock-out blows so seemingly effortlessly in speech. To this day, it is a music that still rings as devastatingly mighty as on that very first.
Same, but I discovered Hitch first, then Sam!
Christopher Hitchens was the one for me. Sam definitely is a fantastic orator for atheism.
Yea.....ppl say "Sam is the most boring speaker I've ever heard" and to me it's the complete opposite. His calm, precise speech, brevity and wit are unmatched by anyone else I've EVER HEARD SPEAK whe it comes to speaking off the cuff
Also no woo woo bS and he'll say something that I've been thinking or feeling for a while a put it into words better than I could have even if I sat down and tried to write it
I heard Sam Harris say on a video standing behind the pulpit saying..
"Hell is not a bad place to spend eternity, if I could go to hell right now, I would"
I thought to myself, just wait, you're time is coming
@@RandomStuff-i4i Oh to hell with you and your beliefs, bunch of silly cultists ..
Watch the religious desperately interrupting to try to stop uncomfortable points.
True. I was ridiculed when I asked a so called Guru about reincarnation.
Interrupt and project.
Proverbs
9 True wisdom has built its house;
It has carved* out its seven pillars.
2
There's no desperation
There's only repentance love joy peace patience kindness goodness gentleness and self control.
All the rest is counterfeit
The sausage of religion has been made in one way or another by almost every civilisation in history.
Without the transcendent every one was doomed as will ours if we completely throw out the best of our heritage.
The arrogance of atheists is very understandable given the realities of life and the suffering of the innocent and the harm of so much religion.
But the arrogance is still what it is.
Humility isn't in big in most of our repertoires.
Science has questions that may never be answered, religion has answers that may never be questioned
Great comment. 🇦🇺 😊
Zen koan and parables beg to differ.
Clever. I like it.
Don't pretend to know things that you do not know. Words to live by.
I stated listening to Dr. Harris about 7 years ago and was immediately intrigued. I was addicted instantly. He has a way of putting things into perspective, and he does it in a way that cannot even be debated.
He and a few others convinced me that it is pointless to believe in ANY religion. He and the other 3 horsemen opened my eyes to the silliness of it all. The contradictions… the lies… the unmistakable evil of “the good book”.
Aron Ra, Seth Andrews, Matt Dillahunty… I know I’m forgetting some others but… they’re all amazing people.
I don’t know those three you mentioned but will definitely look them up. Thanks.
Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, to name a few more.
Harris's analogy between religion and placebo at 7:00 is absolutely fantastic!
Homie, the diamond buried in the backyard analogy should have sealed the door for "meaningful" religion for all time. But of course, that only works if religion were being turned to by dispassionate reasoning that does not just depend on when and where you were born.
When red herrings turn out to be stupid lures with hooks
Because of or in spite of , hv democracy, I think a bit of both, never be possible with islamism
It is reassuring to see so many positive responses, as below, to Sam Harris. Maybe people are at last waking up to the truth but we have a long way to go especially in apparently well-educated nations like the USA, where as he says biology teachers are afraid to teach the established principle of evolution based on genetics, in case the parents of the students, remove that teacher from the school. Think about it.
Elderly white middle class male Australian
Wish there were more intelligent men like this
There are!!!
May you find them easily. 😊
There was once a man called Jesus. lol
@moltenpros Rivera? Alvarez? Santiago? Which Jesus are you talking about? There are thousands!
They're not very uncommon, just gotta look in the right places
@@moltenpros xD
"Religion gives people bad reasons to be good where his reasons are actually available." PERFECTLY SAID
Where good reasons are actually available, not his.
How was this perfectly said? He didn't actually give any reasons to be good to people after saying that. All he said was "we just should be" but why? It's almost like he knows he can't give an objective reason to love others from his worldviews or something.
He said fear and punishment are the motivators to love others but the Bible never actually uses fear to make us love others. In fact it does the opposite:
'There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. '
1 John 4:18
Religion is usually angry legalists. Spiritual Christians live by God's grace and faith.
Sometimes I find myself making these very same arguments when having conversations with my fellow countrymen in benign social gatherings. It is still to this day very surprising to see how Italians look at me as if they had never thought nor entertained themselves with such ideas and arguments. I then try to throw some Ricky Gervais remarks to try to lighten up the situation but not even comedy and some hitch slaps can save me. Oh Thor this makes me feel really lonely sometimes
I make the same mistakes.
People are not likely to change their minds as you present an argument that goes against their cemented beliefs. So don't despair. They may modify their thinking gradually and privately. I'd only recommend that you not ridicule their intellect but rather simply show the other possibilities.
Keep at it, though.youre Italian.
You get things done and have since the days of the Roman Empire.
It's very difficult to escape the beliefs you've been indoctrinated into since childhood. I felt betrayed, duped, afraid of what loved ones would think. But at some point, you can't pretend anymore. Once you've seen the truth, it's tough to put the blinders back on. Good luck to those of you going through this. You have my support!
same. I live in SE Alabama, and I'm the only atheist I know 😂.
Just remember, there's nothing wrong with being lonely.
Don't believe those who told you otherwise.
I like Sam's invented religion. where if you don't follow the beliefs of his religion. you will be forced to live out eternity with a seven headed demon named Dexter. it still sounds more sane than any of our current religions.
What’s more sane about that?
Thanks for uploading ❤
Great compilation. Thank you!
Mr. Harris! Just discovered you from Canada! Fantastic! I guess somebody finally got that old '50's NORAD base up and running! I'd better go around on my snowmobile and tell all the locals that the war is over !!! And Yay for us !
Who the hell is this Trump 'A' hole? and what's a Skittle? As a fellow atheist, keep plugging' Brother. I dropped that stone off my back in my early teens. Great stuff !!
American here. yeaaaaaa, we are working on that Tyrant guy. We got an Oligarchy to push out too...
Excellent editing this far... going to watch the entire clip! Just had to comment.
Bravo... literally just BRAVO!
"If God is willing to prevent Evil but not able, then God is not omnipotent, if God is able but not willing, then God is malevolent...".
Reductio Ad Absurdum - example, Greek Philosophy.
Greatest Exponent of Critical thinking and reasoning in the understanding of deluded beliefs...we can open our minds to scientific thinking and get away from superstition and religious dogma...man has to do this and change humanity..Thank you Mr Harris for your great discourse ❤❤
You are absolutely deluded if you think science and religion are not mutually exclusive. Further to this, point us all towards:
1) The scientific evidence for the non-existence of a God.
2) Please post the scientific explanation of why science is the only way to find truth.
The question you should really be asking is: “Is it unreasonable to believe in a Theistic God”
The answer is a solid “No”. I can also tell you that science backs this claim more than it does yours
This guy very clearly does not understand the religious beliefs he’s constantly preaching against
“Theists love people out of fear and selfishness”
No… that’s not even love bro
Great content and presentation. 🇦🇺 😊
EVERY individual religious person cobbles together their own version of their religion, in exactly the same way that Sam describes religion doing it generally. EVERY person takes whatever parts of their religion they decide to, and rejects that which doesn't suit them personally...every single one of them.
For many, and I suspect it's the vast majority, what they may know or remember of their religion will be piecemeal, out of context, and nothing more than their own interpretation of whatever they may have heard and think they understood. They'll accept whatever fits their lifestyle and prejudices, and not bother with the rest. They claim to believe in their religion SOLELY because it's the one they were born into, not because they've ever done any honest religious comparison, in the rare case any is done at all. They generally don't really know much about their own religion, and it wouldn't occur to them to question it.
EVERY religious person is making it up for themselves as they go along, which means that this word "god" has absolutely no agreed meaning, so that it really has no meaning at all. Until ALL the world's religious people get together and agree on ONE god, ONE theology, and ONE mythology that is verifiably authentic, no single one of them should arrogate to themselves to expect ANYONE to accept their personal delusions.
Every..... And like EVERY argument that requires a universal homogenous group your argument is a logical fallacy
@@tomo5136 You're just trying to dodge the point.
The only honest answer we can really say about why we are here and exist, is I don't know, and that's ok. But religious people can't except that.
But at least we know that God is Light (1John 1:5), and to know Him a little more we need to LOVE one another like Jesus Christ taught us.
Christ told us we'll do greater things than we saw him do, I'd not mind to have such magical powers.
I am not interested in origins, opinions or propoganda.
I deal with my situation as it confronts me every day.
Everyone should be treated with kindness and compassion. Judge no one on face value.
I love the channel name "thinking straight" definitely sounds like something he would say. Like a synonym to "making sense".
Around 30:50 I love this argument about those who believe Elvis is not dead aren’t sitting on our board of directors. There isn’t good evidence for it. Even if Elvis appeared again and said, “gotcha!” the reasons that people believed he was alive before his unveiling of gotcha, were bad. Same with if a god actually exists. The reasons people have are bad until good evidence shows to be true. Otherwise it’s just luck.
Harris for president 2024!
Please tell another joke, that one made me laugh so hard
Nah, I think he's busy doing other things...
He is a very worthy advocate but please do not continue to promote people who have media exposure to the presidential status. The USA has lots of rational young people who could do a good job in the white house.
Yea. But what do you do with congress?
I cannot vote for someone with TDS.
Ironically, a man that can see how ludicrous religion can be. He has fallen for 'the orange man bad' mantra.
Trump may be a blowhard and a jersey but he is not orange hit ler
Great to hear it for Scandinavia...Meyt many Ameriicans (in Denark) who over te years readily confirmed that view. LONG live the genius of the Vikings...
Thank you 🫡
Exactly. Either he doesn't care or he has created a world that he can't control.
If I believed in religion , I would say the devils greatest deception was not to make people believe he doesn't exist but that he is the god half the world believe in.
That's the " Usual Suspects " you're quoting w out crediting. Dont b a schmuck.
It does say in Koran and Bible their same being though,so well
You mean "I create both good and evil" probably, but does it really cut it, though, as the being referred to as the opposer literally speaks with god? Schitzo god?
Boring
@@tomsaywer9883 Thanks for the insightful input.
"Religion gives bad reasons to be good where good reasons are actually available. Which is more moral? Helping the poor, feeding the hungry, defending the weak our of a mere concernfor their well being. Or doing so because you think the creator of the universe wants you to do it." I really understand that line, before I even know this guy this is what I am saying all along that its much better to do something out of your own goodness rather than doing it to please God or because that's God wants you to do because if you dont you get burned to hell. I mean, we are not supposed to be afraid of God if he's an unconditional loving God. Man I like this man already.
I'm afraid of Dexter now.
We need people like him as president. Not some narcissists and communists.
The best way to change religion is to switch economic goals
You are very cheeky. Maybe you are on to something. I am sceptical. The almost overwhelmingly pervasive preponderance of religious nonsense will not be cured by economics, it can only be cured by education.
Elderly white middle class male Australian
the best way is to make sure all religions have a voice and are represented, especially the satanists....
Just to break the ice -- because SOMEONE needs to do it -- Harris should run for president. No one can be elected president who does not profess belief in Yahweh, that's true enough. There was a time when a woman could not be so elected. No longer. An atheist should absolutely make the attempt.
A self proclaimed ashiest will never succeed at being elected until we the people educate our children until we have a voting generation that understands the difference between Church and the Classroom.
@JHernandezsb Here in the UK nobody could care less if our leader is religious so I know America could achieve this as well. It'll take a long time though and unfortunately you've got people like Andrew Tate and all the Daily Wire hosts promoting religion despite having no idea what they're talking about
As great of a thinker and speaker as he is, he’d likely make a terrible politician. Most political figures have extensive legal and international relations education, all for some very good reasons.
@@willymack5677 In our lifetime it is a fact that political figures know zip about legal and international relations. Presidents represent the Nation. Vice Presidents deal in foreign international relations. Obama had great domestic policy, if one who is not a racist or bigot would agree to. But his policy outside our boarders were terrible. Letting the CIA use drones to strike weddings and birthday parties. Trump divided the nation with his BS. Biden cant stay awake long enough to remember which way is the exit. Don't get me started on our congress. AOC, a liberal representative who was previously a food server. She had zero experience and she makes more sense today than most of her counterparts and comrades. Wake the frack up. These people we elect because they seem cool are shallow and greedy. I think if we elected some highly intelligent people, they would put scientists in charge of science and education, instead of putting a neuro surgeon in charge of Government Housing for the poor. I think we need more reasonable NON religious folks in office.
Like trump?
In this UK we have lots of Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims etc.etc. Here's a question worth thinking about. Why is there no Hinduophobia or Sikhophobia in this country ????
Simple,,,, Hindus and Sikhs and the Chinese communities, for the most part don't cause trouble, obey our laws, actually work and pay their taxes,,,,
Because many Hindus hate Muslims and therefore make common cause with Christians. If there were no more Muslims there would be a sudden anti-Hindu wave by the white Christian majority.
If Brexit has taught us anything it’s that there is a deep undercurrent of racism in English society.
That’s such a good point in from the US. Hinduism and Sikhism have caused me no issues at all. Islam on the other hand…
Because Jesus is risen and alive. He is the way the truth and the life. That is why
It bothers me greatly that I can only hit on "Like" once...
Sam Harris is a Jedi.
I thought Sam and ppl like him was the start of a movement.
But its 2024 and we've went backwards since Sam made these speeches.
“For hundreds of thousands of years, heaven watches all this extinction, genocide, famine, and decay, and only 2,000 years ago says, ‘boy, I guess it’s about time we intervened! How about a human sacrifice!? That should teach them!’ You are free to believe that. I just think you should hear what it sounds like played back to you.”
-Hitchens
Sam 'The Sausage of Faith' Harris
hotdogging the religious.
4:00
I struggled for years to purge the last poisonous religious ideology out of my mind. I eventually came to the simple conclusion that I am too good a person to be religious.
So you are morally superior to people who believe?
@@MrAlexR123 Yes. I am not motivated to do good because I'm afraid of some sky monster. Non-believers behave morally because they understand that treating others with respect and kindness is simply how civilized people should behave. We don't need the fear of eternal damnation or the promise of endless virgins to be good people. That makes us morally superior to believers in magic.
@@michaelbrent5950 I think you overestimate your “moral superiority”. Had you been born a Roman nobleman or an American plantation owner you would have certainly been okay with what your environment told you was okay. Had you been an Aztec or Phoenician priest you would have certainly sacrificed other humans. Had you refused you would have been shunned from society with very serious repercussions. Far greater than what you’d face today. Which I argue is essentially nothing. It’s easy to claim that you wouldn’t have engaged in the atrocities of your time but in my experience those who claim superiority whether it be moral, intellectual or racial are the most likely to use their beliefs of superiority as justification for atrocity. Which to them is simply natural law.
@@michaelbrent5950had you been born a Roman noble or a plantation owner you’d almost certainly adopt their views on slavery. Or had you been born into the Phoenician or Aztec priest class it’s likely you’d sacrifice humans. To think that you are somehow unaffected by the environment you were raised in especially when there are essentially no alternatives is wishful thinking. When the benefits of conforming are high and the consequences of not are even higher the likelihood of defection from group norms is almost non existent. In my experience those who believe themselves superior whether it be morally or intellectually or racially are the most likely to justify the atrocities they commit and to see them not as evil but as a sort of natural law. It’s likely you benefit from being raised in a society predicated on hundreds of years of Christian values and seem to take credit for it on your own. At least Richard Dawkins is honest enough to admit this and claim he’s a cultural Christian. Keep believing in your superiority to your own detriment.
@@MrAlexR123 Most of your comments are irrelevant strawman arguments and not worth responding to. I believe anyone who derives their morality from ancient books and invisible sky gods who condone or demand genocide, rape, slavery, murder, genital mutilation, animal cruelty, etc... is morally inferior. I've never committed any atrocities and am unlikely to do so, in large measure because I don't believe in imaginary boogey men who want me to do so.
The concept of God represents our hope for manager: as children we were omnipotent director of our play.
The religion is adult application of this monotheistic view. Problem is then: How you can explain the impossibilities? The more thesis is needed to explain the more unconvincing the God and religion becomes.
Saying "I do not know" is the beginning of wisdom.
Ya, we need SOMEONE to be in charge 😂. Every single one of us just popped into existence (in our perspective), and then the people that have been here longer let us in on what we've learned about the situation thus far.
I mean, to be a species with metacognition in our precarious situation on a planet in the vast expanse of this seemingly desolate and violent universe is terrifying. I get while we feel that need. I'm a lifelong atheist, but the first time I saw a total solar eclipse, I could imagine the dread and terror that something so bizarre would spark in humans with no understanding of what's going on. The wildlife gets quiet, the light is a hue that isn't normal, there are thousands of little crescent moon-shaped shadows all over the ground. Plus, let's face it, there's a giant black hole in the middle of the sun. It's a strange feeling. Even knowing exactly what's happening (we can literally predict it to the second), it was an awesome sight.
I just wish we could stop sh*tting on humans by burdening them with original sin. We deal with enough. We can be selfish and violent, and we can be incredibly selfless and compassionate. We developed language and can weave words into poetry to soothe others or use words to abuse. We are not filthy sinners. We have ONE chance to experience life, and this life is not to wipe your feet on your way into heaven. All we have to offer humanity is science, language, and the memories we leave behind in those who are still living. We are literally all we have.
@@lifesquandered you have splendid thoughts and expressions. Thank you for sharing!
"Omniscient Real estate broker" epic 🤣🤣
not dexter!! 😂😂
Im sure there are many killers in prison that belive in a god .
The vast majority of prisoners of every kind, believe in a god.
@@roems6396I agree 👍🏼
Yeh over 90% in US prisons. Religion has only ever encouraged people to do bad things. Those who are good might think it's their Religion but they would have been good anyway
@@yumyum723
It’s sad that most people have no clue where morals come from. So many theists claim that they get their morals from their religion or god. It’s simply not how it works.
@@yumyum723 I advise you watch inspiring philosophy’s debate with Matt dillahunty and godless engineer regarding if Christianity has done more good or bad, you’ll see that the statistics show otherwise
it's easier to destroy meaning than to provide something worth to die for
(May 2, 2024)
10:04 10:20 10:40
Large audience with groups of opposing beliefs
13:33
Multiple interpretations of gospels
15:04 15:45
Iron Age philosophy w 21st century technology
22:23
I may offend some of u, that is not the point, i am genuinely worried
22:53
Basic understanding of science and economics would be great.
I do not beIieve in reIigion because I am against vioIating humanRightss.
Where can I watch the full discussion of the first video? Who is he discussing with?
7:20
I like Sam Harris, but I don't like his stance on Israel's actions in Gaza. That truly disappointed me.
My mother used to say, "You can wish in one hand and shit in the other hand and we'll see which one gets full first."
just a quick reminder that the first amendment conflicts with the first commandment
"thou shalt worship whoever you want"
and that the declaration of human rights gives ME more rights than god.
and a history lesson cos the USA is a secular nation, not many people seem to know that,
and the founding fathers were at best deists and certainly not christian. hitchens became
a naturalised american purely because of the constitution. the UK is officially christian,
the US is officially secular.
is it annoying that the satanic temple has the SAME RIGHTS as the church / mosque?
Interesting how despite the efforts of such intelligent and well lettered men like Sam Harris, we are again suffering under the irrational and intractable thumb of religious zealotry. Considering the rise of a demagogue and utter and profound disrespect for life parading around as "pro-life" it would be in humanities best interest to recognize that we have been given some great tools by Harris, Hitchens and Dawkins et al to combat ignorance-cum-ancient wisdom, we just need to use them.
Unfortunately ignorance and superstition aren’t so easily combated.
How good is that contribution?
0:17
Take A Moment
🎉😂
0:30 Stay Silly
Stay Safe and Stay Free 0:51
No gods required or seen in my foxhole for 45 years 1:21 thx Zeus 🙏 1:35
Where ignorance is bliss religion thrives - Shytot-1
The character Yahweh's greatest trick in the bibles was to convince us that the devil was the evil one.
The level of atheism throughout the rest of the developed world refutes any argument that religion is somehow a moral necessity, Countries like Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom are among the least religious societies on Earth. According to the United Nations’ Human Development Report (2005) they are also the healthiest, as indicated by measures of life expectancy, adult literacy, per capita income, educational attainment, gender equality, homicide rate and infant mortality. Conversely, the 50 nations now ranked lowest in terms of human development are unwaveringly religious. Other analyses paint the same picture: The United States is unique among wealthy democracies in its level of religious literalism and opposition to evolutionary theory; it is also uniquely beleaguered by high rates of homicide, abortion, teen pregnancy, STD infection and infant mortality. The same comparison holds true within the United States itself: Southern and Midwestern states, characterized by the highest levels of religious superstition and hostility to evolutionary theory, are especially plagued by the above indicators of societal dysfunction, while the comparatively secular states of the Northeast conform to European norms. Of course, correlational data of this sort do not resolve questions of causality--belief in God may lead to societal dysfunction; societal dysfunction may foster a belief in God; each factor may enable the other; or both may spring from some deeper source of mischief. Leaving aside the issue of cause and effect, these facts prove that atheism is perfectly compatible with the basic aspirations of a civil society; they also prove, conclusively, that religious faith does nothing to ensure a society’s health.
Where did most of these countries come from? Did they spring out of nowhere? Did an emergent ethic evolve over the course of human evolution and then take hold of these places? Is that emergent ethic the bedrock of that society? How long have they been countries and how long have they been atheistic? How atheistic are they? How are they doing in terms of feeling purpose, suicide and mental health? Is material prosperity the only marker of a prosperous nation?
I will challenge your sense of reality here. You point out the Midwest and South as a religious drag on the comparative success of the secular Northeast. Uh, the crime and other problems that you mention seem to be concentrated in the large mostly secular cities throughout the country. It is not difficulty to make this case.
@@seanwilloughby3053 crime is not concentrated in the secular cities in the Northeast, here's a current report on the 10 most dangerous cities in the country. The top seven are in the Bible belt: Here's a concise ranking of U.S. states with the highest murder rates per 100,000 population, based on recent data:
1. Louisiana
2. Mississippi
3. Alabama
4. Missouri
5. Arkansas
6. South Carolina
7. Tennessee
8. Maryland
9. Illinois
10. New Mexico
This list reflects recent trends, but exact rankings can vary slightly year to year. Additional information on specific cities: Within the states mentioned, here are some of the States and cities that typically have the highest murder rates:
1. Louisiana: New Orleans, Baton Rouge
2. Mississippi: Jackson
3. Alabama: Birmingham
4. Missouri: St. Louis, Kansas City
5. Arkansas: Little Rock
6. South Carolina: North Charleston
7. Tennessee: Memphis
8. Maryland: Baltimore
9. Illinois: Chicago
10. New Mexico: Albuquerque
It's important to note a few things:
1. Crime rates can fluctuate year to year, so rankings may shift.
2. Smaller cities might have high per-capita rates but fewer total incidents.
3. These statistics don't tell the whole story of a city. Many of these places are also known for rich culture, history, and ongoing revitalization efforts.
4. Crime is often concentrated in specific neighborhoods rather than evenly distributed across a city.
This is a great compilation of Sams information. Enjoy.
He's brilliant following Carl Sagan, Dawkins, Hitchens my hero and never mind meditation or sing or group therapy I like 6 pints of strong larger after a hard day laying bricks and a good aithiest discussion on why God needed a day off
Sam Harris, after all these years should have changed the thinking of the world by now.
I left bible for Quran in 2002. Sam is right Bible errors are enormous deterrent to believing in bible
You traded one godd for another just as bad godd.
It’s so obvious, people like Sam, Richard the late Hitchens are true on the correct path and how humanity needs to think, basically we don’t no why or how we here but we here, I could go on forever but these dudes have it correct
The argument at the end is absolute rubbish,,, bad things happen because god is mysterious,,,, so the 2004 tsunami was so goodness will come in the future? God is supposed to be almighty, so he can do anything, so he could've allowed those people to live and still had goodness come, he's god fo gods sake,,,,, 'cept he's not, because the whole concept is just stupid,,,, I'd like to hear of a few good things god has done, because I've never seen any of it
1 John 1:5 (KJV) " This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
Christ gave the greatest commandment as Love, In that the closeness, we can feel GOD,
So we need to get a little close and stop 'just arguing' .
That is what we lack greatly in our world.
Emersonbiggins I was talking about god,not atheist
The mother of JC told a fib.
Only the agnostics are correct.. God can not be proven nor disproven.
Yeah, but what do you believe?
@@timothycahill7535”I don’t know what happens after you die, & I don’t care.” ~ Bill Maher
I don’t need to know or pretend to know. I’m content to wonder, to explore the world & in my own imagination. It makes every sunrise, every kiss, every selfless act, every work of art, every time I stand amidst the sequoias, or watch the waves at the beach, even more beautiful, inspiring, miraculous & precious without there being a purpose or cause for it all imo. No reason, just because..
Because of ancestor worship people have an innate desire for religion.
I don't, I've been an atheist since my first school teacher told me a man walked on water, even at 5 yrs old I knew she was lying
One can look out from one's cave in the morning sure in the knowledge that the sun has risen without the intervention of any god.
The Bible does say that God does those things. Isaiah 45:7 I make peace, I create evil, I'm the Lord thy god, I do All things... Also Dueteronomy 10:14-19 ( notice Dueteronomy 10:14 is what Paul horribly repeated in Romans 10:8) Also read Dueteronomy Cha 28.
I don’t think religion is really the problem, it’s more religious fundamentalism, especially radical Islam that is a problem. The fundamentals of Islam are not peaceful.
The fundamentals of Christianity are definitely not peaceful
ReIigion is the problem. It gives peopIe a free pass to be horrible and absolve themselves.
The problem is that the fundamentalists are very good muslims and christians. Suicide bombings and stoning gay people is perfectly in alignment with the holy books.
This is what happens when you think the creator of the universe authored a book.
My to quote Sam “if fundamentalists are a problem then there is a problem with the fundamentals of the religion”. I don’t understand how you can watch a video of Sam talking about belief and its impact and the power of religious belief and identity and then comment what you commented.
The definition of religion is that to which we are bound which is the entire cosmos. Humanity will go with the broader perspective, no one wants to be reduced to the elemental or the biological when the cosmos is ours. We come from it not from some mid-nineteenth century perspective on biology, which is just our outer coat, we are much more than that limited perspective ordains.
As well as consciousness and mind the complexity of DNA, of the cell is not fully understood. It appears there is intelligence there, and in the cosmos, that is causal to the full spectrum of life. Darwin focused on the cell, being clueless even about its complexity and equally clueless about much else; what is consciousness, (todays ‘hard problem’ ) mind, the electricities, electromagnetism and magnetism itself, which even today is a total mystery.
People are not ready to be so biologically identified with the cellular, with biology, that they ignore the full range of the human -- consciousness, mind, electricity, electromagnetism, magnetism, etc. The elemental and cellular; the biological, is important but focusing on it exclusively is limiting and at the cusp of a quantum age we can, and should, do better. Religion takes in the entire spectrum and that is its appeal.
Bro what? Are you spewing
Here is a religion's definition of "God". GOD=The Universe. It shapes human growth and development by natural selection. So, let's see if that God exists. Does the Universe exist? Yes. Does it shape human growth and development by natural selection? Yes. Then, by definition, God exists.
The stuttering hurts my brain
I don't believe in DOGMA'S.
blind leading the blind till both fall in the ditch.
There is no ditch but hey keep choking on that giant dick that is religion 😂
Religious people have this habit call it narcissism where by they assert their authority. The rabbi in the one vignette basically says you can't say that. Sam had no right to challenge the authority of the torah or Old Testament because the rabbi tells him he can't. They start from a position of un falsifiability in other words we are right and that's it
Harris, Hittchens, Dawkens and Dennett
Did I missed it or does Sam ever say anything negative about Jesus?
Why should he? The real Jesus is irrelevant.
One beard hair. 😂
Yes Sweden took in many refugees. If you pay attention you see they are now paying the price.
Ya mean like how the native Americans paid a terrible price for their hospitality to the Christian white men?
If a God exist, he won't let ONLY FANS exist. SMDH
Please Dexter, spare me
If you want to poke holes in fundamental Christianity here's a list: 1. If the Earth is only 8000 years old, how old does that make our sun than, and how do you explain Zoroastrianism which is older than Christianity (6000 years old), and Christianity been accused of stealing or copying their beliefs etc and claiming them to be their own 2. Why do fundamental Christians put so much faith in a book that's missing other books that were omitted (see Councils of Nicaea and more) like the Gnostic Gospels, the Apocrypha, the gospel of Peter and more. 3. What role did Pope Julius and Constantine play in establishing December 25th as the birth of Jesus? 4. This is the finishing punch as in " Mortal Combat -Finish him" lol. Ask John Lennox or any religious zealot/Christian on the street if they put up a Christmas tree, giving gifts and celebrating the birth of Jesus( Christ-mas) on December 25th, then say this. Well, as a rational clear thinking person, you must know then that 1. December 25th is in fact a pagan holiday (Winter Solstice)and not the birth of "Jesus" 2. The Christmas tree is a pagan symbol 3. Gift giving on December 25th is a pagan ritual? Finally tell them that their Christianity is not 2000 years old, Roman Catholicism is 2000 years old. Tell them, their offshoot of Christianity/belief/faith dates back to the 1800's not the "Day of Pentecost" as they falsely and erroneously claim, and is courtesy of John Wesley White and the Methodist movement. Ask them to also prove and provide evidence how they know categorically for sure their "God" is a he and they're not just being sexist. And look up the10,500 year basket they unearthed somewhere in the middle east and show them that.. I could go on lol.. Have a Merry Christmas
What an incredible strawman with claims refuted by a simple google search.
Outside of the Da Vinci code (a work of fiction) and arguments atheist like to repeat in their echo chamber/ bubble nobody that has any knowledge of history thinks that the council of Nicea had anything to do with the canon of the bible (deciding the list of books accepted). How could you ever claim for yourself to be a thinker while not dooing a simple fact check of anything you hear ? Do you have blind faith in what Sam is telling you ?
My Methodist minister blamed ME for being attacked!
In general, his description of the Bible is roughly at a kindergarten level. He seems like quite an intelligent man, so there is some level of deceit here. It would be equivalent to someone calling you a damned liar for saying the horse was fast as lightning. There is a part at roughly 30 minutes where he says that people having their own viewpoints is bad and that nowhere else do we apply this principle. He appears to be complaining that if he makes a rational argument it would be unacceptable for you to disagree. This is possibily the most totalitarian statement I have ever heard. He seems to be arguing against freedom of speech or even thought.
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Live long and prosper.
Sam Harris - currently defending a religious geno cide....
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Cluesless.
I will just address his total ignorance about Christianity, and not the religious misrepresentations of it.
1. God does not cause all things to happen.
Jesus said, Luke 10:31 KJV - And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.".
2. The suffering in the world is what man created, not God.
Romans 5:12 KJV - Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
Blame great, great,great, great,great great, great great grandaddy.
Also, when Adam and Eve sinned, they did not seek forgiveness. Never said, "I am sorry". Didn't say "sorry", Even "My bad". Its God who initiated and provided reconciliation. That is why God kicked Adam out of the garden to prevent him from staying separated from him and unable to be redemmed.
Genesis 3:22 KJV - And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:,"
3. The miracles of Jesus are NOT used as a reason to beleive in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV - (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"
Romans 10:17 KJV - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Even Peter said about his experience on the Mt. of transfiguration:
2 Peter 18, "And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy"
The "word" is superior to the experience.
4. Nowhere does God says he has a plan for our individuals lives. The word "plan" or "planes" is not even in a bible.
5. God does not hear all mens prayers.
John 9:31, "Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will,".
6. The bible does not say a snake was in the garden of eden. It says a "serpent", speaking to character of Satan, subtle. Also, Satan means adversary. There are over 20 different descriptive names for satan. Which is why he called a beast and calf.
7. During the "dispenation of grace" there are no prophecies one can observe to know about the return of christ.
8. The next thing in the bible to happen is not the return of christ but:
Romans 11:25 KJV - For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in."
9. The bible does not say we are made in God's image. It says Adam was. It says we are made Adams image.
Genesis 5:3 KJV - And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:"
Fallen. A sinner. Rebellious.
Thats enough. Yall are listening to a guy who doesn't even know the bible. Yet you are assuming he does while leading you astray because how he speaks. He is just like Satan - subtle.
Ephesians 4:32 KJV - And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
It appears you are relying on authority for your argument. Sam and his colleagues are explaining that knowledge is not based on authority but on actual experience and investigation. See the difference?
@donaldwhittaker7987 Yeah, no. He is misinformed about the very basics of the subject, Christianity, which he is critiquing. An eight-year-old who attends Sunday school knows more.
Your god forgot to teach you how to spell clueless dummy
Are you god? If not, who gave you the authority to speak on behalf of god?
@@mlayton1904 an 8 year old attending Sunday school is receiving unwanted child abuse. I would not teach kids stuff about which I was totally unsure. Lying to kidd makes them distrustful later on, either that or very gullible.
Sam harris is my metaphorical god. 😅😅
How are those refugees working out for Sweden? lol
If God, no, gods are there somewhere, generally up above somewhere because people always look up whenever god is mentioned, they all must definitely be practicing different cultures as we do and speak different languages as we do. Also, they might be visiting each other, greeting each other and discussing about us, mortal humans. They also must be having divided opinions on how we mortals should pray, propitiate and ask for delivarance. Each god belonging to a particular religion has to be 'on call' whenever some human (other life forms do nothing to invoke any god) wants something and these calls come in millions and because they are gods, they can sort out everything, listen to millions of messages at one go. There are also problems when some people belonging to other faiths call other gods of different faiths. May be they know all languages and can cope with everything as these religious heads of various faiths believe.
15:45
Jeez, did they mic his throat or something?
I'm confused as to why Sam, at the very end, mention Buddhism a long side Christianity and Judaism. What I have loved about Buddhism is that it insists that you do not believe things solely on faith or by authority. If anyone has another perspective as to why he lumped Buddhism in with those religions I am all ears. That one statement lost Sam a lot of respect from me.
Guy should talk about the Talmud instead of the Bible and Quran
＼(^^)／ The human body is burly, gnarly and surly like a fractal.