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Sam Harris: Considering a Creator | Big Think
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Күн бұрынSam Harris: Considering a Creator
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Sam Harris refutes the notion of an intelligent creator.
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SAM HARRIS:
Sam Harris is the author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation. The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction.
Mr. Harris' writing has been published in over ten languages. He and his work have been discussed in Newsweek, TIME, The New York Times, Scientific American, Rolling Stone, and many other journals. His writing has appeared in Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, The Times (London), The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, Nature, The Annals of Neurology, and elsewhere.
Mr. Harris is a graduate in philosophy from Stanford University and holds a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA, where he studied the neural basis of belief with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). He is also a Co-Founder and CEO of Project Reason.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Question: Is there a possibility of a creator?
Sam Harris: Well there are many problems with this idea that . . . I mean first of all, that’s an unfalsifiable thesis. And there are infinite numbers of unfalsifiable theses that you’re not tempted to believe. And we could believe that we’re in the matrix. I mean you could go down that path. And there’s a lot that could be asserted by people who are sure we’re in the matrix, and some alien civilization is simulating us on their hard drive. One problem is that we have many holy books authored by the creator of the universe and they’re in conflict. You know, they’re not . . . The New Testament makes it perfectly clear that Jesus is the Son of God - really the Son of God - and you have to believe this. Otherwise you’re gonna spend eternity in hell. The Koran says twice that Jesus was not the Son of God. And anyone who believes he’s the Son of God will spend eternity in hell. I mean this leaves as much room or compromise as a coin toss. So let’s say we just knew that one of those claims was right. You know, we have a universe . . . Now we’ve eliminated all the other possibilities. We’re living in this challenging universe where God has given us a highly imperfect book and asked us to grapple with it. But now we have the biblical claim - the New Testament claim to the divinity of Jesus - the necessity of believing in that. And the Koranic claim that belief in Jesus’ identity leads to damnation. Now which is more likely? That one of those is right and the other is wrong? Or that we have these competing tribes that were toiling in the context of just abysmal ignorance about the world, and the birth of the cosmos, and the destiny of any individual soul after death. You know I would put my lot in with a wider view of the circumstance. But even if we granted your premise that, “No, no. There’s a good reason to believe that one of these books is perfect,” we’re still with a coin toss situation. We don’t know whether to be a Christian or a Muslim. And we’re noticing that people are . . . are choosing basically on the basis of accidents of birth. I mean you’re just accidentally born in Afghanistan and you choose to be a Muslim. And likewise with Christianity elsewhere. It is a . . . it’s a very strange sort of loving God who would have created these circumstances. By mere accident of birth, you are raised to believe that a certain book was . . . And let’s say rightly raised to believe that this book was the perfect book. But if you happen to be born in China, you know, you go for centuries without hearing about this. It’s a strange . . . a . . . for I think obvious reasons, a totally provincial and implausible scenario. And yet it’s the scenario that most people believe in the 21st century.
Recorded on: Jul 4 2007
@bigthink 4 жыл бұрын
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@user-qp1jh5vm8m 4 жыл бұрын
Scripture has measage of there beign a creator @ creation .genesis 1:1-31 romans. All Scripture.
@DLFfitness1 3 жыл бұрын
When life gets tough, people turn to fantasy.
@maxrossen2369 3 жыл бұрын
Faxxx😤 just like the sim hypothesis. When people have fucked there life they r going to believe in sim cause they believe that there lives do not matter and so they feel better
@izzulakmal7750 2 жыл бұрын
Yes because where else are people would to turn to. Rationality?. Maybe it is more rational to just kill ourselves now because it wouldn't even matter in a million years anyway
@alexdrake8079 2 жыл бұрын
Fantasy is when people turn to man made science with no evidence to explain it.
@alexdrake8079 2 жыл бұрын
@Alex Perez Well not all of science is reliable, a lot of the time it completely changes and never stays the same. For something to be proven it has to stay consistent, tested, and observed to be proven as a fact.
@alexdrake8079 2 жыл бұрын
@Alex Perez yeah and I rely on the Bible for truth because it has scientific evidence in it as well
@brucecook502 4 жыл бұрын
This is a thought I had shortly after I lost faith in Christianity almost 3 years ago. After I watched a documentary about Hinduism, and found out for the first time that those folks in India believed in their theologies just as fervently as I and my fellow Christians believed in ours, I realized how foolish it was for anyone 2k yrs ago to say that if you werent born again/saved through Jesus you weren't going to heaven, instead burn in hell forever. How foolish it was to believe that there was a god who created souls, and injected souls into human babies that were born into cultures that, by no fault of their own, were raised to believe something other than Christian doctrine, and would one day die and find themselves standing in front of a strange god that they knew nothing about, and be told they were going to hell for rejecting the "truth" of Christianity. Christians who assert that this is what will happen, who also claim that this god is "Just" in everything he does, should really try a mental exercise and trying reversing the roles. They should imagine, if they believed and practice Christianity as was taught to them their whole lives, and expected to go to heaven after death, of how they would feel if they suddenly found themselves in the Islamic version of their own god, or even aanother wrathful god they had never heard of, and the god told them that they were going to burn forever for rejecting a truth that they were unfamiliar with.. Would these Christians believe that this strange god that they knew little or nothing about was merciful for placing them in bad circumstances during life where they couldn't learn and/or accept the "REAL TRUTH"? I highly doubt they would think of this strange god as merciful, good, moral, and Just in all it does if they were placed in the same shoes of the other folks in the world who they think are going to hell. Pure HYPOCRISY!!!!!
@pngfowl 4 жыл бұрын
Thanks. Very helpful to someone like me who is from a different culture and religion. Many of our people convert to be a fundamental Christians and turn around to curse and burn all our religious practices and symbols as Devil, causing bitter divisions in nearly every family, relatives and friends. They inspired me to read and study the bible, which I found no god but old bronze-age philosophy of absolute power and control of their subjects and wiping out of their enemies. OT writers animated their deities to control ancient Israel but failed. NT writers began to do the same but also failed so they switched the aim to other nations and cultures and succeed till nowadays. So obvious and ridiculous but no one seems to see what I see.
@brucecook502 4 жыл бұрын
@@pngfowl Anyone can't help but notice that every single activity that the Abrahamic god was ever up to, coincidentally was lways within the same region of the middle east that these early monotheists resided in, and seemed to never bother with the rest of human cultures around the world, except when he flooded it. Even before the jews became "god's chosen people" when the promise was made to Abraham that yahweh would bless his descendants, it still always seemed that this god was picking favorites from tribes in those areas and ignoring the rest of the world Thats exactly what to expect when folks, who had no clue about the rest of the world creates mythology and attributes it to their invisible sky daddy, they pretend that it favors them since they seem to be the only ones having the delusion of the god they believed in. You find this trend in most ancient religious mythologies, the invisible gods always favors them. Anyways, I give you my best wishes, and hope you have a wonderful life Make the most of it because this is all that we know that we have for sure, and be a blessing to others around you. :-)
@pngfowl 4 жыл бұрын
@@brucecook502 Thanks again
@brucecook502 2 жыл бұрын
@Greg right lol
@davinci8024 Жыл бұрын
@Greg America stole them
@sngscratcher 8 жыл бұрын
If there is a creator, I doubt that man made religions have much to do with what "it" actually is.
@carlprudeiii5024 7 жыл бұрын
also its clear that it would not want anyone to easily know about it since no religious groups can seem to agree with each other. There are tons of variations of Christianity, Lutheran, Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist, Methodist, etc that disagree on core tenants, even the mechanics of salvation
@Ali124hdkflc 6 жыл бұрын
Luke Macleran Jr. Tomlinson I agree with you. But all evidence states that th e universe did not come by chance or random events.
@amadexi 5 жыл бұрын
@Luke Macleran Jr. Tomlinson Why would you assume that's 'it' is a 'him', like a mere person. Why would it care to announce himself to a funny species of primate. If there is an entity or a group of entities that created the universe, maybe our ways of communicating and what we think are completely irrelevant to them.
@amadexi 5 жыл бұрын
@Luke Macleran Jr. Tomlinson So you worship this bloodthirsty maniac who is obsessed with our sex lives, deals in plagues and fireballs and created a place to torture souls for eternity?
@JonathanAllen0379 5 жыл бұрын
@Luke Macleran Jr. Tomlinson You look like a stereotypical believer who flushed his brains down the toilet a long time ago, or else, much more likely, you were never born with any at all. You keep using the word 'evidence' repeatedly, and yet the only 'proof' you can offer is a book that claims to be right... because it says so?? If that's all it takes to convince you, and if that's what you call 'evidence', you never should have been allowed to leave elementary school, let alone high-school, unless of course you were home-schooled, which wouldn't surprise me.
@oscardelarosapineda 9 жыл бұрын
it's safe to say the dislikers are believers
@kurtwarner1718 9 жыл бұрын
I sincerely dislike the twilight saga, but I dont accept a word of it as fact.
@joseph_b319 9 жыл бұрын
Ya think?
@AustinTexas6thStreet 8 жыл бұрын
I didn't click anything but I dislike the video (because it's pointless) and I'm not a "believer." Next question...
@Devilnero1991 7 жыл бұрын
No.
@SlydeChaplain 5 жыл бұрын
It depends on one’s understanding of the “thumb system”😉 I’m a believer in Christ, but I think it’s a very fair topic, which raises very good questions.
@stevestyles559 9 жыл бұрын
Give me one example of a phenomenon that used to have a religious explanation, and now has a scientific one. A seemingly endless stream of examples come to mind. But to come up with just one example of a phenomenon that used to have a scientific explanation, and now has a religious one, is a riddle that even the most sophisticated theologian will undoubtedly fail to solve. Religion has given us nothing and asks for everything in return, while science has given us everything and asks us for nothing. Science has provided us with knowledge that allow us to live longer, healthier, more comfortable, and most important of all, more enjoyable lives. The only things wrong with fundamentalist religion, are the fundamentals of religion.
@kurtwarner1718 9 жыл бұрын
(silent clap)
@jessebaker3099 9 жыл бұрын
Steve mc But maybe the purpose of religious faith never involved explaining physical phenomena to begin with. Nor is it true that science asks for nothing: It is a multibillion dollar enterprise supported by tax money while religion in western countries is now completely voluntary.
@inboundmoose2349 7 жыл бұрын
"But maybe the purpose of religious faith never involved explaining physical phenomena to begin with." But of course it did. Every culture created mythologies around nature: the sun rising and setting being a god, storms/earthquakes/other disasters as the result of gods being angry... humans with epilepsy being mistaken for demon possession... everything that ancient humans encountered and feared, religious ideas were used as explanations. Religious faith was the only explanation for the world that humans found themselves in. Ancient humans had no idea how to explain their world or their mere existence and what makes it possible. "Nor is it true that science asks for nothing" "Science" (the principal of science) asks for nothing. It is strictly a set of logical precepts that can be used to deduce facts about the universe. The "enterprise" that seeks to use science needs to have money in order to conduct such research. No religious person would equate the "church" (and all of the corruption and evil within) as the religion itself. Likewise, "science" is not the multibillion dollar enterprise. But honestly, it's foolish to think that science can be done without the funding or incentive. Ask a microbiologist to do their work without the necessary tools, and then re-evaluate your statement.
@stevestyles559 7 жыл бұрын
Jamal Jewell did anyone say that?.. I know I didn't. That would not only be false, it would be absurd. I'm not sure who's comment you're responding to.
@Drderp-hd5bb 6 жыл бұрын
much not all
@Steven-wv3qm 9 жыл бұрын
God is not all that bad. It's not like he sent his only son to be tortured and crucified on the cross - o..wait a minute...
@MegaJoshgibson 9 жыл бұрын
+Bob Whackett According to Christianity, God was made into human form so that he could suffer like us and thus sympathize with our condition. To be fair this is quite different from simply sacrificing his only son.
@lawnfarmr399 9 жыл бұрын
+Keith Turner So an all knowing entity requires his son to be tortured so he can learn about things he does not know (i.e. what its like to be a human being)? Right...
@MegaJoshgibson 9 жыл бұрын
Ya isnt it unbelievable
@lawnfarmr399 9 жыл бұрын
Keith Turner It certainly is.
@MegaJoshgibson 9 жыл бұрын
+CuiusRegio Yeah. The father, son and holy ghost are all considered to be aspects of the godhead.
@vamshik 2 жыл бұрын
If only there are more people who can articulate their thoughts as clearly as Sam and teach their wisdom, then world have been in better place.
@durrr123 10 жыл бұрын
Debating the logic of organized religion has nothing to do with the existence or non-existence of a God.
@KalCraig 5 жыл бұрын
Thank you. This gets mixed up so often. He started talking about his view on the logic of the possibility of A creator, but then he focused entirely on religion. I find that frustrating in these types of discussions because religions can have it mostly wrong with the details, the dogma, etc, but yet still be right in the larger picture, that there is a designer. There is a difference between a discussion on religion and a discussion on the possibility of a creator/designer/architect, whatever the traits of said intelligence might be.
@KalCraig 5 жыл бұрын
@Hal Landy Have you ever read "Conversations with God"? It's a great read without any dogma.
@kault324 3 жыл бұрын
He completely failed at making an argument about the existence of a creator as the title suggests is the topic.
@Christian-mn8dh 3 жыл бұрын
@@kault324 yep
@leak6729 Жыл бұрын
i was born into a raising based upon christianity. i decided to stop practicing 6 years ago. i am 25 now. it still makes me question every decision i make. makes me feel unsure and ashamed, even if i am not hurting anyone within the decision at hand. i can’t really enjoy life. i get angry and vocally tell god that i hate him. i feel trapped. when i get depressed god’s presence is conjured more than ever. so i pray really hard on my hands and knees; asking for forgiveness, faith, my submission, and whatever else i was raised to ask for. for a second i am calm just to focus and see if i have been at all relieved. but then i realize nothing stirring in me and i feel even more hopeless than ever. i wouldn’t wish this upon anyone. i envy those who weren’t raised to believe in a hell. i wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. if you are in my position, i am sorry
@LOwens-xf8yo Жыл бұрын
That’s a very sad story. I’m so sorry you are struggling. I only recently admitted to myself I’m an atheist, even though I lost my faith 40 years ago. I missed church. The poetic, inspiring language, the singing, the rituals, and especially my long talks with god and the feeling that I was a good person. I attended the Unitarian Universalist organization, which gave me all of these, without the dogma or forced beliefs. They are an interfaith or non-denominational group. Belief in god is not required, but often discussed. It’s a great place to hear words of gratitude, and to meet people who like to be active in their community. My favorite saying from there is that each of us holds a piece of the truth. I like that, no one person has all the answers, but each of us has value and perspectives that are valid. If you’re still sad, and need a laugh, try video cartoons by DarkMatter2525. Laughter heals. It helped me to laugh along at familiar Bible stories. Church taught me not to ask questions. Now I quite delight in hearing other people ask those same questions, without the gaslighting or bullying. I also recommend The Bible Reloaded, they read directly from the Bible, while making silly commentary. Some days I think I’m completely over it, then I see the numbers 666 and I realize how I still retain superstitious fears from childhood religious training. Many atheists see their religious indoctrination to have been crippling. If you are still depressed a month later reach out. To me, to other KZfaq video makers and commenters, or the UU church. There is a whole community to help support people in your position, without judging you. Hope you’re feeling better now.
@MizzouRah78 Жыл бұрын
This is a shining example of the toxicity of religion. The true horror it puts people through. Something that helped me early on was not only the realization that it's irrational to believe in a god, but that if one does exist, then they are of such a monstrous, immoral quality that they are undeserving of my time or worship.
@chamicels Жыл бұрын
hope you made it to the light of reason
@scholaroftheworldalternatehist Жыл бұрын
You have time. Focus on improving your life situation you sound like you're in a tough spot. There's a reason 80% of the world is religious...as you age and your days grow fewer you need some hope that all the sum of your hopes, works, dreams turns into more than worm sh*t.
@scottdrotos8525 Жыл бұрын
As a Christian man, I do not agree with that, but I do understand what you went through. I do not know your life and for that I will not assume anything. I used to be scared as well, but then i thought about the alternative. Heaven also exists for those that wish to repent and turn to a holy life. I have faith in God that He will judge my fate fairly and just as He will for you too. Its not something to be scared of because He is merciful.. God is merciful and He wishes to take all of our fears away through prayer, worship, but most importantly relationship. You may not notice it, but He could be doing wonders more than you realize. Either way we have a long life ahead to see it through. I hope you find your fulfillment through life and death with all of my heart.
@mangeybum1443 12 жыл бұрын
Sam Harris articulates his thoughts so well.
@Draeka 6 жыл бұрын
I hope years from now humans will look back on this age of ignorance and mark it as the dawn of reason. When men like Sam Harris were finally safe enough to spread logic and meaningful doubt. I'm sure in that future they'll be even bigger heroes then they are now.
@jimchase3601 10 жыл бұрын
What an ignorant god they do worship...he made this flat, fixed in space earths first day on the second day. He created matter believing that light didn't 'already' exist at this point. He created a vial to hold the water up in the skies as not to flood the four legged insects and spiders, cud chewing rabbits. You would have thought the creator of the universe could have gotten at least one of these things right?
@verfed 10 жыл бұрын
I like Sam Harris but this clip dissapointed me as he didn't seem to consider a creator. He considered the competing god claims of Christianity and Islam and came to the right conclusion, in my opinion. But I wanted to see him consider a creator philosophically, mathematically, etc. and then see how he explains the problems with concluding that there is a god philosophically etc...
@kaibe5241 10 жыл бұрын
schitlipz most atheist intellectuals are agnostics, or at least - atheist agnostics. That is, they do not believe but cannot disprove the existence. It's a very honest approach, imho.
@sh0werp0wer 9 жыл бұрын
Nothing fruitful can emerge from that endeavour. There is no way to calculate the possibility of a creator mathematically. To prove something's existence we first need to know *what* that is. That's why Sam Harris goes by whence we got the idea of a creator, that's the only way to even entertain this calculation. You can't possibly ask for someone to evaluate the possibility of something you can't even explain what is.
@verfed 9 жыл бұрын
Julian Nikolay Krogh-Fredriksen I meant I hoped he would have considered it more philosophically than theologically. ie. teleological, cosmological, ontological, moral etc. And by mathematically I meant fine tuning.
@sh0werp0wer 9 жыл бұрын
verfed The very idea of a creator comes from these specific religious concepts. To evaluate the possibility of something we need to know *what* that is. Religious scripture is the only sources that claim to know *what* that is. Hence, the only logical discourse Harris can possibly make on this question is to go by the supposed creators we do "know" of. Asking for the possibility of "a creator" is like asking for the possibility of "a sound." It's a nonsensical question untill you can define what a creator is. The Bible gives us specific details of this supposed creator that can help us determine the possibility of his existence. These details are crucial to even be able to begin an evaluation of possibility. We can't talk about the possibility of something we don't know what is.
@kaibe5241 9 жыл бұрын
verfed all the arguments you just presented, have already been falsified numerous times over - including by Harris, Hitchens, Dawkins, Dennett, Tyson and others. Why rehash arguments that have already been proven to be false?
@jeredlittle1996 12 жыл бұрын
"Purposeful function in any sense must start from a planned idea for it to work." - Why do you think the universe has a purposeful function? One of the flaws of human thinking is assigning purpose or meaning when it isn't there.
@trumpsahead 10 жыл бұрын
No matter where we are born we must learn to think for ourselves. The average person goes through life guided by what has been foisted upon him. When we find ourselves at mid-life having the values of what has been handed us, it only means that we have been indoctrinated, not educated, we may even be enslaved as so many over-educated college graduates are today. They are not taught but programmed, and often it's the final blow to the Self because of the utmost respect these schools garner.
@jonathanharbin6333 11 жыл бұрын
The accident of birth concept is one of the best explanations to religion i have ever heard.
@foofighting101 12 жыл бұрын
The Mormon commercial converted me before I could get to the Sam Harris video. So close!
@qiiqamalmalka8050 2 жыл бұрын
Good but if you become Muslim you wil be in paradise
@dmoney9285 7 жыл бұрын
WHAT'S MORE LIKLEY? Perfectly put! It's amazing to watch the mental gymnastics religious people have to do to try and make their religion seem perfectly logical lol it's actually impressive to watch at times lol
@qiiqamalmalka8050 2 жыл бұрын
What is better to be Muslim or athiest
@qiiqamalmalka8050 2 жыл бұрын
To believe in reason or blind faith.
@qiiqamalmalka8050 2 жыл бұрын
That everything is from nothing
@chamicels Жыл бұрын
@@qiiqamalmalka8050 that everything is vile in a human violence and ignorance deluded to the truth ...that's muslim
@johnellis7614 6 жыл бұрын
Sam Harris is like the 8th grader who asked my music class, "Can God create a rock so big he can't lift it?" The height of arrogance, to live surrounded by an infinity of perfections and yet, to belittle the reality of it by an all-knowing exceptionalism. For if God choose to never give the boy an answer, would he ever know the answer?
@johnellis7614 6 жыл бұрын
GOD --- COMMON HORSE SENSE Without God, life would have no logic, meaning, hope or purpose. Try and rationalize an existence without God, an exercise in futility. Without God, life would be immoral, wrong, unjust, unfair, unequal, full of sin and evil. With God, someday life will be moral, right, just, fair, equal, free of sin and good. Without God, planet earth would have no purpose, for to overcome evil is it's only purpose.
@jamesbob6359 11 жыл бұрын
The main reason that I stand firm in my faith is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray all the time about anything. I talk to God like I would a friend. He answers back through the Spirit placed in my heart. He doesn't literally speak, but it is something that you should try because the experience is hard to explain.
@cedarwest37 3 жыл бұрын
Yes... so have I... but you seem to be a good person....I think I am also.... but please answer my questions... please...all my life... over 70 now....I believe... but I have questions that you may answer...I am serious.... #1... WHO/what created the earth... only the earth. .#2... where is the Who/what...m?
@cedarwest37 3 жыл бұрын
Again...
@SonLastName 11 жыл бұрын
Irrelevant: I can't stop looking at how different his left eyelid is to his right eyelid
@ghada6763 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks now i can't unsee it
@heathenfire 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for spoiling a series of nice videos for me
@namusmotorola8075 5 жыл бұрын
The question I thought was about a deistic god.
@rayz639 5 жыл бұрын
Namus Motorola I did to. I wouldn’t even say that he refuted religion all together tbh. I thought it was to messy of a actual response
@Christian-mn8dh 3 жыл бұрын
same. But I shouldn’t be surprised, it’s Sam Harris after all and he always resorts to thinking about the unlikelness of the existence of Gods from man-made religions. It’s not dumb to think that there is a creator, actually I think based on current info that it’s the most intelligent position to take l. Even if we’re living in a simulation, then we have a God because we have a creator. Even if aliens made us in a basement, we have a God, because we have a creator. Etc etc
@John_Doe742 2 жыл бұрын
@@Christian-mn8dh creator = god. Bruh
@Christian-mn8dh 2 жыл бұрын
@@John_Doe742 exactly.
@oluwolechaviro9937 2 жыл бұрын
@@crbobbyconstance He isn’t doing it wrong tho🤔. Cos answer this question honestly now, if there weren’t holy books nor religions, would the idea of God still be peddled as much?🤔
@onsenguy 2 жыл бұрын
It is still widely believed because humans will cling to anything that flatters their self-esteem and vanity. They are given (some) added courage by believing the universe is controlled by a being who shares their tastes and prejudices.
@RollingRollies 7 жыл бұрын
religion is a particularly hefty example of cognitive dissonance, something we all are culprites of through life whether we like it or not
@drhxa 11 жыл бұрын
You hit the nail right on the head! 100% agreed
@Opethfullcovers 9 жыл бұрын
What is the virgin Mary wasn't a virgin =0! What if she had an affair and was ashamed to tell Joseph!
@AustinTexas6thStreet 8 жыл бұрын
Have you never heard the tale that she was raped by a Roman soldier named "Panthera" (who really existed for certain) and invented the immaculate conception story to cover it up?!? Not saying I believe it, just wanted you to know that the idea you mentioned has been around pretty much since the beginning of Christianity!! Check into it...
@scottsmith9455 8 жыл бұрын
@Opethfullcovers: What's even better is the bible confirms she wasn't a virgin.
@willagerfairzack8130 3 жыл бұрын
Just curious but where did it say that
@jacobnathanielbutler 11 жыл бұрын
I agree that the creation of the universe doesn't really matter in a daily applicable sense but it is something to consider. Until science can come up with some logical explanation for existence, the concept of a creator cannot be disregarded entirely. And your right, science is a fascinating subject, without science we would still be living in caves and dying at 30, but the belief in a creator does not hinder scientific development. Any applicable science needs not cross path with religion.
@Transentience 2 жыл бұрын
These aren't reasons to not believe in God, they're just reasons to not believe in one religion at the exclusion of others.
@ourbulwarkisjesuschrist9435 6 жыл бұрын
It's truly obvious that the Qur'an is manmade. An honest Christian would never be convinced by the Qur'an, whereas any honest Muslim will be convinced by the Bible. It becomes truly obvious to those who study both books.
@ourbulwarkisjesuschrist9435 5 жыл бұрын
The Qur'an claims to be a continuation but it conflicts with the Bible to such an extent that, in the 11th century, the Muslim scholar Ibn Hazm argued that the Bible was corrupted (because he believed the Qur'an's claim that it can't be corrupted, although the Qur'an also claims that the Bible cannot be corrupted, but I digress). Nowadays, many Muslims are taught Ibn Hazm's idea simply because they have to believe this to believe that the Qur'an isn't false, but the Qur'an still claims that the Bible cannot be corrupted. This results in the conclusion that the Qur'an is false for opposing the Bible it claims to be perfectly preserved. Also, Ibn Hazm claimed that the Bible must have been corrupted after the 7th century because Muhammad and the Qur'an claim that the Bible was perfectly preserved during Muhammad's time, but we know what the Bible said way before that time. Biblical manuscripts are the most numerous manuscripts in existence. In fact, they are so numerous that they many times outnumber all of the world's next 10 manuscripts combined. For example, just the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament alone already outnumber the next 10 manuscripts combined by two to one, and all of the manuscripts of the New Testament are four to five times as numerous as that. We know that the Bible was the same before Muhammad's time, so Muhammad was a false prophet who did not know what the Bible taught, which is the real reason why the Qur'an opposes the Bible, because the Bible never changed.
@georgelux126 5 жыл бұрын
Unknown Brother, you seem to have a bit of confirmation bias. I've read the Bible, it lead me directly to atheism.
@garybryant4293 5 жыл бұрын
Idiot.
@adtc 12 жыл бұрын
I'm glad this got more than 15 times more likes than dislikes! My hope in humanity is increasing :)
@ModestMousekateer 11 жыл бұрын
How is it impossible? The interesting part is that Muhammad (blessings etc.) was illiterate, and missionaries taught him to read and write using the Bible for examples of when and where to apply certain grammatical rules etc. Muhammad's native tongue, of course, was Arabic, so it's only a matter of circumstance that in order to test himself, he would have translated the book he knew best. Whatever alterations there are, he probably made to take into account evolving social norms and problems.
@SymbolistFGC 11 жыл бұрын
The bigger point here is that "right and wrong" don't come from the bible or "god" in the first place. It's based on how we view ourselves and what we want from our existence in relation to others in the first place.
@hjalmar.poelzig 11 жыл бұрын
Fascinating. You should write these experiences into a book.
@lizichell2 12 жыл бұрын
Sam Harris is just wonderful!!
@jamesbob6359 11 жыл бұрын
You see this is a great example of why I put my faith in my God. He doesn't ask anything of humans. He will bring us to heaven regardless of what we have done. All we have to do is accept His gift. I should be able to keep this account, and God would still love me. You can never do anything that will cause God to stop loving you. If you ask God to forgive you for your sins, He will and you will go to heaven. That is an awesome God.
@chamicels Жыл бұрын
problem is there are 10000 gods ...
@ji7788 11 жыл бұрын
In response to "mere accident of birth you are raised to believe that a certain book is the perfect birth". Just because someone is born into a house that believes in something does not justify the belief for the child. If someone was born in a house of alcoholics, that does not validate a license for the child to be an alcoholic. If no one in the family went to college, you don't expect the child to not try to achieve the truth and greater things.
@uiliumpowell4684 6 жыл бұрын
Who REALLY thinks holy books are perfect? Where they agree is a good place to look for real truth, real wisdom and common sense.
@qiiqamalmalka8050 2 жыл бұрын
Some books are not good but the quran is prefect and you will see god.and you wil live forever
@juanvelizpena6556 8 жыл бұрын
As a devout Catholic, some of my favorite people to follow are Sam Harris, Bill Maher, and Richard Dawkings. They just seem to be very intelligent people and make some very good points. I grapple with my religion all the time as well, but have never lost my faith. I'm not a good christian apologist, so I won't try to defend my faith, there are religious people more knowledgeable who can do that. I guess I can just say that I don't believe the bible should be taken literally, to me, it never has. It's an oligarchical book of parables and stories designed to illustrate human nature and the ways that we may live our lives. We also need to understand the context that it's a 2000 year old library of books written by different people who were inspired by God. Perhaps I'm a more moderate Catholic, and more conservative Catholics will have other opinions. Either way, I think that basically if you do well in life and are a good person, you won't go to Hell or anything like that. So, in my book, people like Sam Harris and Bill Maher and Richard Dawkings are not going to Hell to suffer any punishment, I think they are just misguided, and I hope God understands it as such. They are good people.
@smokinjoe4684 8 жыл бұрын
+Juan Veliz one of the biggest things for me is Evolution. If all the evidence toward evolution is true and I find it quite believable, then religion then doesn't quite work for me.
@AustinTexas6thStreet 8 жыл бұрын
Your belief in Evolution is just another Belief based largely on Blind Faith!! So why arbitrarily choose to denounce one faith-based ideology only to believe another?!? I always saw the flaws of evolution and it is now being strongly challenged by Biology!! Most of you won't know this because it's at the forefront of science but evolution is in really big trouble at the moment and is under threat of being utterly annihilated as a belief!! And it's super funny that the thing threatening it is another field of science Lol
@AustinTexas6thStreet 8 жыл бұрын
Above all, I just want you to realize that your belief in evolution is really nothing more than a belief based almost entirely on Blind Faith!! Maybe ask yourself "why" you CHoSE to have faith in one over the other... And it is just a matter of faith and nothing more!! You are simply taking someone else's word for truth with evolution and that's No different than being religious!! And For some reason, most people don't seem to realize that Materialism was thoroughly Debunked long ago!!
@miamix24 8 жыл бұрын
+Clint Eastwood Evolution is apart of the process. You need to question farther. Where did each species come from and trace it back and back and back. Eventually, you'll find it comes back to the Big Bang. What caused the Big Bang? In my opinion, God did. Not God in the sense that most people view "him" for he isn't a person at all. Think of God as a great over flowing energy that never is full of himself. Not in a narcissistic sense either. A literal sense. God is the orgin, the source of everything created in the universe, and God never stops flowing out.
@miamix24 8 жыл бұрын
+miamix24 Question everything you have heard before. Find out for yourself. Question your own beliefs and even the one I just wrote out. Find out and experience it for yourself, you'll see the truth. It has a funny way of revealing itself. Best of luck
@AstraIVagabond 11 жыл бұрын
If you look up 'God' on Urban Dictionary, you'll find that its top definition is: "A guy who talked to some Jewish guys, some Christian guys, and some Islam guys, and accidentally caused more people to die than anyone else in human history." Example: "And people wonder why he doesn't talk to us anymore."
@Gr13fM4ch1n3 11 жыл бұрын
I am friends with a Christian named Dr. Richard Litke who was raised atheist and hated the thought of a cruel and distant God. How did this man become a Christian? Did he become stupid? Did he throw out his knowledge of science and logic and then study in prestigious universities teaching Greek and Arabic for years and earn a doctorate out of pure luck? I do think that it is very hard to believe in God, but explain the extremely intelligent man choosing Christianity over believing in atheism.
@PoetlaureateNFDL 12 жыл бұрын
Great job Sam.
@martinprocter2955 6 жыл бұрын
If I were a religious person, I'd like to think I would be able to see the literal unquestionable logic in Sam Harris when he discusses such subjects and revaluate my beliefs. Sadly the religious people are so offended by his contrast of beliefs they ridicule these views other than consider them first.
@ToastFrench24 5 жыл бұрын
I dunno, the way Sam Harris talks is very convincing. He convinced me :)
@kylealford23 5 жыл бұрын
When Sam says, "they were toiling in ignorance about the birth of the cosmos," it seems much descriptive of a naturalistic atheist than of a person of faith.
@Lonewolf--- 5 жыл бұрын
Faith, by definition, is ignorance!
@kylealford23 5 жыл бұрын
@@Lonewolf--- I would not deny faith or ignorance in either of our belief systems... regardless of your belief. I just don't possess enough faith to be an atheist.
@Lonewolf--- 5 жыл бұрын
@@kylealford23 --- You seem to have a profound misunderstanding of what an atheist is. Atheism has no "belief system," and does not involve "faith" in any way whatsoever. It is, in fact, the very lack of both of those concepts. The key difference between the two parties, however, is that atheism is in line with science, which takes great pride in it's own ignorance, and continuously strives to overcome it with discovery of facts. Religion, on the other hand, is quite convinced that it already has all the answers, in spite of the fact that science continues to prove it wrong.
@kylealford23 5 жыл бұрын
@@Lonewolf--- Hey man or woman, I appreciate your response. I think, however, you are confused on one point. Though atheism has no belief system, atheists do! All atheists make great assumptions; and life necessitates that we fill in the gaps that lie between the evidence and the observable. By faith (in textbooks, in the secular scientific community, in their logic and reason) they form a narrative about what actually corresponds to reality. A majority of atheists (including myself in a previous life) hold the belief that there is nothing supernatural, that the world started from nothing and had no cause, that life came from non-life, that biological evolution explains the diversity in the animal and plant kingdom. If you, personally hold any or all of these beliefs in your “belief system” then you have made some great intellectual commitments of “faith”. And you have likely put your faith in people that have great incentive (be it professional, financial or social) to disavow religious belief. In regards to the scientific community… I love science. I have an advanced degree in science. And I will tell you unequivocally that the secular scientific world is anything but humble. They are politicized and will often fight tooth and nail for their doctrine. For example, if a new scientific discovery reveals a misconception about a long held evolutionary belief, removing it from a scientific textbook is nearly impossible (i.e. human gill slits in embryo). Your bold statements that science continues to prove religion wrong may have some truth in many specific instances. That is why it would be a fool’s errand to defend all “religion”. Certainly, not all “belief systems” have equal merit.
@Lonewolf--- 5 жыл бұрын
@@kylealford23 --- Your assertion that atheism has no belief system, but atheists do, is illogical. Theism is the belief in the existence of a God or Gods. The prefix, "a," means "non." Therefore, an atheist is simply someone who does not belief in the existence of a God or Gods--nothing more, nothing less. Any interpretation beyond that simple definition is just a misrepresentation of the term. It does not involve a doctrine or belief of any kind, with regard to theism--it is the express lack of the same! That lack of belief stems from not being convinced that the theistic teachings are true--usually due to errors, contradictions, and a lack of supportive evidence in those teachings. Your assertion that atheism requires faith in textbooks, the secular scientific community, or their own logic and reason. is also flawed. You are confusing faith with trust. Faith is belief without evidence--period! Trust, on the other hand is a level of confidence in something or someone, based on evidence. We've all heard the expression, "trust has to be earned." That is the key difference between the two concepts--trust has to be earned, faith does not! With that in mind, atheists do indeed trust in certain people or things from time to time, but that trust is based on some form of evidence that those people or things are reliable--not blind faith. The assertions made in textbooks can be researched and verified. The findings of the scientific community are constantly subjected to peer revue, and are modified as needed, if new evidence dictates. The concepts of logic and reason are the very foundation of truth and reality, and as such, cannot be dismissed. Finally, your references to the origin of the earth, life, and biological evolution, are subjects of which no-one yet has all the answers, and may never have. That does not, however, make it logical and rational to resort to the "argument from ignorance" approach, by blindly accepting the explanations of ancient religious texts--particularly when those texts are filled with extraordinary claims, containing errors, contradictions, and a lack of supportive evidence. One must remember that belief in Gods was simply mankind's first attempt to explain all of the things that he could not possibly understand. As our species has progressed, we have learned to use scientific methodology to examine those mysteries and reach conclusions based on logic and reason, which comply with and verify what we observe to be reality. For those questions for which we still do not have answers, our correct response is, simply, we don't know--yet! Yes, there are those who would attempt to pervert science by subversive means, for their own personal gain, but that is why peer revue is used as a method of oversight, to minimize such behavior as much as possible. And most importantly--as previously mentioned--whenever mistakes or intentional misrepresentations are discovered in science, they are addressed and dealt with accordingly. The independent revue of such issues by scientists around the globe insures--even though it may take some time--that those errors are brought to light. Religious texts, on the other hand are closed systems, which--aside from some minor variations in interpretation--are considered to be indisputable truth, which in most cases cannot be altered. That is where blind faith becomes a very necessary, but unreliable commodity. Some of us simply find that reasoning unacceptable!
@MJack2255 5 жыл бұрын
Having ‘faith’ in only one way to ‘heaven’ is the easy route. People are are so brainwashed they are terrified to question anything in fear of ‘hell’. Questioning everything and searching for answers is the only way. Life is an individual experience not to be dictated by someone else. How much knowledge you gain is up to you alone. If you want to stop at one book and one belief...that’s on you.
@TestMeatDollSteak 10 жыл бұрын
"Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of pure imagination. Take a look, and you'll see into your imagination. We'll begin, with a spin, traveling in the world of my creation...There is no, life I know, to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free, if you truly wish to be..." --Willy Wonka
@muzigwayi3306 4 жыл бұрын
Wrong timing mate!😂
@fernandodosa2964 10 жыл бұрын
God is impossible for this reason Who or what made God? If you say he always existed, In what reality or non reality did he exist , there must be no time before God , time and space must be created by God , if there is no time before God , there is no time for God to exist in. Conclusion there is no God. , notice I have given God a human nature which can not be as he would have existed before time and space .this leads ultimately to an infinite regression which is a logical fallacy.
@Zurthos 9 жыл бұрын
Fernando Dosa I think the thing you have to consider when thinking about who or what made God is you would have to factor in the fact that He is a superior being(/race or whatever you would like to insert here); which means that He has a elevated level of knowledge and wisdom that we do not have. Think of it this way; if an advanced alien species were to visit Earth and tell us that they created a time machine and told us how they made one, it probably wouldn't make sense (or at least not at first). So, if God were to tell us how He is able to alter time and space, and how He is here, we probably wouldn't be able to comprehend it with our limited abilities. In other words, God is a higher, more intelligent and great being than we are in every way, shape, and form; thus meaning Him telling us how He is here, how He was able to create us, and how He is able to, for lack of better words, bend space and time, would probably overload our brain capacity and would render it unable to comprehend by us.
@fernandodosa2964 9 жыл бұрын
If we can not comprihend or even imagine such a consept. That is why I am an atheist and so should you that is to say I am not convinced such a thing exits. You have failed to provide any imperical evidence to warrant a guilty verdict. the only verdict is to find god not guilty.
@Zurthos 9 жыл бұрын
Fernando Dosa First of all, you assume that I am religious and try to convince me of things which you do not know if I believe in or not. I was not trying to convince you of anything, nor was I stating any evidence to support religion of any kind. I was merely stating, while being unbiased of this topic, why these things are unknown if you go ahead and assume God is real. I was trying to provide an unbiased opinion on these things and am not trying to entice or provoke any sort of argument regarding religion. You have your beliefs and I have mine, and regardless of what I think is true, I will not judge you for your beliefs and I will not try to convince you of anything, so I would expect the same courtesy from you. Now if you wish to choose to continue to try and convince me of one thing, while you do not even know what my beliefs are, then by all means go ahead; however you will be the only one in the conversation. If you wish to continue with this discussion with me included, then I would ask you to be respectful and I will as well. So let's be professional about this and not act like children fighting over which car is better.
@fernandodosa2964 9 жыл бұрын
I have not used any durogatory language , as far as my beliefs , I believe a lot of things for witch I have good reason , you can believe things for bad reasons or good reasons , I try to believe as many true things and less false things as possible. My atheism is a question on does a god exist , for that question it is not a belief but rather a lack of a belief , example, I don't believe in Santa, fairies leprechauns big foot ,Zeus, Thor, put an A in front of those examples and you are expressing non beliefs.
@Zurthos 9 жыл бұрын
I know you were not using any obscene language and I understand your grounds to constitute a lack of belief. I've gotten us off course of my original statement/topic and I apologize.
@Cori761 5 жыл бұрын
I'm a Christian but I like him and he makes a good point
@Cori761 5 жыл бұрын
@sidgdansk it's called Chi Rho and it's a combination of the first two letters of the Greek word for “Christ"
@jamesbob6359 11 жыл бұрын
Many people say that God answers their prayers with a yes, no or maybe, which is true, but like other people say, it doesn't prove anything.God does answer prayers in the way that benefits Him and them the most.The time that God always fulfills my prayers is when I ask Him for things that will benefit Him, not me.I ask for wisdom about Him,I get it.I ask for opportunities to spread His word,more were given than before,I asked Him to help me play guitar better for church and I became much better
@ultrage4 12 жыл бұрын
I can tell you're very exited to get to spaghetti heaven. :D
@bzztblrg 11 жыл бұрын
I LOOOOOOVE how he refered to the matrix instead of unicorns, fairies or the flying spaghetti monster. I've steadily grown to hate hearing those in argument.
@willagerfairzack8130 3 жыл бұрын
Indeed, simulation hypothesis and a higher power causing the Big Bang sound less ridiculous than the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the Invisible Pink Unicorn, or Russell’s Teapot
@Antimidation 11 жыл бұрын
desit = Deist. If you are not a Deist, i apologize...but then again i don't see a problem with being a Deist :)
@nihonbunka 11 жыл бұрын
We have a model of the world, such as "I'm typing now," "Sam Harris lives in California," and "I am sitting at home in Yamaguchi." All these are hypotheses which more or less correctly describe the world but the are only a model. Furthermore we are ourselves part of the model. But what of the reality? There is something outside of the model doing the modelling, where the model takes place. It is not "the brain." Brains too are part of the model. So, some people give that place a special name...
@PHEIWULF 11 жыл бұрын
Amen, brother (pun absolutely intended). I could not have put it better myself.
@adamrath7095 9 жыл бұрын
"Sam Harris refutes the notion of an intelligent creator." Um no, one of the first things he said was that it's an unfalsifiable claim. This is why we can't have nice things...
@AustinTexas6thStreet 8 жыл бұрын
Lol... Yeah, I didn't see where he refuted Anything at ALL except the idea that he is actually open-minded and doesn't adhere to arbitrary faith-based beliefs!! You can't falsify the existence of God... Exactly!!!!
@scottsmith9455 8 жыл бұрын
@Adam Rath: An unfalsifiable claim means you cannot prove a creator exists. Nor could there be a possibility of one, as then you would have a proof, which could be falsified.
@adamrath7095 8 жыл бұрын
+Scott Smith It means that the idea of a sentient god either existing or not existing can only be based on speculative belief, as any "evidence" of either view is actually arguable for both sides, nullifying it. Just a merry-go-round with words...
@scottsmith9455 8 жыл бұрын
@Adam Rath: That's what I said. :)
@scottsmith9455 8 жыл бұрын
@Adam Rath: After re-reading your comment, I meant to say I agree with the first part of your statement - that the existence of god is speculative belief. However, the second part of your statement doesn't follow. If any evidence of either view is arguable for both sides, then you have a falsifiable claim. A contradiction is still evidence.
@jamesbob6359 11 жыл бұрын
There is hope for anyone, no matter how kind or evil they are, if they ask God to forgive them. There is nothing to lose, God's grace is a gift. So if when you die you have not asked God for His forgiveness, then your chance is up. But there is always hope no matter at what point in your life you are at.
@user-zx1pc9eq8w 4 ай бұрын
The Creator is probably some tall, handsome scientist/philosopher who sounds English. The rumour is that He looks like Sir John Sawers. There is also the rumour that the Creator has married a pretty Vietnamese lady so He spared Communist Vietnam any deaths during the Covid pandemic of 2020.
@boonestead4812 8 жыл бұрын
hes so friggin hot and that voice soothing aas all get out
@BlackCroLong 4 жыл бұрын
You are mantally ill
@1971SuperLead 8 жыл бұрын
I thought he was going to talk about the possibility of a creator. Instead he rambles on about religions. He's stuck in small box.
@LocoZiLLo 8 жыл бұрын
+1971SuperLead you only have to prove there is a creator. Since he can't prove a negative, he will refer to religious inconcistencies
@1971SuperLead 8 жыл бұрын
LocoZiLLo Nothing in science is proven. It's why there's so much debate in science. All theories and facts are held as tentative. Nothing is beyond question. The evidence for a creator is strong. But instantly turning to religion for the answer is not scientific. It's childish and even possibly dishonest. Does Sam have an atheistic bias or agenda? Religion has little to nothing to do with a scientific approach to researching the possibility of an intelligent creator behind the universe.
@princeofruins3287 8 жыл бұрын
+1971SuperLead okay i'll bite , lets say there is a creator of the universe, what else are you willing to add to this notion...
@1971SuperLead 8 жыл бұрын
the chikmiester Think about your nightly dreams. Is not your mind the Creator of the Universe you believe you are in when you are dreaming? Are not all the laws of physics in your dream simply caused by your own mind? Are not the walls solid simply due to your own mind? Is it not clear to you that the mind is quite capable of being a Creator? Can you see that it does this naturally, effortlessly and without your slightest awareness? Maybe it even enjoys imagining universes? Maybe you like to imagine universes and believing you are trapped inside them? The next question should be, What makes you believe you aren't doing it right now? Or maybe, What makes you think you're not maybe in a collective dream, the Creator then being a collective of minds? What makes you so sure you're not dreaming right now?
@princeofruins3287 8 жыл бұрын
1971SuperLead A lot maybe's , nothing that functional in reality and i choose to live in reality.. I can ask thousands of these kinds of questions but my time is valuable.. Okay just one , what if you are a dumb person in delusion thinking you are smart...
@jamesbob6359 11 жыл бұрын
PART 6: There is so much more joy found in being obedient to God than not obedient. Sinning brings immediate and short-lasting pleasure, but serving God brings everlasting joy. People's lives will be so much more fruitful if they serve God instead of serving themselves. That is why many Christians are good people, why they go to church, why they pray and read the Bible. Because they love God and want to serve Him, but not because they have to.
@chamicels Жыл бұрын
prove god
@chamicels Жыл бұрын
horse manure
@MRobert2l 11 жыл бұрын
QUOTE: "If a man can embody two roles, why not the Creator?" Don't be absurd, no one can literally be his own father or his own son. I fully understand the symbology behind the Father/Son/Holy Ghost mythology-- and the facile mind games that lie behind it.
@erberjayhawk6069 10 жыл бұрын
we have tiny critters by the trillions inside of us, but do we know them? are we their god? no.. but if they are smart enough to know about us, they may worship us. and actually think we can hear them. Thats what i think everything is, i think our entire universe is just inside something living, and it is inside something living, an endless up and down cycle. and maybe even intertwined. who knows the very large may just be a representation of the very small. and size is just relative to your surroundings.
@tankdempsey8824 10 жыл бұрын
Die Atheists. Allah yah bah! (BOOM)
@70moparbaby 11 жыл бұрын
for the purpose of dying on the cross to fulfill the law, pay for our sins, and break sins power over us.
@MisterAdamWayne 11 жыл бұрын
Remarkable. What Sam Harris just said is that by accident of conception, he has been wholly determined from all eternity to be the locus of the thoughts expressed above, as well as all others he has ever entertained and believed, owing to utterly contextless, meaningless laws of necessity, themselves presented to his subjective experience, all ideas being equal. I don't find that incredibly complex explanation, hopeless abyssmal ignorance by definition, to be much improved over the alternatives.
@hjalmar.poelzig 11 жыл бұрын
QUOTE: "So basic chemistry can write all the info in a DNA?" Yes, also it can create oceans, mountains, planets, stars, galaxies and every structure in the known universe of any degree of complexity. It doesn't need intelligence to do this. Intelligence is but an outgrowth of this process.
@lucasgust7720 3 жыл бұрын
He said virtually nothing about "considering a Creator". He simply talked about the New Testament and the Quran, both of which has nothing to do with an eventual real Creator.
@officialmoderator1 11 жыл бұрын
Most "reputble scholars" see jesus as a figurehead, a legend and a corporate logo, but any person or persons who may have inspired the myth has long been lost to history.
@stealthyf23 11 жыл бұрын
He compared the principle behind these books, not the historical context surrounding them. It doesn't matter which book was written first and for how long, it doesn't change his point one bit.
@j3cruz1 3 жыл бұрын
As always, I love Sam Harris’ assessment and breakdown of these topics, but the question was about the possibility of the existence of a creator. While the claim that a creator exists is unfalsifiable, as he states, the answer to the question is still “yes.” There is a possibility that a god exists. Is it probable? That’s another question, which is what he seems to be addressing in this video.
@willagerfairzack8130 3 жыл бұрын
As stated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, if there is a God (which in my opinion is 50/50 either it exists or it doesn’t) it’s either all powerful but not all good, or all good but not all powerful
@allenanderson4911 3 жыл бұрын
He didn't address the question. He just talked about organized religion. What about a God that isn't held hostage to any organized religion?
@mattdistad 11 жыл бұрын
So you're against the freedom for a woman to choose what happens to her body, and against the freedom to marry who you want, and yet you're pro freedom. You support religious freedom? Congratulations, you support freedom for something that exactly NO ONE in America is trying to take away.
@jacobnathanielbutler 11 жыл бұрын
Christianity does not teach one to turn against his fellow man, its completely the opposite, and faith in a god does not imply blind ignorance to other aspects of the world. I do agree though that the concept of hell is not a good thing to install in a child. The principles of religion should be introduced in a professional manor so that the individual can make an informed decision.
@TheShinedownfan21 11 жыл бұрын
QUOTE: "Why is it morally good that the human race survive?" Humans desire to survive becasue we have inherited that trait. If our ancestors hadn't developed and passed that trait on, they would have become extinct and we wouldn't be here to wonder about the nature of our desire for survival.
@Abyssionknight 11 жыл бұрын
You're absolutely right. A creator cannot currently be disproved, but since there's also no evidence to prove it either, it's kind of a moot point. You also touched on a key point for Atheists, which is that science doesn't need to cross paths with religion. We can explain the world without Deities so we remove them from the EQ. The extremists of both groups make it seem like we hate each other, but most Atheists are tolerant of your beliefs, even if we don't personally agree with them.
@jamesbob6359 11 жыл бұрын
God doesn't ask us to do anything in order to receive His grace, compassion, mercy, or forgiveness. If you ask God to come into your heart, He will, regardless of what you have done. If you are sorry for your sins and you ask God to forgive you for sinning, He will and you will go to heaven regardless of what else you have done.
@D1rtyraver 11 жыл бұрын
I live in Taiwan where we have powerful typhoons. When the same storms hit the Philippines nearby, dozens are killed. Filipinos are strong Christians while Taiwanese are more commonly Buddhist. The Philippines are riddled with corruption and poverty while Taiwan is comfortable, prosperous and safe. Is yahweh answering the prayers or buddha? I have often wondered.
@MRobert2l 11 жыл бұрын
QUOTE: "without a creators perspective, the atheists "knows" there is no right and wrong.. " Atheists uphold traditional morals and soial norms when they are just and compassionate because what is good for society is good for the individual. Any morality found in religion was put there by humans, just as the knowledge in books was put there by humans.
@rwmirch 11 жыл бұрын
Just because someone's an atheist doesnt mean they dont care about doing the right thing. in my opinion, doing something "right" out of good conscience is better then doing something "right" because god says you should.
@sagmann20 11 жыл бұрын
the point was that believing in a creator is an unfalsifiable claim, and there can ultimately be no logical justification for believing an unfalsifiable claim.
@jamesbob6359 11 жыл бұрын
It is people who have gone through hardship who love God the most. God is the rock that they stand firm upon, they do not fail and God gives them the strength to carry on. Life is not perfect and God isn't going to step in and make it that way, we have to take up our crosses and follow God until that day when there will be no more pain, no more suffering and God will wipe away every tear from every face.
@dmx952 11 жыл бұрын
It's not so much the irrationality of these ancient books, but rather the lack of consistency. What Sam said was that most of them seem to be in conflict with each other, specifically the abrahamic religion's holy books. They claim to have the same monotheistic god but they're ''Divine'' books are contradicting each other ad-nauseum which leads to the conclusion that either this ''God'' doesn't know what he's doing or he just doesn't exist. Which one is more likely?
@MKFingerstyleAcademy 11 жыл бұрын
also I am not a student of Arabic, I am a native speaker. born and raised. and I have studied it enough to know what Kaffaro means.
@voslyn 11 жыл бұрын
He isn't trying to prove that god doesn't exist. He's trying to justify the claim that these particular religions and the specific claims they are making aren't based in reality. He is arguing that the holy books are NOT sufficient evidence to justify the claims that Jesus is Lord or Mohammad is a divine prophet. At that point, whether you choose to be an atheist, a deist, or an agnostic is entirely up to you.
@saulremi314 11 жыл бұрын
At 1:01, he states that Christians believe that you have to believe in Jesus or you'll go to hell. This is a false statement for Catholics, which is without a doubt the most well established Christian denomination on the planet. I haven't read the Quran but I'd be willing to bet a dollar that he got that wrong too. I wonder what else is factually incorrect here?
@jonvegard31 11 жыл бұрын
I personally loathe religion myself. Not because a belief in a God is stupid, but because belief in a certain God is stupid. Some believe in Jesus, some believe in the father of Jesus, some Odin, Thor, Zeus, Hades and so on, they make this God a person, and call it usually “he”. If a God did exist, do you think he would choose to be something as flawed as a human being? God is supposed to be a perfect being
@Arkalius80 11 жыл бұрын
Snowflakes are very complex, but are naturally occurring. The Nike swoosh logo is very simple, but is artificially created. Complexity is not an indicator of artifice. "We didn't just magically appear out of thin air" - So... that's the only alternative to being created by an intelligence? "Everything has a first cause" - I don't think that means what you think it means. "something shaped us" - Indeed, it is called Natural Selection. We have been studying it intensely for 2 centuries.
@seanmichaels8060 6 жыл бұрын
I know for a fact that a Creator did a bad job on me. I had to have both my appendix and wisdom teeth removed before age 21. Why did God create wisdom teeth anyway? Most people have to have them removed. Not very wise and not a very intelligent design.
@jlaton 11 жыл бұрын
But my question Sam Harris is---does everything in this world happened by accident?like having christians,muslims,etc, I believe that NO, there is a reason, and that reason is something only God knows! We are humans,whatever we do-whatever amount of intelligence we gain,there will always be questions that we cnt answer No one-can Go at the top-and say," I do know everything"
@srada123 11 жыл бұрын
Converts discredit his argument that location determines you're religion. Yes if you're raised in a Christian family you're likely to take up that tradition, just like you're likely to take up certain their habits, preferred food, way of saying things, etc. But is that an argument concerning the validity of a religion. No. Location vs religion implies a correlation, not a causation.
@jamesg8199 4 жыл бұрын
If you’re an older person, your partner is deceased, and you need the social interaction of other like-minded individuals, I can’t really argue against someone going to a church/temple/mosque if it improves their quality of life. With that being said, I’m vehemently against younger people imposing religious beliefs on their children. How cruel it is to rob them of their own individuality and ability to rationally think about the natural world. We need more scientists and physicists and less televangelists.
@connorfraser2310 11 жыл бұрын
the cause. Another issue is the battle with contraceptives. That is Catholic in nature and does not extend to many denominations of Christianity, but realize that when you ask an individual to accept religion as a good thing, you are telling me to believe that it is okay for someone to spread the idea that contraceptive use is a mortal sin and as such should be punished. That is a ploy by the church to increase church membership. Islam does the same thing with promoting large family sizes.
@MRobert2l 11 жыл бұрын
The alternative to the world being created by a god is NOT that it was created by "accident." the world simply came to be out of the myraiad patterns that are happening in the universe-- no one caused it, and it is not an accident.
@dumodude 3 жыл бұрын
...He doesn't answer the question: "Is there a possibility of a creator?" He states the obvious, that religions disagree on a creator's intentions. He states that a creator is malicious for creating opposing religions. The question isn't about religion.
@Kudown 2 жыл бұрын
This is The best video i’ve found yet about religion and its short af thank you sam
@jamesbob6359 11 жыл бұрын
Jesus did die, and He was dead for three days, but on the third day He was resurrected and conquered death, showing how there is nothing in the universe greater than God.
@jamesbob6359 11 жыл бұрын
God does so many things for so many different reasons. Perhaps He wanted to take the people of the Philippines home to Him in heaven, while He is giving the people of Taiwan another chance to accept Him and so that they might praise Him for keeping them safe.
@E36780 11 жыл бұрын
The Koran gives more props to Jesus than to Muhammad (virgin birth, miracles, etc). However, they deny that He's the Son of God who died and rose...
@jcol317 6 жыл бұрын
I do love Sam but this theory fails. You have to be consistent and let creationists make the same claim "because there are conflicting and imperfect scientific theories on a subject, then God must be true" or "no theories are likely to be true". Its an obvious presupposition all religions MUST have, that they are true, as with all believer in a theory in order to make their theory a provable fact
@mohammodarafat2026 7 жыл бұрын
I disagree with this point. A person born in Afghanistan might be more "lucky" to be Muslim because he may have been born into the "correct" religion. However this doesn't prevent others who weren't from seeking the truth as well. One analogy - a person born in the US is much more lucky than one born in Liberia because we have a stable government, job opportunities, access to education etc. And yet there is such a thing as immigration. Which allows people from on part of the world to come here and enjoy our "luck" as well. So in short - yes, you are lucky to be born into the right religion (just as you would be if u were born into a rich country, or rich family), but even if you weren't you can pursue the path to truth and find the right religion. Religion is more about questioning and seeking the knowledge then believing blindly.
@secularsoldier1170 7 жыл бұрын
No its not. Faith, noun. 1. complete trust or confidence in someone or something. 2. strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.
@johncmiles1 5 жыл бұрын
The Koran was written hundreds of years after the death of Jesus. That does not prove the divinity of Jesus,but it does prove that the writers of the Koran knew nothing about the divinity of Jesus.
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