Islam, Atheism and God debates, Thur 17 & Fri 18 Feb, Dublin

MichaelNugent · **Posted:** Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:57 am

I will be debating "Islam v Atheism: which is more rational?" with Hamza Andreas Tzortzis at 7pm today, Thursday 17 Feb, in the UCD Arts Block, Belfield, Dublin.

Hamza and I will also be debating "God: Delusion or Solution?" at 6.30 pm tomorrow, Friday 18 Feb, in the Royal College of Surgeons, York Street, Dublin.

Our debate from Monday in Galway was recorded, and will be on YouTube soon.

robdonn · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2011 4:25 am

Its 3am and I can't sleep, so I'm gonna say it.

Its a stupid title for a debate.

Its ignorant of what the word "atheism" means. Atheism is not the positive claim that a god does not exist. An atheist can believe this, or they can believe anything as long as they don't believe in a theistic god. That is all that atheism is, the lack of a belief in a god.

A-moral = without morals.
A-gnostic = without knowledge.
A-theism = without belief in a god.

My point is that the title of the debate equates the two, so if one is wrong then the other is right, which we all agree is ridiculous. For Islam to win they need only disprove an incorrect (dishonest?) view of what atheism is. The title essentially says, when taking into account the actual meaning of the word "atheism", that its about Islam vs Not Islam. So to me, I think the title should really have been "Is Islam True?" or something to that effect. Therefore its establishing that Islam is the positive assertion that needs to be backed up while the atheist is there simply to evaluate the evidence presented, not as a final arbitrator but as an impartial body.

JamesBurkill · **Joined:** Tue May 26, 2009 8:42 pm **Posts:** 40

I'd like to attend tonight's debate is it open to the public?

MichaelNugent · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:14 am

I agree, the title could have been better, even at 10 in the morning!

Yes, it is open to the public this evening.

And today's topic, "God: Delusion or Solution?", is closer to what Rob was suggesting (though I would have pluralised the word God)

bipedalhumanoid · **Joined:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 1:55 pm **Posts:** 2675

Well done Michael you made the case very well. Hamza on the other hand showed himself as little more than a snake oil salesman. It was interesting to watch him use so many caracatures, straw men and appeal to ridicule arguments and then turn around and falsly accuse you and Dawkins of using caracatures and straw men.

He misquoted both yourself and Richard Dawkins quite a few times. He seemed incapable of refraining from using ridicule to insult Dawkins, yourself and atheists in general. Apparently one of the world's most eminent zoologist has the brain of a 7 year old...

It had the feel of a debate with Depak Chopra except instead of all the appeal to dodgy quantum mechanical language, he chose to muddy the water with dodgy philisophical language.

MichaelNugent · **Posted:** Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:16 am

Thanks, Bip.

Most of the RCSI debate is now online.

Part 1/4 Opening Address by Hamza Tzortzis
http://youtu.be/c2BYKS5oM_I

Part 2/4 Opening Address by Michael Nugent
http://youtu.be/SvzeGQj5ac8

Part 3/4 Moderator's Questions & Answers
http://youtu.be/SpdkUByc61E

Part 4/4 Audience Questions and Answers
will be online soon.

MichaelNugent · **Posted:** Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:40 pm

The audience questions and answers session from the God Delusion or Solution debate is now online.

http://youtu.be/zwxEanGmDxU

MichaelNugent · **Posted:** Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:49 pm

Islam v Atheism: which is more reasonable?

First two videos of the UCD debate now online.

Some of it is similar to our debate in the RCSI on God Delusion or Solution, though this one also includes analysis of scientific and moral claims in the Quran.

Hamza Tzortzis Opening Address
http://youtu.be/VF7nYlUZec8

Michael Nugent Opening Address
http://youtu.be/h6KCWwPZ8dI

More to follow

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Islam, Atheism and God debates, Thur 17 & Fri 18 Feb, Dublin

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