Zaid Shakir – Debating The Merits Of Religion- Does It Do More Harm Than Good

			Larry Taunton, does religion do more harm than good? Well, I think it depends on the religion that
we're talking about. I certainly believe as a Christian that Christianity brings much good to the
table. Like what? Well, the data suggests that the average evangelical for instance, gives 10 times
		

			the amount of money and time as the average atheist, I'm sure that that Dan is is well up the list
on that, but they, they they bring a lot of good benevolence to a culture. So benevolence to a
culture, religion does more good than harm, particularly Larry Thompson's religion, according to
Larry Taunton, Dan Dennett, well, I agree that Christianity does a lot of good for many people, many
people really need it. And I think we should, we should honor that and try to preserve that. The big
problem with it is the systematic hypocrisy, the way in which it encourages people even really
obliges them to lie, and valorizes hypocrisy and and irrationality in a way that's really
		

			detrimental. How seems to me that faith is a sort of gold plated excuse not to think, and the
problems in the world are very difficult. And the answer you get from your faith is usually very
simple. And it's wrong in Europe, and in this particular country, perhaps we might not have seen the
abolition of slavery, if it wasn't for some very fundamentalist Christians, if you like from the
Quakers and and others, perhaps not. And, and the truth civil rights movement. Yes. But you've got
to remember, for all the good that the churches did in furthering civil rights, right, they were
fighting against Christian churches in the South that were that were working for segregation, every
		

			meaningful.
		

			Reform movement in the West has been motivated by a Judeo Christian worldview, beginning with, if
you like, abolitionism. Right through. How about gay marriage? Well, but I don't I don't consider
that to be a legitimate civil right. Oh, well, you see, I mean, even gelato that's evangelical
Christians, when, of course, they're not gonna get on board with something like that, because it
runs counter to what they believe marriage, which has been defined a particular way for millennia.
Dan, is, and that's a faith based position. Yeah. Because evidence Absolutely. The evidence, Dan
Dennett, scientifically absolutely shows that it is innate to people. Absolutely. Right. And, in
		

			fact, it's a perfect example of how religions for hundreds of years have been dragging their feet
been pulled, kicking and screaming into modern morality by secular movement. But then welcome back
that spring in Imam Zaid, Shakir co founder and senior faculty member of zaytuna College. The
question is, is violence in the name of religion more prevalent in Islam in this day and age? On the
one hand, or people can claim on the other hand, that they're motivated vated by religion in
general, or Islam, particularly, but I think we need to step back and analyze what are the true
motivations humans are motivated in any particular action by a very complicated formula? In many
		

			instances, religion might be part of that equation, but is it the operative value? Okay, so for al
Qaeda for ISIL it's a main value their religious on their claims to religion, are a sort of religion
that doesn't accommodate for the things include religion, including Islam have historically promoted
such as patiently and with dignity and during oppression. Just like Christianity has a *
history. Islam is a * history as well. I think this is just a 20th
		

			century. I would I would say that that isn't true. Christianity does the Crusades. Oh, come on. No.
I'll tanish Inquisition these steps. I mean,
		

			I'd be delighted to go through all of these but the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades were
patently unChristian, and much the same way. In much the same way that I'm hearing the Imam say, and
I'm glad to hear him say that violence that is done in the name of Islam. He says his is not
consistent as I understand him with Islamic true Islamic teaching.