Complete video at: fora.tv Susan Jacoby discusses the effects religion has had on American politics since the drafting of the Constitution. Denys Turner points out that despite America’s formal separation of church and state, religion permeates politics to a greater degree than in Britain, where there is a government-sanctioned church. —– Journalist Susan Jacoby, philosopher Colin McGinn, and theologian Denys Turner explore questions such as: Is humanism another kind of religion? Is it religion’s evolutionary future, rather than just one of several alternatives? What light does the recent scientific study of religion throw on these possibilities? How do the new humanists compare to the new atheists? Can an atheist identity be shaped by a positive ethic, or must it be primarily an anti-religious sentiment? How will the persistence of belief and disbelief, as well as the tension between them, shape thought and culture in the 21st century? – CUNY Susan Jacoby is the author of The Age of American Unreason. She began her writing career as a reporter for The Washington Post, and has been a contributor to a wide range of periodicals and newspapers for more than 25 years on topics including law, religion, medicine, aging, women’s rights, political dissent in the Soviet Union and Russian literature. Jacoby has been the recipient of grants from the Guggenheim, Rockefeller and Ford Foundations, as well as the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 2001-2002, she was named a …
Unless you believe in some religious bullshit you can’t be elected to govern. Doesn’t seem to matter if you believe in Yahweh or Jesus and Talking snakes and noah’s ark, or joesph smith & an angel named Moroni, or that the Koran was dictated by the archangel Gabriel to Muhammad in a cave…. doesn’t matter. You NEED to believe in SOME religious bullshit in order to be considered wise. Humanity is a failed experiment.
@Dooger1026 lol wow, you are so deluded. the pilgrims didn’t found America, the founding fathers did. perhaps that’s why they’re called the _founding_ fathers? of whom, might i add, _rejected_ religion. in fact, most were deists. NOT christians.
“Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law.” – Thomas Jefferson
we “as a nation” have nothing to do with your god. keep it out of our government, please.
RON PAUL 2012
I don’t believe in any ‘religion’. But I do believe in Jesus Christ my God
Church is a man—made invention. There’s nothing godly about playing church. Some call it sectarianism (religion). It’s mammon worship. Hebrews 9: 11—12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building (creation); Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
@Dooger1026
The pilgrims never had anything to do with the founding of the country. Who’s the revisionist now?
@dackjaniels555 ಠ_ಠ
Religion was never a private matter when it came to the founding of AMERICA. It is astounding how revisionists rewrite history, and the role Christianity had in America. Maybe every American should return to Plymouth Rock, to The Mayflower Compact, and to Matthew 5:14 ” a city on a hill.” This is what the Pilgrims believed to be their purpose.. To create a Christian nation,’”as salt and light,” for the world to see! Stop revising the facts, and teach it as it was!!!!!
@vechorik
That would violate the bill of right
@dackjaniels555 Exist: from Latin exsistere ‘come into being,’
I agree 100% God did not come into being.
What about freedom of speech? It’s the same old story, accept something from the government and they “own you.” Maybe churches should pay taxes and become free to say what they want.
religion has no place in politics
@DastardlyDimwit
LOL Jefferson called himself a Christian.
@dackjaniels555
And you know this since you know everything.
Religions were invented by the Illuminati, so they can divide and conquer throughout the centuries.
Religions were invented by the Illuminati, so they can divide and conquer throughout the centuries.
Religions were invented by the Illuminati, so they can divide and conquer throughout the centuries.
Religions were invented by the Illuminati, so they can divide and conquer throughout the centuries.
yeah we’re a mixed bag alright
I am sorry if I was so strong. You are correct. All atheists don’t think they can do without Christians. I have just seem so many on youtube that respond in such a harsh way towards Christians that it made me wonder if all atheists felt as strong. But I know that this isn’t true. My point isn’t to exclude atheists either. I believe there needs to be unity and discussion with everyone-whatever the belief. I just know without the Christians, it would have been difficult to find a moral foundation.
Its 2010, we’re not talking about colonist. You are generalizing Athiest when you say we don’t realize or forget the US was born on bible thumpers! So Its prefectly ok for me to say that every christian is the same and has the same close minded views.
Is that lady a burn victim?
@chrisfromneenah look up Thomas Jefferson on wikipedia. Click the link that says “Beliefs” or “Religion” I would be shocked if you said anything that said he was any way remotely Christian. Founders=predominately deist. If they used God, they used it rhetorically.
@marsCubed, islam no more wrong?
sorry, dude, if jesus camp kids sought to impose relig shariah type govt on nonbelievers, I would agree with U.
B4 throwing too many rocks, U might want to consider what athiest based idealogies have wrought.
every american should be FORCED TO MEMORIZE the ENTIRE US Constitution before he or she is allowed to graduate High School
USA would be a MUCH better place
This is presumption and nonsense. Laws have to be made and colonies structured, of course, but saying that the only reason they did so was because of religion is a bold statement based on what?
Atheists needed guidance? Sorry, but you make such bold claims that seem entirely constructed out of biased conjecture. Do you assume that because someone doesn’t believe in a god, they run wild with no regard for law or moral integrity?