What: A public presentation, "Does Religion Make People Better?"
Where: Lolita Bar at 266 Broome St., at the corner of Allen St. [map]
When: tomorrow, beginning at 8:00 pm.
Cost: free and open to the public. The debate will be held in the basement, and the bar takes cash only.
My fellow residents of NYC might be interested to know that the Center for Inquiry-New York City is hosting a debate with Austin Dacey and Rabbi Simcha Weinstein that addresses the question "Does Religion Make People Better?" (Keeping in mind of course that the statistics show that religion does not make evangelicals into better people than the rest of us).
Austin Dacey is a philosopher who writes on the intersection of science, religion, and ethics. He is the author of the highly acclaimed 2008 book The Secular Conscience. Dacey serves as a representative to the United Nations for the Center for Inquiry. He is also on the editorial staff of Skeptical Inquirer and Free Inquiry magazines.
Rabbi Simcha Weinstein is an internationally known, best-selling author. His first book Up, Up and Oy Vey! How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero, received the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Award for the best religion book of 2007. His second book, Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century, was published in fall 2008.
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As an easily traced "atheist", I would argue on historical average, Religion Makes People Better, in part based on my reading of Darwin's Cathedral. However, I am not convinced there is not a potentially Better alternative than Religion.
(By "atheist": I no longer feel I can justify either Faith or Belief in God; however, I feel there is always room for Hope.)
Religion certainly does make people better, in fact it improves the flavour quite dramatically. Take my advice and never eat an atheist, because they taste horrible.
Better than what?
Re Adrian Morgan @#2
Yes, and particularly tender in the fatty area between the ears.