Liveleak reported that Richard Dawkins lost a debate to the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams:
The debate motion that “religion has no place in the 21st Century” was well-defeated at the event held in front of an audience of about 800 people, mostly students, at the Cambridge Union Society’s chambers, according to the U.K.’s Independent newspaper.
Dawkins lost the debate by 324 votes to 136, as he failed to convince the house that religion has no place.
Here’s the video.
http://youtu.be/WDyDFxnvh50
Far from “losing”, the debate strikes me as a huge win for Dawkins and for atheism. Namely, this is because the deck was stacked so decidedly in favor of religion that the very topic is embarrassing to theists all by itself. Not, does god exist? Not, is religion a force for good? Not even, Was Jesus God? Instead, it’s Does religion have a place in the 21st century? What a devastating thing to be asked of anyone! Should you (religion) even exist in our century? The audience ultimately agrees to this incredibly weak proposition that religion should not be immediately stamped into the dust. Well, theists, take what small victories you may. This is certainly among those.
