Peter Atkins argues that religion harms society.
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Peter Atkins opens but mentioning that the one major adverse affect that religion has on society is that it undermines our ability to comprehend. Religiion extinguishes the intellectual thirst of humanity by diminishing our seach for knowledge and asserting the futility of searching for understanding. He highlights that religions tend to pride themselves on analogies especially after the truth has been discovered by scientists. The persuit of a blissful non-existant afterlife inhibits the enjoyment of this one and only life. Peter Atkins concludes by saying that religion undermines the intellect and rationality of people therefore harming society at its core.

Filmed on Thursday 7th November 2013
MOTION: This House Believe That Religion Harms Society.
RESULT: Motion Carried.

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ABOUT PETER ATKINS:
Peter William Atkins FRSC is a British chemist and former Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Lincoln College. He is a prolific writer of popular chemistry textbooks, including Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Molecular Quantum Mechanics. Atkins is also the author of a number of popular science books, including Atkins' Molecules, Galileo's Finger: The Ten Great Ideas of Science and On Being.


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