The thesis for our third weover.me debate is that “There is no GOOD without GOD.”
This debate will be between two teams of four.
One team, led by weover.me moderator Bart Garrett will argue in support of this thesis – that a higher power is a prerequisite for good in the universe.
Weover.me moderator Ezra Roizen will lead a team which will argue that good is a natural phenomenon, and that higher powers are not, necessarily, required.
Why debate this thesis?
Many argue that a higher power is a prerequisite for a moral universe. By way of example, despite our constitutional separation of Church and State, the official motto of the United States is “In God We Trust.” In Zorach v. Clauson (1952), the Supreme Court also held that the nation’s “institutions presuppose a Supreme Being,” and that this recognition of God does not constitute the establishment of a state church.
Others feel that there is no need for a higher power to compel us to do and be good. That, to use the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, our objective is “to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition.” Paying-it-forward does not require an almighty supreme being, but instead, it is just an amplification of the kind of love and hope a parent feels for their child.
Weover.me feels this is a fundamental issue and its discussion will provide a great deal of insight into the underlying approach we all take to our lives, our community, and our planet.
The format for the next event is going to be a modified Oxford style debate. In preparation for the event each of the eight debate team members are going to post their initial thoughts on the topic. We are going to post these blogs in pairs over the next few weeks in buildup to the event at the UC Berkeley Faculty Club on Feb 21st.
We invite you to join the conversation on the blog, and to register for the event!
And if you do plan to attend the event – please make sure to register as space will be very limited.
Sign up for the weover.me mailing list and stay in the loop!
Summary of the eight pre-debate posts:
Post 1: Does good need God to be good?
Post 2: An Empirical Approach to the Question
Post 3: Sacrificium reflectit Bonum
Post 4: The Great Other
Post 5: You cannot spell G-O-O-D without G-O-D
Post 6: Airports, bars, Reno
Post 7: Good For Me vs. Good For We
Post 8: Minimalist in my belief system
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