Discussion forum held at the Australian National University, Canberra on 9 April 2012 entitled “Belief in God: Prohibitive or Liberating?”. Dr. Lawrence Krauss and Uthman Badar discuss the following and related questions.
Is belief in God rational or irrational? What role should religion play in our private and public lives? Is science sufficient to make religion redundant? Is the way forward for humanity in the 21st century a return to God or the completion of secularisation process of modernity?
Speakers:
Dr Lawrence Krauss (U.S)
Dr Krauss is an international renowned theorectical physicist. He is Foundation Professor at the School of Earth and Space Exploration and Physics Dept., Co-director, Cosmology Initiative and Director, Origins initiative at Arizona State university. He was visiting Australia to speak at the Atheist Convention in Melbourne. Facebook: http://on.fb.me/HPPPIG
Uthman Badar (Australia)
Uthman is a Muslim activist and public speaker based in Sydney. His areas of expertise and theology, logic, jurisprudence, politics, and economics. He is currently at the University of Western Sydney completing a PhD, and has engaged in many debates and discussion forums with advocates of atheist and secular ideology. Connect with Uthman Badar on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/Agq3zk) and/or Twitter (http://bit.ly/HzGtyk).
Format
Introduction
Initial remarks
Uthman Badar – 6:15
Lawrence Krauss – 27:26
Moderated discussion – 47:25
Q&A from audience – 1:43:45
Closing remarks
Uthman Badar – 2:10:00
Lawrence Krauss – 2:15:05
Categories: Atheism, Previous Events
The Muslim Debate Initiative 
If we are to understand “Prohibitive” and “liberating” referring to the state of the human mind—that its worldview is closed or open—then it is true that some concepts of God can be prohibitive or restrictive. The idea of many Gods for example can encourage people to believe —my God is better than your God—and set up divisions in humanity. But even among monotheist concepts—an idea of an exclusive God— the idea that —he is my God but not yours—also can set up divisions between humanity.
Among the various concepts of God, perhaps there is one idea that has the potential to unite humanity. This is the idea of One God that is universal.—He is my God and he is also your God. This means that whatever label/name we may call him by, Brahma, Tao, Allah, God, Kami…..etc—all worship goes to the same One, Universal God who is your God and mine. His Compassion and Mercy extend to all his creation–including all human beings regardless of their religious label, geography or time in history.
Such a concept has the potential to transcend the restrictions of human pride and ego and make us aware that we are all brothers and sisters in humanity…….and thus liberate us….