Sam Harris & Christopher Hitchens - Is There An Afterlife? Part 1

Sam Harris & Christopher Hitchens - Is There An Afterlife? Part 1
SUBSCRIBE to channel: bit.ly/TheUnbel...
Recorded: Feb 15, 2011 - Los Angeles, CA
Event Organizer: www.aju.edu/
Sam Harris & Christopher Hitchens debated rabbi David Wolpe & rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson on the question "Is there an afterlife?" Which was moderated by Rob Eshman
Samuel Benjamin Harris (born April 9, 1967) is an American author, philosopher, neuroscientist, critic of religion, blogger, public intellectual, and podcast host. His work touches on a wide range of topics, including rationality, ethics, free will, neuroscience, meditation, philosophy of mind, politics, Islamism, terrorism, and artificial intelligence. He is described as one of the "Four Horsemen of Atheism," together with Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett
Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 - 15 December 2011) was an Anglo-American author, columnist, essayist, orator, religious and literary critic, social critic, and journalist. Hitchens was the author, co-author, editor or co-editor of over 30 books.
As an antitheist, he regarded concepts of a god or supreme being as a totalitarian belief that impedes individual freedom. He argued in favour of free expression and scientific discovery, and that it was superior to religion as an ethical code of conduct for human civilization.

[@naturalisted1714]

*If* we cease to exist then the only consciousnesses that will exist will be all of the living's consciousnesses. Therefore, if you no longer exist, the only experience that could come next is one of the consciousnesses that DO exist.

[@breconjames2027]

Z

[@igorjemagor9212]

No comment since 2018? Poor Harris and Hitchens ...

[@maxp9598]

@igor jemagor talk to the hand✋

[@sharkamov]

It's a _struggle_ to have to listen to the grating articulation of the illogical statements of 'the fox' [Mr. Volpe]. In addition, seeing as he has to wear a (rather ridiculous) minuscule form of headgear displaying his belief in magic, only adds insult to injury . . .
*_Christopher: How we miss you!!! . . . ._*

[@Rama_Rama_Rama]

Have pity on the scoffers and all who are still strangers to spiritual life. Do not be angry with them when they become sarcastic; for they are only to be pitied. They stand before the great Work of Creation, which offers us so much, like drunkards, like sick people. Like blind men who grope their way through life on earth without seeing all the splendor around them!
These poor people are confused, they are asleep; for how can anyone still affirm, for instance, that only what he can see exists? That where his eyes perceive nothing, there is no life? That with his physical death he himself also ceases to exist, all because in his blindness he could not, up till now, convince himself to the contrary through his eyes? Does he not already know from many things how very limited is the capacity of the eye? Does he not yet know that it is related to the capacity of his brain, which is bound to time and space? That because of this he cannot recognize with his eyes anything rising above time and space? Has this logical, intellectual reasoning not yet become clear to any of these scoffers?
Spiritual life, let us also call it the beyond, is after all merely something that stands completely above the earthly division of time and space, and therefore requires a similar nature in order to be recognized.
Yet our eyes do not even see all that can be classified within time and space. Think of a drop of water, which appears immaculately pure to every eye, but which on examination under the microscope is shown to contain millions of living organisms mercilessly fighting and destroying each other. Are there not sometimes bacteria in both water and air that have the power to destroy human bodies, and that are imperceptible to the human eye? But they become visible by means of powerful instruments. Who then will still dare to maintain that there is nothing new and as yet unknown to be seen when the power of these instruments is further increased? Increase their power a thousand fold, a million fold, and there will be no end to what may be seen, but ever new worlds which previously you could neither see nor feel, yet which nevertheless existed, will unfold before you.
Logical thinking also leads to the same conclusions about everything the sciences have hitherto been able to collect. There is a prospect of continuous progress and development, but never of an end.
What, then, is the beyond? The word confuses many. The beyond is simply all that cannot be perceived by earthly means. And earthly means are the eyes, the brain and all other parts of the body, also the instruments that help them to do their work still more accurately and precisely, and to extend its scope. Therefore one could say: the beyond embraces all that is beyond the perceptive capacity of our physical eyes. But there is no division between this world and the beyond! Nor any gulf! All is united, as is the whole of Creation. One power streams through this world and the beyond, everything lives and works from this one life stream, and is thus quite inseparably linked.
For this reason change your attitude. There is no such thing as this world and the beyond, but only one united existence! The idea of a division has been invented solely by man, because he is unable to see everything, and imagines himself to be the center and focal point of the surroundings visible to him. Yet his sphere of action is greater. With the erroneous idea of a division, however, he forcibly limits himself, hinders his progress, and allows his imagination to run riot and conjure up grotesque pictures. Is it surprising then, if as a consequence many only smile incredulously, while others adopt an unwholesome form of worship that becomes servile or degenerates into fanaticism? Who can then still be astonished if some people develop a nervous fear, even terror and consternation? Away with all this! Why these torments?
Break down this barrier which human error sought to erect, but which never existed! Your past wrong attitude also gives you a false foundation, on which you vainly endeavor continually to build up the true belief, that is, inner conviction. You consequently encounter points, obstacles, which must make you waver and doubt, or compel you to tear down the whole structure, perhaps abandoning everything out of despair or resentment. The loss is then yours alone, because this is not progress for you, but standstill or retrogression. The road which in any case you must follow one day will only be lengthened thereby.
*"Grail Message by Abdrushin"*