In this article, Sam Harris, one of atheism's four "horsemen", is interviewed about his new book, The Moral Landscape. In it, he discusses religion's view of science and how one can be moral without religion. He emphasizes that morality that is science based is about caring and doing what is best for others, and that one will do something that will only benefit everyone as a whole. Although many will claim that religion helps others behave morally, Harris argues that religion can give people bad reasons to to good things. For example, donating to stop world hunger because it will get you into heaven is morally wrong compared to donating to actually help those in need. Many think that atheists are inherently immoral because of their lack of religion, but Harris says that religion is "the wrong software" for making decisions that affect human well-being as a whole.
I think this article is especially interesting because the application of science to our daily lives is not exactly what many people think of when they think about science. Also, Harris points out that science transcends borders and the research is universal. Another more controversial topic he discusses that is very relevant in students' lives today is the idea that scientists cannot be religious without being hypocritical, frankly. So, Harris criticizes scientists who try to form connections between the two, and I personally find it difficult to imagine how someone can analyze data and evidence all day, then come home and completely ignore the evidence, rather lack thereof, and return to religion.
References
Koski, O. (2010, November 29). Print: atheism’s poster boy Sam Harris on the
science of morality. Wired. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2010/11/ pl_print_harris/
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