The Unbelievers Page #4

I've spent a lot more

time in this country.

I would say,

if people don't

hold their religion

on their sleeve,

then it's not relevant to them,

then it's not in

the public domain,

and journalists

needn't ask

questions about it.

But if they do hold

their religion

on their sleeve,

then it becomes

in the public domain,

and it becomes

appropriate

for journalists

to bring it up.

Because then it's an action.

They're saying, "elect me

because I'm

a person of faith."

But I'm coming back

to the nub

of the question,

which is that,

even if they don't take

any action based upon it...

I mean, an extreme example,

which I actually published

on a blog somewhere,

was a hypothetical doctor

who doesn't believe

in the sex theory

of reproduction,

believes in

the stork theory of...

Of reproduction.

I thought I was pushing

to the limit.

I assumed that everybody

would agree with me,

at least here,

that you would not wish

to consult such a doctor.

Not a bit of it.

I was kicked around the room.

"The doctor's private beliefs

are his private beliefs.

"They're no

business of yours.

So long as he can

"take your appendix out

or whatever he has to do,

"then it doesn't matter

that he doesn't

believe in sex,

he believes in

the stork theory."

That's where we're

disagreeing, because...

Because the stork theory

is relevant to his career

as a doctor...

Make him an eye doctor then.

Then I'd have to say,

for a politician,

I think there are

rights to privacy.

I mean, I think

if someone believes

that it's okay for them

to have sex with animals,

I shouldn't ask that question

as long as they don't make it

a campaign platform.

And-and-and...

And so I happen to think

that there some a right

to privacy,

in the sense that

if you don't wear it

on your sleeve.

And these candidates

do wear it on their sleeve,

including Obama.

And I think once

you bring that up,

then it becomes fair game.

Now, let's end with...

Because you pointed out

that there's one

member of congress...

And I didn't know

there were that many...

Who argues that

he doesn't believe

in a supreme being.

I just wrote an article

about a study

that's been done

by a group

of psychologists

in Canada

and the United States...

It's just

been published...

That asks what groups

people distrust,

and it turns out

the group that is

distrusted the most

are atheists.

Well, they're

not quite the most.

They're on par with rapists.

And I wonder

if you could comment.

Well, that seems to me

to be an adequate explanation

for why so many members

of the United States congress

are obviously lying

about their private beliefs.

I mean, if you're

on a par with rapists...

I suspect that we've already had

in this country quite a number

of atheist presidents.

I suspect.

It wouldn't surprise me

in the least if Kennedy

was an atheist.

It wouldn't surprise me

if Clinton was an atheist.

It wouldn't surprise me

if Obama's an atheist.

But you cannot admit it

or you simply don't

get elected.

I would like to start

a campaign for

lame-duck presidents

and senators and people

to say, "okay,

"I'm not standing

for election anymore.

I'm an atheist.

I've been an atheist

all along."

Yes.

Yes, that's right.

And here we've got

Darren waiting for you.

Hi, how are you doing?

Hi, Lawrence. Darren.

How's it going?

Hi, nice to see you.

So if you want to have a seat...

She said it's never

been so hard,

never been

so challenging.

Oh, no.

Okay, we're

heading out, eh?

Yes, let's go. Yep.

We're set up.

What do you know?

It looks like a real

place to interview.

And so these mics work?

I don't have to wear one?

That's right.

That's good.

Ready in three, two...

Lawrence krauss,

welcome to one plus one.

It's great to be here.

Albert Einstein was once

quoted as saying,

"if you can't explain it

to a six-year-old,

you don't

understand it yourself."

Your latest book,

a universe from nothing,

deals with some

fairly weighty topics.

How would you explain it

to a six-year-old

that the universe

came from nothing?

Oh, well, you...

I see what you mean,

but it's very unjust.

I mean, telling children

they're going to hell

is surely by any

standards wicked.

I mean, that's just evil.

But I am not

doing anything remotely

comparable to that.

What I'm doing

is telling children,

"think for yourself.

Look for the evidence."

I'm not saying, "this is

the way it is. You'd

better believe it or else."

Well, it's funny,

because six-year-olds

are a lot less biased

than adults often,

and the neat thing is,

I'd probably tell them that

nothing is not exactly

what they thought it was.

It was a little bit different.

That the laws of physics

tell you that even

empty space is much more

interesting than you thought.

Empty space is a boiling,

bubbling brew of stuff

that's popping

in and out of existence

every second.

And what's more amazing

is that we've learned

that if you take

just a bit of space

and get rid of

all the particles

and all the radiation

and everything,

that it still weighs something,

and we don't understand why.

Lawrence krauss,

thanks for joining us

on one plus one.

Thank you very much.

It's been a pleasure.

Excellent.

Wonderful.

Thank you very much.

Thanks a lot.

It was nice doing it.

There's a dot.

What a disgusting idea.

I mean, the idea

that the only way to

forgive somebody

is to have a scapegoat,

to have your own son

tortured and killed

because there's

no other way to forgive,

the idea that

there can be

no forgiveness

without bloodshed,

without punishment,

is an ancient idea,

and it's a horrible one.

In the particular case

of the doctrine

of original sin,

the original sin

is suppose to have been

committed by Adam,

who, as we now know,

never existed.

So we now have

the preposterous idea

that Jesus was sacrificed,

the scapegoat was sacrificed,

for the sin of

a nonexistent forbear.

That's the fellow who

finally let me in. He was

out having a phone call.

Yes, yeah.

Hi, I'm Jenny.

How are you?

Hi. Good. I'm glad

there's someone here

to actually do this.

26 to 8:
00.

Hop over there, Lawrence.

There you go.

It's good to see you again.

It is 26 to 8:
00

on 702.

Lawrence krauss is our guest.

His latest book is called

a universe from nothing.

You're saying the universe

continues to get weirder.

Are there moments when

we might break through

and things suddenly make

more sense for you?

'Cause some of the stuff

you do really upsets

some people

and really inspires

other people to back

their own beliefs.

Would you prefer that

it was just an esoteric,

academic discussion?

No, it's not esoteric.

These are wonderful things.

Everyone should be

talking about them.

It's some of the most

beautiful ideas and discoveries

humans have ever made.

And if it upsets people,

how can learning about

how the universe

really works

upset people?

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote