Intelligence Squared

The Sunday Debate: The Catholic Church is a Force For Good in the World

Jul 4, 2021

In a provocative debate, actor and commentator Stephen Fry goes head-to-head with journalist Christopher Hitchens against Archbishop John Onaiyekan and former MP Ann Widdecombe. They tackle the Catholic Church's historical flaws and its modern moral authority. The archbishop argues for the Church's humanitarian contributions, while Hitchens critiques its stances on LGBTQ+ rights and gender roles. The conversation also sheds light on the Church’s role in social issues, concluding with a surprising shift in audience sentiment on its overall impact.

51:12

Creator website

Episode guests

Ann Widdecombe

Archbishop John Onaiyekan

Christopher Hitchens

Stephen Fry

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Catholic Church: Force for Good or Historical Flaws?

18min

The Catholic Church: A Pillar of Hope and Community

3min

Debating the Catholic Church's Impact on Society

1min

Critique of Catholic Church's Moral Authority

18min

Engaging Reflection on the Church's Role in Modern Society

2min

The Catholic Church's Virtues

3min

Final Voting Results: The Catholic Church Debate Unveiled

2min

The Roman Catholic Church is the oldest institution in the western world and has had a pivotal influence on western civilisation, ranging from matters of state to cultural life and from personal morals to social values and ethics. Increasingly, though, it is being criticised as being a malign influence in debates about some of the most pressing issues of the modern world – overpopulation, Aids, global warming, human rights and so on. Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens battle it out with Archbishop John Onaiyekan and Ann Widdecombe over the motion “The Catholic Church is a Force for Good in the World” in our debate from 2009.

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