Photo of Blair and Hitchens at the debate. Last Friday, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair debated the role of religion with atheist author and journalist Christopher Hitchens at the Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, Canada. Organised under the auspices of the 'Munk Debates', the motion was: "That religion is a force for good in the world". Blair — who in 2008 established the Tony Blair Faith Foundation — conceded whilst religion is not necessary for everybody to act morally, it was still helpful for many despite violent interpretations of texts by extremists. He said the world religions unite in a moral mission to, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", describing "a spiritual presence, bigger, more important, more meaningful than just us alone, that has its own power separate from our power, and that even as the world's marvels multiply, makes us kneel in humility not swagger in pride."
Photo of Blair and Hitchens at the debate. Last Friday, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair debated the role of religion with atheist author and journalist at the Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, Canada. Organised under the auspices of the 'Munk Debates', the motion was: "That religion is a force for good in the world". Blair — who in 2008 established the — conceded whilst religion is not necessary for everybody to act morally, it was still helpful for many despite violent interpretations of texts by extremists. He said the world religions unite in a moral mission to, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", describing "a spiritual presence, bigger, more important, more meaningful than just us alone, that has its own power separate from our power, and that even as the world's marvels multiply, makes us kneel in humility not swagger in pride."
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Christopher Hitchens
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Tony Blair Faith Foundation