Religion is an Obligation – NYT Columnist Ross Douthat
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– VIDEO NOTES
Ross Douthat is an American journalist who is a correspondent for the CBS News program 60 Minutes. Prior to joining CBS, he was a conservative columnist at The New York Times, a senior editor at The Atlantic, and film critic for National Review. He has written on religion, politics, and society.
– LINKS
Get “Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious”: https://amzn.to/4fw2bIJ
– TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Is Religious Belief An Obligation?
17:44 Pantheism vs Theism
23:35 The Connection Between Mind and Universe
43:32 The Fine-Tuning Argument
49:18 The Problem of Evil
1:06:26 Is Belief in God Enough?
1:20:53 Animal Suffering
1:34:37 Is Heaven Hierarchical?
– CONNECT
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The Within Reason Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/16wUbvDT95dxzpG2KEhakK?si=3196e07690bb489d
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@agennarien2418
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
I skipped around..dont know who this man is, and decided I wish I could write a book based on a flimsy idea and somehow have it become a success.
@milesfilmmaker
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
WTF? This clown states that one of the things we should be interested in is “what happens to us when we die.” We know already. We no longer exist. That’s why living is so precious and I don’t think about it for one second.
@losthighway4840
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Narcissism off the charts
@milesfilmmaker
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
For me the best proof that any god doesn’t exist is the constant need to argue them into existence
@marchess286
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Excellent guest
@thebacons5943
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
New Trump admin-installed contributor to 60 Minutes
@flanderg123
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Im noting some conflation with his map and free will analogy. Satan had the map, he didnt follow it.
@nasserkarmali9545
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
This man doesn't understand science at all
@GreatPiP
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Douthat’s point that conciousness plays a role in the measurement problem of quantum mechanics shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the subject. Please have physicists who work in the field talk about physics and push back more on this extremely misguided view that consciousness plays a role in the measurement problem. This is exactly incorrect.
And the idea that physicists are not describing what matter is made of “and instead describing what it does” is also wildly incorrect. If you’re describing what is fundamental you no longer get to ask what the fundamental thing is made of. Ask yourself what kind of an answer would satisfy you. “Electrons are made of electron goo”? Physics describes what it does and in what way it makes up those larger objects like tables and chairs.
Alex, please, have someone like Tim Maudlin or David Albert on the show. You’re missing out on knowing things about the universe because you dislike mathematical descriptions, not because the answers are incorrect. This is becoming consciousness of the gaps and Deepak Chopra -esque nonsense.
@nancybrown9977
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Oh, I will very much look forward to watching this convo!
@flanderg123
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
The cumulative case against religions weighs heavier on my scale than for religions.
@MatthewKnyazev
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
I'm surprised Alex didn't correct the misinterpretation of QM at 08:53
@flanderg123
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Fine tuning didnt hit for me as a Christian. Im open, but it still doesnt hit.
@koenigcochran
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
This dude's hilarious. So far, it's not even clear if he has a working definition of religion that includes non-deistic religions.
@docjaramillo
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Ross needs to read Spinoza. Deus Sive Natura. Sub Specie Aeternitatis.
@AdamCallison
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
"The best argument for god are the we have been able to understand everything about the universe. Anyway, here are all the things we don't understand, only god can explain them."
@ChristopherBoarman
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Seemed like Alex was handling him with "kid gloves" for some reason.
@dictatoribenevolo8394
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
is this guy related to Donals Trump? whatever tgis word salad is, it's not rational or understandable. he doesn't even make arguments, he just talks about him believing. there's not one statement he made that is thought through from start to finish. there are no full ideas that one can follow. just peterson word salad
@TooManyNitrogens
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
That man is an absolute psychopath.
@SteveGrant-k6j
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
He’s convinced me that Buddhism is still superior to Christianity.
@SteveGrant-k6j
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Ethics/morals are just common sense. You don’t need a “God” to have those.
@bcatcool
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
The atheist mindset is based on a lie. Prove to me something that doesn't fit into a materistic narrow non supernatural hypocritcal set of non provable also if it was material set of standards and then we all laugh at the non probability of that unprovable based on your narrow set of standards even when there is ample proof floating around……you people cannot understand the most basic premise of reality.
If God does exist then you MUST follow Him. It is a set of standards which are obvious even to the strange hypocrisy of the materialist reletavist nutjob..
You are blind and will prove your blindness through lies.
@jonatasmachado7217
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
If we take the Genesis creation account seriously we see that animal suffering was not part of the original plan, but was the result of God’s curse after the fall…
@mrh3894
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Ross Douthat is a dipshit.
@barry.anderberg
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
The comments here are incredible. Utterly vacuous yet absolutely self certain.
@nsandapesu2441
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
It seems Alex´s job during this conversation was to just say "Yes"
@RuralJuror420
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Can never trust bald men. The Bible itself says so.
@darklands14
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Great interview! Thanks.
@jphergan
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Starts by mocking our Blessed Mother. Mistake.
@TheAuroraMall
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
I think a more charitable read of his argument will require just that: a read. On its face, this podcast wasn't super convincing.
@MrPinksViolin
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Why should anyone care what a hack newspaper columnist thinks about religion or philosophy?
@Bobventk
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
What a moron
@andrewq3875
August 2, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Sorry, can't watch more stupidity from this tool (Douthat).
Comments are closed.