Aired on the 7th of November. The Intelligence Squared Debate proposed the question "Is the Catholic church a force for good in the world?".

On the side for is Archbishop John Onaiyekan and Anne Widdencombe MP. Speaking against the notion is Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry.

Intelligence Squared's final thoughts on the debate.
"Ever since the Reformation, Christian leaders and communities have struggled with the central question of religious authority
which, by its nature, they regard as timeless and unitary. It was the denial of papal authority that led to Protestantism. Yet
Protestant leaders in their turn struggled to assert authority over their own churches in the face of the free-for-all “priesthood of
all believers”. The result has been more sectarianism, division and doctrinal and moral uncertainty.

The Catholic Church has struggled to uphold its authority in a world in which respect for authority of all sorts is breaking down,
and which the difficult edicts of faith are increasingly at variance with the realities of modern life. The price of this has been a
sort of collective “cognitive dissonance” among ordinary Catholics who often fail to practice what their church preaches.

Perhaps the fairest verdict is that there is truth in the arguments of both supporters and critics. The Church is and has been a
force for good and a force for ill. It all depends on your priorities. That paradox, of course, implies that truth is not unitary, but
relative - a thoroughly secular concept that the Church would reject out of hand."

A PDF Briefing of the debate can be found here

Each audience member was asked to make their individual vote on the debates question "Is the Catholic church a force for good in the world?", both before and after the debate. The result's concluded as follows:

Before the debate
For: 678 votes
Against: 1102 votes
Undecided: 346 votes

After the debate
For: 268 votes
Against: 1876 votes
Undecided: 34 votes

...a solid victory to Hitchens & Fry!

"Ah, fish in a barrel, defended from a pair of professional big game hunters and explosives experts by a pair of ditherers. That's entertainment!"
- PZ Myers

Watch the debate and enjoy!