What Use is Religion?
In addition to giving New Atheists something to pummel, religion has provided a stabilising and organising force in
society. The guest this week In Conversation with Noel Cheer on Face Television is Winton Higgins, a secular Buddhist
from Australia who applauds the effects that the Anglican Book of Common Prayer had on British Society (and its heirs)
from the 16th to the 20th century. Like his counterparts in Christianity, he sees value in keeping his feet on the
ground and steering away from notions of supernaturalism, while acknowledging positive aspects of religion.
"In Conversation with Noel Cheer", Face Television, Monday October 28th at 7:00pm, repeated on Tuesday October 29th at
12 noon.
Face Television, the home of public broadcasting, is found on Sky Television Channel 083 and can also be received in the
Auckland region on UHF Channels 41, 42 and 52. It is also live-streamed on www.ecasttv.co.nz. The website www.facetv.co.nz carries programme schedules. Some past episodes of In Conversation can be viewed at www.youtube.com/user/NoelCheer
"In Conversation with Noel Cheer" receives funding from New Zealand on Air. This has enabled us to introduce viewers to
over 280 New Zealanders on Air (as well as a few visitors to New Zealand) during nearly seven years of unbroken weekly
public-interest broadcasting.
ENDS