Theos Director, Paul Woolley, was invited back to the Oxford Union last night to debate the motion 'This House Believes that Religion is a Force for Good in the World.'

In addition to Paul, the proposition benches comprised Lord Harries, former Bishop of Oxford, Adrian Wooldridge, The Economist's Management Editor and 'Schumpeter' columnist, and Giles Rowe, Director and co-founder of Henderson Rowe Ltd. On the opposition benches were Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association, Peter Atkins, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and Simon Blackburn, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge.

In his speech, Paul Woolley said 'I'm not going to argue that all religion is a force for good in the world anymore than I would argue that all people are. The events of 9/11 were evil. Religion, like any ideology, can be sectarian, divisive, exclusive and violent. However, religious conviction is unexceptional in this regard. Atheistic conviction has itself inspired terrible acts of violence and oppression... The evidence for the proposition, whether measured in the transformed lives of individuals or the renewal of communities, is overwhelming.'

The motion was defeated by 40 votes.