Alex O'Connor vs Ben Shapiro: The Atheist Delusion, Free Will and the Future of Society

What happens when Ben Shapiro and Alex O’Connor sit down to debate religion, atheism, free will and the future of society? The original apologetics and theology debate podcast show Unbelievable? produced by the Premier team in London brings you The Big Conversation. In this standout episode, Daily Wire host and political commentator Ben Shapiro goes head-to-head with Oxford philosophy and theology graduate, international speaker and debater Alex O’Connor. Hosted by Andy Kind, this sharp and wide-ranging conversation asks: is religion good or bad for society? Does belief in God provide the moral foundations civilisation needs, or can secular society flourish without it? They debate free will, the nature of the self, religious institutions, moral truth, and whether shared beliefs are necessary for social cohesion. A compelling clash of worldviews on faith, atheism, reason, morality and civilisation. TIME STAMPS 00:00 Ben Shapiro and Alex O’Connor Clash on Religion 01:10 Is Religion Good or Bad for Society? 04:07 Ben Shapiro Explains “The Atheist Delusion” 08:32 Alex O’Connor Challenges Free Will 12:13 Does Society Need Belief in Free Will? 27:21 Can Morality Exist Without God? 35:36 When Religion Becomes Dangerous 41:03 Did Christianity Build the West? 55:30 Can Secular Society Replace Religion? 1:13:03 What Should Atheists Teach Their Children? GUESTS Alex O’Connor is a philosopher, speaker, YouTuber and host of the *Within Reason* podcast, formerly known online as CosmicSkeptic. **More with Alex O’Connor on Premier Unbelievable?** • Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? Alex O’Connor with Trent Horn: https://youtu.be/xp0YRt9Q7p4?si=5QXc6AwzENa8w8GO • Does God Exist? Alex O’Connor debates William Lane Craig: https://youtu.be/TAW6-_L4z9M?si=9IZksVWsAVKD-ncy Ben Shapiro is a political commentator, author, host of The Ben Shapiro Show, and co-founder of The Daily Wire. Buy Ben Shapiro’s book here: https://amzn.to/4epBnGb 👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes—absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢 The Big Conversation is a video podcast series produced by Premier Unbelievable? in London in partnership with The John Templeton Foundation featuring world-class thinkers across the religious and non-religious community exploring science, faith, philosophy and what it means to be human. SUBSCRIBE & SUPPORT 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast a  www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 FOLLOW US Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE