Did you watch the discussion?
No Hassan I haven't watched all of it and I have a FAITH in you that you watched it and you correctly describing it in few words
Scott Atran is himself a liberal atheist. He's simply stating the case as he sees it that faith/transcendental beliefs have always in the past - and continues to this day, bind, motivate & drive people to achieve and progress and we have yet to find any alternative to faith.
may be he is a liberal atheists ., but when it comes to faith I prefer people with Humanistic atheism not liberal atheism . But I do understand your point.
btw he regards those who believe in things like Human Rights (i.e. the "self-evident" truth that "all people are equal") - to be following a faith too!!
I am of the opinion folks who have unquestionable faith in any of these "Isms" including humanism, atheism and all other zillion religions is NOT a good thing.. well what all I was saying is this
Mr. Scott should NOT use that word "Faith" as in " religious faith" in that discussion.,
But dr. Scott Atran being anthropologist he was doing the discussion w.r.t anthropology of tribal cultures and effect of faith on these tribal cultures. I am sure he knows "FAITH AT ITS CORE IS NONSENSE AND HAS NO VALUE WITH REFERENCE TO ORIGINS" It is true faith in something with non-destructive values does wonders to innocent children as you said from that Kid's interview of Coptic Christian guy .. but you know well faith is equally destructive .. watch that 2nd tube in that post watch it along with these tubes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=28&v=g9iADQSMYvUAnd read that statement at 2:18 mts in that video..
"JIHAD MEANS OFFENSIVE WAR" .. that is the faith the non-Muslims have on Islam. And millions of brainless Muslims including 1000s of Islamic preachers also reinforce that statement as if it is Islam and nothing but Islam.
However good faith may be.. brain washing children with faith is deadly, dangerous and moreover at a fundamental level faith, the unquestionable faith is false and nonsense.