Does God Have a Future? Question Debated in 'Nightline' Face-Off

March 10, 2010— -- Does God have a future? "Nightline" tackles this and other delicate questions related to faith and spirituality in a "Face-Off" to air Tuesday, March 23.

Deepak Chopra, a physician and best-selling author of "How to Know God," and prominent scholar, philosopher and writer Jean Houston, will face-off against Michael Shermer, founding publisher of "Skeptic" magazine, and Sam Harris, author of "The End of Faith."

The panelists will debate the tension between God and science. Is there scientific proof that God exists or has science made it so that God is no longer relevant?

Chopra and Houston contend that the universe is proof that intelligence is at the heart of creation and that a person needs to look beyond what can be seen and touched, while Shermer and Harris argue science and biology can explain what is happening to people when they pray, meditate and believe in God and that evolution can explain why our beliefs developed.

This will be "Nightine's" sixth "Face-Off" since launching the series three years ago, and will take place Sunday, March 14, at The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif. ABC News anchor Dan Harris, who covers faith issues for the network, will moderate.

The "Nightline Face-Off" is a debate style format where hot topics get discussed among prominent voices in their field.

In 2007, the first "Face-Off" tackled the existence of God and pitted actor and evangelical Kirk Cameron and his partner at "The Way of the Master" evangelism ministry against two self-proclaimed atheists. Other past topics include porn, adultery, and Satan.