God debate

1. 

   danielg

   Jun 5 2007

   [sound of microwave cooking popcorn in background]
   Wheeeee!

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2. 

   danielg

   Jun 6 2007

   Here’s the 18000 word transcript. I couldn’t find a podcast.

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3. 

   Cineaste

   Jun 7 2007

   I just finished reading the transcript. I was impressed by Dr. Mark Roberts. He seems to be a man of integrity. I especially liked the last hour which was full of rapid fire retorts. I never knew Hitch was so well versed in scripture. Very enjoyable.

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4. 

   danielg

   Jun 8 2007

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5. 

   Cineaste

   Apr 9 2009

   Hitchens vs. 5 theologians (William Lane Craig, Lee Strobel, etc…) Here is PZ Meyer’s review…

   I’m dumber for even listening to this: Christopher Hitchens in a debate with FIVE blithering theologians (one of them was the so-called moderator). Hitchens was excellent, but the four other guys…Jebus. They all trot out these ridiculous arguments about a first cause and fine tuning and oooh, the historical evidence for Jesus is so good. Lee Strobel, in particular, is a flaming fraud and liar.
   William Lane Craig was interesting, but stupid. His argument was that people couldn’t have a debate if they were the mere product of chemical reactions, because chemical reactions just fizz, they don’t hold debates. That’s an argument from ignorance; it’s claiming that all chemistry is a big black box he doesn’t know anything about, there’s no difference between biology and the chemistry of soda pop, and he needs to imagine a ghostly puppet master making the pop bottle dance. My impression of Craig’s intellectual acumen plummeted in this one debate. (My impression of Strobel, of course, was already flopped flat in the mud, and the others I’d never heard of).
   Hitchens, though…wow. That takes guts to charge into such a biased audience and a panel stacked and loaded against him, and maul them all.

   http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=175ad626166c55fdb819

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6. 

   danielg

   Apr 10 2009

   That’s very interesting, but I think his bias is gross and obvious. Basically, those like Hitchens ignore classic philosophical logic in place of polemics, which superficial minds find appealing.

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7. 

   Cineaste

   Apr 10 2009

   That's very interesting, but I think Daniel's bias is gross and obvious. Basically, those like Daniel ignore classic philosophical logic in place of polemics, which superficial minds find appealing.

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8. 

   danielg

   Apr 10 2009

   Your nonsense aside, it is really true about Hitchens. If you ever listen to him in a debate, he poo-poo’s the classic arguments for the existence of God (Cosmological, Ontological, Axiological, Teliological) which the truly intellectual atheists of the past, such as Nietzsche and Russel, actually engaged.
   He also trots out a lot of non-sequitur arguments, which are compelling in an emotional, but not really logical manner. This is what I consider to be polemics.
   In fact, many Christians wonder why Hitchens continues to embarrass his cause with his poor debating skills and lack of preparation – but the answer is obvious – to the many atheists, such low-brow tactics hold sway, and because he is not interested in a true debate, but merely in spouting his views. That will hardly win over those in the middle.
   Or, as the site Common Sense Atheism put it:
   

   Craig was flawless and unstoppable. Hitchens was rambling and incoherent, with the occasional rhetorical jab. Frankly, Craig spanked Hitchens like a foolish child.

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9. 

   danielg

   Apr 10 2009

   Here's more on the Hitchens/Craig debate a week ago William Lane Craig vs. Christopher Hitchens: First Report

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10. 

    Cineaste

    Apr 10 2009

    Daniel, trots out a lot of non-sequitur arguments, which are compelling in an emotional, but not really logical manner. This is what I consider to be polemics.

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