Posted on 08/21/2011 7:55:10 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
American Evangelical theologian William Lane Craig is ready to debate the rationality of faith during his U.K tour this fall, but it appears that some atheist philosophers are running shy of the challenge.
This month president of the British Humanist Association, Polly Toynbee, pulled out of an agreed debate at London’s Westminster Central Hall in October, saying she “hadn’t realized the nature of Mr. Lane Craig’s debating style.”
Lane Craig, who is a professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, Calif., and author of 30 books and hundreds of scholarly articles, is no stranger to the art of debate and has taken on some of the great orators, such as famous atheists Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris. Harris once described Craig as “the one Christian apologist who has put the fear of God into many of my fellow atheists”.
Responding to Toynbee’s cancellation, Lane Craig commented: "These folks (atheists) can be very brave when they are alone at the podium and there's no one there to challenge them. But one of the great things about these debates is that, it allows both sides to be heard on a level playing field, and for the students in the audience to make up their own minds about where they think the truth lies."
But David Silverman, president of the American Atheists, believes the reason behind the cancellation is much simpler.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
"I have no intention of assisting Craig in his relentless drive for self-promotion."
This from a master of self promotion. Dr. Craig promotes Christ, not himself.
How do you know that?
How do you know that?
Because we’re talking about Dawkins. Dawkins pretends to be a know-it-all so debating someone as talented as Craig would conflict with that.
Dawkins cannot even show me how to make a stick of butter out of nothing. None of the atheist could.
Bookmarks
I filled the margins with comments, reading Dawkins’ Blind Watchmaker. My 15 year old could hit his arguments out of the ballpark.
Watch or listen to him debate! I’m a Catholic and have the utmost respect for his knowledge and debating skills. No wonder they’re all running scared.
Is God Necessary for Morality? (Kagan vs Craig) 3/10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO1d2cX99bI&NR=1
I watched pat 4 and 5 and it seemed obvious to me that Craig had Kagan squirming in his seat. I’m not surprised since once you accept “objectivity” as a valid frame of reference you’ve lost before you’ve even begun, especially by a skilled debater as Craig. If I were an atheist, I would attack the very premise of objectivity and deny my opponent his foundation, declaring instead that the distinction between the subjective and the objective is an unproven assumption and that all knowledge, whether it be the moral or the material, is necessarily subjective. It is a difficult road to take, but it is the only road that will bring the atheist a victory.
I made several assertions in my post. Of which do you require clarification?
Absolutely correct. The atheist cannot claim any sort of objectivity since for him all truth is based on his own personal perception. Arguing from pure subjectivity is, however, fraught with the difficulty of making one’s opinions of more merit than those of a carrot. Only in a system based on absolute truth can any conversation be had. The rest is folderol.
LOL...
I’m embarrased to say I’m not very familiar with Professor Craig. I like what I see though. I’ll have to pick up one of his books and delve a little deeper.
Sorry, I misread your post to be a criticism of Dr. Craig. I thought you were stating that Dr. Craig promoted himself and not Christ. You were asserting the opposite. I know Dr. Craig and have a high opinion of him.
I just grabbed that one from youtube without giving it much thought - there are better ones at myspace and here (which is where I started to hear about him)...you’ll not only find Dr Craig but also Dr. Kreeft, D’Sousa etc., for free:
http://catholicaudio.blogspot.com/search/label/Atheism
Enjoy. :)
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