Author: Cosmology Today™
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Does God Exist? William Lane Craig vs Christopher Hitchens (Record Date - 2009) WC makes two contentions: – there are no good arguments for atheism – there are good arguments for theism 1. cosmological argument – an actually infinite number of past events is impossible – number of past events must be finite – therefore universe has a beginning – the beginning of the universe is confirmed by science – universe began to exist from nothing 2. teleological argument – fine-tuned constants and ratios – constants not determined by laws of nature – also, there are arbitrary quantities – constants and quantities are in narrow range of life-permitting values – an example: if the weak force were different by 1 in 10 to the 100, then no life – there are 3 explanations: physical law or chance or design 3. moral argument – objective moral values are values that exist regardless of what humans think – objective values are not personal preferences – objective values are not evolved standards that cultures have depending on time and place 4. argument from resurrection miracle – resurrection implies miracle – miracle implies God – 3 minimal facts pass the historical tests (early attestation, eyewitness testimony, multiple attestation, etc.) – minimal fact 1: empty tomb – minimal fact 2: appearances – minimal fact 3: early belief in the resurrection – jewish theology prohibits a dying messiah – messiah is not supposed to die – jewish theology has a general resurrection of everybody, there is not supposed to be a resurrection of one person 5. properly basic belief in god – religious experience is properly basic – it’s just like the belief in the external world, grounded in experience – in the absence of defeaters, those experiences are valid Conclusion: What CH must do: – destroy all 5 of WC’s arguments – erect his own case in its place CH opening speech: 1. evolution disproves biological design argument – evolution disproves paley’s argument for a watchmaker 2. god wouldn’t have done it that way – god wouldn’t have waited that long before the incarnation – mass extinction and death before Jesus – god wouldn’t have allowed humans to have almost gone extinct a while back in africa – why insist that this wasteful and incompetent history of life is for us, that’s a bad design – the universe is so vast, why would god need so much space, that’s a bad design – there is too much destruction in the universe, like exploding stars – that’s a bad design – the heat death of the universe is a bad design – too many of the other planets don’t support life, that’s a bad design – the sun is going to become a red giant and incinerate us, that’s a bad design 3. hitchens’ burden of proof – there is no good reason that supports the existence of god – all arguments for god can be explained without god – atheists can’t prove there is no god – but they can prove there is no good argument for god 4. craig’s scientific arguments don’t go far enough, they only prove deism, not theism – the scientific arguments don’t prove prayer works – the scientific arguments don’t prove specific moral teachings of christianity 5. if the laws of physics are so great then miracles shouldn’t be allowed – good laws and miracles seem to be in contradiction 6. extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence – none of craig’s evidence was extraordinary 7. science can change, so craig can’t use the progress of science – it’s too early for craig to use the big bang and fine-tuning – the big bang and fine-tuning evidences are too new – they could be overturned by the progress of science Response to the big bang and fine-tuning arguments: – was there pre-existing material? – who designed the designer? WC first rebuttal: Reiterates his 2 basic contentions CH agrees that there is no good argument for atheism – then all you’ve got is agnosticism – because CH did not claim to know there is no God – and he gave no arguments that there is no God CH’s argument that god is wasteful CH concluding speech HITCHENS YIELDS HIS ENTIRE CONCLUDING SPEECH! Some of the other William lane Craig Videos - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_vO6H-iIvM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfbvr0ngsnA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb1-F_UEtS4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xutukF93JwM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIBJ1wVqCeU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NAOc6ctw1s Some of the other Christopher Hitchens Videos - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqjfGFHes0w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crmBTgGbla4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD0B-X9LJjs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl84z8JwTSA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMraxhd9Z9Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw3dDbc1BHE