In Intellectual Neutral - William Lane Craig

[IchtusDeogloria]

Favorited!

This man is a great tool in the Hands of our GOD.

May our GOD and FATHER keep on blessing Dr. Craig.....

JESUS IS LORD!!

[kidasterorig111]

im going to talbot or biola

[shizzleman8]

@drcraigvideos Where else are they going to vent their anger and frustrations? TheCartesianTheist was surprised to learn that atheists don't reign here (USA) unfettered in society the way they do in the U.K. I met 2 atheists in 50 years here in SoCaL. I've got 3 times as many friends in the deliverance ministry.

[abeeftec]

One thing William Lane Criag said that I think is completely wrong is that people will not hear the Gospel in isolation because it would be like telling them to believe in Santa Claus.

The Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit bears witness with unbelievers the truth concerning the Gospel. It doesnt matter if people hate Christains. If God plans on saving them they will be saved. The way most Churches try to be a witness today causes many goats to get into the fold.

[Shazoolo]

What an awesome and inspirational talk!

[D3uscaritas3st]

"Plantinga is widely regarded as the world's greatest, living Christian philosopher" 38:03

So humble Dr. Craig-- everyone knows that's you

[hibrandonhi]

@D3uscaritas3st No he's not?

[RussellsParadox]

27:04 - 27:38

"It's no wonder that they become sitting ducks for that teacher or that professor who takes rational aim at their faith. In high school and college, students are intellectually assaulted with every manner of non-christian philosophy, conjoined with an overwhelming relativism and skepticism. How DARE we send them out unarmed into an intellectual battle zone! We've got to train our kids for war!"

Chilling. Downright chilling.

[starshkr46]

I remember watching this video before. Thinking back, it really has made a tremendous impact in me. Dr. Craig is truly a blessing from God.

[BoethianAcolyte]

This video was a great blessing to me. Thank you for posting it.

[forthesakeofdoingso]

I've experienced what he's talking about at every point. This is a great speech.

[mehldau125]

What is the cartoon???!!

[drcraigvideos]

@mehldau125 I wish I knew!

[Product1999]

@drcraigvideos it is in his book "On Guard" pg 16. Just like lions are observed at the zoo a man and a womam are being observed in their living room/zoo setting and the sign on the gate reads "Baptists(southern) Americanus Evangelicus Fundamentalus Bapticus"

[CONNERtheBUSH]

@drcraigvideos I would guess it's the cartoon in his book On Guard. I can't find it on Google, but it depicts a Christian Baptist family in a zoo-like environment with another family staring at them.

[RNDeLeeuw]

@mehldau125 I've seen him use the cartoon before. I can tell by the way he describes it. It's a cartoon of a regular, Christian Baptist family, but they are behind a fence as if the were an exhibit in a zoo. A sign reads, "Danger, Homos Christianus Baptismos."(Or something along those lines) Some people are pointing and looking inquisitively at the funny Christians in the pen.

[Grinthor86]

I realy admire this man. He has motivated me to enroll in college, and I'm over 30. Thank you Dr. Craig.

[shizzleman8]

@Grinthor86 I've got one word to say to you: Advance Placement Tests

[kapooktu]

Amen!

[madenew000]

so true!

[TheColaGoodfellow]

Talking about relativity, if the truth is relative doesn't that mean it is like it is because an intellect (God) says so? Haha.

[IloveYOUviruses]

From what I've seen and heard in my local Christian radio and TV channels, we are getting more and more militant in the intelectual sphere, thinking in retrospective, that's a reaction, the reaction from opressive secularism, AKA new atheism; apart from the 1st century, this irony has no precedent.

[ExUnoPlures]

@IloveYOUviruses "opressive secularism"

i'm honestly curious, in what way do you feel oppressed by "secularism"? according to wikipedia:

"Secularism is the principle of separation between government ... and ... religious institutions..."

it seems to me that the only way you could feel oppressed by secularism is in feeling unable to oppress others by forcing them, at the hands of the police, to support your church.

[IloveYOUviruses]

@ExUnoPlures really? I don't know how can you fail to understand the purpose of an adjective, even a child can distinguish between water and cold water, same here, Opressive Secularism is NOT identical to Secularism (duh!), I used the adjective to refer to the "new atheism" movement, I left that clear in the comment.

[ExUnoPlures]

@IloveYOUviruses so, how do the "new atheists" oppress you? by calling your cherished beliefs a delusion?

p.s. there are two p's in oppressive.

[JCrownwell]

@ExUnoPlures

"so, how do the "new atheists" oppress you? by calling your cherished beliefs a delusion?"

1. Ad hominem attacks.

2. Disingenuousness (typically in the form of sophistry and selective perception).

3. Epistemological incompetence (note your own comments here).

4. Hand-waving arguments.

5. The Dunning-Kruger phenomenon.

Points 3, 4 and 5 are among the many reasons why I am now a theist despite a secular education to post-graduate level.

[IloveYOUviruses]

@ExUnoPlures thanks.

New atheism tried to completely remove religion, their approach was full of ignorance (about theism and it's arguments) and ridicule, it was rejected by classic atheist thinkers mainly for its dogmatism. Such approach qualifies as offensive, it got oppressive when the unjustified criticism went public. This would be the same for any group attacked tru fallacious arguments.

The irony is that those attacks caused a revival of a dormant Christian philosophy.

[ExUnoPlures]

@IloveYOUviruses in my book, ridicule is not oppressive - annoying, uncompassionate, hurtful, maybe. but ridicule itself doesn't prevent you from doing much of anything. oppression is like, being unable to vote or own property or decide when you are going to use the bathroom or where and when and how and for who you are going to work. no "new atheist" that i know of was suggestng that churches be banned or religious speculation be outlawed.

so, i still dont see the oppression

[ExUnoPlures]

and, although you say, "new atheism tried to completely remove religion," i still don't understand what you mean. so i'd appeciate if you'd clarify. thx :)

[IloveYOUviruses]

@ExUnoPlures That's why I said:

"Such approach qualifies as offensive, it got oppressive when the unjustified criticism went public. This would be the same for any group attacked tru fallacious arguments."

please don't take my words out of their context, my point was NOT about false accusations but about those accusations made public.

As for new atheistm being innocent, have you ever read Hitchens' yellow book? the one that uses tons of false accusations to argue that religion poisons everything

[ExUnoPlures]

@IloveYOUviruses i'll try to be more clear: in my book, ridicule, whether private or public, is not oppressive. period. nor is publicly making fallacious arguments against religon an act of oppression, as i see it. if i refused to hire christians or supported police arresting christians for going to church, that would be oppression. but publicly saying something untrue like, "religion is a consipracy to enslave humanity," is not oppressive, because it can just be ignored.

[ExUnoPlures]

@IloveYOUviruses and i never said "new atheism" was "innocent" (by the way, i find it muddies the waters of our discussion, and promotes stereotyping, when you personify atheism, as though an idea could be innocent or guilty of doing something). all i said is that i don't see how your complaint that "new" atheists are oppressing you is justified. i will readily admit that many atheists occassionally or often lie about/to, disrespect, dismiss, mock, stereotype, etc. christians.

[IloveYOUviruses]

@ExUnoPlures I've been careful in my distinction between atheism and new atheism, yet, you come here and ignore all those adjectives claiming that I personify "atheism", when all the time I've only refered to NEW atheism, or militant atheism, as the main proponents intended it to be. I really don't understand how can a guy like you be an author.

[IloveYOUviruses]

@ExUnoPlures Now, if you analyze the thread, my secondary contention is that publicly attacking a group tru lies and dishonesty is a form (among the many forms) of oppression, if you think my semantics are wrong, fine, that's not the issue here and you know it, my 1st comment is based on the experience revealing a growing Christian philosophy as a reaction of the dishonesty from militant atheism.

[ExUnoPlures]

@IloveYOUviruses "if you think my semantics are wrong, fine, that's not the issue here and you know it"

in fact, semantics has been pretty much the entirety of my point. you referred to "oppressive secularism" and my point was that that was a faulty choice of words. and i still take issue with your use of the word "oppressive" and contend that your usage of it is contrary to any common definition of the word.

"sticks and stone may break my bones but words will never hurt me."

[girtkaz]

@ExUnoPlures I did understand IloveYOUviruses - why you play that you did not? English is not even my forth language so what is your problem?

[ExUnoPlures]

@girtkaz i wasn't playing and i don't have a problem. he obviously misused the word oppressive. he is not being oppressed by secularism. he said he was, but he is not. i have no misunderstanding. it seems to me, he is playing the victim and trying to disparage a totally sound and moral principle - the separation of church and state. i hear secularism disparaged a lot in my country, and was simply reacting to that trend.

now go, somewhere another xtian is in trouble! defend the group!

[girtkaz]

@ExUnoPlures I tracked down initial commet for you :) "....that's a reaction, the reaction from opressive secularism, AKA new atheism;..." If you cannot see "AKA new atheism" as reference to particular form of secularism then you are intelectualy dishonest here!

[ExUnoPlures]

@girtkaz

1) there is no form of secularism at all, anywhere, of any type, that is oppressive, except to those who wish to oppress

2) "new atheism" is not a form of secularism

3) "new atheism" is not oppressive

i'm not being intellectually dishonest. as i see it, i'm the only one making any sense - using words as they are defined. and for someone who says english is not even their 4th language, i don't know why you think your qualified to school me on my english. whatever...

[ExUnoPlures]

@ExUnoPlures *you're - lol

[girtkaz]

@ExUnoPlures "i don't know why you think your qualified to school me on my english." I never did. But I can school you in intelectual honesty - If you would be honest to IloveYOUviruses, you could argue your third point - you do not think that "new atheism" is oppressive.

[VyckRo]

Good video, thanks for Uploading!

[ExUnoPlures]

when asked, what 'god' is, dr. craig said the question was "easy" and answered, 'god' is "a person."

reasonablefaith. org/site/News2?page=NewsArticl­e&id=8779

interesting, isn't it, that people think of 'god' as a person? i suppose that is why they call "god" a "he."

i think it is clear that man made "god" in his image, and not vice versa.

"god" "spirit" "soul" "ghost" "afterlife" <<<< the common link? the illusion of mind without brain.

10,000s of "gods", 1,000s of religions < human ntr

[TheisticThinker]

@ExUnoPlures Trollololololololol

[ExUnoPlures]

@TheisticThinker not really. i was sincere and, considering the comments seem largely focused upon how dr. craig was putting the smarts back in religion, i think i was on topic by concisely trying to share my judgment of how theology (aka spirituality) is fundamentally flawed, intellectually. sure, i'm hoping the effect of this is that people who read my comment will realize the true nature of religion. so? i'm not just trying to mess with people for kicks.

[TheColaGoodfellow]

@ExUnoPlures

A person, not necasserily a human person (Unless you count Jesus, his son).

Were we not molded apparantly by evolution to become how we are today? Aren't we suited to the environment of the universe?

You are wrong, it's clear that we were designed by something, somehow, and we now fit it's mold as the best survivor, in the image of life, in the image of God.

[ExUnoPlures]

@TheColaGoodfellow 1) if i google "define person" the first result returned says, "a human being..." when dr. craig tries to say 'god' is the "nonphysical 'part' of a person," that only begs the question, since telling us that this "part" is nonphysical only tells us what 'god' is not, not what it supposedly is. he says , "god exists." i say "what is 'god'?" he says, "well it's not physical and whatever it is it's the greatest." seems pretty nondefinitive to me.

[ExUnoPlures]

2) you say it is easy to understand why it is true to say we were "designed" by SOMETHING, SOMEHOW. but that really just seems like you're not saying much of anything at all.

[TheColaGoodfellow]

@ExUnoPlures

William Lane Craig knows mankind are not the greatest concievable beings... God is clearly so much more than just a human being and no humans spirits (save perhaps Jesus) have the omnipresent etc attributes of God.

Personhood is infact a controversial topic in philosophy. One dictionary describes "person" as an "autonomous being"

If you want evidence for an all powerful, semi-invisible, omnipresent and self sustaining being, look at reality, it has all those qualities.

[ExUnoPlures]

@TheColaGoodfellow

you say "god" is "more" than a human being, yet i can't see how "god" is even a "human being" at all. does "god" have dna? a brain? thoughts - in what language?

you sat "god' is present in your living room, but not "physically" present. what other type of presence is there besides physical? when you say "god" is in my soup, what in other words, is in my soup besides molecules of soup?

[ExUnoPlures]

and i appreciate you saying "reality" has [a lot of] the qualities chrstians ascribe to "god," because i often think that religion has a lot to do with anthropomorphizing the universe itself.

thx. best wishes.

[1stcorinthians1vrs18]

@ExUnoPlures God is not a man, Numbers 23:19. He is Spirit John 4:24. He is the creator of all things Genesis 1:1. He knows our thoughts before we think them Psalm 139. He fills heaven and earth Jeremiah 23:23,24. God entered into human flesh Philippians 2:5-11. The things that we cannot grasp about God are clearly seen and displayed in the things that He has created Romans 1, like DNA, the universe, the various life forms on our planet etc.

[TheColaGoodfellow]

@ExUnoPlures

"when asked, what 'god' is, dr. craig said the question was "easy" and answered, 'god' is "a person.""

You mis-read.

He actually said: "The best definition of God as a descriptive term is, I think, St. Anselm’s: the greatest conceivable being."

[ExUnoPlures]

@TheColaGoodfellow actually, dr. craig provided two definitions, the one that i mentioned and the one that you did. i was actually surprised to read dr. craig say he perferred the one you mentioned, since i think it is even more obviously faulty as a definition. specifically, 1) saying 'god' is "whatever thing is the greatest conceivable" conspicuously doesn't say what that thing is, and 2) what makes one being greater than another?  is a rock greater than a worm?

[ExUnoPlures]

*preferred

[FamousDave2186]

@ExUnoPlures You should look up Alvin Plantaga Ontolgical argument (the ontolgical argument is where we get Greatest Coceivable Being) you'll get the answer on that there.

[AMWOODco]

@ExUnoPlures 'what makes one being greater than another?'

Well, that depends on the characteristic you use. Size? A typical rock (fits in your hand) is larger than a typical worm. Intelligence? A worm is smarter. Morality? Both are morally neutral. There are other aspects one could apply (agency, for example). To state God is a maximum being is to state that he is the greatest in all these areas. That does provide a good place to start for a description.

[IloveYOUviruses]

Dr Craig encourages us to fight intellectually against secularism, but he in himself is a great general of this battle, what an example of passion for the Gospel.

[KuriapXia]

This man has been sent by God to defend our faith, i thank God for Him guiding Dr Craig through life.

[ThickShadescom]

thank you for the upload and edifying the saints. what an awesome fellowship.

[TheisticThinker]

This is a wonderful message, and I as a former Agnostic Atheist can tell you that very easily as a non-Christian, you think that the average Christian is an ignorant Creationist who is afraid of reasoning etc. The deep intellectual history of Christianity which is built upon Reason is never heard in the mainstream, instead some televangelist is believed to represent Christianity as a hold. Defend Christianty and its relationship to Reason and show everyone Christianity's true face!

[MarkThisWayAfter]

Craig's my hero!

[beto88keys]

I have so much respect for this guy I can't even put words to...same as RC Sproul. WLC, you are such a blessing to us!

[BachScholar]

@EnlightenedReader On the other hand, were TV filled with those who preach or teach the unadulterated truth like John MacArthur or William Lane Craig, most TV viewers would shrivel up in total fear and begin repenting and atheists would run for shelter to hide from their embarrassment.

[ApologeticsArsenal]

My hosanna was born from the flames of doubt and conflict. I thank God for putting me through it. Thank you Holy Ghost.

[BachScholar]

The intellectually shallow televangelists who preach healing and prosperity have given Christianity a bad reputation. It is sad, but most atheists and mainstream America believe these phony preachers represent true Christianity. It is no wonder then why there is such a hatred towards Christianity in the media and in Hollywood. If the messages preached by Joel Osteen or Benny Hinn were true Christianity, I would immediately become atheist also.

[DanYoungMusic]

WLC is looking like a boss in his Christmas Sweater

[Akieth0]

@DanYoungMusic like a philosophical Mr. Rogers

[aviator2k9]

@DanYoungMusic Dr.William Lane Craig, Stephen Meyer, Dr. Eugene Scott & John Lennox keep me going, Everyday :) (I'm 17 years old) :P



[shizzleman8]

@DanYoungMusic It looks like Dr. William is wearing a jail house orange jumpsuit in this video: Richard Dawkins: Embarrassingly Bad Thinker, Incredibly Ignorant

Reminiscent of the sweaters/sweater vests Lyle and Erik Menendez were advised to wear to court by thier attorney Leslie Abramson. As even a part Jew, a chosen person, I can tell you we don't suffer from what Dr. Craig is talking about here. We wrestle with our faith not our intellect. Dawkins to us is the Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

[Duplooytim]

I have been inspired to learn for the first time in my life! I hated learning all my life... Still do in some sense... But this is inspriring me to want to be intelectually equiped to impact othes for Christ!

[FamousDave2186]

@Duplooytim so did I. After College I started to learn things I really wanted to know. First was in politics, I learned how to debate positions I agree with, learned what the other side was saying and how to debunk them, then I learned apologetics, from Dr William Lane Craig. the first time I saw him was when he debated Christopher Hitchens and made him look bad. Like Dr. Craig said I had my head held high after that video. Everything I've done has led up to this point and I'm glad for that.

[TheSeanWilson]

I can vouch for this. If it weren't for William Lane Craig, I'm not sure where I'd be right now.

[DrOman5596]

The sentimentalism, anti intellectualism, and general state of being in intellectual neutral that Craig refers to is the reason that Christianity is being decimated in the public square, and books like the God delusion top the best seller list. Christians had abdicated their place in the market of ideas and we are now paying the price with the droves of people leaving the faith and the arrogance that our absence has spawned in unbelievers. This revolution had better come soon!

[Agrippa521]

@DrOman5596

"Christianity is being decimated in the public square"

Not really. All that is happening is that the western cultural paradigm is becoming polarised into a theistic/atheistic dichotomy.

From around the mid-late 1990s, there has been an ongoing resurgence of christian faith in the public sphere, which is in turn being opposed by an increasingly furious, polemically-driven (and epistemologically inept) atheistic countercultural movement - so-called "new atheism".

[DrOman5596]

@Agrippa521 There is more afoot than a dichotomization. At least since, and probably before the rise of televangelists/the moral majority, the state of Christian intellectual engagement has been horrendous. The explosion of the new atheist movement seems to be the result of the specter of terrorism and economic decline shocking people out of their emotional and intellectual complacency and into fear and uncertainty, provoking a new wave of scrutiny that Christians were ill equipped to address.

[Agrippa521]

@DrOman5596

"the state of Christian intellectual engagement has been horrendous"

Would you care to expound on this claim before I chase straw men in this exchange?

[AboveScience]

William Lane Craig is an authentic hero.

[LittleSn00py]

The left wing liberal progressives, who have the public education under their control, want the younger generations to be uneducated and lower their critical thinking skills, so they can indoctrinate them into easy acceptance of their harmful social policies.

[Agrippa521]

@LittleSn00py

It's truly despicable how educational standards have collapsed in the USA.

I was brought up with a secular education, and also bought into the philosophically incompetent, positivistic world view that is routinely inseminated via the public school system.

It took considerably capacity to think outside of the herd to address the epistemological and moral compromises this indoctrination entailed. Sadly, others were less fortunate.

[daniloorbolato]

I would give very much to be WLC's student.

But unfortunately my professors are a bunch of floating little leafs. Thinking too much of themselves while being no one!

[Bigjon145]

Can't wait to go back to school next week, gonna be on fire for Jesus.

[Bulloxe4]

Just checking if you're censoring 

[stallion4life]

Wow. Every Christian should watch this!

[Hewhobearschrist]

click the youtube members name up top for more videos drcraigvideos is my fav channel on youtube. Literally almost 1k videos of just Craig himself, hearing his arguments for God's existence etc have been of the greatest intillectual growth i've ever had. That is overall in my opinion the point of life....to know God.

[H0tkebab]

What was the cartoon?

[Hewhobearschrist]

@H0tkebab most likely a type of funny cartoon found in the paper, such as those short black and white political cartoons in the paper.

[spectre2575]

@H0tkebab

The cartoon is in his book On Guard. It is of a family at the zoo looking at a Christian couple who are in one of the enclosures. The sign on the enclosure reads:

Caution

Baptists (Southern)

Americanus Evangelicus

Fundamentalus Bapticus

[Hewhobearschrist]

A vital and critical area in the church that is lacking. I strongly urge the church and anyone for that matter to examine the Christian worldview. Speaking to the church here, know what you believe! Live it! Or your just warming the bench, much love to you all. Also if this is your first video of the speaker please look him up on you tube, Craig gives effective answers to the hardest questions you might have, grow in the faith...intillectually!

[LegendarySkyKing]

I think I may pick up one of those books this weekend. Also this video needed to be one second longer.

[4hq]

love this, more please...

[codyaustinpemberton]

and the lonley voice of youth crys what is truth

[ThisMemory]

Wait.. this is almost exactly 2 years old?

[soomeno]

Ever told the truth?

[drybomber5]

Great video!