Christopher Hitchens vs. Douglas Wilson Debate at Westminster Theological Seminary, Part 11 of 12

A debate at Westminster Theological Seminary between Christopher Hitchens, renowned atheist, and Douglas Wilson, renowned Christian author. It was moderated by Dr. Scott Oliphint, and you can read his response to the debate at http://www.wts.edu/stayinformed/view.html?id=296.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Christopher Hitchens
• Douglas Wilson
• Hitchens-Wilson debate
• atheist
• apologetics
• Scott Oliphint

[pwismyname]

You're wrong; that's a presumption. A technical "clergy" is more useful than a theological one. Unlike religious claims, science is peer-reviewed and well-documented (by credible sources). I'm sorry to say this but technology is the only thing that has made life more livable for humans. We should make religious institutions pay taxes to be FAIR and make all technological institutions tax-exempt so that we invest in progress and reality and not on the belief and desires of ancient barbarians.

[pwismyname]

After all, modernizing ancient myths will not fix social issues. A belief in Santa is less useful than a generous person who actually gives gifts. If we give religion a special plea, then we might as well make holiday stores tax-except. Beyond all of that, as long as people have different imaginary friends to fight for there will be WAR. Yet, if everyone admitted that Yahweh, Allah, etc are just cultural perversions of a being that might even exist (just maybe)...then there will be progress.

[smurfieboo]

6:56 what does he say...a "hokeclear?"

[drjamiemoon]

@pwismyname Why must you pit science against theology?

Science is a process of inquiry about the physical world and to find laws.

It is impossible to prove something transcends the physical world using physical properties.

The theist argument can be said: God created the physical world and the physical language and equations by which the universe exists. It is unreasonable to ask the Christian or thiest to prove God exists by using the equations we're saying God created.

[drjamiemoon]

@pwismyname But then you're asking everyone to accept that as ultimate truth. Is it not possible to just have a society that allows freedom of religion with the common denominator that no one can coerce or inflict harm onto another human.

[writersblock26]

@Meshugana Good point; I had not thought about it like that.

[ciaracustard]

I think Wilson should have got his hat out more.

[dorsk188]

@Meshugana

Through my telescope, I can see

All that is, and was, and ever will be

No sir, it isn't enough for me

What I need is a Jew that's been nailed to a tree

[adknerr]

Taking up the fizzing soda idea. People should that know from physics/chemistry that you cannot 'force' a chemical reaction to happen, more that it will definitely happen given the proper circumstances and environment, then if someone believes that we are NOT just molecules in motion they must believe there is something outside of the phyiscal realm (soul?) that interferes with our brain's chemistry/environment every time an action or thought to occurs. Dubious proposition if you ask me.

[playingdablues]

I won't denigrate a baboon's intelligence by comparing its reasoning abilities to Wilson's.

[groovegears]

Surely religion would be the milk asking itself what happened?