Atheists, creationists, and the pitfalls of public debate

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3601936.html
http://oxfordstudent.com/tag/genocide/
This excerpt from the article above is particularly telling:
"However, ultimately one question exposed Craig's alarmingly questionable moral principles: "Dawkins has refused to debate you because (he says) you think genocide could be acceptable in some contexts. Have you ever said anything which warrants this view, and what do you actually think?" He started with the straightforward denial that we expected -- "I have not in any way ever said that God commanded, or could command, human genocide". However, the following ten minute explanation of Numbers 33:50-54 (look it up) did not involve a justification of genocide, merely a justification of the mass displacement of an ethnic group; the kicker at the end was his summary that if this forced displacement did involve killing some Canaanites, well the adults deserved it because they were sinful, and it's alright because the children went straight to heaven. Seriously?
The widespread applause this statement extracted from the audience was possibly more alarming than the statement itself. Somewhere up in the wings a lone voice was shouting "Boo"; the news editor and I stared gormlessly; the rest of the spectators seemed to find this little speech all fine and dandy. I am a religious person, and as a person of faith (not in spite of it) I was morally repulsed by this analysis, and deeply concerned about the intellectual and moral fibre of the believers who found it commendable."

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/11/29/lack-of-seriousness-the-last-...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDvgbj3apAU
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/31/baby-7-billion-dear-kid?new...

Category:

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Tags:

• atheist
• Richard
• Dawkins
• William
• Lane
• Craig
• Kurt
• Vonnegut
• Damon
• Young
• Nietzsche
• Philip
• Roth
• Nemesis
• Human
• All
• Too
• pyrrho314
• debate
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• structured
• conversation
• Creationism
• Atheism

[Primalxbeast]

I know this wasn't a main part of your video, but naming somebody the 7 billionth person on the planet can't really be possible because there are too many people being born and dieing at any one time to accurately determine that. Many places don't have accurate population counts, and there are populations of people who rarely have contact with the outside world, so it's silly to just arbitrarily pick one person and put that kind of pressure on them.

[2bsirius]

@WildwoodClaire1

Exactly! Well said...

[WildwoodClaire1]

@dewinthemorning No one can expend more futile hours lolly-gagging in the bosky dells of speculation and specious reasoning as WLC. The garrulous Doctor Craig insists on exhaling hours of fruity, sweet-smelling prose that could have been easily replaced by a mere three words: "God did it!"

[WildwoodClaire1]

Surely, the only possible result of engaging in public debate with William Lane Craig would be the aggrandizement of the loquacious Dr. Craig.

[ScreamsFromTheAbyss]

"Human, all too human" is a great work, haven't read "Nemesis" but my old dad used to be huge Phillip Roth fan.

[Zerafinel]

I loved this, thank you.

[sitemountain]

Dawkins was never GOING to debate WCL because he was busy. Even if he HAD another Christian apologist would have called on him -or another -or another, so eventually SOMEONE would end up saying 'See -he's FRIGHTENED of debating me!' -How dishonest!

[2bsirius]

@TrenchantAtheist

Yes, that strategy is a great way to show students why research is vital to winning a debate....It could help if there were more of that here on YT....On YouTube there is a lot of tribalism and egotism but not an immense about of trying to figure out that there are two sides to every stated position...

[TrenchantAtheist]

@pyrrho314 Isn't that what debate teams are for? That students are directed to argue for seemingly unwinnable positions, so that they may learn that there are, in fact, ways of winning even the most lopsided of debates?

It would seem to me that people are well aware of the many ways of winning and losing. Unfortunately, however, I think the opposite lesson is learned: not that there's no such thing as winning or losing, but rather that you can always win if you don't care about being productive

[Mastikator]

Craig is a disingenuous, elitist jerk, I don't blame anyone for not debating him.