William Lane Craig vs Peter Atkins (HQ) 1/11

This is the 1998 debate between Dr. William Lane Craig and Dr. Peter W. Atkins in high quality.

.....................................THE DEBATE........................
WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE FOR/AGAINST THE EXISTENCE OF GOD?

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[Max Hassle]

Billy is an ass clown.

[Samuel Medina]

William Lane Craig is my hero!

[BeekersSqueakers]

I was responding to a premise proposed by a theist. If you'd like to dispute the "timelessness" of god, please direct it to the person who made the actual claim. I don't purport belief in a deity, so I'm not in the position to assert what attributes one may or may not have.

[BeekersSqueakers]

Please keep in mind you're replying to a comment I posted 3 years ago. Frankly, I don't much care for vague, pseudo-philosophical ramblings and emotional appeals, but if you'd like to propose something with more substance, I'd be more than happen to respond to it.

[StormZephyr]

I am the sort of atheist that does not deny the possibility of gods. I can appreciate the universe's order. However, I have found no compelling evidence for any god in particular.

I have come to believe that Christianity is probably not true based on what I have learned, if I must admit this belief is more in sway with what I want.

But this being said, the idea of eternal damnation, a loving God, and omnipotence and omniscience all at once still seem to me to be logically in conflict.

[Ethan Kriegel]

From an outside perspective that is what every faith might appear as. As a non-atheist I could say that Atheism is a faith for those that want it to be true and do not want to deal with or admit the possibility of a higher power.

As a Christian I believe the text of the Bible to be true and the teachings of Christ to be the standard to live my life by. I haven't heard an argument against Christianity that better explains the rise of order from chaos, and the state of the hearts of men.

[StormZephyr]

Would you agree that Christianity is a faith only for those who want it to be true?

[Ethan Kriegel]

God created us in His image as His children. A parent loves all their children, but those that openly rebel and reject His love also reject the spiritual salvation that come with it. If you had a child that consistently disobeyed, acted against your will, and rejected your love, would you continue to give food, clothing, and shelter once they turned 18. Likewise, we have a life time to experience life and make a decision on they kind of person we want to be and what we are to believe.

[Carl Kelley]

God was omnipotent enough to create a being that, if given a choice to worship him and have eternal life or, not worhsip him and die, that the smartest of these beings would actually pick life and therefore God. The death God speaks of in his word is death of the soul. I can't imagine God making man suffer eternally myself.

[StormZephyr]

So you're telling me the best an omnipotent God can do is to create a crude filtration device for beings that will fill his needy ego and throw the rest into a pit of despair and suffering? It doesn't sound like he has much respect for his creation, only for himself!