Staunch atheist Richard Dawkins of The New York Times bestseller The God Delusion will square off in a debate with popular Christian apologist John Lennox next month.
The Oct. 3 debate, which takes place at the Alys Stephens Center in Birmingham, Ala., will tackle one of the world’s most critical and age-old questions – Does God exist? – and views expressed in Dawkins' latest book.
Dawkins, labeled by BBC as "Darwin's Rottweiler," is a prominent spokesman for the "New Atheism." The once silent and ignored atheist minority has emerged as a vocal, insistent bunch that doesn’t just want to deny the existence of God, but wipe religion off the map, as prominent evangelical Chuck Colson put it.
In the past two years, five books touting atheism have hit bestseller lists. Dawkins' The God Delusion is just days away from hitting one year on The New York Times bestseller list this week. And membership at Atheist Alliance International (AAI) has doubled in the past year to 5,200.
"People who were ashamed to say there is no God now say, 'Wow, there are others out there who think like me," said AAI president Margaret Downey, according to The Washington Post.
According to The Barna Group, about 5 million American adults claim to be atheists and staunchly reject the existence of God. If adding the agnostics and other Americans who have doubts of God's existence but do not outright reject a Supreme Being, roughly 20 million people in the nation belong to the "no faith" group.
Dawkins rates himself on a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 is certitude that God exists and 7 is certitude that God does not exist, as 6, arguing that any scientist would leave open the possibility that God exists.
For Dawkins, however, "God is very improbable" and he lives his life "on the assumption that [God] is not there."
The upcoming debate will take place as Christian apologist Lennox releases his forthcoming book God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?. In the anticipated book, Lennox invites readers to re-examine the atheist's position that the nature of science points toward the non-existence of God.
Former atheist Lee Strobel, now a noted Christian apologist, released a documentary last year using science to prove the existence of God.
"Today, science is pointing more powerfully to a creator than any other time," said Strobel in "The Case for a Creator." "The most logical and rational step is to put my faith in the Creator that science tells me exists."
The God Delusion Debate is being sponsored by Fixed Point Foundation, a Christian think tank. Dawkins is a fellow of the Royal Society and Charles Simonyi chair for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. Lennox is a fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at the Green College of the University of Oxford. Both have dedicated their careers to science but arrived at very different conclusions. The upcoming event will also be one of the few debates in which Dawkins has ever participated.
Comments
As to the comment that God Himself as the Light before the sun was created being unsupported by scripture. In Revelation it says that God HImself will be the Light in the New Jerusalem. It is no a big stretch to believe that when the earth was first created that God was the Light. Obviously, that does not prove that this was the case, but it does at least lend some credence to the idea.
Yaba Daba Du,
Reprove a fool and he will hate you,
Duh!
Actually the evolutionists and atheists are no worse off than the majority of “Christian” preachers who are teaching a false salvation doctrine.
Practically no mainstream religion teaches the true gospel of our salvation, instead teaching a conglomeration of false doctrine in an effort to assure that no person following their “church” doctrine will be saved. In short, the “churches” are vilely corrupt organizations striving for money and power.
The only group of people that I consider to be more vile and corrupt than lawyers are preachers. The lawyers take away the people’s wealth and dignity in the present but the preachers steal their soul for all eternity.
BOC560
Hi CelticPyr8,
I am aware of AiG... AiG is the Young-Earth Creationist site... I do have one thing to say about: "which BTW Tradition Holds that Almighty GOD himself was the Source of the Light before He Created the Sun / Moon / Stars et al...- so as to remind Man that He was to be Worshiped & Not the Star / Ball of Fire - we call the Sun !"
Tradition never said anything about God being the Light... I have heard this as an argument before and it does not hold any water... Since we know that God's Spirit (Holy Spirit) was hovering over the water, I am sure he would have mentioned that He was the Light as well...
Interesting theory, but again, something that is completely unsupported in scripture.
What a great argument.Thanks for that,jar61.I love this site!!!
Well I have one question for Dr. Dawkins... let's assume for the sake of arguement that man evolved from the primordial ooze. Here is my question.. Did the ooze use cellular division as a means of human development and if so.. who cared for the babies? I mean if babies were creatred from the ooze who fed them, who kept them safe from the elements and critters? Who nursed them when they were sick? Or did the swamp also keep them until they were adults? Seems Genesis 1 had it right.. the only way for human beings to survive is if they were created as adults first...... unless of course Dr. Dawkins believes we were spawned from aliens...
Since I was a young atheist and finally became sane, I understand some of the dilemma the good Senator is going through. Of course since he does not know Him it is a bit impossible for him to understand Him. However it is difficult to understand how the good Senator can sue God, who accord to one of his personalities, does not believe He exists. I know...I know, all with an I.Q. over 100 are already answering that question. He might study Aristotle and his logic or Socrates would even be better, then he would pick up on the Major Premise and the Minor Premise Equals the Answer, etc. C.M.E.Joad, the great English philospher who wrote books on atheism and tried to buy them back after he became a Christian could help the Senator, that is if he is willing to be helped. But we understand Grandstanding and showmanship that becomes necessary when one does not know how to do what he was elected to do. But I believe his intent is good and that is worth something.
::begin quote::
Hey DannyPoo, I wanted to let you know that the example citizen was using to question the Bible was Quirinius.Scholars say he was not Governor of Syria at the time of Jesus' birth,as Luke asserts in Luke 2:1-2.I never did answer him,but according to the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary and The Mcarthur Study Bible, a stone was found near Rome indicating that he was Governor twice.I didn't want to forget to tell you both about that discovery.The "Rocks Cry Out".
::end quote::
Thanks for the info Golden!
Hey Guys ! - ZenoDaddy ; DannyPoo & company - & anyone else who is interested ! - If U really want to get your teeth into this issue - esp the issue of the Sun / Day & Night - (which BTW Tradition Holds that Almighty GOD himself was the Source of the Light before He Created the Sun / Moon / Stars et al...- so as to remind Man that He was to be Worshiped & Not the Star / Ball of Fire - we call the Sun !) - then please check out the following sites: http://www.kolbecenter.org/ and Also: http://www.answersingenesis.org/
For the specific topic of Sun / Day & Night – go to:
http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/2005/04/25/day-and-night-but-without-the-sun/
Have Fun !
Hey DannyPoo, I wanted to let you know that the example citizen was using to question the Bible was Quirinius.Scholars say he was not Governor of Syria at the time of Jesus' birth,as Luke asserts in Luke 2:1-2.I never did answer him,but according to the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary and The Mcarthur Study Bible, a stone was found near Rome indicating that he was Governor twice.I didn't want to forget to tell you both about that discovery.The "Rocks Cry Out".
Do Atheists Exist?
http://polemos.net/Do%20Atheists%20Exist.html
"For centuries now men have been debating the existence of God. Just think about that; men who were created by God debating about whether or not that God exists, little men attempting to bring the almighty Creator before the bar of their finite judgment! If it were not such a crime it might be something to laugh at.
But the fact of the matter is that men will not sit in judgment upon God, but God will sit in judgment upon man. And in that great and terrible day of judgment, all delusions will be set aside and all self-deceptions will be swept away. Everything will finally be set right and reality will be clearly seen by all of mankind. And in that day, it will be acknowledged by all that atheists did not exist......"
I agree. If they are going to win this debate they are going to need someone on Hugh Ross's staff or even Hugh to prep him before this debate. When the bible clearing identifies the existence of the Earth, darkness over the face of it, and it was covered by water because the Spirit of God was hovering above it (A flood before Noah's Flood) all found in Genesis 1:2. This tells me that this Earth may actually be old, but our appearence on it is much more recent and instantanous. This Earth shows evidence of about 6-7 seven creation events. We take for granted oil within the earth's crust, but only the God of the Bible can take the credit for His forsight and patience in preparing all the energy resources necessary for our arrival on the earth and the days that we live in. Love is patient. This universe and life itself is much too fine-tuned to be the result of haphazard mistakes. Nature reveals that living organisms show no sign of mutational advance - invalidating darwinism.
http://evolutionfacts.blogspot.com
I have always been fond of Hugh's work. Fuzale Rana is another person you may be interested in as well... he wrote a book called 'Origin of Life' which is a great read! I read that book in a matter of days (no pun intended for those 'in the know')... his PhD is in micro biology if I remember correctly and is also a fellow at RTB.
Glad you liked his site! They have local chapters all over the US.
I like what I've seen so far on Hugh Ross' site.I was reading about the expanding universe as it relates to the Bible.Great stuff!!
Thanks for the heads up on Hugh Ross' site.I'm on my way over there now!!