Dr William Lane Craig and Dr Bill Cooke debated the moot “Is God a Delusion?” at Auckland University on 17 June 2008. The debate was chaired by Professor John Bishop and was organised by New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists and Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship with MandM.
High quality DVD copies of the debate are available from John Welch for $39.95 NZD + P&P.
Our review of the debate is here. Enjoy 🙂
Tags: Apologetics · Atheism · Bill Cooke · Debates · Events · Faith and Reason · NZARH · Philosophy of Religion · Rationalists · Videos · William Lane Craig10 Comments
A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.
Thankyou so much for organising this debate. Christianity should be shown in this light all around New Zealand – why don’t you speak at Parachute and at Bible Schools and Churches and at Universities?
I was at this debate. A clear win for Dr. Craig. Dr. Cooke didn’t answer any of Dr. Craig’s arguments, and seemed to give up after his first statement.
I think the Christian’s there were encouraged in their faith, and many of the atheists present were shaken in theirs.
Full MP3 Audio of the William Lane Craig vs Bill Cooke debate can be found here.
MandM, I am finding such a great resource with your blog.
.-= My last blog-post ..Race and Social Issues in Education =-.
I’m glad you are enjoying it Joel.
This debate was an awesome thing to be part of.
.-= My last blog-post ..Christian Blog Carnival CCCX =-.
[…] Is God a Delusion? The Auckland Craig v Cooke Debate Online | MandM. […]
[…] you enjoyed the 2008 debate at Auckland University between William Lane Craig and Bill Cooke, you should enjoy this […]
Bill Cooke got seriously PWNED!!!!
[…] speakers have visited the University of Auckland in recent years and both drew large audiences; Dr Craig debated Dr Bill Cooke in 2008 and Dr Krauss gave a public talk there in […]
Interesting videos. In beginning my comment with a joke, after a long and protracted stint in academia, I will say doing a PhD and having it kick the life out of you for a prolonged period of time can make even the most staunch Christian question their faith! But seriously….
Though I was born Catholic, I was not raised in a religious household and did not have religious tenets imposed upon me. Then having collected a stack of university science degrees, I will admit the idea of a man-made God seemed much more plausible. But on the other hand, I will fully acknowledge that for all we “know” in the sciences, there is still plenty we don’t know. And because we don’t “know” all the answers, does not necessarily mean should default to a belief in God because no other plausible explanation exists. Rather, in time, we may come to understand those answers.
If it’s a question of God created everything, then why would God create so-called science and rational thought, both of which could stand to debunk His own existence?
Both in NZ and overseas, I have regularly attended church in an effort to break through my own personal biases and see what it meant to have a relationship with God. On one hand, the social interaction independent of religion can have a very calming sensation on the body and make one feel more connected. But is this feel-good vibe related to God or more just the sense of belonging that comes from any social gathering. Believing in an external God or God-like entity is ascribing an external locus of control to everything in our lives. It’s as if things will only come our way, or not come our way, based on which side of the bed God wakes up on.
Having said all that, I’m not sure that I necessarily believe there is a God up in the sky, an old gray-haired berobed man in sandals, but perhaps there is a master energy source of the universe and the way in which we live our lives contributes to or detracts from this master energy field.
If you live a social life, contribute to society, have meaningful relationships, and live a positive life, then I believe this is what comes back to you. Do the opposite and it’s a cold life. But is it God, the human construct or is it a very real and genuine inter and/or intra-energy dynamic? I admit I don’t have the answer, but then again, nobody does.
No matter how religious or atheist you are, one thing nobody can debate is that nobody REALLY knows what happens after you die. Seriously, we believe what we believe simply because we do, and the evidence on both sides is equally flimsy. I believe it’s irrefutable that nobody knows nor will ever know until they pass on, so it may be a moot point. Perhaps better to just let it be what it is and leave everyone to their own opinions if that’s what helps them sleep better at night. For me personally, some of the explanations for occurences as acts of God is on par with saying the Tooth Fairy did it.
So what did come first? The chicken or the egg? Won’t know til it’s all over, I suppose.