OSU debates God with two philosophers

Two Philosophers Debate the Existence of God A Socratic Club debate
By OSU Socratic Club

The OSU Socratic Club will sponsor a public dialogue entitled, “Two Philosophers Debate the Existence of God,” on Monday, March 1, at 7 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center on the OSU campus.  William Lane Craig will argue for the Christian view that a personal God exists and Victor J. Stenger the atheist position that there is no God.

Is God the greatest fact or the greatest illusion?  Of all the questions posed by philosophy this is surely the most important.  Has scientific knowledge made belief in God unnecessary and outdated?  Is the universe all there is and God merely a human invention and a fantasy?  Or is there an uncreated being, who is absolute, perfect, eternal, and personal that we call God?  These issues will be addressed by two distinguished philosophers who will offer widely differing points of view.

William Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at Biola University in La Mirada, California.  He is known for his contributions to the philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, and historical Jesus studies.  He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Birmingham in the UK, where he studied under the British philosopher John Hick; and a doctorate in theology from the University of Munich, where he studied under the German theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg.  He has authored or edited more than 30 books and has engaged many prominent academic atheists in public dialogue and debate.  For more information see his web site https://www.reasonablefaith.org

Victor J. Stenger is Emeritus Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Hawaii and currently Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado.  He was a pioneer in the emerging research focused on neutrino astronomy and very high-energy gamma rays.  Stenger is an advocate of philosophical naturalism, scepticism, and atheism.  He has published nine books on cosmology, skepticism, and atheism, most recently The New Atheism:  Taking a Stand for Science and Reason (2009).  For more information see his home page at https://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger

The Socratic Club is in its eighth year as a student organization at OSU. The Club is modeled on the original Socratic Club, which was founded at Oxford University in 1941, with C. S. Lewis serving as President.  At OSU it offers a forum for opposing points of view on subjects of contemporary debate at the intersection of Christian belief and contemporary culture.  Each speaker is given 25 minutes to present one side of an issue, after which the two query each other regarding their differences before the floor is opened to questions from members of the audience.  Two events are planned for each quarter.  For more information visit the OSU Socratic Club online at https://oregonstate.edu/groups/socratic/

The debate is free and open to the public.=


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