The 2003 debate between theistic philosopher, William Lane Craig, and atheistic physicist Vic Stenger. You may also read the transcript of the debate.
. Outline William Lane Craig’s arguments for God’s existence • God is the best explanation for why there is something rather than nothing. • God’s existence is implied by the origin of the universe. • The fine-tuning of the universe for intelligent life points to a designer of the cosmos. • Objective moral values are plausibly grounded in God. • The historical facts concerning the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. • Outline Vic Stenger’s arguments against God’s existence • The attributes of the Christian God are self-contradictory • The attributes of the Christian God are inconsistent with what we know about the world. • Supernatural explanations for events in the universe are unnecessary. • The attributes of the Christian God imply actions that should be directly observable, but they are not.
• Select one argument from Craig and one argument from Stenger and formulate the arguments in your own words. What examples and evidence do the philosopher provide to support the argument? What weaknesses were pointed out about the arguments you selected in the rebuttal periods and were the rebuttals successful, why or why not?
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