As many of you will know, I recently debated Christopher Hitchens in Billings, Montana. I have been slow to blog about it for two reasons. First, it is a more difficult thing writing about a debate in which I was a combatant. I want to be fair. Second, I have been a bit busy. I will keep my remarks brief and link you to several articles.
Also, we will be screening the debate on Tuesday November 16th at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. (If you cannot make that event, you can pre-order the DVD off of our website.)
Now, the debate ...
It should be noted that Hitch and I have debated one another many times. This has certain obvious advantages and disadvantages. I knew, for example, more or less what he was going to say. Unfortunately, the reverse was also true. Little of what I said would have been new to him. This can, however, make for a much more substantive discussion because there are fewer misunderstandings. Added to this was the fact that we have, I think, a chemistry that the audience enjoyed. While the issues were hotly contested, there was nothing vicious or ad hominem. At times, the banter was playful. I really do like Christopher Hitchens and mean him well. I just think that he is wrong.
In large measure I am able to enjoy Hitch because he is not a very consistent atheist. Oh, he is sincere in saying that he does not believe in the existence of God. But the fact is, Christopher has been deeply influenced by a Judeo-Christian worldview - much more than he realizes - and as a consequence, he is not willing to take his atheism to its logical conclusions. This came out during the debate: his continual expressions of moral outrage, the fact that he clearly holds human life to be something sacred, and his reference to the spirit. (The latter was a Freudian slip and it amused me greatly.) By contrast, philosophically consistent atheists are a frightening lot. There one finds Stalins, Maos, and Hitlers. Peter Singer and Sam Harris are philosophically consistent atheists. What they are advocating is chilling stuff. Compared with these men, Hitch is much closer to the Christian position than he knows.
In short, the Gospel was proclaimed and, I think, defended. Hitch, to be sure, scored his points, too. He is much too clever to do otherwise. But he was frequently off-topic, railing against Islam and the like, which had nothing whatsoever to do with the evening's topic.
The day after the debate we drove through Yellowstone National Park together. Seventy degrees and a cloudless sky, it was an extraordinary day to take in the majesty of God's creation. The rest of the Fixed Point staff led the way in a rented Suburban. We all stopped at a roadside grill, pitched horseshoes, saw "Old Faithful", took photos of wildlife, and generally had fun - all to the tunes of Simon and Garfunkel.
Read more about the debate at The Billings Gazette, KULR-8 News, and The Billings Outpost. |