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Last Monday I was interviewed by Jim Wallace for the Please Convince Me podcast. If you are not familiar with his ministry, I give it my highest recommendation. Jim does an amazing job of taking philosophical, scientific, and historical evidence and presenting it in a logical and compelling way. He's a former atheist and really understands how many non-Christians really think. We had a great chat about my recent debate with James Corbett and other apologetics issues. Check it out! |
My recent debate with James Corbett on the topic, "Is God the Best Explanation for Moral Values?", has generated quite a stir. A number of people from various backgrounds and beliefs have chimed in with their thoughts, including a popular atheist blogger, a Christian science-fiction writer, a Christian postmodernist, the "Apologetics Junkie," and the Saddleback College paper (the debate was held at Saddleback College).
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Here is Part 1 of the debate between Sean McDowell and James Corbett on the question, "Is God the Best Explanation for Moral Values?" To view Part 2, click on "continue reading."
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Next month I will be debating James Corbett from Capistrano Valley High School on the topic: "Is God the Best Explanation for Moral Values." This promises to be an interesting and informative evening! Jim got his Ph.D from Ohio State University and has taught for 37 years. The debate will be held at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, on Friday, February 26 from 7 to 9:30 pm. If you're interested in attending, you can get more information from my website, where I've posted a pdf announcement of the event. If you can't attend in person, be sure to watch it live right here at ConversantLife.com.
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Recently a magazine sent me excellent questions for an interview. Below are some of their inquiries and my responses.
Q1. There's so much to talk about, but first let's start with how you encountered Christ. You say that He 'interrupted your existence'. Can you tell us a bit about what your life was like then and how He stopped you in your tracks? Alicia: Truth for me was dead. God had never lived. Life was filled with pain. Death was the end of life. These four beliefs formed my worldview. I sincerely believed that there was no God. The day of the encounter, I was neither seeking God nor on a noble truth pilgrimage. I was neither high nor drunk nor in the pit of despair. Q2. Were you an atheist by choice or simply because no one had ever told you the gospel? Alicia: Atheism was a distinct decision. My parents tease me that the first word out of my mouth wasn’t “Ma” or “Da” but “WHY?” Evidently I’ve been asking questions since I could speak. Unanswerable questions led me to the belief that there was no God. Over the years I encountered several streams of Christianity and also Spiritualism, Hinduism, and Buddhist thought. Faith seemed a construct of mankind to stuff in the gaps and calm fears or explain the unexplainable. As a young Atheist, I considered myself a realist who preferred unanswered questions over fairy tales. Q3. Why do you think so many Christians are afraid of speaking with those who say they don't believe? Alicia: Reasons abound, but perhaps almost all of the reasons are rooted in either fear or deception. Some fear rejection or embarrassment. Some fear not knowing what to say. And perhaps some privately fear that their faith isn’t sound enough to withstand critique. Fear married to deception keeps the Church caged. In our day, “one way—Jesus” is cultural blasphemy. The world’s deceptive message is deafening: “Move beyond the narrow elitism of one-way and enter into the enlightened inclusion of all ways. Affirm equally everyone’s respective truth or keep your mouth shut.” Q4. Do you think modern Christian culture has in some ways made it more difficult for atheists to come to the church? Alicia: Perhaps it’s our lack of sharing life shoulder-to-shoulder outside of church that makes it difficult for people (Atheist or otherwise) to want to come inside a church. We give our gifts (money, talent) gladly but our lives (time, touch) little. Our lives are so full. Yet it would be life-giving, if we said “no” to one time-eater in order to say “yes” to some consistent activity (city league ball, PTA…) that would place us in proximity with others who wrote mental resignation letters to the church long ago. (to be continued)
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Radio interviews are almost always enjoyable, especially when the host permits call-ins. I love the raw nature of a live q&a; it's energizing. But one call-in this year caught me off-guard. Frankly, I was stunned and couldn't fill the space fast enough for air time, so the comment went unanswered except by the host who thanked the caller for taking the time... The interview was on my book, Finding an Unseen God: Reflections of a Former Atheist. Many have commented on how I treat Atheists and their belief system with respect throughout the book. I thought the reasons were obvious--but that is my error. In response to the interview, the sincere, non-belligerent, concerned caller said, "You should not honor the Atheist, because the Bible says that, "the fool says in his heart that there is no God.'" Then he went on to make another point...which I honestly don't remember because I was a bit dazed.
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I had a conversation with a friend today that caused me to rethink my approach, positions, and even my writing style. I realized from this conversation that although my stance may not be one of pointing fingers, calling people morons, and generally telling the world why my view is better than someone else’s, I may (at times) come across that way. If you have been a commenter or lurker on “The Infinite in Everything” for a while, you have likely heard me rant about fundamentalism, atheism, liberalism, biblical scholarship, calvinism, and most recently mysticism. I love talking about these subjects, but recently it has come to my attention that my snarky attitude (as funny as I may think it is) can really be quite unhelpful. This blog is my playground, so I conduct my theological experiments here in wanna-be-Albert-Einstein-esk ways. Sometimes it works, but like all experiments, it fails at times too. So, maybe it is time for a little self- and blog-evaluation. What if my approach has been entirely wrong? What if I need to abandon the terminology I use to articulate my views on faith in favor of something that is more helpful? Here’s an example. I thought my story about the guy who wrote me off because I was a mystic was funny, but a commenter, who went by Paulos, was quick to correct me, when he said:
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For those of you who care about young people today, this article is a must-read. There are twice as many atheist groups on college campuses this year as compared to last. I agree with the author of this study who says that a big reason is the New Atheists who are targeting young people much more aggressively than in the past. Atheists are stepping up their game. Will we?
For those of you who care about young people today, this article is a must-read. There are twice as many atheist groups on college campuses this year as compared to last. I agree with the author of this study who says that a big reason is the New Atheists who are targeting young people much more aggressively than in the past. Atheists are stepping up their game. Will we?
Click HERE to read the article
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If you thought youth camp was only for Christians (or at least religious groups), then you need to check out this short video. I've always wondered what the next generation of atheists will be like. It seems that almost every popular atheist today had some bad experience in a religious home or church. They grew up in a primarily "Christian" nation and have revolted against it. Both Hitchens and Dawkins, for example, begin their recent books retelling their personal stories to this extent. But what will the next generation of atheists, who go to camps such as this, be like? And more importantly, will your students be prepared to engage them thoughtfully?
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