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What's your last watched/heard debate?

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 7:09 am
by Volenta
I think most of us enjoy watching debates related to religion, the god-question, or something along those lines. In this topic you can share some great debates you've (recently) watched or heard (if it's an audio debate).

I've watched William Lane Craig vs. Sean Carroll – God and Cosmology (2014) this week. Probably the best destruction of WLC I've seen thus far. Arguing about cosmology with an actual scientist is pretty hopeless. I wonder whether WLC still dares to use his cosmological argument and fine-tuning argument after this. (he probably does...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0qKZqPy9T8

Re: What's your last watched/heard debate?

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 10:04 am
by brimstoneSalad
Can you find a mirror which isn't on his channel?

Re: What's your last watched/heard debate?

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 10:52 am
by Volenta
brimstoneSalad wrote:Can you find a mirror which isn't on his channel?
I suppose you want to see user comments?
Here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-H6hdjpRRw (warning: starts with high volume distorted audio)

Re: What's your last watched/heard debate?

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:48 am
by brimstoneSalad
Volenta wrote:
brimstoneSalad wrote:Can you find a mirror which isn't on his channel?
I suppose you want to see user comments?
Nope, the other reason.

Re: What's your last watched/heard debate?

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 12:03 pm
by DLH
Volenta wrote:I think most of us enjoy watching debates related to religion, the god-question, or something along those lines. In this topic you can share some great debates you've (recently) watched or heard (if it's an audio debate).

I've watched William Lane Craig vs. Sean Carroll – God and Cosmology (2014) this week. Probably the best destruction of WLC I've seen thus far. Arguing about cosmology with an actual scientist is pretty hopeless. I wonder whether WLC still dares to use his cosmological argument and fine-tuning argument after this. (he probably does...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0qKZqPy9T8
I never watch these sorts of debates because it is frustrating to me to see the Bible so misrepresented by mainstream Christians. The closest I have come to watching any of those sorts of debates was with Christopher Hitchens simply because I admired him a great deal. Even he, though, was focused much more on religion than on the Bible. Skeptic's can't be very knowledgeable on the Bible generally because they are focused either on religion, such as apostate Christianity, or on the distorted teachings of the Bible according to those apostate sects of Christendom.

To have seen Hitchens debate the Bible with, for example, a knowledgeable Jehovah's Witness would have been most interesting, but to watch him on a book tour with Al Sharpton . . . not so much.

Re: What's your last watched/heard debate?

Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 11:39 am
by brimstoneSalad
It's interesting, although not surprising to me, that they both agree that the Copenhagen interpretation is nonsense.
When two people like this agree on some things so strongly, it's very telling.

As expected, Craig is some kind of Hidden variable/deterministic advocate, which is telling on how far behind the science he is.
He thinks there are a lot more distinct interpretations than there really are, when there's really more phylogenic, arising and diversifying from a small number of basic kingdoms, within which there's not a lot of metaphysically meaningful difference

DLH wrote: I never watch these sorts of debates because it is frustrating to me to see the Bible so misrepresented by mainstream Christians.
You might like this one, it isn't about the Christian bible at all; just metaphysics, physics, and creation discussion. He's also not trying to "prove" god, which makes the whole thing less of a farce.
DLH wrote: Skeptic's can't be very knowledgeable on the Bible generally because they are focused either on religion, such as apostate Christianity, or on the distorted teachings of the Bible according to those apostate sects of Christendom.
Well, they're usually focused on the majority, and particularly the most threatening majority (e.g. those who oppose science). It's understandable.

I don't think they're looking for soft targets, but rather those who better represent most people, or those prevailing anti-scientific positions.

When the stakes of the debate are lowered to the point of more minor and reasonable discussions, the debate becomes less interesting to most people, and often not worth the time to organize (perhaps unfortunately), and unlikely for people to spend money broadcasting it.
DLH wrote: To have seen Hitchens debate the Bible with, for example, a knowledgeable Jehovah's Witness would have been most interesting,
Unfortunate that we lost such a great mind so early. I'm not a big fan of cigarettes (or excessive drinking for that matter).

Most of the apologists are essentially parodies of themselves; there's little to no challenge there, and not a lot of real discussion. It's a shame he didn't get many chances to debate opponents worthy of him.

There was an interesting one between Sam Harris and a Rabbi I saw recently...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN9nlAnkCUY
I think that's it.

Aside from this debate (Craig vs. Carroll ), that's probably the best one I've seen lately, particularly because of the topics they cover.