This coming week William Lane Craig, an academic based in the USA, is touring the UK to argue, on non-biblical grounds, for the existence of God. (NB Click on the video).
It is a busy schedule but it seems that the standard debate format is not to the liking of Richard Dawkins, who has refused an invitation to debate the question 'Is God a delusion?' at the SheldonianTheatre at Oxford University on Tuesday October 25. He has refused a number of similar invitations without any sound reason that I am aware of. Not surprisingly this a source of some amusement and has led to the Oxford bus campaign in which 30 buses in the area display the words 'Probably there's no Dawkins - so stop worrying.' This is in response to a London bus campaign a couple of years ago pronouncing 'There's probably no God - so stop worrying.'
My understanding is that Polly Toynbee of the British Humanist Asscoiation, initially agreed to step in but changed her mind. An empty chair will be supplied in case Dr Dawkins decides to turn up: otherwise it will be a lecture, not a debate, except that several leading atheists will be invited to interrogate Dr Craig, presumably as a panel. Prof A.C.Grayling also declined.
Dr Lane Craig is a prolific author of scholarly papers and 30 books on philosophical theology and cosmology. Previously he has debated with devout atheists such as A.C.Grayling, Christopher Hitchens and Laurence Krauss.
His tour starts on Monday 17 October at Westminster Hall in London where he will oppose Stephen Law.
Should be an interesting week.
John
Author, 2077 AD
