Essay: This year's best atheist debaters

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This year's best atheist debaters

As far as atheist debaters, Dr. Douglas Jesseph was described as "the most impressive debater to date" by Jeffery Jay Lowder, a founder of the pro-atheism website Internet Infidels.[1]

However, in a 1996 debate with William Lane Craig, Doug Jesseph claimed that the origin of life had a detailed atheistic explanation(s).[2] This confidence was not shared by the highly respected origin of life researcher Stanley Miller. Indeed, in 1996, John Horgan wrote that "Miller seemed unimpressed with any of the current proposals on the origin of life, referring to them as “nonsense” or “paper chemistry.”"[3] In a 1996 edition of Scientific American, Horgan went on to say: "The origin of life is a science writer's dream. It abounds with exotic scientists and exotic theories, which are never entirely abandoned or accepted, but merely go in and out of fashion."[4]

At the atheist blog Common Sense Atheism, the atheist Luke Muehlhauser said of the Craig vs. Jesseph debate: "A very typical debate in which Craig’s opponent is not prepared for Craig’s skill, speed, or organization, and things just get worse for Jesseph as things go along and he falls further and further behind."[5]

In 2010, the worldwide atheist community was challenged to a debate by Creation Ministries International as prominent atheists were speaking at a 2010 global atheist convention in Australia.[6] Richard Dawkins, PZ Myers and other prominent atheists refused to debate Creation Ministries International.[7] Generally speaking, leading evolutionists no longer debate creation scientists because creation scientists tend to win the debates.[8]

See also: Rebuttals to atheist arguments

New Atheist Richard Dawkins and debate

The new atheist and evolutionist Richard Dawkins has developed a reputation for ducking debates with strong debate opponents. Please see: Instances of Richard Dawkins ducking debates.

On May 14, 2011, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph published a news story entitled Richard Dawkins accused of cowardice for refusing to debate existence of God.[9] In The Daily Telegraph article Dr. Daniel Came, a member of the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford University was quoted as writing to fellow atheist Richard Dawkins concerning his refusal to debate Dr. William Lane Craig, "The absence of a debate with the foremost apologist for Christian theism is a glaring omission on your CV and is of course apt to be interpreted as cowardice on your part."[10]

In addition, Christian apologist Ken Ammi called Dawkins a "cowardly clown" for his refusal to debate Creation Ministries International at the 2010 Global Atheist Convention.[11]

See also: Creation scientists tend to win the creation vs. evolution debates

Atheist community is lacking in confidence

Dr. Greg Bahnsen became known as "the man atheists fear most" due to Michael Martin's cancellation of their scheduled debate.[12][13]

See also: Atheist movement and Atheism and cowardice

In 2010, Professor Eric Kaufmann, who specializes in religion/irreligion/demographics/politics, wrote:

Worldwide, the march of religion can probably only be reversed by a renewed, self-aware secularism. Today, it appears exhausted and lacking in confidence... Secularism's greatest triumphs owe less to science than to popular social movements like nationalism, socialism and 1960s anarchist-liberalism. Ironically, secularism's demographic deficit means that it will probably only succeed in the twenty-first century if it can create a secular form of 'religious' enthusiasm."[14]

For more information, please see: Atheism and cowardice

Articles about the atheist community lacking in confidence

See also

External links

Thunderf00t vs. Ray Comfort

see also: Thunderf00t and Ray Comfort

Notes