Debate - Almost Overwhelming?

are the Philosophical & Scientific Arguments for the Existence of God almost overwhelming?

Nicholas Beale and Prof Colin Howson debate - Published in Prospect Magazine, May 1998.

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A better debate page is now available here. Updated 25 April 1998

Original Letters in The Times

 
From Mr Nicholas Beale 
Sir, The philosophical and scientific arguments for the existence of God … are now almost overwhelming. … 
Nor is it easy to explain how, without the resurrection, 11 dejected followers of a wandering teacher, who never wrote a book and was executed in his 30s, now have 2bn successors worldwide. 
…People are free to choose what they believe.  But if they fail to consider the arguments, they cannot claim to be educated, whatever their paper qualifications.
From Professor Colin Howson  
Sir, I hope that the "philosophical and scientific" arguments that have persuaded Mr Beale of the existence of God… are better than the one he himself presents… Can't he really think of other explanations?  What about human credulity and tolerance of low standards of evidence? 
I might point out that I have yet to see an argument which to my satisfaction renders the existence of God, any god, more likely than not; mostly they're like Mr Beale's. 
 

Original EMails

These are rather more technical than the eventually published article.  The debate continues here - you can contribute by EMail.

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