Quote:
Originally Posted by sotzo  FWIW, my thoughts on the debate:
1. Oliphant could have moderated a bit better. More structure was needed so that arguments could be followed. |
Definitely
Quote:
|
2. Wilson should have gotten around alot sooner to driving home the point of Hitchens' presuppositions on logic / reason...it finally came near the end (a sort of Bahnsen v Stein moment) when Hitchens tried to deny any presupps by saying that logic was a man-made construct.
|
I do think Wilson tip toed around things a bit too much...the most compelling stuff he said was during his intro and closing thoughts...in between, it was hard to tell what his points were if you're not familiar with certain points of presuppositionalism.
Quote:
|
3. I got the sense that Wilson was trying to keep his future friendship with Hitchens intact and did not want to be too harsh...if that was the case, I don't fault him. Perhaps that and a combination of Wilson being a stronger writer than debater.
|
I hadn't thought of that...maybe he wants to keep a "friendship" going...I don't know. I do know that Hitchens has a lot of hatred for God and Christians...I think I prefer a believer telling Hitchens: "You're opposed to the most High God. My goal is not to humiliate you, your opposition to God does that...can we still be friends?"
Quote:
|
4. Hitchens is by far and away the most thoughtful atheist of these times. He has clearly wrestled with these issues and it shows.
|
I don't know about this...the new atheists are all so awful. Hitchens may be the worst. Take away his British accent, and what do you have? An atheist version of Dave Hunt.