Throughout this second part of Stein’s opening, he shows himself to be an atheist who doesn’t believe in God but definitively knows how that god would act if he did exist. Stein attempts to conflate logical contradiction with a psychological ickiness he perceives in the argument for God. Suffering, evil, justice, and how to act are things Stein knows how his made up god would act – a weird thing for someone who claims that he just lacks a belief.

00:00 – Introduction
02:10 – All God Has To Do Is Appear To A Group Of People For Stein To Believe
06:14 – Stein Is Just Using His Unargued Presuppositions
10:00 – Stein Thinks He His god Wouldn’t Allow Suffering
12:48 – Stein Doesn’t Provide His Basis For Evil Or Good Or Logic
17:04 – Stein Doesn’t Think Sin Or Justice Is Fair
20:55 – Stein Doesn’t Believe In God Because Of Religious Pluralism
21:44 – Stein Sees Christianity As A Failure Because Christians Can Be Bad
24:06 – Stein Should Ask These Questions To A Christian
27:52 – What Does Stein Think He’s Left With?
29:33 – Conclusion

The Great Debate – Does God Exist? – Edited and Commentary by Joshua Pillows

Debate Transcript Video
The Bahnsen Institute

All episodes, short clips, & blog – https://www.cavetothecross.com

For the second opening to The Great Debate, Dr. Stein wants to call out Christians for not having any good proofs and also having a system that allows evil to be present in a world created by God. However, one must ask, where can one stand to call out evil? Or even good for that matter.

00:00 – Introduction
02:34 – Two Main Cases For Why God’s Existence Hasn’t Been Proven
03:34 – Long Period Of Time With Failure Of Main Arguments For God’s Existence
06:37 – The Problem Of Evil Is An Issue For Theists
08:02 – God Definitely Doesn’t Exist But If He Did Exist He Wouldn’t Allow Evil
09:23 – Atheists Fail To Establish An Evil Standard Exists For Them To Use The Problem Of Evil
12:57 – Stein Not Convinced Of Next Life Justice Takes Care Of Evil
16:15 – Stein Allows For God Not To Be All Powerful – Uses Specific Christian Attack
17:22 – Stein Does Not Buy The Free Will Defense – One That Bahnsen Didn’t Make
18:04 – The Atheist Putting Onto The Christian Elements Of Their Worldview
22:48 – Conclusion

The Great Debate – Does God Exist? – Edited and Commentary by Joshua Pillows

Debate Transcript Video
The Bahnsen Institute

All episodes, short clips, & blog – https://www.cavetothecross.com

Now it’s Gordon Stein’s turn to assess the debate so far. With Stein’s assessment he believes that Bahnsen hasn’t offered anything other than feelings based arguments and non sequiturs. He doesn’t feel the need to offer an explanation for why the universe exists and he sees laws of science, logic, and math only as agreed upon by consensus items. Why? What’s wrong with that?

00:00 – Introduction
02:34 – Does The Universe Require A Cause?
03:56 – Looking For How God Created
05:43 – God Is Very Knowable
08:04 – Scientific & Logic Laws Are Just Consensus According To Atheist
11:25 – Philosophical Death Is The Result
12:33 – Math Is Also Consensus
15:27 – An Atheist Universe Has Regularity Because Of Internal Properties
16:56 – The Cause Of The Universe Must Be A Part Of It Says Atheist
20:56 – Do Atheists Destroy All History Or Are Christians Only Feelings-Based?
25:35 – Stein Finally Deals With The Transcendental Argument
31:04 – Conclusion

The Great Debate – Does God Exist? – Edited and Commentary by Joshua Pillows

Debate Transcript Video
The Bahnsen Institute

All episodes, short clips, & blog – https://www.cavetothecross.com

Essentially round one is over and both debaters are going to give their take of the Great Debate. In Bahnsen’s assessment so far, he finds that Stein has not addressed his main argument for God and has also given up the debate with the idea that the laws of logic are just social conventions agreed upon by people. But – is that how people view logic and operate in their daily lives?

00:00 – Introduction
01:25 – The Atheist Isn’t Debating The Christian Yet
05:45 – Stein Hasn’t Dealt With Bahnsen’s Argument At All
07:13 – Stein’s Problematic Atheist Idea Of The Laws Of Logic
18:38 – The Atheist Unknowingly Gives The Win To The Christian By Convention
21:11 – Conclusion

The Great Debate – Does God Exist? – Edited and Commentary by Joshua Pillows

Debate Transcript Video
The Bahnsen Institute

All episodes, short clips, & blog – https://www.cavetothecross.com

The first sparring of The Great Debate takes place here with the Christian & atheist getting five questions to ask for the other to answer. While we aren’t used to this format, this really lays out the needed back and forth interaction that a lot of debates lack within a formal structure. It’s not the blood-sport debates we’re used to on YouTube but it helps with each side making sure the other is interacting with their points the best.

00:00 – Introduction
03:22 – Q1 – Source For Atheism Definition
04:03 – A1 – Source Cited
05:15 – Q2 – Cite The Argument Used By Bahnsen
05:36 – A2 – No But You Believe It
06:49 – Q3 – Where’s The Transcendental Argument
07:50 – A3 – No Because It’s Not A Proof
08:12 – Commentary – Stein Was Helpful For Presuppositionalists
10:49 – Q4 – All Questions Answered The Same Way
11:08 – A4 – No They Are Not
11:34 – Q5 & A5 – What Does An Atheist Believe Laws Of Logic Are
14:21 – Atheist
14:41 – Q1 & Q2 – The Nature Of God
17:04 – Q2 & A2 – Is Your God All The Omnis
17:33 – Q3 & Q3 – If Argument Is Wrong Will God Not Exist
17:56 – Commentary – A Clarifying Comment On A “Problematic” Bahnsen
20:25 – Q4 & A4 – Is God Good
24:43 – Q5 & A5 – Can You Prove The Soul
26:38 – Conclusion

The Great Debate – Does God Exist? – Edited and Commentary by Joshua Pillows

Debate Transcript Video
The Bahnsen Institute

All episodes, short clips, & blog – https://www.cavetothecross.com