The following comes from a Jan. 17 release from Catholic Answers.
Arguing for the affirmative, that God does exist, will be Catholic apologist Trent Horn, author of Answering Atheism: How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity. Arguing the negative, that God does not exist, will be Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and author of Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America’s Leading Atheists.
This debate provides an opportunity for a passionate yet respectful clash of ideas, in which believers and unbelievers can hear the best arguments for and against the existence of God. Our hope is that all attendees will come away with a better understanding of—and be able to reach their own conclusions about—this timeless and important question.
WHEN:
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
WHERE:
Mother Rosalie Hill Hall,
University of San Diego,
5998 Alcalá Park,
San Diego, CA 92110
TIME:
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
ADMISSION IS FREE!
Background
Ever since he converted to Catholicism at the age of seventeen, Trent Horn has had a passion for explaining and defending the Catholic faith. After earning a degree in history from Arizona State University, Trent traveled the country training pro-life advocates on college campuses to engage opponents in compassionate and persuasive dialogue. After completing a master’s degree in theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Trent served as the respect life coordinator for the diocese of Phoenix, In 2013 he joined Catholic Answers as an apologist specializing in atheism, life issues, and chastity. He speaks to groups around the country on these and other subjects, and is a regular guest on Catholic Answers Live and contributor to Catholic Answers magazine.
Dan became a teenage evangelist at age fifteen. He received a degree in religion from Azusa Pacific University and was ordained to the ministry by the Standard Community Church in 1975. Dan preached for nineteen years and maintained an ongoing touring musical ministry, including eight years of full-time, cross-country evangelism. Dan gradually outgrew his religious beliefs, and he announced his atheism publicly in 1984. He served as PR director of the Freedom From Religion Foundation from 1987 to 2004, and in 2004 was elected its co-president. He is the co-host of Freethought Radio, a national weekly talk show, and a contributing editor of Freethought Today. He regularly travels the country and the world giving lectures, performing concerts, and participating in debates with theists, many at college and university campuses.
To visit the website for this debate, click here.
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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD EVENT FLYER
What will the “Catholic” University of San Diego question next? Does the devil exist? He is delighted with the University of San Diego debating the existence of God.
I was surprised that a Catholic Answer sponsored event was accepted on the campus and am thankful they did. More and more people are turning atheistic… praying that God will enlighten those who come with their dukes up and they will believe in Him.
I vote “Yes.”
Trent Horn is excellent and will give Dan Barker a run for his money. I will be in the front row cheering Trent on !
Author Chesterton once said that an Atheist is one who believes that absolutely Everything came from Absolutely Nothing – as a Matter of Faith.
Their ‘Proof’ is often childish syllogism – like ‘ I prayed to God for a Pony and was real good, and didn’t get a pony – therefore God (or my parents) don’t exist.
This is a good opportunity for evangelization. Faithful Catholics from this site should use this as an opportunity to invite atheist or agnostic friends. Horn is good. He will make one think and demonstrate the incoherence of atheism.
The existence of God or a creator is known only through our experience as humans.We can not prove that God exists, but we can recognize the Creator in all of creation. If we are made in theimage and likeness of God, then God must have DNA?
God is a Spirit. Outside of our material realm. We can see his works, but not him.
“Dan Barker gradually outgrew his religious beliefs, and he announced his atheism publicly in 1984.” I love it: he GREW.
Ah, yes, the rest of us are just full of unrealized growth, or one day we could become happy and fulfilled atheists just like grown-up DAN! Huzzah!
In the first place, Mr. Barker, started from false premise in a false church, so it is really not that much of a wonder that he has now found himself separated from God. Pray for him.
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
I’m happy to hear good things about Horn, going with a family member and a lot of hope in God!
This debate sounds very tragic and unnecessary– especially at a Catholic college! Don’t Catholic priests and professors teach proper courses in the Catholic Faith anymore, particularly, the Classical philosophy and theology background, which leads up to the work of St. Thomas Aquinas, who wrote an elaborate and famous defense of the existence of God?? Plus– for centuries, Christians have been told– both Catholic and Protestant– in Catechism classes– that Faith is a gift, and Faith is something special; a leap over human reason, a gift of grace from God Himself, a special grace of God, imparting to the believer, a direct knowledge of God! When very young, I heard our Pastor, a middle-aged Irish priest, speak at my parish church, and he revealed to us something very startling. He said that up until five years ago, he believed in God by Reason alone, and had joined the priesthood in Ireland, to compassionately serve God and humanity. But to him, he said, God was only something in a book, or “something up in the sky.” When he was in his late thirties, he suddenly was graced to receive a direct experience of the Loving God, which left him totally overwhelmed with great love and joy, and he suddenly felt that he saw Christ in everyone, compassionately, as a priest! He was so overwhelmed, and this experience totally transformed his entire life! Now, for this priest, God was no longer something in a book, or “up in the sky!”
I would like to make another comment. Before Vatican II, in the Catholic Church, the Faith was often taught in a way that was scary and threatening, and people were told that it was a sin to question the Faith, or to not believe, or to deny the existence of God. So sad!! I forgot about all of this, as so many years have gone by! Perhaps some people today, still have fear and guilt, regarding questions of Faith. But it seems to me, that mostly, a great many of the Catholic faithful, including the clergy– are surprisingly illiterate, regarding Church teachings! A terrible shock! What on earth do these people live by?? Probably, as we all know, a bunch of trash from the Culture of Death! So sad! And almost all of our Catholic education institutions are no longer even “Christian”– they have almost all gone to the gutters, the sewers, with the Devil! So–the Church had better get busy!
Linda,
I don’t know where you were taught the Faith. I am almost 75, and I don’t remember ever being taught in Catholic Schools that it was a sin to question the Faith as long as it drove us to look further into It
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
!
Kenneth .. I’ve been told by parents and grandparents that sometimes in the ’50’s priests and teachers taught things which were incorrect.