Hitchens vs. Wilson: Is Christianity Good for the World?

Christianity Today is hosting an ongoing debate between atheist Christopher Hitchens (website) and Christian theist Douglas Wilson (blog). The topic of discussion is “Is Christianity Good for the World?”

Here’s a bit from one of Wilson’s replies:

So I am not saying you have to believe in the supernatural in order to live as a responsible citizen. I am saying you have to believe in the supernatural in order to be able to give a rational and coherent account of why you believe yourself obligated to live this way. In order to prove me wrong here, you must do more than employ words like “casuistry” or “evasions”—you simply need to provide that rational account. Given atheism, objective morality follows . . . how?

The Christian faith is good for the world because it provides the fixed standard which atheism cannot provide and because it provides forgiveness for sins, which atheism cannot provide either. We need the direction of the standard because we are confused sinners. We need the forgiveness because we are guilty sinners. Atheism not only keeps the guilt, but it also keeps the confusion.

Hitchens is either not following Wilson’s questions and arguments or is simply choosing not to engage them—perhaps because he realizes that he cannot, given his atheistic presuppositions, give a logically coherent answer.

Here are the available posts so far:

• Part 1
  • Hitchens
  • Wilson
• Part 2
  • Hitchens
  • Wilson
• Part 3
  • Hitchens
  • Wilson
• Part 4
  • Hitchens
  • Wilson
• Part 5
  • Hitchens
  • Wilson
• Part 6
  • Hitchens
  • Wilson

The debate is scheduled to continue through the end of the month. I will update this entry as new posts are made available.

See also:

• Daniel J. Phillips: Douglas Wilson: I may be becoming a fan

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