Test 2: My Answers to the Challenge of an Atheist

“If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.”  (1 Kings 18:21)

The philosophy behind my commitment to submitting my Christian beliefs to public challenge and academic critique, is laid out in my recent posting, “My Own Submission to the Test,” dated June 29.  The broader context of that blog concerned my e-mail engagement with Kalle Spolander (then a psychiatrist and professor at Stockholm University) on the question of Jesus’ historical resurrection from the dead.  For the purpose of advancing my theme of putting things to the test (1 Thessalonians. 5:21,22), I encourage readers to revisit especially the opening paragraph of that post. 

A much more recent example of my submission to public challenge and intellectual critique came to fruition on both May 14, and December 10, 2012 when I debated Jim Corbett, trained in both law and library science, and a representative of the Humanist Association of North Puget Sound, on the question, “Does God Exist: Where Do the Facts of Science and History, and the Insights of Human Experience Point?”  The first of these took place at Snohomish High School PAC (auditorium) while the second happened at Frontier Hall on the Everett (Washington) Community College campus.  I initiated the first of these two debates.  The second happened as a result of our (Jim and me) collaboration.  By the way, the two of us have a cordial, if not occasionally feisty, relationship.
The two debates began at breakfast one morning when I read an article in the Everett Herald about an organization, “Darwin on the Palouse.”  I responded to their advertisements with the following letter:

Greetings,
I am a Lutheran Pastor in Snohomish, Washington.  I just read with interest in the Everett Herald an article on your organization [“Darwin on the Palouse”], together with its parting comment that churches in your area are not responding.  I am responding.  Do you have an affiliation with atheists in northern Puget Sound?  I would be very interested in debating a representative of your position in a public forum (a public school, etc) since the questions you pose are important ones that call for thorough examination.  I challenge atheism on a number of grounds including both the absolute beginning of matter, energy, space, and time in the Big Bang, and also the large number of fine-tuning parameters in the universe that are required for the existence of advanced life anywhere and at any time in cosmic history.  Atheism, to my thinking, provides no satisfactory answer to these matters.  I also find that there is a great deal of confusion on both sides of the debate regarding the relation of science, faith, and reason.  I eagerly await your response.
Sincerely, Gary Jensen, Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church

It was as a result of that inquiry that I received a phone call from Jim Corbett just a few days later.  The rest is history.  I have, to this point, been unsuccessful in posting the most recent debate (due to the large size of that file, though I do have the DVD in-hand.  What I do have, however, is my essay titled, "The Prints Are Everywhere: The Convergence of Science, History, and Experience With Biblical Revelation." Its themes were the basis for my opening statement at that debate.  I invite you to do is visit my website at www.christianityontheoffense.com and download, as opposed to “view,” his critique of my arguments in the document titled, “Full Page Prints Jim Corbett Critique.”