On another blog, FideCogitActio, some theists of a "classical" stripe (that's to say, like Brian Davies, Edward Feser) are criticisng the Evil God Challenge (or I suppose, trying to show how it can be met, or sidestepped). The main post includes this: In book I, chapter 39 , Aquinas argues that “there cannot be evil in God” (in Deo non potest esse malum). Atheists like Law must face the fact that, if the words are to retain any sense, “God” simply cannot be “evil”. As my comments in the thread at Feser’s blog aimed to show, despite how much he mocks “the privation theory of evil,” Law himself cannot escape its logic: his entire argument requires that the world ought to appear less evil if it is to be taken as evidence of a good God. Even though he spurns the idea that evil is a privation of good, his account of an evil world is parasitic on a good ideal; this is no surprise, though, since all evil is parasitic on good ( SCG I, 11 ). Based on the conclusions of se...
Stephen Law is a philosopher and author. Currently Director of Philosophy and Cert HE at Oxford University Department of Continuing Education. Stephen has also published many popular books including The Philosophy Gym, The Complete Philosophy Files, and Believing Bullshit. For school talks/ media: stephenlaw4schools.blogspot.co.uk Email: think-AT-royalinstitutephilosophy.org
Comments
http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=392
http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=1437
For example:
http://sandwalk.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-reasonable-people-should-not-debate.html
He has debated several prominent atheists in this way and, for example, Christopher Hitchens, found the experience frustrating.
Below is a link to a blog that has a summary of Craig's debates with video and audio links which you may find useful (or already be aware of).
http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=392
Anyway best of luck.
(Though I have my doubts how anyone can sensibly philosophically argue for the existence of God(s. You either fall back on Gods) being immaterial entirely, in which case they might just as well not exist, or God(s) can have effects in the material world, in which case we can examine the scientific evidence. No factual claim for the power of divine intervention has ever been supported when subjected to scientific study. So it boils down to whether one is emotionally disposed to believe claims for divine existence. This, of course should be a personal choice and a basic human right for everyone, a much more important issue, in my view.
Anyway, best of luck!
But that's not very useful to you right now. So instead, I'll say that I attended his debate with Sam Harris live, and thought Harris did an excellent job. I recommend both watching the debate online, and reading Harris' comments on it:
http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-god-debate/
http://www.youtube.com/drcraigvideos
Opting not to debate, to me if one has better argument is really like a kid closing his ear and sing lalalala at the top of his lungs.... Just silly ignorance.
I applaud you Stephen, i hope you can present your case better than other atheist debater so far.