In spite of a postponement due to illness, the debate between R.C. Metcalf and Steven Mahone was quite a success. The audience was small (less than 150 attending) and approximately evenly split between Christians and Freethinkers. Quite a few attendees expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to discuss issues openly and cordially. One Christian mentioned that, until that night, he had never actually met an atheist in a setting that allowed free discussion of worldviews. This tendency for religious groups (or in the case of Freethinkers, non-religious groups) to associate primarily among themselves is an unfortunate hindrance to open discussion and communication.
The evening's topic was "Is There Hope Beyond the Grave?" Many individuals expressed their desire for further discussion of these areas that are so important to humanity as a whole. Think Again will continue to encourage such events and opportunities for discussion, so please check our calendar often. Better yet, sign up for our quarterly email newsletter and we will send an announcement one to two weeks prior to each event. We never share email information with others.
The following questions were addressed during the debate. Each link will lead you to a discussion of the various topics addressed. Feel free to post respectful comments to the blog. Inflammatory or ad hominem posts may be deleted.
Dr. Metcalf's PowerPoint Presentation
Question 1: What exactly is the soul?
Question 2: Does the soul come into existence at the moment of conception?
Question 3: Are near death experiences good evidence for the afterlife?
Question 4: Aren't all religions selling false hope?
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