William Lane Craig: 'What evidence do we have for God's existence?'

The Bible Study Employee Resource group hosted William Lane Craig to speak on the topic “What evidence do we have for God’s existence?”

LLNL-VIDEO-849083

[pattube]

3:30 Introduction
5:33 Six ways in which science and theology are relevant to each other
6:55 A book recommendation for deeper study of the arguments in this presentation
7:40 Argument 1: Kalam cosmological argument
20:30 Argument 2: The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics
37:55 Argument 3: The fine-tuning of the universe for life
46:40 Conclusion
47:30 Q&A

[ianwatson]

I do like William Lane Craig. He shows you can be a university educated professional and also believe in the Christian faith 🧑‍🎓👨‍🏫🧑‍⚕️

[IRGeamer]

"I don't have a problem with ignorance. We are all ignorant about a variety of subjects we are not currently aware of. The real problem is when that ignorance is wilful, intentional and used as a weapon against anyone who disagrees with you, or anyone who has the nerve to present facts you don't want to accept."
- anyone who actually cares about verifiable reality

[Transformers]

I disagree with Craig’s faith, but it’s always great to hear him speak. And I’m glad he’s still alive!

[toddtyoung]

WL Craig is an absolute treasure, a great gift of God to the world.

[sofiadeleon]

Living in a world where everyone denies the existence of God, it is a relief to hear a such a brilliant mind like this man. God bless Dr. Craig. 🙏

[brentwatson]

Many kudos to DOE. I worked for the DOJ for 25 years before retiring. While they allowed Muslim and other scholars to speak to employees, usually under the auspices of heritage months, we never heard from Christian scholars. Most of the speakers were great, so I am not disparaging them. DOJ would never support posting the speaker regardless of background. I am doubtful they would allow employee groups to host something like this at all. This was awesome, and I am grateful the DOE and Lawrence Livermore encourages this type of productive discussion, especially as we continue to consider the essence of the Big Bang, the problems with Neo Darwinism, and the shutdown of these discussions in most of the academy. BRAVO!

[jack]

Dr. Craig spitting straight fire, as always.

[ryanprice]

Why call it evidence when its just sophistry? Does calling things the wrong word make the sophistry more convincing somehow?

[iqgustavo]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:01 🎙️ Introduction to event and speaker Dr. William Lane Craig.
02:21 📚 Dr. Craig's background and purpose of the lecture.
03:15 🕒 Limited time for evidence of God's existence; aim is to spark conversation.
06:13 🌌 Presentation of three arguments with scientific support for theological implications.
10:49 🌠 Kalam Cosmological Argument: Universe's beginning supported by scientific and theoretical evidence.
20:09 📐 Mathematics' remarkable applicability in describing natural phenomena.
26:14 🧙‍♂️ Theistic explanation for mathematics' effectiveness in explaining the physical world.
34:34 📜 Theistic anti-realists explain mathematics' applicability to the physical world as God's mental model.
38:14 🎯 Fine-tuning of fundamental constants for life's existence challenges natural explanations.
41:23 🎲 Physical necessity and chance are implausible explanations for fine-tuning.
43:10 🔍 Observer self-selection and Boltzmann brain problem challenge the multiverse explanation.
46:50 🌟 Science provides evidence for theological conclusions; dialogue between science and theology is thriving.
48:08 ⛪️ Miracles, like Jesus' resurrection, can be reconciled with scientific understanding.
52:16 🤔 The problem of human suffering involves both intellectual and emotional challenges.
56:38 🌄 Doubt and uncertainty coexist with faith; faith involves trust based on good reasons.

[carl]

Eloquently presented sophistry is still sophistry.

[boxingfan]

"What evidence do we have for God's existence?" Jesus

[sergelu]

There are thousands of gods to choose from. Do we have evidence for all of them?

[johnbrown]

Thank you Dr. Craig for your well reasoned and respectful presentation arguing for the Uncreated Creator as the cause…the origin of the manifest universe.

[sean.]

Love William Craig, such an inspiration and original thinker. I hope he’s doing well, I see his eyebrows have gotten grayer 😅

[rodsherwood]

Jesus has been a great why for Craig to make a good living.

[stevieberg]

1. Infinite Regress Problem: If you trace back the cause of everything that exists, you eventually reach a point where you need a first cause or an origin. This is because an infinite chain of causes without a starting point is difficult to conceptualize logically.
2. First Cause Necessity: To avoid an infinite regress, there must be an initial cause or a creator that set everything into motion. This cause is often identified as God.
3. Conditions for Existence: Even if one posits that our universe was created by a highly intelligent being, a quantum state, or some other entity, the question remains: what created the conditions for that being or state to exist? This line of questioning ultimately leads to a need for a fundamental origin.
4. Simulation Hypothesis: If the universe is a simulation, then the simulation must have been created by some entity. The existence of such an entity would still require an explanation, which leads back to the need for a first cause.
5. Endless Causation: Even if something else caused our universe, such as a quantum state or another dimension, something must have caused that initial cause as well. This continuous need for a cause suggests that there must be an ultimate, uncaused cause to stop the infinite regress.

In summary: If you trace the cause of everything back far enough, you eventually need a first cause or origin to avoid an infinite regress. This necessity for a first cause suggests that belief in an ultimate creator, often conceptualized as God, is rational, as it provides a logical endpoint to the chain of causation.

[newbengraham]

with all this round and round about god, it would make sense for god to step out on the stage and say, "here i am."

[scottsmith]

Dr Craig—-someone who has no real academic connection to science, treats theology as science when it is actually mythology and has been trying to manufacture evidence for God ever since becoming an apologist.
It that’s his job—mesmerizing Christians into believing in a magic genie and to stop asking questions.

[prime_time_youtube]

Great answers at the Q&A! Dr. Craig answered flawlessly the logical problem of Evil!