'Is God Great?' - Christopher Hitchens vs John Lennox debate (preview)

Leading atheist and acclaimed journalist, Christopher Hitchens, goes head to head with Christian apologist and Oxford Professor, John Lennox in March 2009 at Birmingham, Alabama's Samford University to debate the question "Is God Great?"

Hitchens, who made his opinion clear on this topic in 2007 with his book "God is not Great," maintains not only that God fails to be great, but denies his existence entirely. Professor Lennox, a convinced Christian and scientist, respectfully disagrees. This event features a unique blend of both planned remarks and fast-paced dialogue that tackles these issues in a refreshing and informative light. It is sure to offer insights to all.

Read media coverage of this debate:


John Lennox is Professor in Mathematics at the University of Oxford and Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford. Prof. Lennox has debated atheists ranging from Victor Stenger to Richard Dawkins and is the author of "God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?"

Christopher Hitchens is a British-American bestselling author, journalist, and literary critic who has served as a columnist for several prominent publications, some of which include Vanity Fair, The Nation, and The Atlantic. He is one of the world's most influential and outspoken atheists.

"God is not only great. He is immeasurably great." -Prof. John Lennox

"This is the worst imaginable kind of unfreedom." -Christopher Hitchens (March 2009)

[MyDavidlynch]

Hitch mentioned the man that started Islam as being Illiterate and had convulsive fits, nervously looking around and making sure he had not been
Attacked physically, after even making a very obtuse reference to Islam ....that speaks volumes about the scariness of Islam ....

[michael]

Ahhh, I miss Hitch. It's been awhile since I watched one of these videos. He is such a clear thinking bastard and I love him.

[danford]

"I have learned to distinguish between the greatness of god and the inexcusable evil done by those professing his name" and where do you get this insight from? Do you have divine knowledge!? Wow that must be great for you. You realize the bible was written by men right completely fallible men with a lot of power and wealth to gain or lose. I find Lennox has a real habit of using unfalsifiable claims and asserting them as if they were facts with his own interpretation of what they mean with a lot of added exposition on the stories in the bible he adds a lot that is not written in the actual book.

[igna]

Atheism is attractive at the beginning. But you realize its false and that God actually exists, when you get older.

[karendavis]

Dr. Lennox, The difference between an atheists faith and a Christians faith is this. The atheist looks at the evidence and forms his belief from it. The Christian has formed his belief and attempts to mold the evidence to support his faith. When he can find no evidence or when the evidence contradicts his faith he continues to believe anyway saying, "God is supernatural and can work outside of the evidence" or that "God's ways are higher than our ways. Who are we to think that we can understand the ways of God?" Do you se the difference? The atheist bases their beliefs on the evidence. The Christian bases the evidence on their belief.

[edgarrendeiro]

John is a great speaker.but he's playing with words rather than reasoning seriously. Just an example. When he compares the belief of scientists in the fact that the universe in inteligible with the belief of the believers in God, it's obvious he's misleading people. The two beliefs are not comparable. The believers belief is in a supernatural entity about wich there is not scientific evidence, while scientists believe other type of belief. They believe in something that belongs to the natural world and can be studied by science and of wich there is lots of evidence.

[toni]

Why, if this god exists does he use people to teach us from a book by people who were even less knowledgeable than we?
Why did he not give us this knowledge of him at birth. If he gave us sight, touch, the ability to breath. Why were we impregnated with the knowledge of this one and only God, if he wanted us to and love him?

[killerboba]

Only seen this video of Lennox. Is his only arguments self invented wordplay? Wouldnt it be mutch easyer to just prove that God exists?

[ATOK_]

The problem is that religious people will say that Lennox won and non believers will say Hitchens won

[raullruizz]

Saying we don't know (scientists)
Is not faith

[sothca]

HE, "snapped His FINGERS, and 1 Trillion Galaxies turned on!" In my mind, that is greater than GREAT! As PERFECT Judge AND Father He provided a "way out" of my "Court CASE" with Him. In my mind that is Greatly GOOD!

[anthonybardsley]

The creator is greater than his creation. The Potter is greater than clay.

[benpinkleton]

Lennox shreds it. Even Hitchens admitted defeat later on.

[corning]

Hitchens can't fight Lennox. It's just like a civic vs. a lambo.

[keithwarren]

God bless you sir Lennox and sir Hitchens.

[praveenliverpool]

To those who have no faith, no evidence is possible.
To those who have faith, no evidence is necessary.

[gabrieldossantos]

Lennox is a very good speaker, sadly he cannot convince the world that his God, is the correct one. The delusion shows

[coldouglas]

First I've listened to of hitchens. His rationality doesn't make sense.

[MrThemaskedavenger]

Maddox's opening is utter nonsense : belief and faith are not the same - he knows that but is intellectually dishonest

[maryannbeahn]

God is the beginng and the end, he is outside of time he just IS, thats why he can be everywhere at once, he is the ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, period.