Debate Video: Christianity OR Secular Ethics, Which Is Better for Society? - Lawrence Krauss VS Mike Jones

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This past weekend, Modern-Day Debate hosted their annual Debate-con.  One of the featured debates was this clash between physicist Dr. Lawrence Krauss and Michael Jones (IP) of Inspiring Philosophy.  The reason I wanted to highlight this debate is because this is the second time I have seen IP debate someone who claimed to rely on scientific data, only to present personal anecdotes and bold assertions.  The first time this happened was when IP debated Aron Ra on the topic of, "Is Christianity Dangerous?"  During this debate, Ra claimed time and time again to value evidence and science, all the while not even understanding the biblical definition of faith and relying on personal narratives and "just-so" accounts.  Surprisingly, Dr. Krauss did much of the same thing.  This was even brought to attention on more than one occasion by audience members during the Q and A.  He claimed that he was simply going by his observations of the world, while IP presented numerous studies to support his claims.  I encourage our readers to listen to both of these debates and pay attention to who presents the most compelling evidence for their assertions.

I also found it incredibility disingenuous on the part of Dr. Krauss to claim that he "doesn't care" if anyone is a Christian and has no desire to deconvert anyone.  Unless he has recently changed his mind, Krauss has gone on record with he fellow New Atheists1 that the world would be a better place if people would shed their antiquated religious beliefs and rely more on science and reason.2 Consider this summary of the documentary "The Unbelievers" featuring Dr. Krauss and Richard Dawkins:

"'The Unbelievers' follows renowned scientists Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss across the globe as they speak publicly about the importance of science and reason in the modern world - encouraging others to cast off antiquated religious and politically motivated approaches toward important current issues - making the world a better place for all. The film includes interviews with celebrities who support the work of these remarkable scientists."3

Regardless, this was a clear win for IP, and unfortunately, Dr. Krauss continues to demonstrate that those who exercise a disdain for philosophy are doomed to make philosophical errors that undermine their overall conclusions. 

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Footnotes:
1. The New Atheists included thinkers such as Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins.  Krauss was also included in the group, along with some other thinkers such as PZ Myers.  However, to be fair to PZ Myers, he did go on to denounce the group and distance himself from it.  You can see his thoughts here.
2. Of course, this assumes that those who are religious believers do not rely on science and reason, which I would argue in many cases is a straw-man argument. 
3. See here.

What Lawrence Krauss Could Learn from a Children's Book

Counterpoints: Lawrence Krauss and J. Warner Wallace

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