Do we need God for ultimate meaning?

My debate with an atheist on Premier Unbelievable about objective meaning, morality and purpose

Phew, it’s been a busy season for me lately ! There’s lots that I want to share updates on, especially my time at the C S Lewis International Conference in Romania that I presented at in November. I’ve also been busy with more conversation group meetings with the Table and Estuary, organising a creative Carol Service with Nativity drama, and just the small matter of my first-time appearance on the Premier Unbelievable podcast…

Normally I like to come at philosophical and theological questions sideways via story and culture, but I don’t mind sometimes engaging with big questions directly, and that’s just what I did with this debate:

Back in November, I debated John Richards, head of Atheism UK on the question of “Do we need God for ultimate meaning?” (Which was a bit of a surprise on the day, since due to a miscommunication, I’d thought I was going to be debating “Is belief in God rational?” – nothing like keeping me on my toes!)

Now I tend to prefer conversations over debates – I enjoy the intellectual back-and-forth of a debate, but I find it often sets up an oppositional framework of “winning” and “losing” that isn’t necessarily the best frame for searching for truth together. But I certainly think there is a place for debates, where people set out the best case they can for their viewpoint, as long as they are approached with intellectual integrity.

I was impressed by the audience of school pupils who gave up their lunchtime to watch the debate, and who asked thoughtful, challenging questions. It’s great to see a new generation engaging these big questions!

How did I do? Well, why not watch the debate and decide for yourself!

You can watch it on YouTube (above), download the podcast audio from Premier, or find it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

I’d love to hear your perspective on the debate, whichever side of it you come down on. Perhaps we can pick up and continue some of the threads in the comments below…

Quick pop culture thoughts

• I’m currently enjoying Pluribus on Apple TV, an intriguing sci-fi show about Carol Sturka, one of the few people on the planet who doesn’t get absorbed into a peaceful, happy hive-mind, and who sets about trying to undo whatever it is that happened to the human race. It’s a smart, deliberately paced show from Vince Gilligan of Breaking Bad fame.

• The new Knives Out movie Wake Up, Dead Man is really good and richly engaged with questions of religion, power, belief and grace! My wife and I saw it together in the cinema and found it surprisingly emotionally resonant. My friend-from-Hutchmoot Houston Coley wrote a great essay exploring these themes:

Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out' Movies Are All About God