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Winnipeg, Man.
Atheist, Christian debate morality on radio show


An atheist and a Christian, who each wrote a book by the same title, debated the issue of morality on the live radio program GodTalk on November 4.

Robert Buckman and Paul Chamberlain wrote their books using the title, Can We Be Good Without God? but each examines that question from a different point of view. Buckman is an atheist and president of the Humanist Association of Canada.

GodTalk co-host Dave Balzer (l) faces the mikes with Paul Chamberlain, Christian author of Can We Be Good Without God?

He was in Toronto. Chamberlain is director of the institute of Christian apologetics at the Trinity Western University campus at ACTS Seminaries, Langley, B.C.

The two men were connected via telephone by GodTalk co-host Chris Wells in Winnipeg. The show’s other host, Dave Balzer, was with Chamberlain in B.C.

“It’s so obvious that we can be [good without God] that for a while I toyed with the idea of the title, ‘Can we be good with God?’” said Buckman.

Callers to the studio and over 100 people in the live audience put questions to the guests. The debate was heated but to the point.

Chamberlain kept drawing Buckman to his main question, “Is there an obligatory fundamental moral value, and which world view makes sense of it?”

Near the close of the debate, Chamberlain brought Buckman to a point of agreement, saying, “You seem to have the same position I do, that destruction is truly bad and ought not to happen. It seems to me we have a fundamental agreement on this. If I could just get you to somehow say that means there really is an obligatory fundamental moral value.”

A participant from the floor said, “I think that Dr. Buckman is summing up Dr. Chamberlain’s argument in a vague form but he is not yet willing to admit it.”

However, Buckman maintained his initial position, saying, “Yours is one view and mine is entirely opposing so I hope that everyone will go out and buy a copy of each [book] and make up their own mind.”

GodTalk is a program of Family Life Network, a Mennonite Brethren media ministry. It is broadcast from Winnipeg Sunday nights on a secular radio station.

 – adapted from a release

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Last modified January 11, 2002.

© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
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