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The Existence of God: a Debate Abilene Christian University Digital Commons @ ACU Stone-Campbell Books Stone-Campbell Resources 1948 The Existence of God: A Debate James D. Bales Woolsey Teller Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Bales, James D. and Teller, Woolsey, "The Existence of God: A Debate" (1948). Stone-Campbell Books. 574. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books/574 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Stone-Campbell Resources at Digital Commons @ ACU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Stone-Campbell Books by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ ACU. -1-ALES·TELLER ,DEBATE ' THE EXISTENCE OF GOO The Bible "Last we I paused beside 11 bl11ck.smith's door Ana ht11rd the 11nvil ring the vesper chime, Thtn looking in, I saw upon the floor Old h11mmers worn with beat­ ing ye11rs of time. " H<JW many anvils have you had," said I, "To we11r and batter all these hammers so?" "Just one," he said; thtn with 11 twinkling eye, "The 11nvil we11rs the h11mmers out you know." And so, I thought, tht anvil of God's word For ages skeptics blows h11ve be11t upon; Yet though the noise of fallinG bl<JWs was htard, The 11nvil is unharmed- tht h11mmers gone!" Millennial Harbinger The Old Paths Book Club is reprodm:ing Alexander Campbell's great paper, the Millennial Harbin­ ger, which was begun in 1830 and ran for many years. It is the finest repository of the Restoration litera­ ture, dealing with all the great que. - tions of human creeds, parties and sects, the operation of the Holy Spirit, the law of conversion, etc. One can go over it again and ag-ain and learn the great principles of the Restoration Plea. Volume 1 carries as an appendix the great Extra for the Remission of Sins. You will likely want to be certain of your copies as they come from the press. The tempo is slow at first, but will gain speed, and especially so when we get the Lard's Quarterly five-volume set distributed. Three volumes have already been mailed of this set. The price of the Millennial Har­ binger is four dollars per volume. Join the Old Paths Book Club and get this great set. They will cost a dollar more per volume to non­ members. The Existence of God A Debate JAMES D. BALES, M.A., PH.D. WOOLSEY TELLER Head of the Bible Department Associate Editor of Harding College, Searcy, Ark. Editor of The Truth Seeker The Thinking Christian One of the Founders of The Author of American Association for the The Roots of Unbelief Advancement of Atheism. B. Frank Rhodes, M.A., Ph. D.-Moderator for James D. Bales HARDING COLLEGE AUDITORIUM October 6, 7, 8, 9, 194 7 Dean L. C. Sears, M.A., Ph. D.-Chairman Oct. 6, 7. President George S. Benson, M.A., L.L.D.-Chairman, Oct. 8, 9 Introduction By F. w. MATTOX, M.A., PH.D. Truth comes by earnest investigation of all available evidence. This conclusion is readily admitted by all men. Accordingly, in order to find truth on apy subject, there must be an earnest search of all available sources for pertinent evidence. Furthermore, the earnest seeker for truth must ever be ready to examine any new evidence. With the above principles in mind, the reader of this debate is ready to benefit by his study, for here you will find two very opposing positions set forth by men who are accounted among the strongest of their respective persuasions. Mr. Teller is secretary of the Association for the Advancement of Atheism in America and has for twenty years had access to all of the material accu­ mulated by this association. In addition to this source of informa­ tion he is a careful student of psychology and logic and is well qualified to set forth the bases for the belief that the world is the result of chance and that there is no God to whom men owe responsibility. Professor Bales is Head of the Department of Bible in Harding College, Searcy, Arkansas. Harding College is one of the most conservative and fundamental religious schools in the United States. It is controlled and operated by members of the church of Christ. Mr. Bales received his Ph. D. degree from the Uni­ versity of California where he studied the philosophies of Natur­ alism and by training is prepared to deal with the subject of this debate on the scholarly level. The debate was conducted in the auditorium of Harding College and was attended by the entire student body, faculty, and towns people of Searcy, as well as visiting preachers and Atheists. The speeches were transcribed as they were delivered and later taken from the records and put into manuscript form. Each participant has had opportunity to go over his speeches and smooth them up, where needed, for publication. In recent years there has been a growing indifference to vital 4 BALES-TELLER DEBATE issues. It is time for all men to look earnestly into the question of this discussion. If there is a God in Heaven who has revealed Himself to men it is the most vital consideration that can enter the mind of men. If there is not a God to whom men owe their allegiance, then men ought to be freed from such convictions and live in harmony with the stark reality that this life is all and the end is the tomb. The difference is too great to cast off lightly. This debate is accordingly set forth in printed form with the hope that men everywhere will become increasingly aware of these distinctions and the results of following such contrary paths through life. Searcy, Arkansas, October 28, 1948 BALES-TELLER DEBATE FIRST PROPOSITION Resolved: The Universe is the Product of Non-intelligent Causes. WOOLSEY TELLER in the affirmative. JAMES D. BALES in the negative. First Night-Teller's First Speech Mr. Chairman, Dr. Bales, Ladies and Gentlemen: Before pro­ ceeding to the subject of our discussion this evening, permit me to thank the officials of the college, Dr. Bales, and each and every one of you for making possible this debate. Having so registered my appreciation of your courtesy, I nevertheless must state that I am amazed. I am amazed that in this time and age we should be assembled here tonight to discuss the existence of a ghost. Ghost­ believing-God is a ghost, according to the theological definition -has largely gone out of existence except among primitive tribes, a few backward individuals, and the theologians, who necessarily must keep up the belief in God in order to make it their profession. In the world of science God-believing has largely gone by the board. Not many years ago Professor Leuba of Bryn Mawr Col­ lege sent out a questionnaire to a great number of American men of science. There is a book entitled "American Men of Science," and in it are listed those who are engaged in conspicuous work in all lines and activities of science. Dr. Leuba questioned them about their belief in God and their belief in immortality. We are not concerned with immortality tonight, but we are concerned with the belief in God, and the returns received by Professor Leuba are definitely on the side of atheism. I have his figures before me. Dr. Leuba wrote a work called "The Beliefs in God and Immor­ tality." You can get it, maybe, in the library of your college. Perhaps you can't. But get it anyway. I have here the later figures of Dr. Leuba, published in Harper's 6 BALES-TELLER DEBATE Magazine in 1934, and they are even more significant than those which were given in his book, because they indicate a trend de­ cidedly toward unbelief and disbelief in God. I do not mean to bother you with figures, but his investigation amounted to this: seven out of every ten scientists disbelieved in, or had doubts as to the existence of God. Now, these are the men, Ladies and Gentlemen, who are engaged in the work that is closest to nature; and if these men, who are making profound studies in the field of medicine, physiology, psychology, biology, and the other sciences, come to that conclusion, it is time for you to take note. You may say to yourself, "in following the theologians I am on the wrong track." I thi_nk there are definite proofs of the non-existence of God right within reach of your own lives. Many in this audience are young-young men and women-and I dare say a large propor­ tion of you may have participated in the last war. If you did, you know its horrors, its agony, its distress, and what it meant to millions of homes. All things which are vile and vicious entered the world war. What was God doing during all that time? On the assumption of the theologians, there is somebody sitting on a cloud watching over us and anxious about how things are going on down here below. Did he take an interest in this world war? How many millions of prayers were uttered during the last world war for its cessation? What happened. Nothing-the war went on for long dreary years. Prayer after Prayer after Prayer asked God to stop the war. The bloodshed went on. That is the way Goel is concerned about you (I'm taking the assumption that there is such a being) ; that is the way he is interested in your lives.
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