Yesterday, August 9, 2008, John Lennox and Christopher Hitchens met one another in debate for the first time. The debate was part of the Edinburgh International Festival and was co-sponsored by Fixed Point Foundation and Trinity Forum. Held in Edinburgh's elegant Usher Hall, the debate drew approximately 1,400 people on a wet and chilly Scottish morning. The tension was palpable. Adding to the scene was the presence of Professor Richard Dawkins. It was good to see Richard there.

John Lennox is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at Green College, University of Oxford. Christopher Hitchens is an English born, Oxford educated, naturalized American citizen, who is best known as a journalist and, most recently, as the author of the bestseller "God is Not Great: How Religion Poisions Everything." Neither is new to the atheism/religious debate. Lennox debated atheist Richard Dawkins in a highly publicized debate that we sponsored last year. Meanwhile, Hitchens has debated Christian apologist Dinesh D'Souza among many others. (And will do so again in an event that we are sponsoring in St. Louis on September 10th.

Rather than offering you a blow-by-blow account of the debate, I will instead make a few general observations:

First, a few words about Christopher Hitchens. He is, in my opinion, the most formidable and probably the most broadly educated of the so-called "New Atheists." He can talk easily on a variety of subjects. He has a terrific Richard Burton-like voice. And, as an aside, away from the stage he is quite likeable and engaging. I told him that he was not what I expected. I had expected an angry man. Most of the New Atheists come off that way in their books, interviews, and on television. But Hitchens was easy to work with and personable.

Second, watching him in debate it is difficult to tell to what extent he is really trying to persuade people away from religion or just trying to amuse them and give his followers what they want. He is quick with a riposte and relies heavily on an English sardonic wit, but he frequently mocks the issues or ignores them altogether.

Third, John Lennox does not simply make an argument for theism. He makes a case for the God of the Bible. He is not ashamed of the Gospel and properly uses the name of Jesus Christ. This is one of the reasons why I like to use Professor Lennox in these debates. Fixed Point is not interested in making a case for some sort of vague deity. On this point, the "New Atheists" are right: some religions are dangerous. Indeed, all that do not lead to Jesus Christ are a dead end.

Fourth, the Q & A session was largely a bust. I am generally opposed to Q & As, but these days, everybody seems to think you can't have an event without one. The questions are frequently redundant, off-topic, unintelligible, or not questions at all, but statements from people who simply want to score a blow to show everyone how clever they are. For the most part, this event was no exception. That said, it did have some amusing moments and did allow Hitchens and Lennox to elaborate on their respective worldviews.

Fifth, the moderator, BBC commentator James Naughtie (pronounced "Nawk-tee"), did a fabulous job. He teased out the issues a bit, kept the debate moving along, and dealt with silly questions from the floor with tact and wit.

Sixth, the proposition being discussed was "The New Europe Should Prefer the New Atheism." Naughtie asked the audience for a show of hands at the beginning and at the end of the debate to see how many people favored, opposed, or were undecided on the motion. At the beginning, a modest majority opposed it. By the end of the debate, however, Lennox had a clear majority. What should one conclude from this? Watch the debate and decide for yourself. We soon hope to have it available on CD and DVD. I will not here spoil it for you.

Finally, it is clear that there is a great deal of interest in these issues across the Western world. We have been given a marvelous opportunity to stimulate people's thinking on the matter and hope to be able to continue to do so.

Signing off from Edinburgh, Scotland ...