Last night saw the third in our series of debates between atheists and Christians. This time, it was bestselling author, policy analyst, and Christian defender, Dinesh D’Souza, against bestselling author, journalist, and atheist, Christopher Hitchens. The event was held at Powell Hall in St. Louis before a crowd of some 2,000 people.

To say that sparks flew would be an understatement. As moderator of the event, I can tell you that it was very difficult to rein the two men in! The debate ranged from North Korean politics to the doctrine of Hell. The exchanges, though sharp at times, were generally characterized by the mutual respect of friends. At one point, I said to the audience, “I can tell you that this is nothing compared to the car ride over here,” and that was true.

Who won?

That is difficult to say. There are two standards of measurement. The first is audience reaction; the second, content. Audience reaction is generally a poor barometer since the audiences may have prejudged the matter. Furthermore, a presenter may have the better arguments, but lack charisma. (Not a problem with either of these gentlemen.) With the possible exception of the recent debate in Edinburgh, Christians were probably in the majority, so an audience vote seems a foregone conclusion.

As for content, I am sure that once I’ve had time to listen to it carefully, I will discover a great deal that I have overlooked. (As moderator, I was less aware of the arguments than the clock, endeavoring to be fair to each presenter.) But one thing stood out to me: much of the debate focused on matters like the Final Judgment and the Atonement.

It struck me as odd that Hitchens in particular should devote so much time to these doctrines. I mean, shouldn’t one settle the question of God’s existence before debating what He’s like? This is often the case in these debates and it leaves one wondering: do the New Atheists really doubt God’s existence, or do they simply not like Him?

Regardless, Christopher has a marvelous presence and was, I am confident, satisfied with his presentation. The same can be said for Dinesh. Both men are able debaters, passionate on the issues, and willing to shed intellectual blood. As for Fixed Point, we are satisfied that a vast crowd was able to hear both sides of the matter. After all, these are not unimportant issues. They are questions of eternity.