Whether they know it or not, every person possesses a worldview.  This is a set of broad principles that guides their perception of reality, informing them of what exists and what doesn’t, what is possible and what is not.  As human knowledge has advanced over the past few centuries, so has the idea that observational science can explain the whole of reality, physical stuff is all there is, and there is no spiritual realm.  This philosophical naturalism is a key component of atheism, a denial of the existence of any sort of god.

But does this view do an adequate job of explaining the whole of human knowledge and experience?  On September 29th, Kevin is moderating a debate between a Christian (Dr. Andy McIntosh) and an atheist (Jeff Archer) on whether an atheistic worldview can make sense of reality. In the weeks preceding the debate, he is interviewing each participant in turn about why they hold the position they do. In this first of the two interviews, he speaks with Jeff Archer about why he believes atheism explains all of reality without any need to refer to the supernatural.  They discuss topics such as whether religion is necessary for moral living, and whether the complexity of life suggests intelligent design.

Jeff archer is the long-standing president of the Atheist Coalition of San Diego, author of multiple books, and an experienced public debater.  You can learn more about him and the Atheist Coalition by visiting  AtheistCoalition.org.

“And the Lord asked me, ‘What do you see, Amos?’ ‘A plumb line,’ I replied. Then the Lord said, ‘Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel…'” Amos 7:8

This episode first aired on September 20th, 2015.