Commentary by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times

My intent here is to embellish the above video presentation for theism. I propose to do it by adding my comments under each interviewee in the order in the video. I will try to augment the theists and refute the atheists when needed. Occasionally, I agree with atheists. I think their contributions help us reach the best understanding of theism among the Abrahamic faiths.

Rebecca Newberger Goldstein

She talks about her book thirty six arguments for God, which is a work of fiction. She presents the coherence of our universe as her best argument and that was also argument of Spinoza and Einstein. But then she changes it into an argument for pantheism. This I have tackled in a separate article: Understanding God of Spinoza and Einstein: Video by Novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein.

She calls argument from the scriptures as a viciously circular argument, but it is not. The believers have several reasons to believe why the Quran or the Bible are word of God and when they discover another amazing verse in the book, they cannot but help being amazed and stand in awe of it. I have a series of articles, highlighting the Quranic verses that triggered my awe: Why is the Quran a Sign or a Miracle, According to Itself?

Goldstein outlines the argument from intolerability of human insignificance and calls it wishful thinking. There is something in human psyche that demands purpose and justice. Humans need consolation and Afterlife has been motivation of many a heroic actions historically in the history of Abrahamic faiths.

Ian Barber

He adequately answers the criticism why would God hide Himself and not reveal Himself in a fool proof fashion. If He reveals Himself too little there is no test or trial for humanity and if He reveal too much we get the same result. This is why theists cannot present a knock down completely objective proof to the skeptics.

John Polkinghorn

To embellish the argument that he presents for natural theology and to establish that God versus multiverse is a false choice, let me include a short video of Stephen Barr:

Polkinghorn talks about the Cumulative case for theism, which is completed by Robin Collins who comes next and we will pursue it further in the concluding part.

Robin Collins

He presents a cumulative case for theism from natural theology or sciences. There are so many areas that can contribute to the cumulative case from human morality, psychology, sociology and all aspects of human activities.

Anthony Grayling

Robert Lawrence Kuhn the interviewer himself takes out some of the steam from make belief of Grayling. We can embellish the cosmological argument with the following discussion:

Grayling suggests that the four centuries of scientific progress is a cumulative case for atheism. I choose to disagree. While it is true that there is growing atheism in the top scientists but there has not been any scientific discovery to disallow theism.

After the interview Robert Lawrence Kuhn says that he sometimes learns more about God from thoughtful atheists than theists obsessing over dogma and doctrines. I agree.

Yujin Nagasawa

He is introduced as an iconoclast philosopher. Nevertheless, he is devout in as much as he chooses to worship Divine.

Alvin Plantinga

Al Plantinga tackles some of the arguments against theism, the most commonly cited is the argument from evil and in the Muslim Times we have dozens of articles to tackle that: please click here.

Concluding remarks by Robert Lawrence Kuhn

He unknowingly deflates the good quality of his presentation for God of Abrahamic faiths.

He concludes by saying that he wants a court like case to prove God. The Cumulative case for God could be the court case that he desires. There is so much that can be said for the cumulative case and Robert Lawrence Kuhn has said it himself or it has been said in any of his 5000 videos. For example, he knows that a single case of genuine ESP demolishes physicalism or materialism and takes down atheism with it.

Avicenna was perhaps the first one to argue: Video about Avicenna: Is This The Best Argument For God’s Existence?

I conclude with one of Closer to Truth videos: