***News Release***
Can There Be Good Without God?
Southern Evangelical Seminary Debate between Richard Howe and Michael Ruse on Dec. 13 Explores This Philosophical Question; Frank Turek to Moderate
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Christians know people can “be moral” without believing in God. But, can there actually BE good without God?
This is the question that will be explored at the next event in the Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES, www.ses.edu) Signature Discussion & Debate Series. On Dec. 13, SES Emeritus Professor Dr. Richard G. Howe and Florida State University Professor Dr. Michael Ruse will seek to ask and answer: “Can There Be Good Without God?”
“The question of God’s relation to morality or goodness has been asked for centuries,” said SES President Dr. Richard Land. “One of the most popular arguments for the existence of God is built upon the basis that most people recognize some form of objective morality or goodness. But is it a good argument? Does the existence of an objective standard of good require God, or can good exist in some way apart from the need for God? These questions raise some of the most important and foundational theological and philosophical issues we must address in taking our Christian faith as seriously as we should.”
Tickets for the debate are $10 and are on sale now at www.ses.edu/debate. Seating is limited and the debate will also be live-streamed on the SES Facebook page.
WHO: Southern Evangelical Seminary
WHAT: Debate: Can There Be Good Without God?
WHERE: SES’s new campus: 15015 Lancaster Highway, Charlotte, NC 28277
WHEN: 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13, 2018
WHY: To welcome Drs. Richard G. Howe and Michael Ruse to debate this philosophical question
HOW: Learn more or purchase tickets at www.ses.edu/debate; to attend as a member of the media, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com
Dr. Richard G. Howe is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Apologetics at Southern Evangelical Seminary. He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Arkansas and speaks and writes widely on philosophy and Christian apologetics. Howe is co-author with SES co-founder Dr. Norman L. Geisler of “The Religion of the Force” and is a contributor to several additional books. He has had articles published in several journals and has spoken and/or debated in churches and universities in the U.S. and Canada as well as Europe and Africa on issues relating to the defense of the Christian faith. In their free time, Richard and his wife, Rebekah, enjoy international travel. Learn more at www.RichardGHowe.com.
Dr. Michael Ruse is the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor and Director of the History and Philosophy of Science Program at Florida State University. Before joining the Florida State faculty in 2000, Ruse taught at the University of Guelph for 35 years. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Bristol in 1962, his master’s degree from McMaster University in 1964 and his Ph.D. from the University of Bristol in 1970. He is a fellow of both the Royal Society of Canada and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a sometime Gifford Lecturer, and he holds honorary doctorates from the University of Bergen, McMaster University, the University of New Brunswick and University College London. He is the author of numerous books including, most recently, “On Purpose.”
Moderating the debate will be SES Adjunct Professor and alumnus Frank Turek, who is the founder and president of CrossExamined.org. He is also a popular speaker and the award-winning author of four books, “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist,” “Legislating Morality,” “Correct, Not Politically Correct: How Same Sex Marriage Hurts Everyone,” and “Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case.” In addition to speaking and teaching for numerous Christian events, Turek does presentations for corporate clients. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and has been a guest on “The O’Reilly Factor,” “Hannity and Colmes,” CBS News and Fox News.
For 25 years, SES has existed to equip students and ministry leaders to share the Gospel from an intelligent, informed and rational biblical worldview. Courses, conferences, seminars, guest speakers and more seek to accomplish this longstanding mission. Central to this purpose is the provision of a biblical basis and an academic understanding of believers’ commitment to Christ. Therefore, SES seeks to provide an educational opportunity where the Christian world view is both a framework for thinking and a dynamic for living.
Read more about Southern Evangelical Seminary and SES President Dr. Richard Land and his radio feature here. For more information on SES, visit its website at www.ses.edu or its Facebook page, follow the SES Twitter feed, @sesapologetics, or call (800) 77-TRUTH.
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