I’ve spent the last couple of months considering and responding to twenty arguments for the existence of the Christian god (http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics-more/20_arguments-gods-existence.htm).
To be blunt, I’m unconvinced and less than impressed. The bottom line is, when Christianity tries to argue for the existence of its god, it does so from a position of wishful thinking. Christianity desperately needs to appear reasoned and lacking in superstition, so arguments like that list emerge to try and show that face. Yet, when the bright light of reason does indeed shine on these arguments, what becomes demonstrably clear is that Christian arguments for their god are framed so that they can only conclude in their god and are worded so as to guide only towards the Christian god. It is the perfect example of putting the cart before the horse.
The big thing that is lacking in all these arguments is the test. This is the pinnacle of a reasoned argument. It’s all well and good making a case for something, but if you don’t create a test that will confirm or deny the validity of the idea, then you have only done half a job.
Christian apologetics as a whole is the school of half a job and this list of twenty arguments demonstrates that nicely.
When I started through the list I was hoping that I would be challenged to think deeper about why I rejected my former faith. I hoped that the challenge would stimulate me into having to think about the implications of the arguments and maybe even spend some time reading up on the background to the arguments. I did that a little for some of them, but over all I found that the arguments were light on substance to the point that my biggest challenge was to try to address the points thoughtfully and not resort to a sarcastic dismissal. It’s very possible that I wasn’t as successful on that as others would be.
The most disappointing argument for me was also one of the most popular and widely used, the Kalam Cosmological Argument. It really is a shocker. That intelligent people hold it in high regard demonstrates the wishful thinking element of religion and how far people will go to shore up their beliefs with arguments that have the superficial appearance of rationality.
Confessions Of A YEC - Featuring Still Unbelievable! 
Christian apologetics as a whole is the school of half a job
Great line, although I think it’s overly generous 😉
Hi, Limey. Just read your dialogue with Unklee about the Exodus.
I would have joined in but he refuses to let me comment.
Excellent, but you are letting him off the hook way too easily.
You should ask him about the archaeological evidence for the Settlement Pattern
from Finkelstein and the lack of evidence at Kadesh.
And of course the dating of Jericho.
Thanks. I’ll look those up and see if the comments go that way.
John Z has written a superb post on Kadesh and his info on the Exodus story is extensive.
He spent over a year in correspondence with some of the top Israeli archaeologists and Rabbis regarding the Exodus.
And John loves unklee!
And of course the Chariots nonsense was put about by the late Ron Wyatt, among other scams that he creamed a lot of money .
Amazing there are still Christians who believe it!