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A Fictional Discussion with an Atheist Between Teenage Philosophers

Discussion with an Atheist
Moderator: Patty,
Catholic: Apolonio,
Feminist Atheist: Jackie

Patty: It is great that you two teenagers are going to have this discussion. I know that both of you are seeking for the truth, which is why I decided to be the “moderator” of this “discussion/debate”. We are going to cover a lot of topics on Christian Apologetics. Our first topic is the existence of God. Apolonio, since you are the theist, I believe you should go first.

Apolonio: I will be glad to. Jackie, nice to talk with you again.

Jackie: Nice to talk with you, sophomore.

Apolonio: Thank you senior (and I’m not Spanish!). Let’s get right down to business. I still have homework to do.

Jackie: Fine with me.

First Argument for God’s Existence

Apolonio: My first argument is the argument from perfection.

Jackie: Ah, this should be easy.

Apolonio: Sure it is. It is really simple. In our world truth, life, and love exists. Do you disagree with this statement?

Jackie: I am not going to argue that they do not exist. Of course, I believe in subjective truth, not in objective truth. But again, you already “nailed” me on that issue since believing in no absolute truths would only be true if “no absolute truths” is an absolute truth. So I would give you hat off for that one. My answer is yes; truth, life, and love exist.

Apolonio: Thank you. What we have in the world however is truth mixed with error, life mixed with death, and love mixed with hatred.

Jackie: Explain what you mean by that.

Apolonio: I was about to until you interrupted me. Truth mixed with error just means that while seeking the truth, we find error. For example, if I was doing an addition problem, I make mistakes. I sometimes say that 2+2=5. Therefore truth is mixed with error.
Jackie: Make sense. Life mixed with death means that life is not forever correct?

Apolonio: You got it. And love mixed with hatred means that we have hatred for our enemies or mother in laws.

Jackie: I’m getting you so far. But you have not proven that God exists yet. How is this the argument from perfection?

Apolonio: You should have figured it out already. Truth mixed with error, life mixed with death, and love mixed with hatred means that we have fractional truth, life, and love.

Jackie: So?

Apolonio: There is no such thing as a fraction if there is no such thing as a whole. Therefore since we have fractional truth, life, and love, then there is a Being that is Perfect Truth, Life, and Love. Perfect Truth, Life, and Love is God.

Jackie: Whoa, whoa. How did you get God from that? How do you know God is Perfect Truth, Life, and Love?

Apolonio: You do not have to call it God, but we know that there is such a thing as Perfect Truth, Life, and Love and they cannot be separate since one cannot live without the other.

Jackie: So according to your logic, there is such a thing as perfect error, death, and hatred that is as powerful as perfect truth, life, and love.

Apolonio: I have no idea where you got “as powerful” from. It is not as powerful as God because good overcomes evil.

Jackie: How do you know?

Apolonio: Because we ought to be good. We ought not to be evil. However, that does not deny that there is evil. What you ought to be and what you are -- are two different things.

Patty: OK, I think that is enough for one argument. Finish it up guys.

Jackie: I am not a guy, but a woman. Apolonio’s argument is a fallacy. If he is going to take that idea, then there must be perfect error, death, and hatred.

Apolonio: You have not refuted any of my arguments. Since we are short of time, I will just say that having perfect error, death, and hatred does not refute my statement and it does not show that Perfect Truth, Life, and Love does not exist. Therefore my argument still stands.