Why ‘There is a God’ is Good News

Richard Swinburne (Oxford University)

Title:             Why ‘There is a God’ is Good News

Speaker:      Richard Swinburne, Emeritus Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion, Oxford University.
Time:             Monday, November 3, 2014, 4:00-5:30pm. (Reception to follow.)
Location:      Ryerson University, Oakham Lounge, Oakham House, 63 Gould Street, Toronto.
 

Abstract:      Humans have good lives in so far as they have true beliefs about moral and cosmic matters, and appropriate emotions; have others who love and influence them, and have power to choose freely how to influence themselves and others, and use it for good. Contrary to the writings of "New Atheists", if there is a God, our life on earth would be richer in all these ways. We would be able to acquire better understanding of moral truths, and to have more appropriate emotions (including gratitude to God our creator), we would be loved and influenced by God, and have the power to please God and to influence ourselves and others in new important ways ; and if we use this power well, our lives will be much better than they would be without God. Given that God gives us life after death, we would also have the opportunity to choose to have an everlasting growth of relation to God in all these ways, and the enormous power to refuse to have this; and, if we make the right choice,  our lives would be very much better than they would be without God.