There was more than a little interest in Thursday night's Darwin Day Debate based on the droves of people turned away from the Russell House Ballroom.
If you didn't go, or were one of the many people turned away, you missed Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Kyle Butt of Apologetics Press arguing the existence of the biblical God. USC's Pastafarians, a "multipurpose organization for atheists, agnostics, skeptics and 'non'religious students," hosted the event. Barker argued that God does not exist, and Butt argued the opposite. Both students and Columbia community members were in attendance for the debate.
Regardless of who 'won' the debate, the event was successful on several levels.
Getting students and the community involved in an event of intellectual discussion on campus is no small feat, and the Pastafarians should be commended for their efforts. The university should consistently draw in the community for such events, but often fails to do so. It was refreshing to see an event meet such success.
Bringing in two well-known and reputable people from both sides of such an argument was also commendable. In a state known for its religious closed-mindedness, bringing in two experts to debate such as controversial issue as the existence of God was both bold and difficult.
The Pastafarians have set the bar for what a student organization can do with a little bit of hard work and purpose. We hope more student organizations can accomplish the same.
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