Can the truth of Christianity stand up to scrutiny?  Join Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg as they host a live debate between atheist Dr. Michael Newdow and Christian Cliffe Knechtle.  The foundations of our faith will be put to the test in this dynamic event designed for seekers and the Christians who are reaching out to them.

This first-ever simulcast debate will center on the crucial topic of whether God exists, and the debaters will pull no punches as they make the case for what they believe. Dr. Michael Newdow is the physician who successfully sued in Federal Court to have the words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. Cliffe Knechtle is a respected and articulate Christian apologist. These men will give the most compelling arguments, answer the toughest questions, and counter the strongest objections.

Will Christianity emerge as credible? We encourage you to invite seekers in your neighborhoods and communities to come, listen, and decide for themselves whether Christianity stand up to the toughest scrutiny!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SITE COORDINATORS

DEBATE SCHEDULE
The debate will start and end precisely at the times listed for your time zone. (There will be a test screen 45 minutes before the debate begins, with a countdown clock for the last 15 minutes.)
Please download the Debate Handout for a detailed schedule of the program. Please note that there are no breaks.

DEBATE HANDOUT
Every participant will need a copy of the Debate Handout.
The downloadable handout includes:

• Schedule
• Information about the debaters
• Note-taking Outline
• Free materials and resources
• Ballot for Debate Poll

DEBATE POLL
During the Q&A portion of this debate, we will be conducting a poll asking all
viewers to tell us which side presented the more compelling argument.
We have included a ballot as the last page of the downloadable Debate Handout. The debate host will ask your attendees to fill out the ballot and hand it in to you, the site coordinator.

After you collect the ballots, please count up the votes for each side.  Then go to:  www.christianitytoday.com/go/debate

On this web page, simply enter the number of votes at your site for both the atheist view and the Christian view.  Responses from all over North America will be tabulated and the results will be announced before the end of the program.

Q&A
During the Q&A portion of the debate, we will take questions from the floor and questions from the downlink sites. Questions should be directed to either Mr. Knechtle or Dr. Newdow. For convenience, you may use the downloadable Q&A form. Download this form and print up copies for your attendees.



FEEDBACK
Please download a copy of the Site Coordinator feedback form, fill it out after the broadcast, and fax it to us at 650-745-0660. Your input is very important to us!

Dr. Michael Newdow
Michael Newdow is an emergency room physician who also has a law degree. As an atheist, he felt the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance was an endorsement of religion and God by the government. His suit to remove the phrase was upheld by the 9th District U.S. Court of Appeals. Newdow has been TIME magazine's Person of the Week, and has appeared on Good Morning America and the Today Show.

Cliffe Knechtle
Cliffe Knechtle pastors a church in Connecticut and works with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Knechtle regularly debates university students and professors on their turf at places like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and UC Berkeley. He is the author of Give Me An Answer That Satisfies My Heart and Mind and Help Me Believe: Direct Answers to Real Questions.

Lee Strobel
Lee Strobel, a former atheist, has been a teaching pastor at two of America's largest churches and is the author of three Gold Medallion-winning books: The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary. His latest book, co-authored with his wife, is Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage . He is an active board member of the Willow Creek Association.