Craig-Hitchens Debate to Cost $98?

[gavg89]

Unbelievable. I signed this and I would advise everybody else to do so as well. It just started. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/craighitchensdebate/

[Seasanctuary]

Obvious ploy to make the bootlegs popular.

[gavg89]

Care to elaborate? How is it a "ploy" and how did you come by this inside knowledge?

[Seasanctuary]

You're no fun.

[AngelDragon]

It'll show up on YouTube or something anyway; why pay to go in the first place?

[ENeGMA]

It's nice to see Biola cares more about turning a profit than saving souls.

I bet their pricing scheme will prevent at least one person who otherwise would have been converted by Craig's arguments from becoming a Christian (Not because I think Craig is right, merely because there have to be quite a few Hitchens fans whose reasons for not believing can't stand up to the force of Craig's attack, and because Hitchens obviously lacks Craig's philosophical talent.)

Explain that one to God, Biola!

[lilpixieofterror]

Unbelievable. I signed this and I would advise everybody else to do so as well. It just started. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/craighitchensdebate/

To be fair, what is the cost of one of these debates?

[lilpixieofterror]

It's nice to see Biola cares more about turning a profit than saving souls.

I bet their pricing scheme will prevent at least one person who otherwise would have been converted by Craig's arguments from becoming a Christian (Not because I think Craig is right, merely because there have to be quite a few Hitchens fans whose reasons for not believing can't stand up to the force of Craig's attack, and because Hitchens obviously lacks Craig's philosophical talent.)

Explain that one to God, Biola!

And how much does it cost to put on one of these debates?

[AngelDragon]

I wish debates could be like back in Socrates' day where people just sit down and start talking to eachother for no apparent reason.

[gavg89]

Lilpixie,

In case you didn't know, Biola has already completely sold out 4,000 seats. Even assuming the seats sold at $10 each, the debate doesn't cost $40K to operate. As it turns out, a large percentage of the seats sold at $25 to $15! So Biola has already profitted well over $50,000 for this (not including all the profit they'll make from selling the DVDs and videos afterwards).

The $98 is designed to make further profit -- that much is clear.

Shame.

[Michelle]

Lilpixie,

In case you didn't know, Biola has already completely sold out 4,000 seats. Even assuming the seats sold at $10 each, the debate doesn't cost $40K to operate. As it turns out, a large percentage of the seats sold at $25 to $15! So Biola has already profitted well over $50,000 for this (not including all the profit they'll make from selling the DVDs and videos afterwards).

The $98 is designed to make further profit -- that much is clear.

Shame.

First of all, that's not profit, it's revenue. Second of all, even if their expenses are low so the resulting profit is in the tens of thousands of dollars, why do you begrudge the university this means of raising funds? Your tsk-tsking seems to indicate that someone is lining their pockets with the receipts. Why would you think that?

A university has legitimate reasons to raise money. One very good reason might be scholarships. Biola ain't a cheap place to get an education. Or perhaps by they are making the effort to keep a cap on tuition while at the same time providing competitive salaries in order to attract a top-notch faculty.

Oh, for shame.

If you can't or don't want to pay the fee, don't. Wait for the DVD to come out. I'm sure we can expect you to complain about the price of that, as well.

[AngelDragon]

While I certainly understand a school's pressing need for money, I also need money and sure as hell would not pay $98 to watch two old people argue. I could go to my grandparents' for free and get a few laughs mixed in for that.

And considering Biola's prestige, I don't think it would kill them to knock the price down by ten or twenty bucks. Still, their debate, their charges. I just think it's unnecessarily high.

[mig_killer2]

someone's gonna just tape the debate and post bootleg copies on the internet.

[ENeGMA]

Is anyone here who is defending the pricing actually going to pay for this debate?

I thought not, meaning that you too think the price is too high.

[AngelDragon]

Is anyone here who is defending the pricing actually going to pay for this debate?

I thought not, meaning that you too think the price is too high.

That or they don't live in Southern California and don't have the time/will/means to travel.

Or they just don't have enough money. There've been many times when I wanted something I couldn't afford.