Dr. Purdom did an excellent job - she was gracious and remained focused on the Gospel, without shrinking back from the questions at hand. One thing that was covered in this discussion, which is often missed these days, concerns this matter of considering our knowledge of the initial and final states in our scientific analysis of the cosmos, as well as our own planet. On this account, I’ll give Mr. Shermer credit for backing down from making assertions about what can be known, empirically, about such matters.

Dr. Purdom’s sobriety at the end was especially profound - the discussion of hell is no laughing matter.