In episode 241, Doug Ell challenges us to find God through science, not in spite of it. An MIT grad who was a firm atheist, Doug found himself on a decades-long journey where science went from disproving God to making Him more real than Doug could imagine, and he now shares that joy with others. If you have felt science and faith are incompatible, this conversation may encourage you.
How has God met you through science?
Discover more from Doug:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-ell-b35405b/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVK1L-bXr1Q&t=13s
https://www.facebook.com/Douglas.Ell.Author
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www.wheredidyouseeGod.com/year-of-books
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Have a story to share? Hard questions to process? A desire for authentic, accessible space? You can leave a brief message at (804) 372-3836, or schedule a conversation (with a twist!) at www.wheredidyouseegod.com/conversation-with-a-twist
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The music in this episode is “You’ll walk, you’ll run” by Urban Doxology, from their amazing album “Bread for the Journey.”
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Scripture invites.
Us to love the Lord our God with
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all our heart, mind, soul and
strength and.
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It really seems like God.
Wants us to focus.
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On that mind.
Piece for a little bit.
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This is the third episode in a.
Row since coming back to
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00:00:14,440 –> 00:00:18,680
recorded conversations.
That the topic has focused on
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our brains, our logic, our
understanding.
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And how we can.
Navigate that as mere humans or
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be spirit LED.
And utilizing this unique gift
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God has given us.
As with the past two guests,
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Doug L has experienced God
through his mind, yet the.
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Journey.
There was neither quick.
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Nor easy, at one point
considering himself.
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An atheist, nothing could prove
to him that God existed.
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Now, science itself constantly
reveals the reality of God to
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Doug and inspired him to share
those realities with others.
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For many, science and
Christianity are incompatible,
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if that’s a topic you’ve been
wrestling with.
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This conversation.
With Doug might encourage you.
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You’re listening to episode 241
of the Where Did You See God
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podcast.
Father God, I just want to thank
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you that you are God.
And you are good.
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And for your wisdom and bringing
about these conversations.
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And I thank you for this
opportunity for Doug and I to
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connect.
And we are both coming to the
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table open to whatever you want
to do.
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So we just say Holy Spirit,
move, guide our words.
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Our questions, our thoughts,
our.
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Responses and and all this, I
just pray that you are honored
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and glorified and we thank you
in advance for how you can do
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immeasurably more through simple
recording like this.
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I just pray in most holy and
precious name, Amen, Amen.
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Well, Doug, I’m really intrigued
by what God might be bringing
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about in this conversation
because I recently restarted the
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podcast from an unplanned hiatus
and this is the third recorded
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conversation.
And the last two guests, their
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heart and focus was very much on
how we can use our minds, our
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brains, our intellect, our logic
to get closer to God, which is
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something I know is a part of
your story as well, which is
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making me wondering, God, what
are you doing here in the last
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three episodes?
Having this common thread and
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who knows where our conversation
will go.
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But I am intrigued by God
bringing us together and what he
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has in store.
But before we start talking,
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what would you want people to
know about who you are?
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First of all, let me say it’s a
honor to be on your show.
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Been looking forward to it.
So thank you and thank you for
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what you do.
I think the important thing that
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people should know about me is
that I used to be an atheist and
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the scientific evidence for God
overwhelmed me.
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Think God grabs different people
in different ways, and my road
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to faith is very different.
But I find sharing it helps some
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people.
There’s a lot of people out
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there who think that science is
contrary to God, and that’s not
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just me saying it.
You know, the poles are out
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there, a lot of young people
particularly, but people of all
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ages think that there’s a
conflict between science and
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God, between science and the
Bible.
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I used to think that way, and I
found that is completely false.
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Science actually reveals the
glory of God, the amazing power
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of God.
And so I’m here to share that
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and tell my story.
I’m very curious about that
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piece because you’re right, as
long as I’ve been alive, I’ve
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heard that tension between
science and faith.
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I’d love to hear more about how
you went from one side of the
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spectrum to the other, from
believing that science and faith
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are incompatible to now saying
no, actually, science deepens my
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faith.
That’s a a big expanse.
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So how did you travel that?
Well, it travelled it over
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decades.
I grew up in a Christian
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household, at least I was, you
know, went to Sunday school.
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But when I was in early high
school, I think I read in a
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textbook that life started in a
dirty pond.
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I thought, well, if you don’t
need God to create life, maybe
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this God stuff is contrary to
science.
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The experiments since been
totally discredited and we could
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get into that.
There’s no way to get life
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without the design.
But anyhow, you know, being a
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teenager, being somewhat
rebellious, I turned into a
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pretty snotty atheist pretty
fast.
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I went to MIT, double majored in
math and physics, graduated
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early, you know, and thought I
knew everything.
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Typical young person.
And then when my my son was
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born, now I’m in my early 30s,
Paul, my wife said we need to
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get him baptized, which
surprised me.
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We hadn’t been going to church.
I said, yes, dear, I didn’t need
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that fight.
So we went, of course, and I
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felt something.
But I told myself, you know,
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Doug, you’re a MIT rational guy.
You can’t believe in this stuff
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unless there’s scientific
evidence for it.
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So I started looking.
I don’t think that there really
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was any problem between science
and God.
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I didn’t look at the evidence at
all.
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I’m saying is when I looked at
the evidence, when I started to
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logically sit down, read books,
you know, how did the universe
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get started?
Why are the constants of physics
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just right?
How did life get started?
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Why is the most complex
technology in the universe in
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life?
When I actually examined each of
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those questions and many more,
my faith just got so deep and I
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turned from being, again, a
fairly nasty and pompous atheist
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into a life of more joy and
fulfillment.
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So I came out the other side,
thanks to the grace of God, when
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I’m intrigued by the fact that
it took decades, right?
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Because the way we function is
we think if we come across clear
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information, clear proof, and
that’ll sell it right then and
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there.
So I have two questions around
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this idea.
The 1st is why do you think God
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and his infinite wisdom and
ability chose for you and for
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others to make this a decades
long process rather than just
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downloading everything in a
moment?
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It’s a great question.
The evidence is there and we
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could go over facts for which
there’s no explanation but God.
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But I think God is the ultimate
gentleman.
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He doesn’t force you to believe
he’s there and he’ll keep
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reaching out to you.
But you have to stop pushing him
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away.
And we all push God away for a
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lot of personal reasons.
We’re too busy.
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We claim we don’t really want to
have to read the Bible or pray
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or go to church, you know, and
that jerk lives across the
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street.
I mean, there’s no way we’re
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going to like him.
You know, we even though,
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despite what the Bible, so, so
we push God away and it just
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takes time.
It took me time.
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You know, other people have a
variety of different stories of
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coming to God of of sudden
flashes.
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And I admire them.
I know they’re real, they’re
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sincere, but that’s not my
story.
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I guess maybe took me so long
because I’m such a stubborn
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person, you know, but when you
look at it, there’s just so much
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wonderful evidence.
But I think the hand of God is
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there.
He wants us to choose him not to
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force himself on us.
And that idea of of God being
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the ultimate gentleman is
something I’ve thought about as
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well.
That he could force us, but he
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chooses instead to be patient
with us.
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Which leads to my second
question.
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Because you were on this decades
long journey from saying there
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is no God to saying the evidence
tells me there is a God.
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And you’re not alone in this
place.
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There are so many people that
are currently navigating this
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and it could be hard for
Christians sometimes to know how
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to interact with someone who is
still in the midst of that
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journey.
How is it that we as Christians
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should approach somebody who may
be at the start of a decades
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long journey?
It’s a great question.
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You can’t really argue someone
into faith first.
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Peter 315 Always be prepared to
give a reason for the hope that
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it’s within you, but do so with
gentleness and respect.
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I think that kind of sums it up
when you’re asked, you know, and
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you share, share some of the
reasons for your faith.
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I wish more people would have a
little bit better understanding
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of the science about God,
particularly ministers, because
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I think that would particularly
help the younger generation.
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I found when you, you come
across the skeptic, A frontal
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00:09:23,240 –> 00:09:28,000
attack trying to overwhelm them
on a debate is just going to
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00:09:28,000 –> 00:09:30,640
harden their position generally.
But you can ask them to be
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skeptical of their skepticism,
you know.
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So how did life get started?
How did all of space and time
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00:09:37,800 –> 00:09:41,280
and matter come into existence
in a in a single instant?
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And how are they all connected?
How did time get created?
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That’s general relativity.
OK, Time and matter and space
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all connected.
And when you start looking at
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these questions instead of
approaching them with a
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00:09:53,280 –> 00:09:58,720
preconceived idea of what the
smart answer is, it’s just
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00:09:58,720 –> 00:10:02,560
overwhelming poll.
So maybe plant questions, ask
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00:10:02,560 –> 00:10:05,040
people to think about things in
a gentle way.
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00:10:06,640 –> 00:10:09,720
You know, this idea of curiosity
is one that came up in the last
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00:10:09,720 –> 00:10:12,560
conversation.
And actually, right before we
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00:10:12,560 –> 00:10:17,080
started recording, I saw a quote
from the show Ted Lasso where
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00:10:17,080 –> 00:10:20,920
Ted is staying.
Basically, he learned the
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00:10:20,920 –> 00:10:24,640
importance of being curious, not
judgmental, and how when we are
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00:10:24,640 –> 00:10:27,440
judgmental, it changes how we
engage with the world and how we
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00:10:27,440 –> 00:10:30,280
engage with others.
And you shared this in your
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00:10:30,280 –> 00:10:32,800
story, right?
There was a period in which you
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00:10:32,800 –> 00:10:36,480
were judgmental towards God,
towards faith, towards the the
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00:10:36,480 –> 00:10:39,160
concept of religion.
And then at some point you
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00:10:39,160 –> 00:10:43,760
became curious, and I would love
to hear one of those early
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moments or one of those big
moments where science suddenly
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00:10:48,120 –> 00:10:52,520
showed itself in a new way and
allowed you and your curiosity
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00:10:52,520 –> 00:10:55,200
to see God in a new way.
Sure.
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I think the a moment that I
would describe on that is I’m
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00:11:01,040 –> 00:11:05,200
flying on an airplane determined
to study the science for the
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00:11:05,200 –> 00:11:09,120
existence of God.
And I’ve got this big ultra
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00:11:09,120 –> 00:11:14,240
nerdy book with over 1000 pages
on molecular biology, a graduate
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00:11:14,240 –> 00:11:16,720
book.
I used to be really good in math
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and graduated early from MIT
again, did three years in
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00:11:20,640 –> 00:11:22,400
Graduate School and theoretical
math.
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So I have a fairly good grasp of
number concepts.
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And so I’m reading about how our
bodies have 3D printers in them
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called ribosomes.
These machines in our bodies
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00:11:34,080 –> 00:11:39,680
read the DNA code and print out
parts called proteins.
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OK, proteins are machine parts,
and our body builds these by
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00:11:46,120 –> 00:11:50,200
snapping together chemical
compounds called amino acids,
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which have a central carbon
atom.
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00:11:52,240 –> 00:11:55,080
And basically you snapping
together like child’s blocks
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would snap together.
There’s twenty options at each
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00:11:58,520 –> 00:12:02,040
place.
A typical string of blocks is
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00:12:02,040 –> 00:12:04,800
maybe 150.
That’s a relatively short
200
00:12:04,800 –> 00:12:09,800
protein. 150 amino acids.
You take 20 at each spot to the
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00:12:09,800 –> 00:12:13,120
150th power.
The odds that you’re going to
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get it right are pretty, pretty
darn small pool.
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And you don’t have to get it
right just once to have life.
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It has to happen thousands of
times.
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And I just looked at the
numbers.
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I’m going to start calculating
things, you know, 20 to the
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00:12:27,240 –> 00:12:31,520
150th power to get it right.
And we could get into more exact
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and precise science about the
rarity of functional protein
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sequences.
But I just knew right then that
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God was real, and not just from
a scientific mathematical
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00:12:43,240 –> 00:12:46,320
standpoint.
I mean, one person wrote a book
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calling I don’t have enough
faith to be an atheist.
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I think that’s a great title,
which is if you’re, if you’re an
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atheist, you have to believe in
some really crazy things.
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00:12:55,200 –> 00:12:58,640
You know, you have to believe
that all of existence came from
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absolutely nothing and there was
no mind behind it.
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00:13:02,000 –> 00:13:06,680
You have to believe that life
started by accident and the
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00:13:06,680 –> 00:13:10,120
people have studied that
basically say it can’t happen.
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You have to believe in a lot of
crazy stuff.
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00:13:13,040 –> 00:13:16,720
But I would say just coming
across the improbability of
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life, that was the one event
that just like, wow.
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Yep.
And even if something doesn’t
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00:13:24,400 –> 00:13:28,200
prove God, at the very least
something like that should for
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someone to consider the
possibility, right?
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It it at least shows there is a
scenario in which there is a
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creator.
And then we could go into it
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with more open mind as we look
at other things.
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Let’s talk about code, digital
code, which just means
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information transferred in
different bits.
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You and I are talking by the
miracle of modern computer
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digital code books or code.
You know, they have letters and
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spaces and numbers and, you
know, discrete units.
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00:13:59,920 –> 00:14:03,560
Scientists have been studying
the heavens for at least 50
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years, looking for code from
outer space.
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It’s called CD search for
extraterrestrial intelligence.
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00:14:09,200 –> 00:14:12,000
They have these huge radio
telescopes fall, and they’re
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00:14:12,000 –> 00:14:14,320
looking for code out there.
Why?
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00:14:14,640 –> 00:14:17,920
Because when they find code,
they’ll know that there’s an
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00:14:17,960 –> 00:14:21,560
alien intelligence out there.
It’s just got to be right.
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00:14:22,120 –> 00:14:24,240
So they’ve been looking for 50
years.
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00:14:24,240 –> 00:14:25,920
They haven’t found any code out
there.
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00:14:26,720 –> 00:14:30,680
Now, what did scientists find in
1953?
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00:14:30,920 –> 00:14:34,920
They found that human beings
have code inside us, that
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00:14:34,920 –> 00:14:36,960
actually all life has code
inside us.
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00:14:36,960 –> 00:14:40,360
It’s called DNA.
And to quote Bill Gates, who
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00:14:40,360 –> 00:14:43,920
knows a little bit about coding,
you certainly made a lot of
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00:14:43,920 –> 00:14:46,880
money off of it.
DNA is like computer code, only
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00:14:46,880 –> 00:14:51,280
far far more advanced than
anything we have ever built. 450
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00:14:51,280 –> 00:14:55,120
scientists worldwide.
The the top scientists did a
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00:14:55,120 –> 00:14:59,360
study of human DNA concluded
probably all functional.
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00:14:59,360 –> 00:15:01,080
We can’t figure out what a lot
of it does.
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00:15:01,080 –> 00:15:03,280
It has at least two layers of
information.
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00:15:03,560 –> 00:15:06,280
Some sections of the code you
can read both backwards and
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00:15:06,280 –> 00:15:09,280
forward.
These are all proven scientific
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00:15:09,280 –> 00:15:11,760
facts.
So the question is, if code can
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00:15:11,760 –> 00:15:17,400
only come from a mind, how did
we get code within us if not
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00:15:17,400 –> 00:15:22,360
from God?
That question at the end, if
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00:15:23,040 –> 00:15:28,200
then if this is this, then how
can this sometimes that can be
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00:15:28,200 –> 00:15:30,960
the thing that trips us up
because we’ve already locked in
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00:15:30,960 –> 00:15:33,160
our if then statement in our
mind.
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00:15:33,520 –> 00:15:36,520
So you were talking about space
and it made me think about how
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00:15:37,200 –> 00:15:42,360
some people look at the
expansive space and they say
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00:15:42,520 –> 00:15:46,400
there is just no way that we’re
the only life that exists in
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00:15:46,400 –> 00:15:48,200
this whole universe.
How could you have this vast
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00:15:48,200 –> 00:15:50,360
universe and we’re the only
life?
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00:15:50,720 –> 00:15:54,880
And there is a logic behind that
and you can pull things from
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00:15:54,880 –> 00:15:57,160
everyday reality to support
that.
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00:15:57,720 –> 00:16:01,360
But when I hear that, where my
mind goes is there is another
269
00:16:01,360 –> 00:16:04,520
scenario.
If God did just create life on
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00:16:04,520 –> 00:16:10,320
this one blue rock amongst this
ever expanding expanse, there is
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00:16:10,320 –> 00:16:14,520
a scenario in which He did that
as a display of His power and
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00:16:14,520 –> 00:16:19,360
glory for us that we are looking
up and we can’t even see the end
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00:16:19,360 –> 00:16:21,760
of it right.
So in other words, our
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00:16:21,760 –> 00:16:25,640
perspective can either limit us
or free us.
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00:16:25,680 –> 00:16:30,800
How we approach perspective can
either position us to learn and
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00:16:30,800 –> 00:16:35,280
experience more or lock us in.
What helped you to be able to
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00:16:35,280 –> 00:16:39,000
release perspectives that locked
you in and what has helped you
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00:16:39,000 –> 00:16:41,520
to continue to remain open and
curious?
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00:16:41,920 –> 00:16:46,560
Well, again, it took decades.
This concept that the universe
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00:16:46,560 –> 00:16:48,640
is so big, what a big waste of
space.
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00:16:49,200 –> 00:16:54,400
If we’re the only life is a very
atheist concept says there can’t
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00:16:54,400 –> 00:16:58,000
be anything special and human
beings have been going down that
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00:16:58,000 –> 00:17:01,040
road for thousands of years.
You know, Gee, we’re not
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00:17:01,040 –> 00:17:04,520
special.
Well, maybe we are has sure
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00:17:04,520 –> 00:17:06,119
haven’t found any life out
there.
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00:17:06,119 –> 00:17:10,720
You know, the Psalm 19 first
one, King David tells us the
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00:17:10,720 –> 00:17:12,720
heavens declare the glory of
God.
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00:17:13,839 –> 00:17:18,000
Have you ever been out on a
moonless night where there’s no
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00:17:18,000 –> 00:17:22,920
light pollution where and the
sky is clear and you can see the
290
00:17:22,920 –> 00:17:26,000
Milky Way splitting the heavens
like a river in the sky?
291
00:17:26,680 –> 00:17:28,800
God’s glory is just
overwhelming.
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00:17:29,920 –> 00:17:31,640
But you’re right.
I mean, it’s a fundamental
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00:17:31,640 –> 00:17:33,840
assumption that’s some people
just make.
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00:17:34,320 –> 00:17:36,160
It’s really hard to change their
view.
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00:17:36,240 –> 00:17:38,040
You know, there’s a new movie
came out.
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00:17:38,320 –> 00:17:41,320
It’s called The Story of
Everything came out on April
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00:17:41,320 –> 00:17:43,480
30th.
It’s put out by a group called
298
00:17:43,480 –> 00:17:46,240
the Discovery Institute.
They published my most recent
299
00:17:46,240 –> 00:17:51,280
book with top scientists talking
about why the theological
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00:17:51,280 –> 00:17:54,840
explanation just makes the best
sense of the current scientific
301
00:17:54,840 –> 00:17:56,680
data.
It’s pretty powerful.
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00:17:56,680 –> 00:18:01,040
It’s very well done, but people
approach things with a mindset.
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00:18:01,440 –> 00:18:04,880
You’re right, I don’t know an
easy answer to turn that around
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00:18:06,080 –> 00:18:08,760
well.
And what makes it so hard is we
305
00:18:08,760 –> 00:18:10,920
aren’t always aware of what’s
influencing us.
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00:18:11,000 –> 00:18:14,800
So when you were talking about
the dark sky, no light
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00:18:14,800 –> 00:18:19,280
pollution, I have seen that, but
it’s very rare because I live in
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00:18:19,280 –> 00:18:22,440
an urban context.
If I didn’t understand the
309
00:18:22,440 –> 00:18:25,640
concept of light pollution, like
I think of my youngest child,
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00:18:26,160 –> 00:18:28,640
let’s say he goes outside and
every night he looks at the sky.
311
00:18:28,640 –> 00:18:32,800
He wouldn’t make a determination
about the sky, that it is pretty
312
00:18:32,800 –> 00:18:35,960
much mostly black with a few
dots in it.
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00:18:36,520 –> 00:18:40,200
And I can’t imagine what that
experience will be for him when
314
00:18:40,200 –> 00:18:44,800
he is in an entirely dark place,
miles and miles from light
315
00:18:44,800 –> 00:18:48,480
pollution, and he looks up and
he sees more stars than he can
316
00:18:48,480 –> 00:18:50,680
even fathom.
Not just not even count, but
317
00:18:50,680 –> 00:18:52,920
even fathom comprehending his
mind.
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00:18:53,680 –> 00:18:58,280
And he would have had no idea
the impact that light pollution
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00:18:58,280 –> 00:18:59,760
was having.
Why would he know that?
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00:18:59,760 –> 00:19:03,480
City lights are changing his
ability to see because in his
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00:19:03,480 –> 00:19:06,320
mind you should be able to see
whatever light is shining and so
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00:19:06,440 –> 00:19:10,720
we don’t always know what things
are actually influencing us.
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00:19:11,000 –> 00:19:15,240
What are some of the influences
that you came to recognize
324
00:19:15,240 –> 00:19:19,880
during your decades journey that
you had no idea where impacting
325
00:19:19,880 –> 00:19:25,480
your ability to engage with God?
One of the other key ones is I
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00:19:25,480 –> 00:19:30,600
started with a belief that the
Bible was largely myth, which
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00:19:31,560 –> 00:19:35,560
even among Christians, I mean,
would consider the Old Testament
328
00:19:36,360 –> 00:19:41,240
to be mythological in part.
We could talk about the science
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00:19:41,240 –> 00:19:46,080
of that, but it’s clear Adam and
Eve were real people as modern
330
00:19:46,080 –> 00:19:49,640
genetic evidence for that.
It’s clear that there was a
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00:19:49,640 –> 00:19:54,360
great flood, The story of Noah
is true, and on and on.
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00:19:54,360 –> 00:19:59,120
And there are real, real blocks
when people think that science
333
00:19:59,120 –> 00:20:03,760
is contrary to the Bible.
I personally know that this
334
00:20:03,760 –> 00:20:07,200
theory that the universe is
billions of years old, it’s
335
00:20:07,200 –> 00:20:09,640
made-up.
I know that’s controversial, but
336
00:20:09,640 –> 00:20:12,920
we could get into that.
Why radiometric dating like
337
00:20:12,920 –> 00:20:14,880
carbon dating?
Why they make up all these
338
00:20:14,880 –> 00:20:16,800
assumptions to get things to
work?
339
00:20:17,720 –> 00:20:19,720
Dinosaurs used to be called
Dragons.
340
00:20:19,720 –> 00:20:22,920
There’s stories of Dragons in
the Roman records.
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00:20:22,920 –> 00:20:26,960
There’s two Dragons described in
detail in the book of Job.
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00:20:27,400 –> 00:20:30,720
I would say thinking that the
Bible stories are mythological
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00:20:30,720 –> 00:20:34,280
is is a problem for a lot of
people, perhaps at a level that
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00:20:34,280 –> 00:20:38,280
they don’t realize.
As one person said to me, when
345
00:20:38,280 –> 00:20:40,040
do you start believing the
Bible?
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00:20:41,120 –> 00:20:44,280
I think that’s a good question
for every person to ask
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00:20:44,280 –> 00:20:45,960
themselves.
For many, maybe it’s simple.
348
00:20:45,960 –> 00:20:48,880
I never believed the Bible.
But for a lot of people,
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00:20:49,360 –> 00:20:52,120
Christians, I mean, you know, if
you’re a Christian, then you
350
00:20:52,120 –> 00:20:56,920
believe the New Testament.
Well, Jesus spoke about Noah and
351
00:20:56,920 –> 00:21:01,120
he used the example in Noah
pretty dramatically actually, as
352
00:21:01,120 –> 00:21:03,880
you recall me, two of the
gospels said, you know, when I
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00:21:03,880 –> 00:21:07,400
come back next time, guys, I’m
not coming back as this little
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00:21:07,400 –> 00:21:10,760
baby, OK?
I’m coming back in full power
355
00:21:10,760 –> 00:21:12,840
and glory.
And it’s it’s his quote is as it
356
00:21:12,840 –> 00:21:16,480
was in the days of Noah.
You know, people were carrying
357
00:21:16,480 –> 00:21:18,640
around with their lives and then
it was game over.
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00:21:18,640 –> 00:21:21,120
He says that’s what it’s going
to be like when I come back.
359
00:21:21,680 –> 00:21:25,960
So, you know, that was a real
person when you actually embrace
360
00:21:25,960 –> 00:21:28,080
and look at.
And it’s very hard in our
361
00:21:28,080 –> 00:21:31,920
current world to look at that
truth because people make fun of
362
00:21:31,920 –> 00:21:34,040
it.
But it’s there and it’s so
363
00:21:34,040 –> 00:21:36,840
wondrous.
I think that’s a problem people
364
00:21:36,840 –> 00:21:40,320
have.
Do you have a favorite science
365
00:21:40,560 –> 00:21:45,000
and the Old Testament example?
Oh, there’s so many.
366
00:21:45,320 –> 00:21:48,320
Where to start?
So I’m writing a new book in the
367
00:21:48,320 –> 00:21:51,280
last chapters called The Angel
in the Assyrians.
368
00:21:52,040 –> 00:21:56,320
Maybe you’ve heard the story.
It’s 701 BC.
369
00:21:57,080 –> 00:22:02,320
The Assyrians have a huge army
outside of Jerusalem and Jewish
370
00:22:02,320 –> 00:22:06,080
king Hezekiah is walled up like
a bird in a cage.
371
00:22:06,720 –> 00:22:10,440
Both the Bible say that and the
Assyrian records say that the
372
00:22:10,440 –> 00:22:13,480
Assyrians are the superpower of
their day.
373
00:22:13,920 –> 00:22:16,080
The Bible has stories of
Samaritans.
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00:22:16,080 –> 00:22:18,120
The two.
The Jews despised them and that
375
00:22:18,120 –> 00:22:22,480
was that was the 10 northern
tribes and the Assyrians took up
376
00:22:22,480 –> 00:22:27,880
them out 723 BC But then King
Hezekiah stop paying tribute.
377
00:22:27,880 –> 00:22:32,000
So they come back, they
devastate Judah, they conquer 46
378
00:22:32,000 –> 00:22:36,600
towns and this is all both in
the Bible and in the Assyrian
379
00:22:36,600 –> 00:22:39,880
records.
King Hezekiah builds this
380
00:22:40,000 –> 00:22:45,560
enormous tunnel 1700 feet
underground through solid rock
381
00:22:45,840 –> 00:22:48,200
to get water to the city during
the siege.
382
00:22:48,520 –> 00:22:50,280
And you can walk through that
tunnel today.
383
00:22:50,960 –> 00:22:54,080
It’s there.
And then the Bible says an
384
00:22:54,080 –> 00:22:57,440
Angel, the Lord, killed 185,000
Assyrians.
385
00:22:59,120 –> 00:23:02,480
OK, well, we don’t have any
surviving video of that event.
386
00:23:02,680 –> 00:23:04,320
You know, we don’t have any
photos.
387
00:23:04,640 –> 00:23:08,720
But we do know from the Assyrian
records that they never
388
00:23:08,720 –> 00:23:13,680
conquered Jerusalem and
Jerusalem was not the biggest
389
00:23:13,680 –> 00:23:16,000
city they ever faced.
They took out some, took them
390
00:23:16,000 –> 00:23:18,440
three years.
They took out Samaria 20 years
391
00:23:18,440 –> 00:23:22,880
before the capital of Samaria.
So, you know, if you’re open to
392
00:23:22,880 –> 00:23:26,360
the wonder, it’s there.
It really is.
393
00:23:26,360 –> 00:23:29,040
And there’s videos and and
deeper you can get into that.
394
00:23:29,040 –> 00:23:31,800
But I think I love that story
because not a lot of people are
395
00:23:31,800 –> 00:23:34,640
familiar with it.
The story of the Angel of the
396
00:23:34,640 –> 00:23:39,840
Lord saving King Hezekiah.
And it’s in three in the Bible,
397
00:23:39,840 –> 00:23:42,960
three times.
And if the Assyrians had
398
00:23:42,960 –> 00:23:45,960
conquered Jerusalem, they would
have did the same thing which
399
00:23:45,960 –> 00:23:48,360
they did to the Sumerian, the
northern tribes.
400
00:23:48,520 –> 00:23:50,240
They would have destroyed him as
a people.
401
00:23:50,840 –> 00:23:53,720
They would have taken away all
the leaders or killed people and
402
00:23:53,720 –> 00:23:57,360
intermixed other cultures.
And, you know, the Jews as a
403
00:23:57,720 –> 00:24:00,000
separate entity would have
ceased to exist.
404
00:24:00,640 –> 00:24:06,120
So I’d say the Bible’s true.
There’s this idea then of the
405
00:24:06,440 –> 00:24:10,400
unexplainable being a stumbling
block to be able to trust God
406
00:24:10,400 –> 00:24:13,000
with science.
And then you went on this
407
00:24:13,000 –> 00:24:16,840
journey of discovering that
there is actually more that
408
00:24:16,840 –> 00:24:20,040
science can explain.
But I imagine there are still
409
00:24:20,040 –> 00:24:23,280
things that remain
unexplainable, unprovable.
410
00:24:23,640 –> 00:24:27,560
And so how is your relationship
with the unexplainable changed?
411
00:24:28,200 –> 00:24:30,760
Sometimes you have to give God
the benefit of the doubt.
412
00:24:31,040 –> 00:24:34,960
We don’t know how we did it.
One of the problems that some
413
00:24:34,960 –> 00:24:38,360
people perceived as being
insurmountable for my belief
414
00:24:38,360 –> 00:24:42,120
that the universe is thousands
of years old, I believe it’s
415
00:24:42,120 –> 00:24:45,800
about 7500 years old and not
billions of years old, as they
416
00:24:45,800 –> 00:24:47,680
say.
Well, how can we see distance
417
00:24:47,680 –> 00:24:50,120
Starlight?
But what they don’t realize
418
00:24:50,120 –> 00:24:52,360
because it gets kind of
technical, is distance.
419
00:24:52,360 –> 00:24:57,960
Starlight is a huge problem for
proponents of The Big Bang for
420
00:24:57,960 –> 00:25:02,360
three very technical and nerdy
scientific reasons, and mostly
421
00:25:02,360 –> 00:25:04,880
because the universe looks
pretty much the same in every
422
00:25:04,880 –> 00:25:06,640
direction.
It’s the same temperature and
423
00:25:06,640 –> 00:25:08,760
all.
They say, well, when it started,
424
00:25:09,280 –> 00:25:13,440
some huge force ripped it apart.
OK, they call that force
425
00:25:13,440 –> 00:25:15,560
inflation.
They have no idea what it was,
426
00:25:15,560 –> 00:25:19,760
what started it, what ended it.
But the Bible says 11 times God
427
00:25:19,760 –> 00:25:21,600
made the heavens and stretch
them out.
428
00:25:23,000 –> 00:25:27,160
OK, not just made it, made them
and stretch them out 11 times.
429
00:25:27,760 –> 00:25:31,560
And this inflation force, you
know that in one trillionth
430
00:25:31,560 –> 00:25:35,280
trillionth trillionth of a
second, the universe expanded
431
00:25:35,280 –> 00:25:38,560
hugely kind of model
scientifically what we’re
432
00:25:38,560 –> 00:25:41,680
looking at today.
So we don’t know exactly how we
433
00:25:41,680 –> 00:25:46,120
can see the distant Starlight.
We certainly have no clue how
434
00:25:46,120 –> 00:25:49,880
God created time, but we do know
time had a beginning.
435
00:25:50,000 –> 00:25:54,080
That’s a huge modern discovery,
goes back about 100 years now,
436
00:25:54,520 –> 00:25:56,400
that the universe had a
beginning.
437
00:25:56,600 –> 00:26:00,800
When you think about that,
whatever caused the universe to
438
00:26:00,800 –> 00:26:03,640
come into being had to be from
outside the universe.
439
00:26:04,080 –> 00:26:07,880
I’m sorry, but that’s logically
inescapable, you know, because
440
00:26:08,560 –> 00:26:10,520
it wasn’t just that there was no
matter.
441
00:26:10,520 –> 00:26:13,360
There was no time, no space, no
laws of physics.
442
00:26:14,400 –> 00:26:18,600
So what caused that?
You know, one of the things that
443
00:26:18,600 –> 00:26:24,680
I think about often when I’m
thinking about this topic is we
444
00:26:24,720 –> 00:26:30,720
forget how much is unexplainable
even in what we think is clear
445
00:26:30,720 –> 00:26:33,480
and certain.
There are so many moments where
446
00:26:33,480 –> 00:26:35,880
a scientist will come up to
something and say, I don’t know
447
00:26:35,880 –> 00:26:39,840
why this is happening like this
or this happens a certain way
448
00:26:39,840 –> 00:26:42,480
100 times, but now it’s doing
something different.
449
00:26:42,480 –> 00:26:46,200
And I can’t tell you why.
When somebody engages science
450
00:26:46,200 –> 00:26:49,320
with openness and curiosity,
that’s how new things are
451
00:26:49,320 –> 00:26:51,480
discovered.
When somebody engages science
452
00:26:52,000 –> 00:26:55,280
with this restrictive
perspective, that’s when you get
453
00:26:55,280 –> 00:26:59,520
people actually opposing those
who discovered things that now
454
00:26:59,520 –> 00:27:01,360
we look back and say, no, that’s
very clear.
455
00:27:01,600 –> 00:27:04,520
You know, when people start to
say that the Earth is round, it
456
00:27:04,680 –> 00:27:06,920
rotates around the sun and not
the other way around, there was
457
00:27:06,920 –> 00:27:10,040
a lot of resistance to that
because there was this idea that
458
00:27:10,040 –> 00:27:13,520
no, this is how things work.
So what you’re saying is
459
00:27:13,520 –> 00:27:16,720
incorrect.
There is so much that we can’t
460
00:27:16,720 –> 00:27:21,800
explain, and sometimes creating
a grace for that and openness to
461
00:27:21,800 –> 00:27:25,840
that, letting God be God in that
can actually allow us to not be
462
00:27:25,840 –> 00:27:28,760
bound and restricted by our fear
of uncertainty.
463
00:27:28,760 –> 00:27:31,600
Why are we so afraid of the
unexplainable, though?
464
00:27:31,920 –> 00:27:35,800
We want to be in control.
When Adam and Eve rebelled, we
465
00:27:35,800 –> 00:27:39,240
all rebelled in some sense.
We all want to be like God,
466
00:27:40,280 –> 00:27:42,280
right?
And we all want to think we can
467
00:27:42,280 –> 00:27:44,800
understand it.
We can control our own lives.
468
00:27:45,520 –> 00:27:49,600
One of the humbling things is to
realize God’s in control.
469
00:27:49,600 –> 00:27:52,760
You’re not in control, but we
all want to be in control.
470
00:27:52,760 –> 00:27:54,720
We want to understand it, but we
don’t.
471
00:27:55,000 –> 00:27:58,000
We don’t understand really what
matter is.
472
00:27:59,360 –> 00:28:03,520
OK, when you look at the quantum
stuff, what they found is when
473
00:28:03,520 –> 00:28:08,920
you look at an atom, it’s not
really there, OK, it’s it’s
474
00:28:09,080 –> 00:28:13,520
reduces at the finest level, the
foundation of existence into
475
00:28:13,520 –> 00:28:17,760
mathematical formulas of where
something it might take place
476
00:28:18,040 –> 00:28:20,000
according to a certain
probability.
477
00:28:20,240 –> 00:28:22,840
And that field is called quantum
mechanics.
478
00:28:23,200 –> 00:28:27,040
And there are things in quantum
mechanics that have no rational
479
00:28:27,040 –> 00:28:30,120
explanation.
People glaze over when I start
480
00:28:30,120 –> 00:28:32,200
talking about that, said, well,
I don’t understand quantum
481
00:28:32,200 –> 00:28:34,560
mechanics.
Well, I can assure you nobody in
482
00:28:34,560 –> 00:28:38,720
the world understands quantum
mechanics from any sort of
483
00:28:38,720 –> 00:28:41,280
intuitive sense.
They just have incredible
484
00:28:41,280 –> 00:28:43,960
formulas that work.
It’s shocking.
485
00:28:43,960 –> 00:28:46,800
I mean, Albert Einstein found it
shocking.
486
00:28:46,800 –> 00:28:51,760
I mean, and he was the guy who
had the willingness to go
487
00:28:51,760 –> 00:28:55,120
against what all the other
physicists said and to believe
488
00:28:55,120 –> 00:28:58,760
that space could bend and that
time could change.
489
00:28:59,240 –> 00:29:02,240
And that’s how Albert Einstein
became great, You know, theory
490
00:29:02,240 –> 00:29:06,440
of relativity, but the theory of
quantum mechanics that, you
491
00:29:06,440 –> 00:29:10,440
know, life is mathematical.
It gets pretty heavy when you
492
00:29:10,440 –> 00:29:13,440
when you start looking at all of
this, Paul, it it adds up.
493
00:29:13,440 –> 00:29:17,440
But it’s I think you just plant
people doubts in people’s mind
494
00:29:17,440 –> 00:29:20,720
if they’re if they’re stubborn
to it, but it is wondrous.
495
00:29:20,720 –> 00:29:23,760
It’s helped me a lot.
I tell you, I wish I had a more
496
00:29:24,320 –> 00:29:28,240
natural faith.
I think in a way, but my decades
497
00:29:28,240 –> 00:29:31,200
of being a snotty atheist, you
know, still taking time to get
498
00:29:31,200 –> 00:29:35,200
over when even your comment
there that it helped your life a
499
00:29:35,200 –> 00:29:37,960
lot.
You know, as I think through
500
00:29:37,960 –> 00:29:44,760
this, when we have this desire
to be our own God, or for some
501
00:29:44,760 –> 00:29:46,840
people, it might not be that
they want to be a God, they just
502
00:29:46,840 –> 00:29:50,600
don’t want a God over them.
Whatever it is that puts
503
00:29:50,600 –> 00:29:57,080
everything on us to figure out,
to do, meanwhile allowing
504
00:29:57,080 –> 00:30:02,680
ourselves to let God be God,
suddenly it’s on him.
505
00:30:02,680 –> 00:30:06,600
And if he’s limitless, if he can
do anything, suddenly the
506
00:30:06,600 –> 00:30:08,880
impossible, the
incomprehensible, becomes
507
00:30:08,880 –> 00:30:12,120
accessible in a way that we
never could have achieved in and
508
00:30:12,120 –> 00:30:14,920
of ourselves.
So there is this freedom, there
509
00:30:14,920 –> 00:30:17,600
is this opportunity, as Jesus
put it.
510
00:30:18,440 –> 00:30:21,880
He was talking to a body of
people who just knew
511
00:30:22,000 –> 00:30:25,280
intrinsically that you’re born,
you live, and then you die.
512
00:30:25,280 –> 00:30:27,680
And when you die, you’re done.
And maybe there’s something
513
00:30:27,680 –> 00:30:29,720
else, but nobody can figure it
out exactly.
514
00:30:30,240 –> 00:30:34,320
And so people feared death.
They would avoid death.
515
00:30:34,400 –> 00:30:38,960
Even Peter, who was willing to
give his life for Jesus, still
516
00:30:38,960 –> 00:30:42,320
feared death.
And then Jesus demonstrates that
517
00:30:42,320 –> 00:30:45,240
death has lost its sting.
Scripture talks about how death
518
00:30:45,240 –> 00:30:49,560
no longer has power over us.
And so there is this freedom
519
00:30:49,560 –> 00:30:53,600
that can come when we let God be
God and we release the idea of
520
00:30:53,600 –> 00:30:56,240
control.
How are you seeing that play out
521
00:30:56,240 –> 00:31:00,320
now when you look at your life
and how you experience things
522
00:31:00,320 –> 00:31:05,720
like peace, hope, joy, compared
to when you did not want God
523
00:31:05,720 –> 00:31:08,200
around?
Tell me about the quality of
524
00:31:08,200 –> 00:31:10,720
life.
It’s just more wonderful and
525
00:31:10,720 –> 00:31:13,240
more freeing for exactly the
reason she said.
526
00:31:13,760 –> 00:31:16,160
I’m getting old.
I’m in my late 70s.
527
00:31:16,240 –> 00:31:19,960
But I don’t worry about death,
although I do like the Woody
528
00:31:19,960 –> 00:31:22,400
Allen line, you know, which is
I’m not scared to death.
529
00:31:22,400 –> 00:31:24,160
I just don’t want to be there
when it happens.
530
00:31:25,600 –> 00:31:31,560
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You know, and a lot of things I
531
00:31:31,560 –> 00:31:34,760
don’t worry about when I have a
problem that’s unsolvable to me,
532
00:31:34,760 –> 00:31:37,360
I, I say, OK, God, this one’s on
you.
533
00:31:37,360 –> 00:31:40,200
I can’t do anything about it,
you know, including a lot of the
534
00:31:40,200 –> 00:31:44,440
crises in the world today.
They’re beyond my capability to
535
00:31:44,440 –> 00:31:48,720
solve, you know, and I don’t
think about money much.
536
00:31:48,880 –> 00:31:51,360
You know, when I was a young
professional, money was fairly
537
00:31:51,360 –> 00:31:54,520
up consuming.
You know, I think it is for a
538
00:31:54,520 –> 00:31:56,560
lot of people.
It’s a tough world out there,
539
00:31:57,120 –> 00:31:59,200
for sure.
There are things you have to
540
00:31:59,200 –> 00:32:02,440
give to God, and it just can
lead to a peace and a calmness
541
00:32:02,640 –> 00:32:05,680
and a joy.
You know, peace of God is beyond
542
00:32:05,680 –> 00:32:07,840
understanding, as the Scripture
says.
543
00:32:09,400 –> 00:32:12,360
You know, there’s this threat of
time through everything that
544
00:32:12,360 –> 00:32:17,160
you’ve shared, your story of it
taking decades to come to this
545
00:32:17,160 –> 00:32:19,640
understanding.
Even while we were talking about
546
00:32:19,640 –> 00:32:25,280
how science works, it took time
for humanity to come to
547
00:32:25,280 –> 00:32:28,040
understand things.
And man, we have such a
548
00:32:28,040 –> 00:32:31,520
resistance to time because going
back to what you noted about our
549
00:32:31,520 –> 00:32:34,560
desire for control, like we want
to understand now.
550
00:32:34,560 –> 00:32:37,960
We want to have clarity now.
We want to have control over
551
00:32:37,960 –> 00:32:41,800
reality now.
But God has given us this gift
552
00:32:41,800 –> 00:32:46,240
of time, and we don’t understand
what a gift it is.
553
00:32:46,240 –> 00:32:48,600
And what you’ve described is
something I’ve heard often is
554
00:32:48,600 –> 00:32:52,960
people who are in their later
years look back and say exactly
555
00:32:52,960 –> 00:32:55,480
what you said.
I used to think this was the
556
00:32:55,480 –> 00:32:57,320
most important thing, but now I
know it’s not.
557
00:32:57,640 –> 00:33:00,640
I used to think that you had to
have financial security, but
558
00:33:00,640 –> 00:33:03,080
suddenly I realized there is
more to life than money.
559
00:33:03,640 –> 00:33:06,760
But it took time because if
somebody just told you those
560
00:33:06,760 –> 00:33:11,040
things, you would have rejected
them because you knew how things
561
00:33:11,040 –> 00:33:14,080
worked.
You were had your experiences,
562
00:33:14,200 –> 00:33:16,240
you had your hopes, you had your
dreams.
563
00:33:17,080 –> 00:33:21,880
How can people get to a place
where they embrace the gift of
564
00:33:21,880 –> 00:33:26,960
time, particularly when what God
wants to do might take decades?
565
00:33:27,800 –> 00:33:31,920
Yeah, I think the time honored
ways are the best.
566
00:33:33,240 –> 00:33:37,400
Read the Bible, go to church,
pray.
567
00:33:38,400 –> 00:33:40,680
Let the word of God seep into
your heart.
568
00:33:41,720 –> 00:33:44,120
It’s more elegant than my words,
that’s for sure.
569
00:33:44,240 –> 00:33:47,720
And you know, Jesus says,
consider the lilies of the
570
00:33:47,720 –> 00:33:51,520
field.
They neither toil nor reap, yet
571
00:33:51,520 –> 00:33:54,720
they’re arrayed fine.
You know, he says, don’t worry
572
00:33:54,720 –> 00:33:56,680
about what you’re going to eat
or what you’re going to wear.
573
00:33:57,920 –> 00:34:01,320
It’s in the Bible.
You have to give up control as a
574
00:34:01,320 –> 00:34:04,400
human being.
And, and that’s hard, you know,
575
00:34:04,680 –> 00:34:07,600
but it’s there.
And I think you have to pray for
576
00:34:07,600 –> 00:34:09,360
faith.
I think faith is a gift.
577
00:34:10,159 –> 00:34:12,360
You can’t argue anybody into
faith.
578
00:34:12,679 –> 00:34:14,520
Some people just don’t want to
believe.
579
00:34:14,520 –> 00:34:16,920
They never will believe.
And you just have to give them
580
00:34:17,040 –> 00:34:20,360
up to God.
You know, that passage you noted
581
00:34:21,000 –> 00:34:25,239
puts a interesting light on this
concept of time as well, because
582
00:34:25,440 –> 00:34:28,760
there is that element of us
being willing to embark on a
583
00:34:28,760 –> 00:34:32,679
decades long journey of God
invites us and to be patient and
584
00:34:33,360 –> 00:34:36,679
embrace when long-suffering is a
piece of the story.
585
00:34:36,920 –> 00:34:40,280
But you noted that passage that
says, don’t worry about
586
00:34:40,280 –> 00:34:42,040
tomorrow.
Tomorrow has enough worries
587
00:34:42,040 –> 00:34:43,560
about itself.
And so we’re invited to
588
00:34:43,560 –> 00:34:48,280
simultaneously embrace the long
journey, but also live in today,
589
00:34:48,280 –> 00:34:52,520
live in the moment, live in such
a way that we release everything
590
00:34:52,520 –> 00:34:56,000
that is to come.
How does God meet us in that
591
00:34:56,040 –> 00:35:00,880
space, in the moment?
I think God will give you peace
592
00:35:00,880 –> 00:35:04,440
if you ask for it.
When you have troubles, pray
593
00:35:04,440 –> 00:35:06,880
about them.
People have very difficult
594
00:35:06,880 –> 00:35:09,360
troubles from time to time,
that’s for darn sure.
595
00:35:09,800 –> 00:35:13,960
But God is there.
We can’t understand why we
596
00:35:13,960 –> 00:35:16,480
suffer.
I think suffering is a barrier
597
00:35:16,760 –> 00:35:20,440
between people and God.
You know this mistaken idea that
598
00:35:20,440 –> 00:35:22,600
if God is real, the universe
should be perfect.
599
00:35:23,960 –> 00:35:28,600
I think suffering is kind of
above our ability to understand
600
00:35:28,600 –> 00:35:31,000
in a way.
It has a lot to do with free
601
00:35:31,000 –> 00:35:33,760
will and God being the ultimate
gentleman.
602
00:35:33,760 –> 00:35:38,720
But God solves the problem in
his own way by sending Jesus to
603
00:35:38,720 –> 00:35:41,720
us, who suffered enormously for
us.
604
00:35:42,520 –> 00:35:47,600
And he also promises us that if
we want, if we accept it,
605
00:35:48,680 –> 00:35:50,440
there’s eternal life on the
other side.
606
00:35:50,440 –> 00:35:55,200
Now I know that sounds to some
impossible, but Jesus did rise
607
00:35:55,200 –> 00:35:57,360
from the dead.
I think that’s pretty basically
608
00:35:57,360 –> 00:36:00,760
historical fact if you actually
look at the science of it, the
609
00:36:00,760 –> 00:36:03,680
history, what’s in the Roman
records, and there’s no other
610
00:36:03,680 –> 00:36:06,880
explanation for the birth of
Christianity.
611
00:36:07,480 –> 00:36:09,280
I don’t think God sends people
to hell.
612
00:36:09,280 –> 00:36:11,800
I think people choose hell.
They choose to distance
613
00:36:11,800 –> 00:36:14,640
themselves from God.
You people have always been
614
00:36:14,640 –> 00:36:18,800
comforted long term by the
promise, through the Old
615
00:36:18,800 –> 00:36:22,400
Testament and through Jesus, of
a better life to come.
616
00:36:23,040 –> 00:36:24,880
Yeah, as you’re talking about
suffering, it reminded me of
617
00:36:24,880 –> 00:36:30,800
Job, and it ties very well to
this whole conversation because
618
00:36:30,800 –> 00:36:34,080
what Job wanted was for God to
explain his suffering.
619
00:36:34,880 –> 00:36:39,120
And then what we get from God is
he uses science to explain
620
00:36:39,120 –> 00:36:40,400
himself.
Right.
621
00:36:40,960 –> 00:36:45,000
And in seeing that, Job suddenly
realizes it was more important
622
00:36:45,000 –> 00:36:48,960
for him to know who God was than
to know why God was allowing
623
00:36:48,960 –> 00:36:51,160
what he was allowing.
And it’s through this
624
00:36:51,160 –> 00:36:53,720
interaction that he finds a
piece in a situation, even
625
00:36:53,720 –> 00:36:57,280
though none of his core
questions end up being answered.
626
00:36:57,800 –> 00:37:01,800
And to see God using science,
talking about the creation of
627
00:37:02,080 –> 00:37:07,520
the universe and the creation of
certain animals, and I feel like
628
00:37:07,520 –> 00:37:09,880
ties very well into so much of
what you’re saying.
629
00:37:09,880 –> 00:37:14,720
God wants to make himself known.
He’s revealing himself.
630
00:37:15,360 –> 00:37:17,160
He’s not even trying to hide
from us.
631
00:37:17,200 –> 00:37:19,920
He also knows there’s a lot
about himself that we won’t
632
00:37:19,920 –> 00:37:23,080
comprehend, and yet he is very
patient with us.
633
00:37:23,560 –> 00:37:27,600
And so the good news for those
listening is you have spent a
634
00:37:27,600 –> 00:37:30,400
lot of time thinking about these
things, and you’ve put a lot of
635
00:37:30,400 –> 00:37:32,440
work into capturing these
things.
636
00:37:32,440 –> 00:37:36,120
And so somebody wanted to go
deeper into this idea of God and
637
00:37:36,120 –> 00:37:38,040
science.
You’ve written many books and
638
00:37:38,040 –> 00:37:40,840
you’ve created spaces.
How could people go deeper?
639
00:37:41,320 –> 00:37:44,720
Well, first place I I would say
Paul, they might go is to my
640
00:37:44,720 –> 00:37:47,160
website.
My first book was Counting to
641
00:37:47,160 –> 00:37:51,400
God got the number analogy and
they’re being a nerd.
642
00:37:51,400 –> 00:37:54,720
But you know, like the book
counts through 7 areas of modern
643
00:37:54,720 –> 00:37:59,920
science that point to God.
So counting to god.com is my
644
00:37:59,920 –> 00:38:03,120
website.
I do a blog every week or every
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00:38:03,120 –> 00:38:08,040
other week on recent scientific
discoveries that point to God.
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00:38:08,280 –> 00:38:12,160
All my books are there.
I particularly proud of my
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00:38:12,160 –> 00:38:14,320
newest book, if I could just
describe it.
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00:38:14,320 –> 00:38:16,640
It’s published again by the
Discovery Institute.
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00:38:16,640 –> 00:38:19,800
I’ve assigned all the rights to
them, but I I’m really proud of
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00:38:19,800 –> 00:38:22,160
it because it is a graphic
novel.
651
00:38:23,160 –> 00:38:25,440
My first book, Counting to God
is pretty technical.
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00:38:25,440 –> 00:38:28,440
I had a dozens of top scientists
review different sections to
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00:38:28,440 –> 00:38:29,640
make sure I got everything
right.
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00:38:30,000 –> 00:38:32,960
But my, my minister said make it
simpler, put in pictures.
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00:38:33,240 –> 00:38:37,920
So I wrote a graphic novel,
which is, as you know, a big
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00:38:37,920 –> 00:38:41,680
version of a cartoon book
basically aimed at younger
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00:38:41,680 –> 00:38:44,920
readers.
And it’s called the God Proofs.
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00:38:45,640 –> 00:38:48,880
And I have another website
calledthegodproofs.com where you
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00:38:48,880 –> 00:38:52,440
can watch animated videos of
parts of the book.
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00:38:53,040 –> 00:38:56,640
It’s aimed at kids 10 and below.
There’s a lot out there so that
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00:38:56,640 –> 00:39:00,200
I would recommend that counting
to god.com and the God
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00:39:00,200 –> 00:39:03,520
proofs.com.
But if you look, there’s so many
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00:39:03,520 –> 00:39:06,520
wonderful organizations out
there that have a lot of good
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00:39:06,520 –> 00:39:08,800
books.
If you want to know more about
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00:39:09,080 –> 00:39:14,200
science and God, then Institute
for Creation Research, Creation
666
00:39:14,200 –> 00:39:18,040
Ministries, International
Answers in Genesis are all
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00:39:18,040 –> 00:39:21,240
fantastic resources.
And you could go on.
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00:39:21,240 –> 00:39:26,120
I mean, there is just a wondrous
array of information out there
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00:39:26,600 –> 00:39:30,840
by truly hundreds of scientists
and some very good writers.
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00:39:30,840 –> 00:39:34,080
That’s great.
And as we close out, is there
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00:39:34,080 –> 00:39:36,880
anything else that you feel like
God is leading you to share?
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00:39:37,920 –> 00:39:43,880
I just would encourage people to
check out the evidence for God
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00:39:44,880 –> 00:39:47,720
to really take a look at it.
I think it’s worth a few moments
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00:39:47,720 –> 00:39:51,720
of your time, maybe even a few
hours, because it can change
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00:39:51,720 –> 00:40:14,960
your life.
In the 1st 6 verses of Psalm 19,
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00:40:15,440 –> 00:40:21,000
David says this The heavens
declare the glory of God.
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00:40:21,640 –> 00:40:25,400
The skies proclaim the.
Work of his hands.
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00:40:26,320 –> 00:40:30,440
Day after day they pour forth
speech.
679
00:40:31,440 –> 00:40:35,360
Night after night they reveal
knowledge.
680
00:40:36,480 –> 00:40:38,920
They have no speech.
They use no words.
681
00:40:39,080 –> 00:40:43,840
No sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into
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00:40:43,880 –> 00:40:48,960
all the earth, their words to
the ends of the world.
683
00:40:50,120 –> 00:40:52,760
In the heavens, God has pitched
a tent for the sun.
684
00:40:53,280 –> 00:40:55,760
It is like a bridegroom.
Coming out of his chamber.
685
00:40:56,040 –> 00:40:58,360
Like a.
Champion rejoicing to run his
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00:40:58,360 –> 00:41:01,120
course.
It rises at one end of the
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00:41:01,120 –> 00:41:03,760
heavens and makes its circuit to
the other.
688
00:41:04,560 –> 00:41:06,800
Nothing is deprived of its
warmth.
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00:41:08,560 –> 00:41:14,080
I can imagine David looking up
to the sky, closing his eyes
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00:41:14,080 –> 00:41:20,640
amidst the brightness of the sun
and feeling the warmth, knowing
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00:41:20,880 –> 00:41:24,200
that something beyond his
understanding was happening.
692
00:41:25,200 –> 00:41:30,200
David knew God through the
stories and scrolls of the past,
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00:41:31,040 –> 00:41:35,560
yet he was experiencing God
anew, learning new realities
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00:41:35,920 –> 00:41:40,440
through the creation around him.
So much of the field of science
695
00:41:40,440 –> 00:41:45,000
was centuries away from David in
that moment, and yet the science
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00:41:45,000 –> 00:41:49,680
around him declared the glory of
God, proclaimed the work of his
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00:41:49,680 –> 00:41:52,120
hands.
Poured forth.
698
00:41:52,120 –> 00:41:55,840
Speech and revealed knowledge,
even though it had no speech,
699
00:41:56,080 –> 00:42:00,680
had no words, no sound.
Yet the voice of the science
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00:42:00,680 –> 00:42:05,480
around him went out into all the
earth, and the words were heard
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00:42:05,800 –> 00:42:09,560
to the ends of the world.
As David marvelled at the
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00:42:09,560 –> 00:42:15,040
creation around him, he saw God
in the midst the natural things
703
00:42:15,040 –> 00:42:16,880
happening.
Did not lead him to.
704
00:42:16,880 –> 00:42:20,560
Question God, but rather drew
him closer.
705
00:42:21,800 –> 00:42:24,720
What if God’s inviting us to
engage with his creation in the
706
00:42:24,720 –> 00:42:29,200
same way our intellect leads us
to struggle with verse three.
707
00:42:29,320 –> 00:42:31,440
They have no speech.
They use no words, no.
708
00:42:31,440 –> 00:42:37,000
Sound is heard from them.
We want clear explanations and
709
00:42:37,000 –> 00:42:38,320
yet.
Verse 4 tells us.
710
00:42:38,920 –> 00:42:40,880
That their voice goes out into.
All the earth.
711
00:42:41,240 –> 00:42:43,120
Their words to the ends of the
world.
712
00:42:43,760 –> 00:42:48,200
Scripture frequently reiterates
this sentiment that the heavens
713
00:42:48,200 –> 00:42:50,880
declared the glory of God and
the skies proclaimed the work of
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00:42:50,880 –> 00:42:53,280
His hands.
Perhaps our invitation?
715
00:42:53,280 –> 00:42:57,000
Today is to be like David,
stepping out and looking up at
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00:42:57,000 –> 00:43:01,160
the sky, marveling at the
expanse of the stars or basking
717
00:43:01,160 –> 00:43:05,800
in the warmth of the sun and
listening, listening carefully
718
00:43:06,520 –> 00:43:08,880
to what they might be saying
about their creator.
719
00:43:09,840 –> 00:43:14,360
Go into the world today with
that type of curiosity and ask
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00:43:14,360 –> 00:43:16,840
yourself, where did you see God?