PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL THE QUESTION 00:00:00.90\00:00:07.07 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL THE QUESTION 00:00:09.90\00:00:14.14 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL THE QUESTION 00:00:16.48\00:00:22.18 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL THE QUESTION 00:00:23.39\00:00:27.92 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL THE QUESTION 00:00:30.96\00:00:35.00 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL THE QUESTION 00:00:38.00\00:00:42.37 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL THE QUESTION 00:00:44.91\00:00:49.48 >>Announcer: It has stood the test of time. 00:01:31.79\00:01:34.49 God's book, The Bible 00:01:35.36\00:01:37.83 Still relevant in today's complex world 00:01:38.66\00:01:42.33 It Is Written 00:01:43.47\00:01:44.87 Sharing messages of hope around the world! 00:01:45.63\00:01:49.47 >>Chris: The North American Moose, the largest species of the deer family. Strong, 00:02:01.82\00:02:07.86 majestic, yet mysterious animals. Growing up, I didn't live in an area where there 00:02:07.96\00:02:13.56 are moose. I wanted to see one, but never did. I went camping with my parents, and 00:02:13.66\00:02:18.60 often camped in areas where moose should have been, but I never saw one. Later in life, 00:02:18.70\00:02:25.61 when I married my wife, she shared stories of seeing moose. It increased my desire 00:02:25.71\00:02:31.88 to see this animal all the more. So I set out on a quest to see a moose in the wild. I 00:02:31.98\00:02:39.15 camped in one area that they said had moose. I went to places where there should have 00:02:39.25\00:02:43.69 been moose, but to no avail. I traveled another place with the guarantee that I would see 00:02:43.79\00:02:51.00 a moose, but nothing. Along the way, I saw statues, picture and 00:02:51.10\00:02:58.61 even videos, but never a moose in the wild. However, I even saw a statue of a moose with wings, 00:02:58.71\00:03:07.28 but never a moose in the wild. As I considered this situation, I began to doubt whether or not 00:03:07.38\00:03:13.19 moose even existed. I said in my mind, this is a fabricated story. The pictures have been 00:03:13.29\00:03:19.33 photoshopped, and the videos edited. Moose don't exist. I know, it sounds absurd, but 00:03:19.43\00:03:28.24 that is really what I thought. I wasn't able to see it, so it must not be real. People are 00:03:28.34\00:03:36.24 even distorting the picture with flying moose. The course of all of that changed in 2013 00:03:36.34\00:03:44.59 when I traveled to Algonquin Provincial Park - where I was virtually guaranteed a 00:03:44.69\00:03:50.46 sighting. We came into the park on the west entrance and drove east. The weather wasn't 00:03:50.56\00:03:57.33 perfect, it was raining. But would I see this animal that was continually escaping me. 00:03:57.43\00:04:05.14 Well, as we traveled we had almost arrived at the east entrance and hadn't seen 00:04:05.24\00:04:11.11 anything, but my wife said wait, turn around! I turned the car around and there it 00:04:11.21\00:04:17.02 was. It was a moose in real life. I shot some pictures and posted it on twitter. Even 00:04:17.12\00:04:25.86 though I had settled the question of the moose's existence in my mind, I had a 00:04:25.96\00:04:31.03 friend that said it was a tiny moose and therefore, barely a moose. Just one year later in 00:04:31.13\00:04:38.24 Newfoundland, I saw two bull moose that left no doubt that 00:04:38.34\00:04:46.18 moose are real. My own experience with moose, reminds me of the struggle that some 00:04:47.65\00:04:52.72 people have in knowing whether or not God exists. And maybe it is a good question for us to 00:04:52.82\00:04:58.76 ask, does God really exist? It is perhaps a strange question for It Is Written to ask, yet, a 00:04:58.86\00:05:06.50 recent Canadian census reveals that the percentage of those who 00:05:06.60\00:05:11.77 claim no religious affiliation grew from just 4% in 1971 to almost 25% in 2011 That is over 00:05:11.87\00:05:24.19 a 600% increase and that is a significant increase. Yet, at the same time, the percentages 00:05:24.29\00:05:30.63 of those who represent the largest religious groups in Canada, namely Roman Catholics 00:05:30.73\00:05:35.40 and Protestants, experienced significant decline. The Roman Catholic Church decreased from 00:05:35.50\00:05:42.24 47% to 39%. This most significant and greatest decline 00:05:42.34\00:05:50.78 occurred among Protestants who were in 1971 had 41% of the population but fell to 27% in 00:05:50.88\00:06:02.92 2011. And while there may be a bit of variety of causes for these statistics, we cannot rule 00:06:03.02\00:06:08.93 out the possibility that for many Canadians, the question of God's existence constitutes 00:06:09.03\00:06:15.14 the underlying reason for these trends that are revealed by the census. There is no 00:06:15.24\00:06:21.74 doubt about it. The fact is that science, since the time of Charles Darwin, has led 00:06:21.84\00:06:27.78 many to believe that this world is not the result of a special creation by a divine 00:06:27.88\00:06:33.62 being, but rather is the result of a chance mixture of the right 00:06:33.72\00:06:39.49 amino acids and atmosphere, that eventually evolved through natural processes over millions 00:06:39.59\00:06:46.03 if not billions of years. Because of this, many scientists believe that random chance 00:06:46.13\00:06:53.61 processes completely rule out creation and design by a divine being as an explanation for the 00:06:53.71\00:07:00.75 origin of our world and universe. Thus, this approach has created an unbridgeable 00:07:00.85\00:07:08.22 chasm between science on one hand and religion on the other. And this has led many 00:07:08.32\00:07:14.56 to question the very existence of God. It is interesting to note that many of the pioneers 00:07:14.66\00:07:21.40 of modern science such as Kepler, Galileo, Boyle, Pascal, Linné, and Newton all 00:07:21.50\00:07:30.78 included the concept of God in their scientific outlook Author Ariel Roth points this 00:07:30.88\00:07:37.29 out in his book Science Discovers God, 00:07:37.39\00:07:41.79 And so for those pioneers of science, the existence of God and scientific methods were 00:08:01.84\00:08:09.08 not mutually exclusive of one another, but rather, 00:08:09.18\00:08:14.86 complimentary. And in light of the chasm that has been created between modern science and 00:08:17.16\00:08:21.86 religion, it's even more interesting to note the percentage of scientists who 00:08:21.96\00:08:26.70 believe in God, not only as a supreme being that creates and sustains nature, but also a 00:08:26.80\00:08:33.61 personal God to whom one may pray. In the prestigious journal, Nature, a survey was 00:08:33.71\00:08:40.25 conducted and they picked 1,000 individuals from the listing of scientists in the American 00:08:40.35\00:08:45.89 Men and Women of Science. The results revealed that about 40% of these scientists said 00:08:45.99\00:08:52.33 they believed in the type of God that answers their prayers and 45% did not. Interestingly 00:08:52.43\00:09:00.30 enough, this survey, which was conducted in 1996 was principally the same survey as 00:09:00.40\00:09:06.71 one done 80 years earlier with essentially the same results. Yet, for many Canadians, and 00:09:06.81\00:09:14.65 for many people around the world, for that matter, they are 00:09:14.75\00:09:20.49 still asking that question, Does God really exist? So for the next weeks and months I would 00:09:20.59\00:09:27.30 like to explore with you, what some say is the ultimate questionof life, that is,"Does 00:09:27.40\00:09:36.04 God Really Exist?" 00:09:36.14\00:09:37.57 How can we be sure that God does in fact exist? Do many who believe just operate under 00:09:39.54\00:09:44.88 assumption of God's existence? Furthermore, does the evidence only lend itself to those who 00:09:44.98\00:09:51.45 belong to some religion or is there some criteria that one can apply regardless of 00:09:51.55\00:09:58.13 whether one ascribes to religion or not? In order to try to find 00:09:58.23\00:10:03.53 an answer to these questions and the big question of God's existence, we need to construct 00:10:03.63\00:10:11.61 a test. A test that only God, himself could pass. It must be a test that anyone can administer 00:10:11.71\00:10:18.31 regardless of whether one is religious or not. Now, before we begin, we need to establish one 00:10:18.41\00:10:24.95 important ground rule, and that is the importance of maintaining 00:10:25.05\00:10:32.16 a proper attitude in answering this question. According to Dr. SubodhPandit, a scholar and 00:10:32.26\00:10:40.04 reasearcher of world religions, each of us has a blend of three attitudes in us that we can 00:10:40.14\00:10:47.31 switch to at any given moment. Each of us are inherently either believers, skeptics, or 00:10:47.41\00:10:54.75 inquirers. And here is the major difference between them. A skeptic decides against a 00:10:54.85\00:11:01.52 claim prior to thorough investigation; a believer, on the other hand, decides to 00:11:01.62\00:11:07.30 accept a claim prior to thorough investigation; and an inquirer holds verdict until 00:11:07.40\00:11:13.70 the investigation is done. In addition a skeptic focuses on the question to the exclusion 00:11:13.80\00:11:21.38 of the evidence; whereas a believer focuses on the evidence to the exclusion of 00:11:21.48\00:11:27.78 the question; while an inquirer focuses on the weight of evidence. All the while, a 00:11:27.88\00:11:35.66 skeptic disbelieves in the face of reasonable evidence; however a believer believes 00:11:35.76\00:11:41.76 while big questions remain; and an inquirer accepts reasonable 00:11:41.86\00:11:48.24 evidence even if some questions remain. And so I must ask, which of these attitudes is the most 00:11:48.34\00:11:54.84 critical to demonstrate in any given investigation. Of course the answer is that of an 00:11:54.94\00:12:01.15 inquirer. Beginning with the attitude of the skeptic will lead to skewed results and 00:12:01.25\00:12:06.29 understandings. Yet in the same way, if I start with the premise of a believer, I will 00:12:06.39\00:12:11.93 undoubtedly make flawed decisions of naivety. By founding my attitude as an 00:12:12.03\00:12:18.87 inquirer, it will lead to the best possible results of a decision based on the evidence 00:12:18.97\00:12:26.57 establishing a well balanced and grounded belief system. 00:12:26.68\00:12:32.81 With that understanding of how important it is of having the attitude of an inquirer, we 00:12:34.05\00:12:39.42 now need to describe the method we are going to use in order to analyze the question 00:12:39.52\00:12:46.33 of God's existence. In other words, we need to construct a test that only God Himself 00:12:46.43\00:12:51.63 could pass. The method we are going to construct must be able to examine two things: 00:12:51.73\00:12:57.47 first, what is knowledge, and second, how can we determine whether our knowledge is 00:12:57.57\00:13:04.31 certain? From these two questions, we will construct the test and then apply it to 00:13:04.41\00:13:10.72 the question of God's existence. So, what then is knowledge? This 00:13:10.82\00:13:21.13 is yet another question for the ages. It is one that philosophers have analyzed and 00:13:21.23\00:13:27.07 scientists have assumed in their hypotheses. And so, let's first evaluate several sources of 00:13:27.17\00:13:33.51 knowledge in order to determine whether or not we can use any of these sources in order to 00:13:33.61\00:13:40.02 construct our method. The first source of knowledge is that which is derived from our 00:13:40.12\00:13:47.36 senses. It's true that we can learn a lot by simply observing how things work. Yet, there are 00:13:47.46\00:13:53.09 two problems with knowledge derived from our senses. The first is that our knowledge of 00:13:53.19\00:13:59.37 what there is to observe is limited. Take for instance our knowledge of the stars. 00:13:59.47\00:14:05.24 Recently, scientists pointed the Hubble telescope in the direction of a tiny dark spot 00:14:05.34\00:14:10.38 in the constellation Fornax. A dark spot, which for years has been assumed to be empty 00:14:10.48\00:14:18.92 space. This tiny spot is so small, it's like starring at a dime 75 feet away. The camera 00:14:19.02\00:14:28.63 of the Hubble telescope took 800 shots between Sept 23, 2003 and Jan 16, 2004 giving a 00:14:28.73\00:14:38.54 total exposure time of 11.3 days. The picture of this dark, supposed empty spot, 00:14:38.64\00:14:47.02 revealed 10,000 galaxies that we didn't even know existed. This dark spot, which seemed 00:14:47.12\00:14:56.16 to reveal a spot of nothingness, revealed vast expanses of 00:14:56.26\00:15:03.73 discovery not known before. This discovery also demonstrates our limited ability to obtain 00:15:03.83\00:15:11.04 knowledge only through our senses. By the way, with just that understanding alone, we 00:15:11.14\00:15:17.51 discover that our limited ability to observe reality demonstrates a real lack for 00:15:17.61\00:15:23.95 the basis of arguments that state as a fact that God is 00:15:24.05\00:15:31.53 non-existent. Here's what I mean, in order for that statement, of God not existing, 00:15:32.53\00:15:37.60 to be true, one must know every part of the universe and the knowledge that is available in 00:15:37.70\00:15:44.64 it at the same time, which is of course impossible. After all, if God does exist, then He must be 00:15:44.74\00:15:52.08 somewhere and He must have ability to move from one place to another. Now the second 00:15:52.18\00:15:57.52 problem with knowledge derived from our senses is that our senses can mislead us. For 00:15:57.62\00:16:04.33 instance, for many years many of the inhabitants of this earth believed in an earth 00:16:04.43\00:16:09.43 centered universe. They based that belief on their everyday observations. However, that 00:16:09.53\00:16:17.31 all changed when Copernicus finally settled the issue through investigation and 00:16:17.41\00:16:23.45 substantial evidence then concluding that the earth, in fact, revolves around the sun 00:16:23.55\00:16:30.42 and not the other way around. Therefore, we cannot use knowledge derived from our 00:16:30.52\00:16:37.23 senses in order to construct our test. The second source of knowledge is reason. The 00:16:37.33\00:16:45.40 ancient Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato used reason in order to establish truth 00:16:45.50\00:16:51.31 and certainty in their debates with the Sophists, who did not believe that truth was 00:16:51.41\00:16:57.31 absolute. They also understood, as we just discovered, that 00:16:57.41\00:17:02.68 knowledge derived from the senses produces opinion and not truth. In other words, 00:17:02.78\00:17:08.69 according to Socrates, a beautiful woman is not beautiful 00:17:08.79\00:17:13.70 because of information that comes from our senses. She is beautiful because she partakes 00:17:13.80\00:17:20.20 of the concept of Beauty. What he meant was that the concept of Beauty has an existence that 00:17:20.30\00:17:27.18 is separate from the woman. Thus, the woman is beautiful because she is a copy of the 00:17:27.28\00:17:33.95 concept of Beauty. Now don't be confused by that. 00:17:34.05\00:17:39.92 Here is a simpler example. Take this piece of paper for instance. It is not white 00:17:40.79\00:17:46.19 because of what our senses are telling us. It is white because 00:17:46.29\00:17:52.43 the paper is a duplication of the concept of whiteness that has an existence in a world 00:17:52.53\00:17:58.77 where there is no time or space. And if that is confusing, here's what I mean. A white piece of 00:17:58.87\00:18:05.28 paper was white before I ever saw it and it will continue to be white even after I see it. 00:18:05.38\00:18:11.75 It is white because it is white, I don't need to sense it, in 00:18:11.85\00:18:19.29 order for it to be white. Yet it is also possible to use reason in such a way that appears 00:18:19.39\00:18:29.00 logically, yet we know that it's false. Someone might say that lots of people are buying this 00:18:29.10\00:18:35.64 movie or music album, so therefore it is good. Of course this is false reasoning. 00:18:35.74\00:18:39.95 Therefore, the use of reason, which has its basis in things for which there is no empirical 00:18:40.05\00:18:49.96 evidence cannot be used to construct the test. Another source of knowledge is intuition 00:18:50.06\00:18:58.70 and feeling. These are known to be very personal and ever changing. They certainly can be 00:18:58.80\00:19:06.24 true, yet it is almost impossible to establish them as objective criteria for God's 00:19:06.34\00:19:10.75 existence. The fourth source of knowledge is experience. One can learn many things through the 00:19:10.85\00:19:18.49 experiences of life, whether one's own or someone else's experience. However, like 00:19:18.59\00:19:23.29 intuition and feeling, the experience of one person can be diametrically opposed to 00:19:23.39\00:19:29.90 another thereby making experience an insufficient source of knowledge for our 00:19:30.00\00:19:36.81 question. In that same way a similar problem exists when it comes to history. Notice Louis 00:19:36.91\00:19:45.58 Gottschalk's perceptive observation: He states, 00:19:45.68\00:19:49.88 Experience may be true, but it can also be easily mistaken. Another source of knowledge is 00:20:27.19\00:20:35.03 knowledge that comes to us from the experts. This may come in 00:20:35.13\00:20:40.20 the form of philosophers, scientists, technicians, doctors, lawyers, or teachers, 00:20:40.30\00:20:47.54 just to name a few. Although we have gained a lot through the experts, there is one major 00:20:47.64\00:20:53.55 problem: knowledge is increasing at an alarming rate. For example, the small and exciting 00:20:53.65\00:21:00.62 field of nanotechnology is doubling every 2 years and clinical knowledge is doubling 00:21:00.72\00:21:08.83 every 18 months. Another example is the world wide web. In 1991 there was 1 website, today over 00:21:08.93\00:21:20.71 1 billion websites. The growth of knowledge is staggering Thus, what an expert claims to 00:21:20.81\00:21:29.08 know about any given subject is surely going to change very soon. In some cases this new 00:21:29.18\00:21:36.56 knowledge is simply adding more details, but in many other cases 00:21:36.66\00:21:42.46 what we thought we knew needs to be completely revised. For example, in the late 1800s, 00:21:42.56\00:21:49.84 doctors would prescribe the smoking of cigarettes to cure bronchitis, arsenic as a health 00:21:49.94\00:21:55.91 supplement, and mercury as a cure for many diseases. Yet in the 20th century all of them 00:21:56.01\00:22:04.09 were found to be poisonous and toxic to individuals. Knowledge changes constantly. 00:22:04.19\00:22:12.09 Although all of these sources from which we can gain knowledge 00:22:12.19\00:22:17.93 have their place, there is a high probability of error when using them as tools to determine 00:22:18.03\00:22:26.17 whether Godreally exists. 00:22:26.27\00:22:27.94 Therefore, if reason, sensory perception, intuition, feeling, experience, history 00:22:29.84\00:22:36.89 and the experts are not sufficient to construct the test to apply to the existence 00:22:36.99\00:22:43.49 of God, then what is it that will work? God makes a bold statement, as a matter of 00:22:43.59\00:22:52.50 fact, in the book of Isaiah 46:9-10, 00:22:52.60\00:22:59.44 God says, that He is God and there is no other. Then He states that He knows the end 00:23:16.89\00:23:22.63 from the beginning. He knows things that are not yet done.in 00:23:22.73\00:23:27.60 other words.the future. God has made Himself completely testable. This is why the Bibles 00:23:27.70\00:23:35.28 says in 1 Thessalonians 5:21, "Test all things; hold fast what is good." God has opened Himself 00:23:35.38\00:23:45.32 to be tested. That is why we begun this journey. So then, how is it that we will test 00:23:45.42\00:23:52.43 Him to know with certainty whether He exists or not. Well, that's why you'll have 00:23:52.53\00:23:58.57 to tune in again next week. It is in that show, that we will continue to answer one of 00:23:58.67\00:24:05.47 life's greatest questions, does God really exist. 00:24:05.57\00:24:10.75 Let's pray. Heavenly Father we thank you that you have given us opportunity to test you, to 00:24:12.85\00:24:19.75 see if you really exist. As we continue our study, as we go about looking, we pray that 00:24:19.85\00:24:27.30 you will reveal to us the answers. And not only reveal those answers but help us to 00:24:27.40\00:24:32.60 understand the answers and then help us to make decisions based upon those answers. 00:24:32.70\00:24:39.24 Please encourage us along in this journey we pray in Jesus 00:24:39.34\00:24:45.55 name, amen. >>Bev: Hi, everyone! Wh you're traveling, do you find that it's difficult to eat as 00:25:12.17\00:25:16.08 healthy as you'd like? When you're on vacation, do you usually return home with five 00:25:16.18\00:25:20.58 extra pounds as a reminder of your trip? Let me share some tips with you for healthy 00:25:20.68\00:25:26.59 eating while you're traveling. First, whatever your mode of transportation, pack a meal so 00:25:26.69\00:25:32.39 you won't have to purchase less-than-nutritious food at the 00:25:32.49\00:25:36.63 airport or at gas stations. I like to take things like sandwiches, dried and fresh 00:25:36.73\00:25:42.44 fruit, and nuts. Next, plan where you're going to eat. There's a wonderful website 00:25:42.54\00:25:48.34 called Happy Cow, where you can search for healthy vegetarian, vegan, or raw food restaurants 00:25:48.44\00:25:52.45 practically anywhere in the world. You can also search forhealth food stores, and 00:25:52.55\00:25:57.19 they've got lots ofinformation on vegetarian nutrition. The 00:25:57.29\00:26:02.72 website address is happycow.net, and there's even an app for your smart phone. Here's another 00:26:02.82\00:26:08.80 idea: when you're on vacation, there are apartments and condos you can rent with fully equipped 00:26:08.90\00:26:13.57 kitchens. That way you can enjoy shopping for great local produce 00:26:13.67\00:26:19.24 to cook your own healthy, delicious, low-cost meals. Or, if you prefer staying in a 00:26:19.34\00:26:25.41 hotel, get a room with a fridge, and stock it with non-dairy milk, high fibre cereal, whole 00:26:25.51\00:26:31.25 grain bread, hummus, fruit, nuts, and bottled water from a local grocery store. I find when 00:26:31.35\00:26:37.56 I'm traveling, it's often difficult to get a good, healthy breakfast in a hotel, 00:26:37.66\00:26:42.00 sokeeping a stash of healthy food in your room is a great convenience. Also, eat where 00:26:42.10\00:26:48.80 the local people eat. You're likely to find little "hole in the wall" kinds of restaurants 00:26:48.90\00:26:53.74 with great local food at really affordable prices. At restaurants, if there are no 00:26:53.84\00:27:00.25 vegetarian choices, the chef is usually more than happy to prepare a lovely platter of 00:27:00.35\00:27:07.12 just vegetables for you. Whenever I've asked for that, everyone else always looks at 00:27:07.22\00:27:10.89 my plate with envy! Also, at a restaurant, order the entrees that are steamed, broiled or 00:27:10.99\00:27:16.93 baked. Avoid foods that are fried, deep fried, or swimming in creams or heavy sauces. Ask 00:27:17.03\00:27:23.54 for your pizza without cheese. A nice, wholegrain-crust pizza with just grilled vegetables 00:27:23.64\00:27:30.18 equals delicious! Restaurants are notorious for the amount of salt and sugar they use. 00:27:30.28\00:27:35.88 Stay away from the soy sauce and anything pickled. Salad is usually our friend, but not 00:27:35.98\00:27:42.19 when it comes smothered in cheese, lots of dressing, or bacon bits. Instead, ask for a 00:27:42.29\00:27:48.30 piece of lemon to spritz on your salad. In fact, don't be shy about asking your waiter 00:27:48.40\00:27:55.10 to substitute or delete ingredients from your order. Remember, when you're 00:27:55.20\00:28:01.71 traveling, be good to yourself. Of course, you can have a few 00:28:01.81\00:28:05.55 treats along the way but, overall, eat healthy, live healthy. I'll see you next time! 00:28:05.65\00:28:10.22 >>Chris: Dear friend, God has invited us to take a journey, to test him, to see if he is 00:28:17.76\00:28:23.23 real, to see if He really exists. I want to offer you this week the Discover Bible 00:28:23.33\00:28:28.47 Guides which will lead you on a journey of discovering who God is and how to have a 00:28:28.57\00:28:34.54 personal relationship with Him. Here is the information you need to get today's offer. 00:28:34.64\00:28:41.05 Does God really exist? One of the great questions of life. In fact it's one of the most 00:29:21.42\00:29:27.66 important questions that we could answer here on It Is Written. I'm glad that you 00:29:27.76\00:29:33.47 took the opportunity to join us on that journey today. You won't want to miss next week 00:29:33.57\00:29:38.71 as we continue to ask that question "Does God Really Exist?" Thank you again for 00:29:38.81\00:29:45.65 joining us today. Join us again next week. Until then remember, 00:29:45.75\00:29:52.15 It Is Written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from 00:29:52.25\00:29:57.29 the mouth of God. 00:29:57.39\00:29:59.49 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 00:30:01.20\00:30:03.16