Participants: Chris Holland
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201502A
|
00:00 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL NO BY CHANCE
00:09 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL NO BY CHANCE 00:16 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL NO BY CHANCE 00:22 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL NO BY CHANCE 00:29 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL NO BY CHANCE 00:34 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL NO BY CHANCE 00:40 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL NO BY CHANCE 00:45 PHILOSOPHYS ACHILLES HEEL NO BY CHANCE 01:31 >>Announcer: It has stood the test of time. 01:35 God's book, The Bible 01:39 Still relevant in today's complex world 01:44 It Is Written 01:45 Sharing messages of hope around the world! 02:00 >>Chris: Did you know the chance of a pregnant woman having twins is 1 and 250. Or 02:07 how about the chance of being hit by lightening in your lifetime, it is 1 in 3000. Or 02:13 the chance of being struck and killed by an asteroid?1 in 250,000. 02:20 These random chance facts are really frivolous to be honest, but lead me to ask an even 02:28 more important question, maybe the most important question to be answered in life. 02:34 What is the probability that God really exists? Fundamentally, and 02:40 essentially, does God exist? 02:44 It is the question of the ages. It is a question that we began to answer last week. In 02:50 fact, in order to answer that question, we began to set up a framework to answer the 02:57 question. Here is the key, in order to answer this question in an unbiased fashion our 03:04 framework needs to be able to work for anyone. Whether that person is a Christian, an 03:11 atheist or someone who practices any religion. 03:18 First and most importantly to the framework is the issue of attitude.In a review of last 03:25 week. If you happened to miss last week's show, you can go to our youtube channel at 03:31 www.youtube.com/iiwcanada and there you can watch any of our past shows, but most 03:40 especially last weeks. But in brief review, each of us has opportunity to investigate 03:48 with three basic attitudes, that of a skeptic, believer or inquirer. And the attitude 03:57 that we take will often dictate the results of any given investigation. Remember 04:04 the important distinctions that we emphasized in the last show, A skeptic decides 04:09 against a claim prior to thorough investigation; a believer, on the other hand, 04:17 decides to accept a claim prior to thorough investigation; and an inquirer 04:22 holds verdict until the investigation is done. In addition a skeptic focuses on 04:29 the question to the exclusion of the evidence; whereas a believer focuses on the 04:35 evidence to the exclusion of the question; while an inquirer focuses on the weight 04:44 of evidence. All the while, a skeptic disbelieves in the face of reasonable evidence; 04:51 however a believer believes while big questions remain; and an inquirer accepts 04:58 reasonable evidence even if some questions remain. And so as we investigate this 05:04 question of God's existence, the only fair and balanced attitude to start with is that 05:13 of an inquirer. 05:17 So, once we have established the proper attitude, it allows for a framework to be formed 05:24 that will lead honest conclusions. So the next issue becomes, what kind of 05:30 knowledge must we obtain to answer the question of God's existence. One must assume 05:37 that somewhere in the vast expanse of knowledge that exists, the reality of the 05:43 knowledge of God must be there. 05:48 So where might we obtain that knowledge to build the right questions to answer the 05:54 question of God's existence. Last week as we investigated the possible sources of 06:01 knowledge, we discovered that knowledge comes through 7 basic sources: reason, sensory 06:09 perception, intuition, feeling, experience, history and the experts. Yet with each 06:18 one of these sources we saw clearly that they are vastly insufficient to build a 06:23 framework that will reveal the answer to one of life's greatest questions.does God 06:33 really exist? So what are we to do in the inquiry? There is another source of knowledge, 06:40 that may help us. It's called probability theory. Probability theory deals with 06:47 the occurrence of events. It looks at the possibility or probability that something is 06:54 completely random or if it is a statistically probability. Here is what I would propose 07:02 to you; that we would use probability theory in order to tackle the question of God's 07:09 existence. Why? Because it is an unbiased factual way of dealing with this great 07:17 question of life. Now, before we jump into the statistical analysis, let's further 07:25 explain and describe some aspects of probability theory. 07:32 According to Dr. Pandit, in day-to-day life we can say that any given event that has 07:38 only one chance of occurrence in 10 to the 8th power, which is a 1 with 8 zeroes after it 07:47 or 100 million is considered an impossibility. In the same way, the converse is also 07:56 true, if something occurs 10 to the 8th power times, yet has one of non-occurrence, it 08:05 is considered a fact. Now when we move into the world of science, scientific 08:11 calculations require that the number actually goes up. The number is 10 to the 15th power 08:18 for any scientific calculation. However, when it comes to establishing a 08:24 scientific law we are told that the number is must be 10 to the 50th power. Now here is 08:31 what this means. if there is a mathematical probability of something occurring 10 to the 08:38 50th times with only one chance of failure, the event is then considered a 08:45 scientific law. Just to give you an idea of how huge these numbers are, suppose we wanted 08:53 to test the certainty of gravity by dropping a ball every second as we look for 08:59 that one time when the ball will just float in the air. To test it 10 to 18thtimes, which 09:09 is less than half of what is considered to make a scientific law, dropping that 09:14 ball every second will take us 15 billion years to accomplish. A time that long 09:24 is almost unfathomable,escpecially in light of the fact that some 09:30 scientists believe that 15 billion years is the age of the universe, at least 09:35 according to the Big Bang theory. So, what does all this mean? Here is the bottom 09:41 line, these are huge numbers that go a long way toward eliminating error and chance 09:49 on the one hand , yet establishing certainty on the other. Therefore, as a result, 09:56 we can clearly affirm that an extremely low probability is virtually synonymous with 10:03 certainty. 10:08 It is with that framework then, that we can but to test one of the greatest claims of 10:15 Christians, that God is the Creator of all things. This claim is not just the claim of 10:22 people, but it is the actual claim of the Bible the very book that forms the foundation 10:30 for two of the worlds largest religions. Listen to these bold claims of both the Old 10:38 and New Testaments in the Bible. The very first words of the Bible say that God is the 10:44 Creator of all things. In Genesis 1:1, the Bible says, In the beginning God created 10:53 the heavens and the earth." And the remainder of the Genesis account says things 11:01 like, " Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.Then God said, "Let 11:08 there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the 11:14 waters.Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one 11:20 place, and let the dry land appear". Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, 11:27 the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, 11:33 whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so.and finally, "then God said, "Let 11:42 Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." The Bible is clear in its 11:50 assertion that God is Creator. In fact, many scholars say that Moses wrote these 11:59 chapters in the book of Genesis as a defense of God's Creatorship. Another passage 12:07 that declares the creative power of God is Psalm 33. Psalm 33:6-9 states, 12:46 A bold statement that God Himself spoke everything into existence. The New Testament 12:55 also makes such a declaration. Hebrews 11:3 boldly claims, 13:23 Then really one of the capstone passages on Creation is Revelation 4:11, 13:50 The very worship of God is founded on His being the Creator of all things. The 13:59 Bible though, invites us to test these claims that He is the Creator. To do that we 14:07 will apply the test of probability to creation. If the test reveals a high 14:14 probability that random chance processes are able to explain what we see in nature, then it 14:22 will rule out God's existence. If, however on the other hand the test reveals probabilities 14:31 that are incredibly small, then it becomes reasonable indeed to affirm that God is 14:37 the Creator and that these very small probabilities point to His existence. 14:47 Let's now apply the test of probability to see what we find. First, let's look at the 14:52 relation between gravity and electromagnetic forces. One of the delicate balances that 14:59 science has noted is the precise relationship that exists between gravity and 15:06 electromagnetism. Physicist Paul Davies comments, "Calculations show that 15:13 changes in the strength of either force by only one part in 10 to the 40th power would 15:20 spell catastrophe for stars like the sun." So just the ever slightest change would 15:31 doom the planetary functions. This balance cannot be explained by some random 15:37 chance holding it together, but by precise design. This is such an incredibly small 15:46 value, that a hypothetical illustration is needed Suppose that you had a pile of 15:53 wooden matchsticks and that pile was actually much larger than the entire volume of the 16:01 earth. Let's say that your pile actually extended all the way to the sun. Now only one 16:13 matchstick has a head on it and the rest are bare, headless matchsticks. Since 16:22 you are extremely cold, you need that one match with a head to start a fire. Your 16:29 chance of picking the matchstick with a head out of the pile, on the first try, 16:35 without looking, is greater than one out of 10 to the 40th power. 16:43 Then there is the relationship between strong and weak nuclear forces. Within atoms 16:50 there exists both strong and weak nuclear forces that perform their specific 16:57 functions. "The strong force that binds the particles in an atom's nucleus must be 17:04 balanced with the weak nuclear force to a degree of 1 part in 10 to the 60th power. If the 17:12 strong force were any weaker, atomic nuclei could not hold together and only hydrogen 17:19 would exist. If the strong force were only slightly stronger.the sun would not 17:26 exist, water would not exist, and the heavier elements necessary for life would not 17:32 be available." This is not random chance that atoms are held together, but demonstrate 17:42 a designer. Remember that mathematicians sometimes define probabilities of less 17:48 than one chance out of 10 to 50th power as impossible. In other words it is 17:56 statistically impossible for atoms to be held together, why are they? Because they were 18:05 created by a designer. But we won't stop, there is the relationship between gravity 18:14 and the cosmological constant. Now, don't be overwhelmed by the big words. It's actually 18:20 quite simple to understand. Let's look at the precise relationship between gravity 18:27 and the expansion of the universe. While the universe is expanding, gravity inhibits 18:35 the rate at which the universe expands. For space to expand at a rate that would allow for 18:43 the development of life, the cosmological constant, which orders the precise 18:50 relationship between the expansion of the universe and gravity, must be less than 10 18:57 to the 120th power. The fine-tuning of this constant is extraordinary and 19:08 represents the most extreme fine-tuning of any known constant in physics. What does 19:16 that mean? Once again the relationship between gravity and expansion is, according to 19:27 the experts, a statistical impossibility. Yet it is happening. How is that 19:36 possible? Design by a Master Designer. 19:46 What about the probability that the universe itself formed by chance processes? 19:52 Oxford University physicist-mathematician Roger Penrose estimated that the 19:58 probability that the organization of the universe could just happen by chance is 20:03 precisely 10 to the 123rd power. If you should try to write that number out by 20:12 placing a zero on each atom in the known universe, you would run out of atoms long before 20:23 you would zeros. The universe has only about 10 to 78th power of atoms. My dear 20:32 friends, the existence of the universe by random chance is impossible. Why? Because it 20:41 was designed by a Creator. In fact, the probability that one protein molecule could have 20:51 formed on its own by chance processes is one chance in 10 to the 190th power. It's an 21:00 impossibility. Unless God is involved as Creator. Then all things are possible. What 21:10 about the probability that a cell could have just come about by chance? Fred Hoyle, 21:18 who rejects the idea of a God, has calculated that the probability of getting at one 21:25 time 2,000 protein molecules necessary to start life is one chance out of 10 to the 21:32 40,000th power.However, it turns out that Hoyle was very optimistic. Using 21:42 thermodynamics, which is the energy relationship between atoms and molecules, physical 21:52 chemist Harold J. Morowitz, who also favors an evolutionary worldview, 21:57 calculates that the probability of a very tiny microbe (mycoplasma) appearing 22:04 spontaneously is one chance out of 10 to the 5,000,000,000th power. Yet 22:14 life formed in the face of impossibility. How? Design and creation. 22:30 So, what has been the reaction by some scientists who favor an evolutionary worldview? 22:37 Fred Hoyle himself states that 23:11 Cosmologist Chandra Wickramasinghestates 24:09 Then there's Anthony Flew, professor of philosophy, former atheist, author and 24:15 debater. He pointed out that the 24:31 Now, I suppose that one can still believe in chance, even with probabilities this small, 24:37 but then again, what difference would there be between believing in chance 24:42 and believing in miracles. You might as well believe in miracles. Does this mean that 24:48 there are no difficulties with the notion that God exists Certainly not. The 24:53 difficulties of belief are indeed great, but the absurdities of unbelief are 24:59 greater. Chandra Wickramasinghe notes, 25:18 The apostle Paul said these words in Romans 1:20, 25:43 My dear friends, probability theory strongly points to God's existence. In fact the 25:51 probabilities leave little doubt that this world and universe are here by design or 25:58 creation. There is little doubt about the existence of God. He does exist. And if He 26:06 exists, He is the creator. And if He is the creator, it means He created you. 26:17 Let's pray. Heavenly Father, help our unbelief, help us to see clearly, we pray in Jesus 26:24 name, amen. 26:49 Bev: Hi, everyone! May I ask, "What's in your medicine cabinet?" Hopefully, you are 26:55 eating a wonderful array of vegetables and fruits,as they are protective of your good 26:59 health. When we are eating well of God's amazing plant bounty, we can expect to not 27:04 get sick with colds and flus as often as other people do But, every once in a while, we 27:10 might succumb to some virus or bacteria that's out there That's when you need to have 27:15 really helpful, natural remedies on hand. Here are four of my recommendations: 27:20 Activated Charcoal:has been used for over 3000 years for health and healing. Made from 27:27 wood, vegetables, and other materials, it is able to attract and bind many harmful 27:32 substances. It is also amazing at filtering toxins. In some poisoning situations, 27:38 activated charcoal is highly beneficial. Garlic:is remarkable for its 27:45 antibacterial and anti-viral properties. Feel a cold coming on? Nip it in the bud by 27:50 boiling 2 cloves of garlic in 2 cups of water for around 10 minutes. Drink this tea 27:55 throughout the day. Ginger:has proven to be very effective in alleviating the unsettling 28:02 symptoms of motion and sea sickness, including dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and cold 28:08 sweating. Lemon: Lemons are famous for their strong antibacterial, antiviral, and 28:14 immune-boosting powers. Here is a recipe that can ease chills and fever symptoms: add 28:21 the juice of 1 lemon to a cup of hot water with honey and drink at once, then every 2 28:25 hours until the fever or chill subsides. I hope you'll add these suggested super heroes 28:31 to your medicine cabinet, along with fruits, vegetables, and especially the dark, leafy 28:36 greens. I'll see you next time! 28:46 >>Chris: Dear friend, I would like to help you in your journey to discovering God's 28:49 existance. I would like to offer, for free today, the Discover Bible Guides which 28:53 will set you out on a journey to see if God exists and help you develop a relationship 28:59 with him. Another offer I would like to give that for the book "Beyond Imagination". 29:06 For any size donation we would be happy to send that to you Here is the information you 29:11 need to get today's offers. 29:51 >>Chris: Dear friend, thank you so much for watching. Please join us again next 29:55 week. Until then remember, It Is Written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every 30:02 word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 30:07 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ |
Revised 2015-10-18