Believing Is Seeing: A Physicist Explains How Science Shattered His Atheism and Revealed the Necessity of Faith

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What a claim! That claim is still true today. If anyone ever says to you, “I just don’t know what God is like - I’m confused” you should say, “Look at Jesus!” When you look at Jesus, you see God.

As a soon-to-be college graduate, you have developed the ability to gather and analyze empirical data to test truth claims and to reason your way through complex questions. In the process, you may have acquired what is often called “healthy skepticism” when it comes to assessing claims of pitchmen and politicians. These skills and intellectual habits will serve you well. DNFed this book in chapter five when the author started going off about the Bible not being logical. WOW! I’m am very very concerned with the way he was even defining logic. By “not logical” he meant that it didn’t line up with his worldview. The example he gave was that Darwin said that the strongest will always win and survive. Since he saw that statement as logical and Jesus contradicts this, that meant the Bible was illogical. *facepalm* But then he still decided to have faith in this illogical religion?!

Eyewitness accounts of the same incident can differ greatly, because the interpretation is inextricably linked to the mind of the observer. Well, it looked like she was going to hit her. But she was lifting her hand to scratch her nose. I saw a circle of fireflies above my head. But it was an alien spaceship. We often see what our minds are trained to see and don’t allow other possibilities. If we want to be amazed, we have to be truly open-minded. We have to allow for possibilities beyond the expected. Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me” (v44). If you have felt lured to doubt God's presence, power, and omnipotence as a result of listening to false teachings, being persuaded by others, or dealing with doubts that have been planted in your mind by those who don't believe because they cannot see, pray for God to remove those doubts today.

We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:4-5 RSV) Our Lord's encounter with a man who was born blind, and the question put to him by the disciples concerning the man's blindness, is a wonderfully helpful passage. It helps us face the question that all of us have asked at one time or another, either about ourselves or someone else: Why does God permit such suffering to occur? On television the other day I saw a handsome little boy who had been born without arms or legs, and it was hard not to ask that question. Why would a God of love permit handicaps to helpless children, or permit horrible accidents to those who are already well-developed, perhaps beautiful young people? That is what we are confronted with here in this account in the ninth chapter of John. Besides IQ, we all possess a degree of spiritual intelligence called SQ, which allows us to grasp many transcendental and metaphysical realities

Digging into Deepfakes

That is one of the greatest models of how to bear a witness as a believer. Many people are afraid to say anything about the Lord because they think they will be dragged into a theological argument that will be over their heads. But witness is simply doing what this man did -- saying what Jesus did for you, that is all. "Once I was blind, now I can see" -- that is what a witness is. You are the world's greatest authority on what happened to you. As someone has well said, "A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with only an argument." When you stand on your experience no one can deny what the Lord has done in your life. You are a positive, powerful witness for Christ. This man teaches us great things in that regard.

answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?"

My Book Notes

Guillen is very much a part of this book, first as an idiosyncratic PhD in 3 disciplines (math, physics, and astronomy), as a Harvard professor, and then as a science reporter who's done things like facing a brush with death while exploring the ruins of the Titanic. Another reviewer described it as memoir-esque, and I definitely agree. A lot of the intrigue of the book comes in getting to know and learn about Guillen himself, and his own evolving ideas about science and faith. He's an enthusiastic narrator who makes more obscure topics accessible and interesting, even if, at times, it feels like he could step out of the spotlight. My dad chose this book to read aloud with me during some hard times, so I'll always have good memories associated with it. Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (NIV) In their uncertainty they did not know how to investigate what had happened, thus] They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. (John 9:10-13 RSV)

Though he does point out how much science has yet to explain about life and our universe, he doesn't use that as "proof" of God, decrying a "god of the gaps" idea that humans have faith only to explain what we still cannot explain, but rather proposes that current understandings and evidence can reasonably lead to faith. He also talks about spiritual intelligence (for example, inspiration) as a uniquely human trait and contends that we should use both our IQ and SQ in our work and effort to learn more about the universe. This part felt a little further out there, but it was entertaining and intriguing to go with him on it. There is some reluctance to believe that this has actually happened. Some say, "Hmmm, I'm not sure. It may be him, but he looks different." But the man said, "I am the man." (He seems quite definite about it.) The account continues:God has worked miracles within our lifetime. We need only look at Michael Guillen for proof of that. The miracle is that the man is married despite telling his wife she would always be second to science. If seeing were believing, then faith would be irrelevant and unnecessary. Jesus would forever be trying to convince us that He is the Holy One through signs, wonders and miracles. Our faith would always be teetering on the edge, and likely decline as soon as we felt the need to see just one more example of proof of His existence, His sovereignty, or His power. If we could see Him, we would probably never truly believe in Him. What do you say to someone who dismisses faith as a weakness? Who claims to not rely on faith whatsoever? Worldview is at the center of Guillen’s latest title, which emphasizes the importance of having a solid worldview. Throughout the book, Guillen shares moments from his own life story and faith journey.