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>>ANNOUNCER: TODAY ON
THE JOHN ANKERBERG SHOW:
YOU WILL HEAR FROM THREE OF
THE MOST WELL KNOWN CHRISTIAN
APOLOGISTS IN THE WORLD.
FIRST, IS RAVI ZACHARIAS,
WHO GREW UP IN INDIA WHERE
HIS ANCESTORS BELONGED TO
THE HIGHEST CASTE OF HINDU
PRIESTS. ONE DAY HE HEARD
THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST
AND BECAME A CHRISTIAN,
AND HE WENT ON TO BECOME
ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT
CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST IN
THE WORLD. HE HAS TRAVELED
TO MORE THAN 70 COUNTRIES,
SPEAKING AT SOME OF THE MOST
PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES
IN THE WORLD, NOTABLY
HARVARD, PRINCETON, DARTMOUTH,
JOHNS HOPKINS, AND OXFORD
UNIVERSITY. TODAY HE WILL
ANSWER THE QUESTION:
CAN MAN LIVE WITHOUT GOD?
SECOND, IS DR. STEPHEN MEYER,
WHO RECEIVED HIS PH.D IN
THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE FROM
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY AND IS
THE AUTHOR OF THE BEST-SELLING
BOOK "DARWIN'S DOUBT."
HE WILL TELL WHY THE CAMBRIAN
EXPLOSION OF ANIMALS IN
THE FOSSIL RECORD, IS LEADING
MANY SCIENTISTS TO REJECT
CHARLES DARWIN'S THEORY
OF EVOLUTION.
AND THIRD IS, DR. WILLIAM LANE
CRAIG, WHO IS CONSIDERED BY
MANY, TO BE THE TOP CHRISTIAN
PHILOSOPHER OF OUR GENERATION.
HE WILL TELL WHY MANY
SCIENTISTS TODAY BELIEVE THAT
THE EXTRAORDINARY FINE TUNING
OF THE UNIVERSE IS THE MOST
POWERFUL EVIDENCE FOR
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD EVER
TO COME OUT OF SCIENCE.
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US
FOR THIS SPECIAL EDITION
OF THE JOHN ANKERBERG SHOW.
>>JOHN ANKERBERG: WELCOME TO
OUR PROGRAM. I AM
JOHN ANKERBERG. THE PURPOSE
OF OUR PROGRAM IS TO PRESENT
AND DEFEND THE CHRISTIAN
FAITH. MY GUESTS ARE SOME
OF THE MOST BRILLIANT
PHILOSOPHERS, SCIENTISTS,
HISTORIANS, AND SCHOLARS
IN THE WORLD TODAY.
AND TODAY, YOU ARE GOING
TO HEAR EXCERPTS FROM THREE
OF THE BEST. FIRST, WE WILL
BEGIN WITH RAVI ZACHARIAS.
AS YOU JUST HEARD, HE HAS
ADDRESSED MORE UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS ON MORE CAMPUSES
AROUND THE WORLD THAN ANYONE
ELSE. HE IS AWARE THAT ACROSS
WESTERN EUROPE, FIVE IN TEN
PEOPLE DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS
"NOT RELIGIOUS" OR AS
"CONVINCED ATHEISTS." AND IN
AMERICA, STATISTICS REVEAL
THAT ABOUT 70% OF CHRISTIAN
YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ATTEND CHURCH
REGULARLY IN HIGH SCHOOL, WILL
DROP OUT OR STEP AWAY FROM
THEIR CHRISTIAN FAITH WHEN
THEY START ATTENDING
A NON-CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
OR UNIVERSITY. WHY ARE THEY
LEAVING BEHIND THE FAITH
IN WHICH THEY WERE RAISED?
RAVI ZACHARIAS WAS INVITED
TO SPEAK AT HARVARD TO RESPOND
TO THE QUESTION, CAN MODERN
MAN LIVE WITHOUT GOD?
HERE IS PART OF WHAT HE HAD TO
SAY. I'D LIKE YOU TO LISTEN.
>>ANKERBERG: AND, RAVI,
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT,
CAN MAN LIVE WITHOUT GOD?
IF PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LIVE
AS IF GOD DOESN'T EXIST, THERE
ARE RAMIFICATIONS. GIVE US
A SUMMARY OF WHERE WE ARE AT,
THEN LET'S CONTINUE.
>>ZACHARIAS: THE QUESTION
THAT I THINK IS THE REIGNING
QUESTION OF OUR TIME.
ALL THE OTHERS ARE REALLY
FOOTNOTES TO THIS QUESTION:
CAN MAN LIVE WITHOUT GOD?
MY FOUR POINTS WERE THAT,
AND I THINK THERE ACTUALLY
A LOT MORE. BUT IF YOU TAKE
JUST THESE FOUR THAT DEFINE
OUR LIVES: I SAID THE LOSS
OF A POINT OF REFERENCE FOR
MORAL ABSOLUTES, THAT
YOU REALLY ARE GOVERNING
YOUR OWN LIFE BY WHATEVER
YOUR CONSCIENCE TELLS YOU OR
WHAT YOUR INTUITION TELLS YOU.
NOW, THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS,
IN A WORLD WITH SO MANY
DIFFERENT CULTURES,
SO MANY DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS
PERSPECTIVES, SO MANY
DIFFERENT FORMS OF EDUCATION,
YOU ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE
AT THAT POINT; BECAUSE WHAT IS
GOOD FOR ONE MAY BE A CURSED
THING FOR ANOTHER AND VISE
VERSA. SO WE NEED TO HAVE
A MORAL ABSOLUTE THAT IS
OBJECTIVELY TRUE FOR ALL
OF US. IS IT OBJECTIVELY
TRUE TO SAY, "I HAVE NO RIGHT
TO TAKE A SWORD AND LOP OFF
ANOTHER PERSON'S HEAD,
AND DO THAT WITH MY OWN MORAL
PRECEPTS AND MY OWN
PREROGATIVES, AND DO IT ON
DISPLAY IN PUBLIC TELEVISION,
AND CONSIDER THAT
A TRIUMPHALIST THING?
IS THAT MORALLY RIGHT OR
WRONG? WHAT DOES OUR INTUITION
SAY TO US? CHANCES ARE
SOMEBODY LISTENING IS GOING
TO SAY, "YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY
IF IT'S REVENGE DONE
BY SOMEONE." SOMEONE ELSE
IS GOING TO SAY.
"NO, IT'S A HORRIFIC THING
THAT YOU HAVE DONE."
WHAT IS THE TRANSCENDING POINT
OF REFERENCE TO WHICH WE CAN
POINT? IS IT MORALLY ABHORRENT
TO TORTURE A BABY FOR
YOUR OWN PLEASURE? AND IF SO,
WHERE DO WE GET THAT OBJECTIVE
MORAL VALUE FROM?
SO THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS,
WE NEED AN OBJECTIVE STANDARD
BY WHICH WE POINT.
SCIENTIFICALLY SPEAKING YOU
CAN'T HAVE YOUR OWN LAW OF
GRAVITY AND I HAVE MY OWN LAW
OF GRAVITY; YOU HAVE YOUR OWN
LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS AND
I HAVE MY OWN LAWS OF
THERMODYNAMICS. NO.
THERE ARE SPECIFIC LAWS AND
PRECEPTS THAT ARE GIVEN.
SO IT IS IN A MORAL UNIVERSE,
WHICH IS WHAT THIS WORLD IS.
SO WE NEED THAT OBJECTIVITY.
SECONDLY, THE QUESTION OF
MEANING. NOW, THIS BECOMES
OBVIOUSLY MORE SUBJECTIVE,
BUT NOT AS READILY AS YOU MAY
THINK SO. LET ME TELL YOU WHY.
RECENTLY A FOUNDER OF
AN ATHEISTIC SOCIETY AGAINST
RELIGION PASSED AWAY.
AS YOU AND I ARE SPEAKING
RIGHT NOW, IT JUST HAPPENED
A FEW DAYS BEFORE.
AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH,
SHE WAS AN ATHEIST, FOLLOWED
THE BERTRAND RUSSELL DICTUM
THAT WHEN SHE WAS PUT INTO
THE SOIL HER BODY WAS GOING TO
ROT. THAT'S WHAT PROMPTED
HER DAUGHTER TO MAKE
THE STATEMENT THAT,
"FOR MY MOTHER, BECAUSE DEATH
IS THE END AND THE BODY ROTS,
THEREFORE LIFE IS PRECIOUS."
NOW, I FOUND THAT FASCINATING.
THAT'S NOT WHAT SHE WAS
ACTUALLY MEANING.
WHAT SHE MEANT WAS,
HER LIFE WAS PRECIOUS BECAUSE
SHE RAISED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN THE OBLITERATION OF
OTHER LIVES IN THE WOMB.
AND SO I SAY, IF YOU REALLY
THINK LIFE IS PRECIOUS,
WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO FUND
THE ELIMINATION OF THOUSANDS
OF,...? NOW, I KNOW THOSE ARE
PAINFUL QUESTIONS, BUT IT IS
A LEGITIMATE QUESTION WHEN
SOMEBODY MAKES A STATEMENT
THAT LIFE IS PRECIOUS.
SO, I BELIEVE LIFE
IS PRECIOUS, BUT I BELIEVE
ALL OF LIFE IS PRECIOUS,
BECAUSE ALL OF LIFE HAS
INTRINSIC VALUE, NOT EXTRINSIC
VALUE GIVEN BY GOVERNMENT
OR STATE OR CULTURE.
NOW, THE ONLY WAY WE CAN TALK
ABOUT INTRINSIC WORTH IS IF
WE ARE CREATED BY GOD HIMSELF,
AN ENTITY OF ESSENTIAL WORTH.
LIFE CAN ONLY HAVE MEANING AND
PURPOSE IF LIFE HAS ESSENTIAL
VALUE, AND THEN HAS PURPOSE
AND SIGNIFICANCE.
SO I THINK THESE TWO
REALITIES, FOR THE NON-THEIST
OR THE ATHEIST OR
THE ANTI-THEIST, ARE REALLY
UNANSWERABLE QUESTIONS.
OH, I KNOW THEY TRY TO ANSWER
THEM, THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE AND
LET LIVE. YOU'VE SEEN
WHAT TOLERANCE HAS DONE
IN OUR TIME. WHAT IT REALLY
MEANS IS A'S VIEW IS VALUABLE;
B'S IS DISPENSABLE. NO, NO.
IN A TRUE WORLD OF TOLERANCE
AND ACCEPTANCE WE HAVE TO
RESPECT EACH OTHER'S VIEWS AND
DIALOGUE ON THAT MEANINGFULLY;
BECAUSE LIFE IS MEANINGFUL.
SO I BELIEVE IN KNOWING
JESUS CHRIST, HE WHO IS
MY SAVIOR, WHO LAID DOWN HIS
LIFE FOR ME, AND WAS WILLING
TO OFFER LOVE AND FORGIVENESS
FOR ME WHO NEVER EVEN SOUGHT
AFTER HIM, BUT HE PERUSED ME,
"LIKE THE HOUND OF HEAVEN."
AND THERE IN THAT HOSPITAL
BED, AS I TRIED TO TAKE
MY LIFE, FOUND OUT THAT
MY LIFE WAS MEANINGFUL-NOT
BECAUSE I WAS AN A STUDENT
OR A B STUDENT OR A C STUDENT
BUT MY LIFE WAS MEANINGFUL
BECAUSE I WAS A CREATURE
CREATED "IMAGO DEI,"
IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.
MY MORAL REASONING AND
MY ESSENTIAL WORTH COMES TO ME
FROM MY CREATOR. THAT ALONE
ENABLES ME TO PURSUE
HIS PURPOSE AND HIS PATTERN
AND HIS DESIGN FOR MY LIFE.
>>ANKERBERG: YEAH.
JESUS CHRIST ALSO GIVES US
HOPE BEYOND THE GRAVE, AND
WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST YOU HAVE
NO HOPE BEYOND THE GRAVE.
TALK ABOUT THAT.
>>ZACHARIAS: HOPE IS SOMETHING
WE ALL LONG FOR. AND JOHN,
IN JESUS CHRIST, THIS IS
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT
THE GOSPEL, THE RESURRECTION
FROM THE DEAD,
THE TRANSFORMATION OF THREE
LIVES: THOMAS, WHO SEES
THE RISEN LORD, "HO KYRIOS MOU,
HO THEOS MOU," "MY LORD AND
MY GOD"; THE TRANSFORMATION
OF SAUL OF TARSUS TO
THE APOSTLE PAUL WHO WRITES
ONE THIRD OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT; AND THEN
THE BROTHER, HIS BROTHER
JAMES. HOPE BEYOND THE GRAVE
REDEFINES EVERYTHING.
BILLY GRAHAM WAS TALKING TO
KONRAD ADENAUER ONCE,
AS ADENAUER WAS LOOKING OUT OF
THE WINDOW. DR. GRAHAM TOLD
US THIS STORY ONCE AROUND
A TABLE. AND DR....
AND KONRAD ADENAUER LOOKED AT
HIM AND HE SAID, "MR. GRAHAM,
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE
JESUS CHRIST ROSE AGAIN FROM
THE DEAD?" AND BILLY GRAHAM
SAID, "MR. ADENAUER,
IF I DIDN'T I WOULD HAVE
NO GOSPEL TO PREACH."
HE SAID THERE WAS SILENCE.
AND THEN KONRAD ADENAUER SAID,
"YOU KNOW, MR. GRAHAM, OUTSIDE
OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
CHRIST, I KNOW OF NO OTHER
HOPE FOR MANKIND."
I KNOW WHEN I DIE I WILL BE
WITH HIM AND ALSO BE WITH
MY LOVED ONES WHO HAVE KNOWN
HIM AND HAVE TRUSTED HIM.
TRUST HIM WHERE YOU ARE.
HE GIVES YOU HOPE NOT ONLY
FOR THE FUTURE, HOPE FOR NOW,
MEANING FOR NOW, AND THE MORAL
GROUND ON WHICH TO DEFINE
YOUR LIFE.
>>ANKERBERG: NOW, EACH WEEK
OUR GOAL IS TO PRESENT TO YOU
THE EVIDENCE FOR THE LIFE,
DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF
JESUS CHRIST, WITH THE HOPE
THAT THIS EVIDENCE WILL LEAD
YOU INTO A PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM,
IN WHICH YOU WILL EXPERIENCE
THE TOTAL FORGIVENESS OF
YOUR SINS, AND THE ASSURANCE
THAT WHEN YOU DIE HE IS GOING
TO TAKE YOU TO HEAVEN.
AND IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER,
I THINK YOU REALIZE, THAT IF
YOU TALK TO NON-CHRISTIAN ABOUT
THE LORD; SOMEWHERE ALONG
THE LINE YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE
TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT
SCIENCE; SUCH AS, WHERE DID
THE UNIVERSE COME FROM
AND HOW DID LIFE FIRST ARISE
ON THE EARTH? WELL TODAY,
MOST HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE
TAUGHT THAT CHARLES DARWIN'S
THEORY OF EVOLUTION ANSWERS
THESE QUESTIONS, AND IS
AN ESTABLISHED FACT OF SCIENCE
RATHER THAN A THEORY. STUDENTS
ARE NOT EVEN AWARE THAT DARWIN
HIMSELF EXPRESSED DOUBTS
IN THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES
ABOUT HIS OWN THEORY'S
ABILITY TO EXPLAIN A CRUCIAL
PIECE OF EVIDENCE IN
THE FOSSIL RECORD.
THIS EVIDENCE IS KNOWN
AS THE CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION
IN WHICH THE FIRST MAJOR
GROUPS OF COMPLEX ANIMALS,
THEY APPEARED ABRUPTLY, FULLY
FORMED IN THE FOSSIL RECORD,
WITH NO PRIOR ANCESTORS
BEFORE THEM. NOW DR. STEPHEN
MEYER, RECEIVED HIS PH.D.
IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY
AND IN THIS NEXT CLIP
HE EXPLAINS WHY NOTHING
DISTRESSED DARWIN MORE THAT
THE CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION OF
FOSSILS. I WANT YOU TO LISTEN.
>>NARRATOR: IN 1859
THIS COUNTRY ESTATE 30 MILES
SOUTH OF LONDON WAS
GROUND ZERO FOR A SCIENTIFIC
REVOLUTION. HERE IN
THE SOLITUDE OF HIS STUDY
CHARLES DARWIN COMPLETED
HIS LANDMARK BOOK ON
THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES.
IN IT DARWIN ATTEMPTED TO
EXPLAIN HOW EVERY ORGANISM
THAT HAD EVER LIVED EVOLVED
FROM A SINGLE COMMON ANCESTOR
AS A RESULT OF NATURAL
SELECTION ACTING ON RANDOM
VARIATIONS. COMMON DECENT
AND NATURAL SELECTION BECAME
THE TWIN PILLARS OF MODERN
BIOLOGY AND DARWIN'S BRANCHING
TREE OF LIFE, ITS FOREMOST
ICON. YET DESPITE THE CLARITY
AND DETAIL OF HIS ARGUMENT
DARWIN ACKNOWLEDGED A PROBLEM
THAT DEFIED EXPLANATION,
THE CAMBRIAN FOSSIL RECORD.
>>CHARLES DARWIN:
THE DISTINCTNESS OF SPECIFIC
FORMS AND THEIR NOT BEING
BLENDED TOGETHER BY INNUMERABLE
TRANSITIONAL LINKS IS A VERY
OBVIOUS DIFFICULTY. I ELUDE
TO THE MANNER IN WHICH SPECIES
BELONGING TO SEVERAL OF
THE MAIN DIVISIONS OF
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM SUDDENLY
APPEAR IN THE LOWEST KNOWN
FOSSILIFEROUS ROCKS.
>>PAUL NELSON: WHEN DARWIN
WAS WRITING "THE ORIGIN
OF SPECIES" IT WAS WELL KNOWN
AT THE TIME THAT THE FIRST
FOSSILS OF ANIMALS APPEARED
SUDDENLY WITHOUT PRECURSORS
IN THE GEOLOGICAL RECORD.
SO THERE WAS A DEEP CONFLICT
BETWEEN WHAT HIS THEORY TOLD
HIM TO EXPECT TO FIND, NAMELY
AN ABUNDANCE OF TRANSITIONAL
FORMS GOING BACK TO THAT
COMMON ANCESTOR FOR
THE ANIMALS VERSUS WHAT WAS
THERE IN THE FOSSIL RECORD.
>>NARRATOR: DARWIN KNEW
THAT IF HIS THEORY WAS TRUE
THE OLDER ROCK STRATA DIRECTLY
BENEATH THE CAMBRIAN LAYER
SHOULD REVEAL A PROGRESSION
OF FOSSILS CONNECTING SIMPLE
EARLIER FORMS TO COMPLEX
ANIMALS LIKE TRILOBITES
THROUGH A TRAIL OF INCREMENTAL
STEPS AND FAILED BIOLOGICAL
EXPERIMENTS. SUCH EVIDENCE
WOULD DOCUMENT THE TRIAL
AND ERROR PROCESS OF NATURAL
SELECTION.
>>PAUL NELSON: BUT DARWIN
SAYS IN THE "ORIGIN" WHERE
ARE THESE TRANSITIONAL FORMS?
THEY'RE NOT THERE IN
THE FOSSIL RECORD.
WHAT WE SEE INSTEAD ARE
FULLY FORMED DISCREET GROUPS.
NOW THAT'S A WORLD CLASS
PUZZLE FOR SOMEONE LIKE
DARWIN.
>>CHARLES DARWIN: IF MY THEORY
BE TRUE, IT IS INDISPUTABLE
THAT BEFORE THE LOWEST
CAMBRIAN STRATUM WAS DEPOSITED
LONG PERIODS ELAPSED.
AND DURING THESE PERIODS
OF TIME THE WORLD SWARMED
WITH LIVING CREATURES.
TO THE QUESTION OF WHY WE
DO NOT FIND RICH FOSSILIFEROUS
DEPOSITS BELONGING TO THESE
ASSUMED EARLIER PERIODS PRIOR
TO THE CAMBRIAN I CAN GIVE
NO SATISFACTORY ANSWER .
>>ANKERBERG: DR. MEYER,
WHY WERE THESE FOSSILS IN
THE BURGESS SHALE
SO CHALLENGING TO DARWIN'S
THEORY OF EVOLUTION?
>>MEYER: WELL THE FOSSILS OF
THE BURGESS SHALE AS WELL AS
ALL THE OTHER CAMBRIAN FOSSIL
BEDS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED
RAISED TWO MYSTERIES,
CREATE TWO MYSTERIES FOR,
FOR DARWIN'S THEORY AND
THEY WERE THE SOURCE OF
HIS DOUBT ABOUT THE ABILITY
OF HIS THEORY TO EXPLAIN
THE, THE WHOLE OF THE EVIDENCE.
AND THE FIRST MYSTERY I CALL
THE "MYSTERY OF THE MISSING
FOSSILS." AND THE, THE FILM
CLIP THERE DOCUMENTS IT VERY
WELL, THAT YOU HAVE THE FIRST
MAJOR COMPLEX ANIMAL FORMS
ARISING IN THE CAMBRIAN AND
AS YOU LOOK IN THE LOWER
PRE-CAMBRIAN STRATA YOU DON'T
FIND THE, THE ANCESTRAL
PRECURSORS TO THOSE FOSSILS
THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO FIND
IF DARWIN'S PICTURE OF
THE HISTORY OF LIFE IS TRUE.
AND THE SECOND MYSTERY IS
CLOSELY RELATED TO IT AND
I CALL THIS THE "MYSTERY OF
HOW YOU BUILD AN ANIMAL."
HOW WOULD THE EVOLUTIONARY
PROCESS BUILD AN ANIMAL?
ACCORDING TO DARWIN
THE PROCESS BY WHICH COMPLEX
ANIMAL LIFE AROSE WAS
THE PROCESS OF NATURAL
SELECTION ACTING ON SMALL
INCREMENTAL VARIATIONS. AND
DARWIN UNDERSTOOD THAT THE,
THE VARIATIONS WOULD NEED
TO BE SMALL AND INCREMENTAL
BECAUSE IF THERE WAS A LARGE
CHANGE IN, IN THE FORM
AN ANIMAL FROM ONE GENERATION
TO THE NEXT THAT WOULD BE
SOMETHING LIKE A BIRTH DEFECT
OR A DEFORMITY AND
HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THOSE KIND
OF GROSS CHANGES WOULD ALWAYS
BE DELETERIOUS OR DETRIMENTAL.
SO INSTEAD THE CHANGES THAT
WOULD OCCUR FROM GENERATION TO
GENERATION WOULD BE THE SOURCE
OF THE EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE
OVER TIME, HAD TO BE VERY
SMALL AND INCREMENTAL, WHICH
MEANT THAT THE PROCESS NEEDED
TO TAKE A GREAT DEAL OF TIME.
AND INSTEAD, WHAT WE SEE IN
THE FOSSIL RECORD IS THIS
ABRUPT APPEARANCE WITHOUT
THE ANCESTORS AND WITHOUT
ANY EVIDENCE OF THAT SLOW
GRADUAL TRIAL AND ERROR
PROCESS HAVING OCCURRED OVER
TIME. SO THE CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION
RAISES TWO MYSTERIES,
THE MYSTERIES OF THE MISSING
FOSSILS AND THE MYSTERY OF,
OF WHAT IS THE PROCESS BY
WHICH ALL THIS COMPLEXITY
CAME ABOUT?
>>ANKERBERG: NOW THIS EVIDENCE
OF THE ABRUPT APPEARANCE OF
COMPLEX FULLY FORMED ANIMALS
IN THE CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION,
POINTS TO AN ALL-POWERFUL
GOD WHO CREATED AND DESIGNED
LIFE. BUT THERE IS MUCH MORE
EVIDENCE THAT POINTS TO
GOD'S EXISTENCE. MORE AND MORE
SCIENTISTS TODAY BELIEVE THAT
THE EXTRAORDINARY FINE-TUNING
OF THE UNIVERSE IS THE MOST
POWERFUL EVIDENCE FOR
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD TO EVER
COME OUT OF SCIENCE.
PHILOSOPHER DR. WILLIAM LANE
CRAIG EXPLAINS WHY IN
THIS NEXT CLIP.
I'D LIKE YOU TO LISTEN.
>>ANKERBERG. I WANT TO GET
TO THE SECOND REASON FOR
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD AS
YOU SAY THE COMPLEX ORDER
IN THE UNIVERSE POINTS TO
AN INTELLIGENT DESIGNER.
EXPLAIN.
>>DR. CRAIG: SCIENTISTS ONCE
THOUGHT THAT WHATEVER
THE INITIAL CONDITIONS OF
THE UNIVERSE MIGHT HAVE BEEN,
GIVEN ENOUGH TIME AND A LITTLE
LUCK, EVENTUALLY INTELLIGENT
LIFE FORMS LIKE OURSELVES
WOULD EVOLVE. BUT INSTEAD,
DURING THE LAST FIFTY YEARS
OR SO, SCIENTISTS HAVE
DISCOVERED TO THEIR SURPRISE
THAT THE EXISTENCE OF
INTELLIGENT LIFE IN
THIS UNIVERSE DEPENDS UPON
A COMPLEX AND DELICATE BALANCE
OF INITIAL CONDITIONS GIVEN
IN THE BIG *** ITSELF.
IN FACT IT APPEARS THAT
THE UNIVERSE HAS BEEN
INCREDIBLY FINE-TUNED FOR
THE EXISTENCE OF INTELLIGENT
LIFE FROM THE VERY MOMENT OF
ITS INCEPTION.
AND THIS FINE-TUNING IS BEYOND
COMPREHENSION IN ITS DELICACY.
TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF
THE DELICACY OF
THE FINE-TUNING, LET ME JUST
GIVE A COUPLE OF NUMBERS....
>>JOHN ANKERBERG: YEAH
>>DR. CRAIG: ...TO GIVE YOU
A FEEL FOR THE ODDS.
THE NUMBER OF SECONDS IN
THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF
THE UNIVERSE, ALL THE WAY BACK
TO THE BIG ***, IS ABOUT
TEN TO THE EIGHTEENTH POWER.
TEN TO THE EIGHTEENTH POWER
SECONDS IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY
OF THE UNIVERSE.
TEN FOLLOWED BY EIGHTEEN
ZEROS, A HUGE NUMBER.
THE NUMBER OF SUBATOMIC
PARTICLES IN THE ENTIRE KNOWN
UNIVERSE IS SAID TO BE AROUND
TEN TO THE EIGHTIETH POWER.
NOW WITH THOSE NUMBERS IN
MIND, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING,
IN ORDER FOR THE UNIVERSE TO
BE LIFE-PERMITTING THE FORCE
OF GRAVITY AND THE WEAK FORCE
IN THE ATOM HAVE TO BE
FINE-TUNED TO THE PRECISION OF
ONE PART OUT OF TEN
TO THE ONE HUNDREDTH POWER.
THE COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT THAT
GOVERNS THE ACCELERATING
EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE IS
FINE-TUNED TO ONE PART OUT OF
TEN TO THE ONE HUNDRED AND
TWENTIETH POWER.
HERE'S A REAL EYE POPPER;
ROGER PENROSE OF OXFORD
UNIVERSITY HAS ESTIMATED THAT
THE ODDS OF THE INITIAL
LOW ENTROPY STATE OF THE EARLY
UNIVERSE OBTAINING BY CHANCE
ALONE, IS ONE CHANCE OUT OF
TEN TO THE POWER OF TEN TO
THE POWER OF ONE HUNDRED AND
TWENTY THREE A NUMBER WHICH IS
SO INCOMPREHENSIBLE BUT TO
CALL IT ASTRONOMICAL WOULD BE
A WILD UNDERSTATEMENT.
AND THE EXAMPLES OF
FINE-TUNING ARE SO DIVERSE AND
SO NUMEROUS THAT THEY ARE
UNLIKELY TO DISAPPEAR WITH
ANY FUTURE ADVANCE OF PHYSICS.
THE FINE-TUNING IS HERE TO
STAY AND REQUIRES SOME SORT OF
EXPLANATION OF ITS EXISTENCE.
AND IN THE LITERATURE ON THIS
SUBJECT, THERE ARE BASICALLY
THREE POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS
THAT ARE PUT FORWARD.
ONE WOULD BE PHYSICAL
NECESSITY. THAT IT'S DUE TO
THE LAWS OF NATURE. THEY HAVE
TO HAVE THE VALUES THEY DO.
SECOND WOULD BE IT'S JUST PURE
CHANCE ALONE.
THE THIRD ONE WOULD BE IT'S
THE PRODUCT OF INTELLIGENT
DESIGN. SOMEONE HAS DESIGNED
THE UNIVERSE TO BE LIFE
PERMITTING. THE PROBLEM IS
THAT THOSE FIRST TWO
ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS:
PHYSICAL NECESSITY AND CHANCE
ARE JUST NOT VERY PLAUSIBLE.
THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT THE LAWS
OF NATURE THAT REQUIRE THESE
CONSTANTS AND QUANTITIES TO
HAVE THE VALUES THEY DO AND
THE CHANCES ARE SO REMOTE
THAT THEY CANNOT BE REASONABLY
FACED. SO THAT I THINK
THE MOST RATIONAL EXPLANATION
IS INTELLIGENT DESIGN;
AND A NUMBER OF SCIENTISTS
HAVE SAID THIS AS WELL.
FOR EXAMPLE, PAUL DAVIES,
A PROMINENT PHYSICIST,
HAS SAID,
"THROUGH MY SCIENTIFIC
WORK I HAVE COME
TO BELIEVE MORE AND
MORE STRONGLY THAT
THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE
IS PUT TOGETHER
WITHIN AN INGENUITY
SO ASTONISHING
THAT I CANNOT ACCEPT IT
MERELY AS A BRUTE FACT."
AND ROBERT JASTROW,
WHO WAS THE HEAD OF
NASA'S GODDARD
INSTITUTE FOR SPACE
STUDIES, HAS SAID
THAT "THIS IS
THE MOST POWERFUL
EVIDENCE FOR
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
EVER TO COME OUT OF
SCIENCE." SO WE CAN
SUMMARIZE THIS FIRST
ARGUMENT AS FOLLOWS:
ONE: IF THE UNIVERSE BEGAN TO
EXIST, THEN THE UNIVERSE HAS
A CAUSE OF HIS BEGINNING.
TWO: THE UNIVERSE BEGAN
TO EXIST.
THREE: THEREFORE THE UNIVERSE
HAS A CAUSE OF IT'S BEGINNING,
WE CAN SUMMARIZE THIS SECOND
ARGUMENT AS FOLLOWS:
ONE: THE FINE-TUNING OF
THE UNIVERSE IS DUE TO EITHER
PHYSICAL NECESSITY, CHANCE
OR DESIGN.
TWO: IT IS NOT DUE TO PHYSICAL
NECESSITY OR CHANCE.
THREE: THEREFORE, IT IS DUE
TO DESIGN.
>>ANKERBERG: NOW FOLKS GOD HAS
PLACED EVIDENCE ABOUT HIMSELF
ALL AROUND US. IF YOU ARE
WILLING TO EXAMINE IT,
IT WILL LEAD YOU TO
THE CONCLUSION THAT GOD EXISTS.
EACH WEEK OUR GOAL IS TO BRING
YOU THIS INFORMATION.
BUT NOT ONLY TO YOU,
BUT TO THOSE OVERSEAS.
ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO GOD BEGAN
OPENING DOORS FOR US
TO BROADCAST OUR PROGRAMS
BEYOND THE 50 STATES HERE IN
AMERICA AND THE 10 PROVINCES
OF CANADA, INTO THE 28 STATES
OF EUROPE, AND THE 22 COUNTRIES
IN THE MIDDLE EAST,
AND TO 54 COUNTRIES IN AFRICA.
WHEN WE DID THIS, WE WERE
AMAZED THAT 3 MILLION PEOPLE
RESPONDED THAT VERY FIRST YEAR.
THIS LED US TO WONDER HOW MANY
MORE PEOPLE WE COULD REACH
IF WE BROADCAST OUR PROGRAMS
IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE?
AS WE PRAYED ABOUT THIS,
GOD OPENED THE DOOR FOR US
TO TRANSLATE AND BROADCAST
OUR PROGRAMS IN INDIA ON
3 LARGE TV NETWORKS THAT WERE
BROADCASTING IN HINDI, TELUGU
AND TAMIL. THESE NETWORKS
WENT INTO 80% OF INDIA'S
1.2 BILLION PEOPLE'S HOMES.
A FEW MONTHS LATER WE MET
THE PRESIDENT OF THE MAJOR
RUSSIAN NETWORK THAT WENT
ACROSS ALL 11 TIME ZONES
OF RUSSIA. AND WE SIGNED
CONTRACTS WITH HIS PEOPLE
TO TRANSLATE AND BROADCAST
OUR PROGRAMS IN THE RUSSIAN
LANGUAGE AND ALSO INTO
THE UKRAINE IN THEIR LANGUAGE.
NEXT, GOD OPENED THE DOOR FOR
US TO TRANSLATE OUR PROGRAMS
INTO HEBREW FOR A NETWORK IN
ISRAEL, AND INTO ROMANIA IN
THE ROMANIAN LANGUAGE.
FINALLY, WE TOOK ANOTHER LARGE
NETWORK THAT BROADCAST ACROSS
EUROPE, RUSSIA, AFRICA,
THE MIDDLE EAST, INDIA,
AUSTRALIA, THE PHILIPPINES AND
OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE ORIENT.
AND OVER THESE LAST 7 YEARS,
OUR COVERAGE HAS EXPANDED
UNTIL WE ARE NOW BROADCASTING
IN OVER 206 COUNTRIES AND
TERRITORIES. HAVE MORE PEOPLE
RESPONDED? YES, IN JUST
THE LAST 30 DAYS
OVER 4.5 MILLION PEOPLE CAME
TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA SITE
@FACEBOOK.COM/JOHNANKERBERG.
FURTHER, IN THE LAST 30 DAYS,
OUR TV PROGRAMS WERE ACCESSED
ON LINE AT OUR APP AND WEBSITE
171,678 TIMES IN 132 COUNTRIES.
THEN ON YOU TUBE LAST MONTH,
OUR TV PROGRAMS WERE VIEWED
160,337 TIMES IN 207 COUNTRIES,
AND SINCE 2009 THEY'VE BEEN
VIEWED OVER 5,714,818 TIMES.
OUR RADIO PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN
LISTENED TO ON-LINE
1,719,675 TIMES.
AND THIS LED US TO CREATE
OUR FREE JOHN ANKERBERG SHOW
APP SO THAT PEOPLE ALL OVER
THE WORLD CAN EASILY WATCH
OUR TV PROGRAMS ON THEIR
PHONES, TABLETS OR COMPUTERS,
AND THEY CAN QUICKLY ACCESS
OVER 4000 ARTICLES THAT DEFEND
THE CHRISTIAN FAITH,
AND 968 LANGUAGE TRANSLATIONS
OF THE BIBLE, AND 968 AUDIO
RECORDINGS OF THE BIBLE THAT
THEY CAN LISTEN TO.
OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO
CONTACT 300 MILLION PEOPLE
ON-LINE AND IF WE DO,
OUR TESTS HAVE SHOWN THAT
11 MILLION PEOPLE WILL LISTEN
TO A PRESENTATION OF
THE GOSPEL, AND 1 MILLION
PEOPLE WILL LET US DISCIPLE
THEM ON LINE. OVER THE LAST
7 YEARS, MANY OF YOU
HAVE WATCHED HOW GOD HAS
BROUGHT ALL OF THIS ABOUT.
AND MANY OF YOU HAVE TRUSTED
US, AND HELPED US FINANCIALLY
TO DO THESE PROJECTS.
WITHOUT YOU FOLKS,
IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.
BUT BECAUSE YOU HAVE HELPED,
OVER 4.5 BILLION PEOPLE IN
206 COUNTRIES CAN NOW TURN TO
A CHANNEL IN THEIR OWN HOME,
WATCH OUR TELEVISION PROGRAMS,
HEAR THE GOSPEL IN DIFFERENT
LANGUAGES, AND BE STRENGTHENED
IN THEIR FAITH. BUT THIS
OUTREACH IS EXPENSIVE.
AND RIGHT NOW WE NEED
TO RAISE $450,000 TO CONTINUE
PRESENTING AND DEFENDING
THE GOSPEL ON 8 FOREIGN
LANGUAGE TELEVISION NETWORKS
OVERSEAS. AND THIS IS THE LAST
WEEK THAT I HAVE TO RAISE
THIS AMOUNT. LET ME SAY
THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL,
TO MANY OF YOU WHO IN
THE LAST 3 WEEKS HAVE ALREADY
SENT A GIFT TO HELP US.
GOD HAS BEEN WORKING. AND
SOME OF OUR GENEROUS DONORS
HAVE CALLED IN AND PROMISED TO
MATCH EVERY GIFT GIVEN TO
THE JOHN ANKERBERG SHOW
UP TO $200,000.
THAT MEANS THAT ANY SIZE GIFT
YOU GIVE TODAY WILL BE MATCHED
DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR UP TO THAT
AMOUNT, MAKING YOUR GIFT TWICE
AS EFFECTIVE IN HELPING US
REACH PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.
NOW SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE A
FOUNDATION THAT'S DEDICATED
TO REACHING PEOPLE
IN COUNTRIES OVERSEAS.
I DO NOT KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
BUT MAYBE YOU COULD HELP US
NOW. IF SO, PLEASE CONTACT US.
AND FOR ALL OF YOU WHO LOVE
THE LORD, LET ME ASK, DO YOU
BELIEVE THAT GOD WANTS US
TO BRING THE GOSPEL TO PEOPLE
WHO HAVE YET TO HEAR?
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD
WILL BLESS YOU IF YOU HELP US
REACH THESE FOLKS? OUR GOAL
IS TO BRING THE GOSPEL
TO PEOPLE IN 206 COUNTRIES.
BUT I NEED YOUR HELP IF WE ARE
TO CONTINUE DOING SO.
AND IF YOU WILL GIVE A GIFT
TODAY OF JUST $75, AS MY
THANK YOU TO YOU, YOU MAY
CHOOSE ANY ONE OF THESE
THREE IMPORTANT TELEVISION
PACKAGES THAT YOU SEE ON
YOUR SCREEN. IF YOU WILL GIVE
A GIFT OF $150 YOU MAY CHOOSE
ANY TWO OF THESE PACKAGES,
IF YOU WILL GIVE A GIFT
OF $225, YOU MAY HAVE ALL
THREE OF THESE PACKAGES.
OUR FIRST PACKAGE CONTAINS
2 SERIES ENTITLED:
DOES GOD EXIST? ARGUMENTS FOR
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD AND
THE CASE FOR THE LIFE, DEATH,
AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS.
IT FEATURES THE BRILLIANT
PHILOSOPHER DR. WILLIAM LANE
CRAIG AND CONTAINS 7 PROGRAMS.
OUR SECOND PACKAGE IS FOR
THOSE INTERESTED IN BIBLICAL
PROPHECY. IT FEATURES
OUR TWO SERIES:
WORLD EVENTS AND BIBLICAL
PROPHECY AND THE MIDDLE EAST
AND THE LAST DAYS WITH NEWS
JOURNALIST DR. JIMMY DEYOUNG.
THIS PACKAGE CONTAINS
7 PROGRAMS.
OUR THIRD PACKAGE IS FOR
THOSE INTERESTED IN SCIENCE.
IT FEATURES OUR TWO SERIES,
PART OF WHICH YOU SAW TODAY:
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING
FOSSILS AND THE CASE FOR
INTELLIGENT DESIGN.
THIS PACKAGE CONTAINS
8 PROGRAMS WITH PHILOSOPHER
OF SCIENCE DR. STEPHEN MEYER,
WHO IS CO-FOUNDER OF
THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN
MOVEMENT IN THE WORLD.
CHOOSE THE PACKAGE YOU WANT
AND CALL US NOW AT
1-800-805-3030.
AND IF YOU CAN GIVE MORE,
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL AND
YOU'LL LET US KNOW.
AND REMEMBER EVERY SIZE GIFT
WILL BE MATCHED.
WHATEVER YOU CAN DO, CALL US
RIGHT NOW AT 1-800-805-3030.
YOU MAY ALSO CALL THAT SAME
NUMBER ANY DAY THIS WEEK.
OR IF YOU WISH, YOU MAY ALSO
GO TO OUR WEBSITE
AT JASHOW.ORG WHERE WE HAVE
A SECURE PLACE FOR YOU
TO GIVE YOUR GIFT.
FOLKS, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING
VERY HARD TO GET ON ALL
THESE NETWORKS OVERSEAS AND
GOD IS BLESSING; PEOPLE ARE
RESPONDING. AND I AM ASKING
FOR YOUR HELP SO WE CAN
CONTINUE DOING ALL OF THIS.
IF YOU WILL HELP, PLEASE CALL
US NOW AT 1-800-805-3030.
I WILL APPRECIATE YOUR HELP
VERY MUCH.