Back in 2004, I entered an essay into the John Templeton Foundation Power of Purpose essay contest. Since there were several thousand contestants, it was no surprise that my essay did not place or win an award. However, I did have the opportunity to read the winning essay by August Turak. It was a story of how a powerful encounter with a Trappist monk changed his life. One of the stories he tells reveals a great deal about what is... Read more
If you go out to your yard or to a local park, you will notice dirt, rocks, grass, trees, plants, and maybe water in a pond or creek. Ask yourself, “How did this type of matter, gradually, over time, evolve into beings that are conscious and self-aware of themselves?” Seriously, it is inconceivable that dirt and rocks could become human beings who are “aware” and who can think and reason. In other words, matter, at some point, becomes alive and... Read more
In May of 2018 I wrote a blog on the fine tuning of the universe. Since then I have done more research on this subject and have concluded that in the realm of modern science this is theism’s strongest argument for God. In fact two of the most celebrated atheists to ever live, Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins both acknowledged that the fine tuning of the universe is the most troubling argument that atheists have to deal with. What is... Read more
When I was a young boy, I remember seeing a movie on television about a true event that was the first big crime of the century (similar to the O.J. Simpson case). It was called the Leopold–Loeb case and took place in the 1920s. The perfect crime It involved two teenage boys, 18-year-old Richard Loeb, and his best friend, 17-year-old Nathan Leopold. Loeb was a smart young man and was fascinated with crimes and mysteries. His great desire was to... Read more
A number of years ago, Encyclopedia Britannica published a 55-volume series entitled The Great Books of the Western World. This series presented the most important ideas that scholars and intellectuals have considered and investigated over the course of recorded history. The longest essay was on God. When noted philosopher, author, and co-editor of the series, Mortimer Adler, was asked the reason behind this, he replied, “It is because more consequences for life follow from that one issue than from any... Read more
I remember a number of years ago driving down a highway at the end of the day. A magnificent sunset was unfolding, and then the radio station began to play my very favorite song from college, “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. A powerful euphoric feeling came upon me as this beautiful visual sunset and this wonderful song converged. It was a brief experience that I have never forgotten. I have reflected on that moment from time to time and... Read more
William Paley was an English philosopher who lived in the late 1700s and died in 1805. He believed that God was a master craftsman, similar to a person who assembles a watch or a telescope. To help people understand this, he presented to his friends the similarities of the human eye with a high-powered telescope. This is what he determined: The eye was made for vision; the telescope was made for assisting it. Each uses a sophisticated lens to achieve... Read more
Bob Corker served as a United States Senator from 2007 to 2016, after which he chose not to run for re-election. While in office he served as the prestigious Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Bob recently called our office raving about Richard’s book, Reflections on the Existence of God. He said, “This is one of the best books on God and spiritual reality I have ever read. It is very well-written, clear and understandable.” Reflections on the Existence... Read more
John O’Neil has served as president of the California School of Professional Psychology and consults with chief executive officers of major corporations. He wrote the fascinating book, The Paradox of Success. O’Neil is clearly not a man of faith, but shares insightful words about finding meaning in life:The basic questions we encounter when we look deeply into the shadow are spiritual questions. They concern our place and purpose in the world, the significance of our lives, and our personal connection to whatever... Read more
My wife and I were recently talking about the pandemic and why it has been so disturbing to all of us. Of course it is still creating economic havoc and has been incredibly disruptive to our lives. But there is a deeper issue and it has to do with the value of human life. So many people are still dying. If people were just getting sick, but not dying, this would be a different issue. So why do we value... Read more
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