INTRODUCTION: Why I Wrote This Book (AI Rewrite) - Believing Is Seeing

Okay, so, look, I wanted to tell you a bit about why I wrote this book. You know, I'm a physicist, a mathematician, an astronomer, and, oh yeah, a Christian. So, I've got a pretty broad worldview, right? It can handle both, like, science and the Bible, reason and faith, the universe and God, all that stuff.

And, honestly, over this really long, kind of winding journey, both intellectual and spiritual, I've picked up a couple of things that were, like, enormously helpful. First, this idea that logic, you know, it's not, like, the absolute be-all and end-all of intelligence, critical thinking, or even wisdom. Plus, it's not even, like, faith-free, believe it or not. And second, that science, far from being, like, the enemy of God, is actually, you know, God's gift to us humans. It's this brilliant way to explore, like, His incredible nature and this stunning creation we live in.

So, yeah, for years now, I've been going around to different university campuses, all over the place, answering students’ questions about science and Christianity. And it's always been a really, really hot topic, I mean, ever since Darwin. And, man, the questions they ask, they cover everything you can imagine. From, like, “Do you really, truly believe the *entire* Bible?” to "Do you think that science can, like, explain everything?"

And wherever I go, seriously, whether it's Reykjavik or Warsaw, New York City or Phoenix, there’s always a really diverse crowd of people. You know, young, bright-eyed Christians, Atheists, New Agers, Muslims, Buddhists, Nones, you name it. They usually keep me up way past midnight, because they are, like, thirsting for answers. They want to know about logic and faith, science and religion, exceptionalism and pluralism. They're worried, really worried, about what the future is going to look like for them, both personally and as a group.

From meeting all these amazing people face-to-face, I've made tons of friends, and I've learned so much about their generation, Gen-Z. And, honestly, it's unparalleled in a lot of ways. And one thing is, like, crystal clear: The traditional Christian Church? It's lost young people, and I'm talking tens of millions of them. Even the kids who grew up in really devout Christian families. It's like, a lot of these young Christians go off to college and find themselves surrounded by really vocal skeptics, and they start to think that maybe God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, are just, you know, childish stories. And the idea of faith itself is somehow, you know, not that smart.

They're away from home, feeling lost and unsure, so a lot of them turn to science. It’s like their go-to authority. And you can't blame them, really. They've grown up hearing about all the amazing things science and technology have done. Things like connecting the entire world through these handheld devices, creating robots that look and act like humans, curing diseases, sending spacecraft to other planets, figuring out the human genome, inventing new forms of life, even, you know, giving sight back to the blind.

But don't get me wrong. Science has also alienated a lot of young people, too. More than any other generation, Gen-Z is dealing with all these unintended problems that come with social media. They're seeing their friends struggle with incredible levels of depression, loneliness, and suicide. It’s heartbreaking. Seriously, the night I was at the University of Kentucky, a student in one of the dorms took his own life.

And it’s not just young people, either. I think everyone is concerned about, you know, the Internet of Things, or IOT, that whole network of web-connected "smart" gadgets that kind of run our lives now. From voice assistants to TVs, to coffee makers and, you know, vacuum cleaners. Or all these other scientific advancements that, to be honest, are kind of scary. They can threaten our identity as humans, our jobs, and our privacy. Think about things like genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and facial recognition tech. And yeah, some people try to disconnect, you know, ditching social media, going off-grid, but the problems we're facing between, like, freedom and technology, are way deeper than that.

It might even mean you have to, like, completely rethink your worldview.

Now, what do I mean by worldview? Well, it’s how you see yourself, and other people, and the entire cosmos, and, yeah, God too. It’s, like, your religion, whether you actually call it that or not. It's like your own personal Svengali, like, this all-powerful thing that's deep down in your subconscious. The puppeteer, right? It's what controls how you see *everything*, and it also controls how you react to *everything*, including this book, right now.

You might think you're super smart and modern, and that you have this really sophisticated worldview, but don't fool yourself. Your worldview, it's not based on logic. It's based on faith. Yeah, that's right: faith. Just like everyone else's, including mine, yours is based on what you *believe* to be true. On these ideas and feelings that you just can't ever actually prove.

And that's why faith is actually way stronger than logic, stronger than, you know, any scientific proof, and definitely stronger than your feelings. Faith is this mysterious, misunderstood thing that powers all of your worldview's unprovable beliefs. It’s the rock-solid base that everything else is built on.

Faith tells you how to see, think about, and relate to, well, pretty much everything in the universe. In other words, believing *is* seeing.

Atheists like to say they're "free thinkers," but they depend on faith just as much as, you know, someone who is deeply Christian. All of an Atheist’s thoughts are based on assumptions that can’t be proven.

And then you've got the "true believers" who say they go through life just relying on faith. But, honestly, when you ask them about it, they can't actually explain what faith *is*.

And to top it all off, a lot of people, and maybe you're one of them, see logic and faith as these, like, two things that can never agree. And, so, they think they have to choose between them. And, worst of all, they're always talking about how important evidence is, but they don't even have a good idea of what it is.

I remember seeing this study, it was a global survey of high school students. They had to read something and then show they understood it. And fewer than 9 percent, fewer than 9 percent of the 15-year-olds, could tell the difference between a fact and an opinion. Nine percent! And it's not just teenagers. You see it all the time in the media, where opinion and propaganda are presented as real, honest news.

So that survey, and all the things I've seen going around to universities, confirm it: A lot of young people today think opinions are the same as facts, and they think their feelings are more important than facts, and that faith is, like, a bad word.

This is really bad news for science and for religion. It's the worst possible outcome.

And all of this, all of these misguided views, it's going to lead to really serious problems for all of us.

Honestly, if things don’t get better, these levels of loneliness, depression, and suicide we're seeing right now, they're just going to be the start of more serious problems. When things get tough, people are going to realize that their worldviews are empty, and toxic, and even dangerous.

So, what's *your* worldview? Have you ever even thought about it? Most people haven't.

If you're like most people, your worldview is kind of like your car. You just give it enough attention to keep it going. You take it to the shop if something goes wrong, but you never actually look underneath or under the hood to see how it all works.

And even now, after everything I've just said, you might still be thinking, you know, does my worldview *really* matter all that much?

Yes, it does.

And that's why I wrote this book.

This book shows you how to, like, become your own worldview mechanic. Using real-life stories, I'll show you how to get your worldview up on the lift and check it out from the bottom up. I'll show you how to fix it up, or even rebuild it completely. So that when you're done, you can drive away with this, like, brand new, truth-based worldview that will help you out in life. Especially when things are hard.

You’ll read about people who didn't check their worldview. People who were having problems, and their worldview actually made things worse. People whose Svengali made everything look so hopeless that they lost hope, and couldn't see any way things could get better.

So, what about you? What are you dealing with right now? Is it your health? Your job? A relationship with someone you care about?

Whether you know it or not, your worldview is your most valuable thing, maybe the *only* valuable thing you have. Because it's controlling you. It's controlling how you see and react to whatever is bothering you.

Is your worldview big enough to include God? Is it based on truth and wisdom? On something misguided? Depending on the answers, your worldview is either going to save you or push you over the edge. It’s going to mean joy or sadness. Life or death.

That's what's at stake for you. That's why your worldview is so important. And that's why your next decision is going to decide which way you go in life.

Are you going to stop listening here and just keep going with your old, worn-out worldview? Or will you learn how to claim a new, well-informed, powerful worldview? One that will see you through all the storms, and even, you know, take you to the top of the mountain.

The choice is yours now.

The very next moment is the start of your future.