eX-skeptic

What happens when the scientific story you're given seems to leave no room for God?

Dr. Brian Miller grew up with a belief in God, but everything changed when he entered MIT and later pursued a PhD in physics at Duke University. Surrounded by a scientific culture that viewed God as unnecessary and influenced by thinkers like Richard Dawkins, Brian gradually embraced a materialistic view of reality.

But the deeper he explored science, the more questions emerged.

Could naturalism explain meaning, consciousness, or the origin of life? Why did the universe appear so finely tuned? And what if the story he had accepted about science and faith was itself incomplete?

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Guest Bio:

Dr. Brian Miller is a physicist who studied physics and engineering at MIT and earned his PhD in complex systems physics from Duke University. He serves as a researcher with the Discovery Institute, where his work focuses on intelligent design, the origin of life, and the evidence for purpose and engineering in biology.

Dr. Miller was also a lead technical consultant for Stephen Meyer’s bestselling book The Return of the God Hypothesis. Passionate about helping people think deeply about faith and science, he speaks and writes on topics including cosmology, biology, philosophy, and the historical reliability of Christianity.

Resources Mentioned:

eX-skeptic Guides: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore/

Brian’s Resources:

• Book: The God Hypothesis, Stephen Meyer (Brian Miller, lead technical consultant)

• Book: God’s Not Dead, Rice Broocks (Brian Miller, technical consultant)

Brian’s Recommended Resources:

• Website: https://intelligentdesign.org/

• Website: Discovery Institute: www.discovery.org

• Website: Reasons to Believe, Hugh Ross: www.reasons.org

• David Snoke: www.christianscientific.org

• Craig Blomberg: https://theopedia.com/craig-blomberg

• Jonathan McLatchie: www.jonathanmclatchie.com

• Talk about Doubts: www.talkaboutdoubts.com

• Lydia McGrew: www.lydiamcgrew.com

• William Lane Craig: www.reasonablefaith.org

• Rice Broocks, SALT training: https://www.thegodtest.org

Chapters

0:00 – Can Science Lead You to God?
02:19 – Brian Miller’s Journey Through MIT and Duke
03:24 – Growing Up Christian and Beginning to Doubt
06:15 – Questioning Christianity at MIT
10:34 – Evidence That Challenged His Skepticism
14:06 – Challenging Materialism and the Assumptions Behind Science
19:09 – Is There Evidence of Design in Nature?
23:12 – How Our Environment Shapes What We Believe
30:47 – Where Naturalism Struggles to Explain Reality
36:24 – Why Changing Your Worldview Takes Time
40:51 – Can Life Have Meaning Without God?
45:58 – How Christianity Changed Brian’s View of Life
51:25 – Next Steps to Belief in God
56:15 – How Christians Can Talk with Skeptics
59:14 – Keep Exploring

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

What happens when suffering shapes your picture of God?

For Paul Snyder, the God he rejected as a young boy seemed harsh, distant, and impossible to please. Growing up amid fear, family brokenness, rejection, and disappointment, he concluded that if God existed at all, He certainly wasn't good.

By the age of twelve, Paul had reached a point of despair. Filled with anger and skepticism, he did something many people secretly feel but rarely admit. He challenged God directly.What happened next changed everything.

Paul shares how an unexpected encounter with the love of Christ transformed his understanding of God and set him on a lifelong journey of faith and service.

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Guest Bio:

Paul Snyder is the president of Global Bridges, an international ministry serving persecuted believers, vulnerable children, and marginalized communities in some of the world's most restricted nations. Continuing a legacy of gospel ministry that spans generations, Paul is passionate about demonstrating the love of Christ through practical compassion and humanitarian aid. He is also the co-author of Love Shines, a book highlighting the importance of Scripture and the extraordinary story behind the ministry's work among persecuted Christians around the world. Once an atheist shaped by suffering and disappointment, Paul now dedicates his life to helping others encounter the hope and love he found in Jesus.

Resources Mentioned:

eX-skeptic Guides: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore/

Book: Love Shines: From Smuggling Bibles to Training a Million Disciples; https://globalbridgesrelief.org/loveshines/

Global Bridges – International ministry serving persecuted believers and vulnerable communities: https://globalbridgesrelief.org/

Open Doors (founded by Brother Andrew)

Ethnos360 (formerly New Tribes Mission)

YWAM (Youth With A Mission)

Chapters

00:00 Paul’s “Liquid Love” Encounter
00:54 If God Is Good, Why Do We Suffer?
02:00 Serving the Persecuted with Global Bridges
04:48 A Family Legacy of Faith
09:25 From Smuggling Bibles to Smuggling Drugs
11:41 How His Father Shaped His View of God
15:33 “God Was Like Santa Claus”
16:49 Paul Reaches a Point of Despair
19:21 He Challenges God to Prove He’s Real
19:47 “Liquid Love” Poured Over Him
20:23 God Says, “I Love You”
21:36 Jesus Is More Than a Philosophy
23:01 Discovering God Through the Bible
26:05 Why Scripture Matters
27:18 If God Is Good, Why Is There Suffering?
30:18 Escaping Performance-Based Christianity
34:44 Is God Supposed to Stop All Suffering?
36:02 Do You Need a Dramatic Encounter with God?
39:01 Where Should a Skeptic Start?
41:00 How Christians Should Engage with Skeptics

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/

Growing up in a deeply Christian home, Shayla Perez assumed that faith was simply part of her family tradition. But as she entered her teenage years, skepticism began to grow. Questions about suffering and whether Christianity was actually true led her into online atheist communities and eventually to reject the faith she grew up around.

What began as rebellion soon became a sincere search for truth. As Shayla wrestled with the claims of atheism and the intellectual foundations of Christianity, she discovered something she had never expected.

Want to support this channel? Tax-deductible donations available here: https://givebutter.com/CB6WoH

Guest Bio:

Shayla Perez is a Christian speaker and content creator passionate about helping the next generation discover the truth of Christianity. After a season of skepticism and involvement in online atheist communities as a teenager, she returned to faith through apologetics, philosophy, and a personal encounter with Christ. Today, she reaches Gen Z and Gen Alpha through social media, youth events, and churches, engaging honest questions about faith and culture.

Resources Mentioned:

eX-skeptic Guides: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore/

Shayla’s Recommended Resources:

William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith https://www.reasonablefaith.org

Frank Turek, Cross-Examined, https://crossexamined.org

Cliff Knechtle, Give me an Answer: https://www.youtube.com/@givemeananswer

Got Questions: https://www.gotquestions.org

Total Truth and Finding Truth, Nancy Pearcey:https://a.co/d/066TnGwI

Shayla’s Social Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shayla_j_perez/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Shayla_Perez

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shayla_j_perez

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: "God, If You're Real..."
00:34 Welcome & Introducing Shayla Perez
02:00 Shayla's Ministry & The Digital Mission Field
03:54 Growing Up a Pastor's Kid
06:08 When Skepticism Began
08:00 The Internet & Online Atheist Communities
11:12 Reading The Case for Christ (But Not Believing It)
13:24 What Atheism Couldn't Explain
14:57 Richard Dawkins, Morality & The First Doubts
17:48 Wrestling with the Problem of Evil
20:41 Christian Apologists Changed Everything
23:17 Giving God One Honest Chance
26:21 When Prayer Became Real
27:00 The Moment Shayla Came to Faith
29:52 Faith Isn't Blind
32:35 Can Logic Strengthen Faith?
34:02 How Do You Know Christianity Is True?
36:08 Advice for Parents of Skeptical Teens
42:46 Resources for Those Wrestling with Doubt
46:13 What Christianity Offers Gen Z
49:38 The Power of Personal Testimony
52:40 Why the Internet Is Today's Mission Field
55:50 Final Reflections & Takeaways

eX-skeptic transcript

Welcome & Introducing Shayla Perez

For decades, Charles Murray assumed what many educated people quietly assume - that religion belonged to an earlier age and that science had rendered belief in God unnecessary. He wasn't hostile to faith. He simply left it behind.

But over time, questions he had never fully examined began pressing in. Why is there something rather than nothing? Why does the universe appear so finely tuned for life? Can consciousness really be reduced to the brain? And what should we make of the historical claims surrounding Jesus?

In this conversation, author and social scientist Charles Murray shares the long, intellectual journey that led him to reconsider the reality of God and the claims of Christianity.

🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/

Want to support this channel? Tax-deductible donations available here: https://givebutter.com/CB6WoH

Guest Bio:

Charles Murray is a social scientist, author, and public intellectual known for his work on culture, social policy, and human flourishing. A longtime scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, he has written widely discussed books including Coming Apart, The Bell Curve, and Losing Ground. His recent book, Taking Religion Seriously, reflects on his intellectual journey from secular indifference toward a growing openness to belief in God and the significance of religion in human life.

Resources Mentioned:

eX-skeptic Guides: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore/

Charles’ Resources:

Book: Taking Religion Seriously: https://a.co/d/07zebfp4

Charles Recommended Resources:

Just Six Numbers by Martin Rees: https://a.co/d/09w1XE5g

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis: https://a.co/d/0ejEDb7P

Jesus and the Eye Witnesses by Richard Bauckham: https://a.co/d/0gg8Uplk

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

Chapters

00:00 The Fine-Tuning Argument for God
00:34 Introduction
02:39 Meet Charles Murray
05:07 Why He Wrote Taking Religion Seriously
06:33 Harvard and the Assumption That Smart People Don't Believe
08:32 Growing Up Christian and Drifting Away
11:18 Materialism, Consciousness, and Near-Death Experiences
14:42 How Love Challenged His Worldview
17:01 Why Charles Chose an Evidence-Based Journey
19:06 The Question: Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?
21:42 The Fine-Tuned Universe and Just Six Numbers
24:10 Does the Multiverse Solve the Problem?
26:19 Near-Death Experiences and Consciousness Beyond the Brain
27:35 Terminal Lucidity and the Human Soul
30:10 How C.S. Lewis Changed His Thinking
33:31 Investigating the Historical Reliability of the Gospels
37:17 The Evidence for the Shroud of Turin
42:04 Why the Resurrection Deserves Serious Consideration
46:21 Where Charles Murray Landed After 25 Years of Searching
48:04 Has Science Strengthened the Case for God?
53:25 Why God's Grace Became Real
55:23 Charles Murray's Message to Modern Skeptics
58:18 Final Reflections