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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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.

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

0:00 – Can Science Lead You to God?

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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/

Chapters  

00:00 Paul’s “Liquid Love” Encounter

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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.

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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:

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

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00:00 Introduction: "God, If You're Real..."

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.

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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.

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

Charles’ Resources:

Charles Recommended Resources:

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00:00 The Fine-Tuning Argument for God

Is Christianity true because it works, or does it work because it's true?

For years, Ellie Long was convinced that Christianity was nothing more than a story people used to cope with life. Raised in a secular environment and embracing atheism at a young age, she wrestled with despair, depression, and the belief that life ultimately had no purpose beyond birth and death.

But when she began encountering Christians whose lives were marked by joy, authenticity, forgiveness, and hope, a question emerged that she could no longer ignore:

Was Christianity merely helpful, or was it actually true?

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 Guest Bio:

Ellie Long is a young missionary from Allentown, Pennsylvania. She grew up in a post-Christian culture and did not have experiences with Christians in her everyday life. She unexpectedly encountered God halfway through her time at the University of Alabama, and after a period of hesitancy and questioning, believed and began working in a local church and pursuing the mission field after her graduation in 2024. She recently spent time in Southeast Asia, working with an unreached people group in a Muslim culture, and is now considering where she is going to bring the gospel to next. 

Resources Mentioned: 

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

Ellie’s Recommended Resources:

•        Wes Huff (www.wesleyhuff.com) on Joe Rogan’s podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwyAX69xG1Q

•        Gavin Ortlund, Truth Unites (https://truthunites.org)

•        Book: Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Quereshi

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00:00 Is Christianity Helpful—or True?

What happens when anger, disappointment, and painful family experiences shape your understanding of God?

For Rich Robison, faith wasn't something he was searching for. Raised in a fractured home and moving 26 times before graduating high school, Rich eventually rejected God altogether. His anger toward his earthly father became anger toward any heavenly Father, and atheism seemed like the obvious conclusion.

But an unexpected encounter during a concert changed everything.

What followed was a journey through different world religions, hard intellectual questions, and a growing fascination with the person of Jesus. Along the way, Rich discovered that Christianity's message was unlike anything else he encountered, not a story of striving to reach God, but the story of God coming to us.

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Guest Bio:

Rich Robison blends engineering leadership, entrepreneurship, and faith. For the past two decades, he’s been navigating the software industry through tech companies big and small. A serial cofounder, Rich has helped launch multiple companies with successful exits. He sees his work as a mission field in itself.  Based in Northern Colorado, Rich has been married for 22 years, and he’s the proud dad of two daughters, Abby and Chloe, and the owner of three dogs, Porter, Stout, and Hefeweizen. 2026 year marks his 30th spiritual birthday!

 Resources Mentioned:

Rich’s Resources:

•        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richrobison/

•        Email: [email protected]

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00:00 The Moment I Knew God Was Real

What would cause someone with both emotional and intellectual reasons to reject God to reconsider?

Mark Haville grew up in the UK in an abusive home with no religious foundation and little reason to believe God was real. Science, suffering, and life experience all seemed to point him away from faith. But an unexpected encounter with a persistent Christian neighbor, a strange answer to prayer, and a growing hunger for truth opened the door to a life he never expected.

In this episode, Mark shares his journey from a painful childhood and practical atheism to faith in Christ. He and Jana talk about suffering, forgiveness, science, evolution, apologetics, and why belief is not just a matter of evidence, but of the whole person - mind, will, and emotion. 

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Mark Haville has worked in Christian media for more than thirty years as a producer, writer, and filmmaker. A graduate of Hampstead Bible School in London, he also holds two work-equivalency degrees in Directing and Film Studies from Montana State University. He is an award-winning producer and author of Life’s Story, a wildlife documentary presenting a creation perspective, and has engaged in public debates on questions of origins of life. Now based in Nashville, Mark continues developing feature film projects exploring faith and the deeper questions of life.

Mark’s Resources:

•        Timeless Life Ministries: [email protected]

•        Film: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed - https://www.amazon.com/Expelled-Intelligence-Allowed-Ben-Stein/dp/B003LMSSVC

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00:00 Mark Haville’s Story

What does it cost to build a life without God?

For Anh Le, it meant carrying everything - his identity, purpose, success, and morality, alone. Raised without religious commitment and shaped by a worldview rooted in self-reliance, Anh believed meaning and fulfillment was something you created and earned.

And for a while, it seemed to work.

Driven by ambition, relationships, and the pursuit of pleasure, he chased everything that promised satisfaction. But underneath it all, he was crumbling with anxiety, emptiness, and a quiet realization that nothing he built could hold the weight he was placing on it.

Then, unexpectedly, everything changed.

In this episode, Anh shares his journey from atheism and self-reliance to a living relationship with Jesus, one that redefined identity, restored purpose, and brought a peace he never thought possible.

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Guest Bio:

Anh Le is the host of The Real Life Radio Show, a nationally syndicated program airing on both Christian and secular radio networks across the United States. With over a decade in broadcasting, Anh explores the question: Is Jesus still real and active today?

Once an atheist shaped by science, self-reliance, and personal ambition, Anh now shares his story of encountering Christ and discovering a radically different way to live, rooted in relationship with God.

He is also a business owner and communicator passionate about helping others move from skepticism to honest exploration.

Resources Mentioned:

 Host, The Real Life Radio Show - https://therealliferadioshow.com/home

•        Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anh.le.3192

•        Twitter/X: @evangelistanhle

•        YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@therealliferadioshow

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00:00 What Happens When You Build Life Without God?

What if the biggest barrier between you and God are the quiet lies you’ve believed about Him your entire life?

Jeremy Gronau carried those lies for years, formed through trauma, loss, and a lifetime of trying to prove his worth. After growing up without a clear understanding of the gospel, Jeremy built his identity on achievement, strength, and performance, ultimately serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. But beneath the surface were deeper questions about suffering, identity, and whether God could truly be good. In this conversation, Jeremy shares his journey from shallow, cultural Christianity and skepticism to a life transformed by a personal encounter with God.

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C.S. Lewis Institute Summer Academy: https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/?event=global-event-c-s-lewis-institute-summer-academy&event_date=2026-07-12

Jeremy Gronau is a former U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot who served nearly a decade in the military, including a deployment to Afghanistan. After leaving the military due to severe physical injury, Jeremy pursued a Master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling from Liberty University, specializing in crisis and trauma intervention.

He is the founder of Warriors in Christ, a Christian counseling practice dedicated to helping veterans, first responders, and individuals navigate trauma, restore relationships, and discover their God-given purpose.

Jeremy is passionate about helping others experience healing, identity in Christ, and the transforming power of the gospel.

Jeremy’s Resources:

•        Website: Warriors for Christ - https://warriorsinchrist.one

•        YouTube Bible study: https://www.youtube.com/@Warriors-In-Christ

Atheists Finding God: https://exskeptic.org/atheistsfindinggod/

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00:00 Jeremy Gronau’s Story