Jacen Nicely

Christ follower, Husband and Father. Lover of The Bible. Lover of Golang and programming in general. I make dumb jokes.

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@NetworkChuck Check the toilet for raspberry pies?

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@sarahsalviander @WhaddoYouMeme Ripped, rich and rare insecurity.

[Sarah Salviander @sarahsalviander]

Star Wars keeps reminding me that creation is good

My brother and I were brought up with virtually nothing in the way of religious instruction or experiences. He and I found God after long journeys on separate paths. It was the intense love my brother felt for his children and his need to believe they would have eternal life that brought him to God. What led me to God was my love of all things space and everything I learned as a student about the creation of the universe. Science continues to be the basis of my unshakable conviction that nothing as beautiful, mathematical, and knowable as our universe could be an accident.

Not everyone is as comforted about their place in the universe. As a professor, I often ask my students at the beginning and at the end of the semester to share any concerns they have with astronomy in terms of their religious or philosophical worldviews. Students occasionally express concern about the apparent conflict between science and their religious beliefs, but the most common response by far is a feeling of insignificance in the face of their new awareness of the vast scale of the universe...

Read the rest at my Substack.

If you want to support what I do on X, you can subscribe to my Substack. I applied for Subscriptions on X over a year ago, and seem to be stuck in review limbo. Until that gets sorted out, a paid Substack subscription is the best way to support me. If that's not possible, even signing up for a free subscription helps me. Thanks, y'all.

https://t.co/URMjwvloup

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@TheCriticalDri2 Congrats! 🙌

[Brett Kunkle @BrettKunkle]

"Strong men are not afraid of strong women. They rightly see them as partners and allies. Weak men are afraid of strong women." @p_sandlin

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@sarahsalviander Happy Birthday Sarah! I’m glad you were born and you are such an encouragement!

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@mherlihy0816 @sarahsalviander “Have The Rolling Stones killed!”

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@jamesrwoodtheo1 Sun’s out Sufs out!

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@Not_the_Bee

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@Not_the_Bee You guys! How did you miss this one!?

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@sarahsalviander Thanks for the response! Follow up question if you have time:

Don’t you get tired of eating the same thing every day?

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@InspiringPhilos Aren’t we all going to die though?

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@BrettKunkle Hope you guys are enjoying the totally amazing weather! 😄

[MAVEN @we_are_maven]

🎊 The final day of our countdown is here! Tomorrow, the MAVEN Conference begins! Our speakers have touched on essential topics, from navigating technology to understanding cultural challenges.

REGISTER NOW: https://t.co/AEZFGFJBLT

[Sarah Salviander @sarahsalviander]

The universe is scrutable – we can make sense of it through study – and if you think about it, there's no reason it has to be.

If there's no intent behind the universe, then

why should it make sense?
Why isn't existence erratic and unpredictable, kind of like our dreams? why are there predictable laws? why do these laws operate the same everywhere and at all times?

why should it be open to scrutiny?
Why is the universe open to study through observation and experiment?

why should we possess the ability to study it?
Why do we have five senses and the physical ability to perform observations and experiments?

why should we possess the desire and ability to reason about it?
Why aren't we much more cognitively limited like other animals? what drives us to understand the universe? how is it that we possess the facility of reason and aren't just automatons?

These and other questions kept me up at night when I was an atheist, because there's no good reason for any of these things if the universe "just is." They seem extremely unlikely to be mere emergent properties of the universe. And an unconscious entity can't determine purpose.

A purposeful intelligence as the explanation for the universe solved this and other major philosophical problems I had.

[MAVEN @we_are_maven]

The MAVEN Conference is happening in 9 days! Join us on September 8th-9th in Frisco Texas, and discover a space where you can engage with experts, learn about cultural challenges, and equip yourself to impact the lives of your children.

REGISTER NOW: https://t.co/AEZFGFJBLT

[Josh Daws @JoshDaws]

Here’s a timeline cleanser for you heading into the weekend.

[Brett Kunkle @BrettKunkle]

Texas, the MAVEN Conference will be in your great state in a few weeks, September 8-9. Don't miss it! https://t.co/GBVvixBbi5

[Jacen Nicely @Jacen_Xhan]

@BrettKunkle I’m so looking forward to this!