Apologetics Profile Ep. 297

"Design in the Universe Helps Lead an Atheist to Christ – Filmmaker Michael Ray Lewis – Part Two"

Broadcast: July 14, 2025
Hosts: James Walker & Daniel Ray
Guest: Michael Ray Lewis, filmmaker (Universe Designed)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the intellectual and personal journey of Michael Ray Lewis, a former atheist who became a Christian after an in-depth investigation of apologetics arguments for God’s existence. The discussion centers on Lewis’s new documentary film, Universe Designed, which shares both scientific and philosophical arguments for the existence of God, especially through the lens of design in the universe. The hosts and Lewis discuss the creation and intent behind this film, the nuances between microevolution and macroevolution, the problem of evil, and the pivotal role of Jesus in the search for ultimate truth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Intellectual Journey from Atheism to Christianity

• Initial Worldview:
  Dr. Fazale Rana (in a film clip) and Michael Ray Lewis both began with a naturalistic, evolutionary perspective. Lewis shares that prior to faith, he worked on indie horror films and had little interest in Christianity or apologetics (04:34, 16:12).

• The Role of Evidence:
  Lewis’s three-year investigation into apologetic arguments convinced him of the rationality and explanatory power of the Christian worldview over atheism and other religions (03:16, 14:41).

  "I was gonna go and ask them all the hard questions I had as an atheist."
  — Michael Ray Lewis (04:34, 16:44)

• Inspiration for the Film:
  Prompted by his wife, Lewis decided to document the evidences he found persuasive, leading him to interview prominent Christian thinkers and assemble the documentary (04:34–05:17, 14:41).

2. The Argument from Design

• Scientific Awe and Design:
  Dr. Rana details his shift from evolutionary naturalism to theism, citing the complexity and ingenuity of biochemical systems as pointing to an intelligent creator (00:32–03:16).

  "DNA is highly optimized as an information storage system... this speaks very powerfully that there is a mind that's ultimately behind biochemistry and biology."
  — Dr. Fazale Rana (02:15)

• Communication with Apologists:
  Lewis chose Christian apologists, rather than only scientists, as interview subjects for their ability to make complex scientific and philosophical arguments understandable and compelling to a broad audience (24:09, 25:57).

  "Apologists are able to communicate these truths in a way that the scientists probably can't."
  — Michael Ray Lewis (25:46–25:57)

• Analogy to Art & Curiosity:
  The hosts and Lewis stress that the argument from design is intended to awaken curiosity and point seekers toward God and Christ, not to overwhelm them with raw data (26:40, 27:08).

  "If I can get you there, then the hope is that... that'll bug you, it'll stick with you and challenge you to go and really dive into the scientific side of things."
  — Michael Ray Lewis (14:41, 27:08)

3. Jesus at the Center

• Uniqueness of Christ:
  J. Warner Wallace, in a film clip, emphasizes the unmatched influence of Jesus across cultures, religions, literature, and the arts, arguing that this impact cannot be explained by natural causes alone (08:49).

  "Why this guy, this nobody... This is the guy who changes everything in literature, art, music, education, science and world religions... the most reasonable inference seems to me to be that he’s the God of the universe."
  — J. Warner Wallace (09:23)

• Moving from Theism to Christ:
  The discussion covers how a seeker might transition from generic belief in "a god" to the specific truth claims about Jesus and the resurrection (28:21–30:17).

  "Ultimately it really does hinge on Jesus, doesn't it?... If the events surrounding Jesus happened in the way the Bible says... then Christianity is true."
  — Michael Ray Lewis (29:14)

4. Elegance and Limits of Science

• Completeness of Science & Naturalism:
  The hosts note that science, while powerful, is restricted to describing matter, motion, and energy, but cannot speak to purpose, morality, or ultimate meaning (25:57).

  "Science can tell us is motion and matter and energy...But when you look at it from a purely scientific perspective, you miss the bigger picture of what it all is."
  — Host (25:57)

• The Protein Folding and Language Problem:
  Drawing on Tom Wolfe's book The Kingdom of Speech, the hosts point out that key phenomena such as language and the origin of life still confound purely material explanations (10:25–13:58).

  "Linguists, biologists, anthropologists... discovered nothing about language."
  — Tom Wolfe (cited at 12:30)

5. Problem of Evil

• Intellectual and Pastoral Responses:
  Lewis describes two classical responses to evil:

  • Evil as evidence of objective morals (thus, God’s existence)
  • Suffering’s role under free will, and humility when answers are not forthcoming (31:34–34:40)

  "The real answer to that, why does God allow it? Is I have no idea... What if this is the best possible world that God could have created in light of the free will choices that he has given us?"
  — Michael Ray Lewis (32:09–33:00)

• Personal Experience and Growth:
  Lewis shares a moving story about missing the opportunity to share Christ with his dying grandmother, which becomes a catalyst for boldness in evangelism and embracing the uncertainties of faith (16:47–18:48).

6. Practical Application and Evangelism

• The Role of the Film:
  Lewis views his film as a tool to inspire curiosity and direct both Christians and seekers to greater investigation rather than providing exhaustive arguments (14:41, 27:08, 39:46).

  "My hope for the film is that it will have two purposes. One, it will excite the Christian... But I also hope that it'll give the non believer a different perspective or a different look at Christianity from the lens of a prior atheist."
  — Michael Ray Lewis (21:19)

• Central Resource Hub:
  The universedesigned.com website offers additional resources and ministries for seekers and believers to dig deeper (41:27).

  "This will be kind of a central resource... if you have questions... just start reading books, start watching videos, start really investigating this to see if it's true."
  — Michael Ray Lewis (41:27)

7. Final Wisdom: Question, Seek, and Doubt Well

• Embrace Doubt as a Path to Truth:
  Both Lewis and the hosts encourage listeners not to fear doubt, but to use it as a motivation for testing beliefs and pursuing what is ultimately true (42:23–44:48).

  "Doubt is not a bad thing. It's what gets us to really question what we believe. And if what we believe is actually true, then it should be able to hold up to the test."
  — Michael Ray Lewis (42:30)

  "If Christianity is true and if Jesus is who he claimed to be, this literally means everything."
  — Michael Ray Lewis (44:13)

Memorable Quotes with Timestamps

• Dr. Fazale Rana, on Biochemistry & Divine Design:
  "DNA is highly optimized as an information storage system. In about two and a half pounds of DNA you could store all the digital information that exists in the world today... there is a mind that's ultimately behind biochemistry and biology." (02:15)

• Michael Ray Lewis, on Evangelism and Regret:
  "God... my heart was burning that entire time. I just knew I had to say something. I knew I had to say something, but I chose not to. And so I made a commitment that I will never do that again. I will never hesitate." (18:00)

• J. Warner Wallace, on the Uniqueness of Jesus:
  "There isn't anyone that's been written about as much as Jesus... The third option, that he's just the God of the universe who enters back into his creation and has this kind of expected result seems to me to be the most reasonable inference." (08:49–09:45)

• Michael Ray Lewis, on the Purpose of the Film:
  "I want the movie to plant a seed in someone who's seeking or even someone who's open to looking at it... and then challenge them by directing them to the right resources and hoping that they will go do the investigation themselves." (27:08)

• Michael Ray Lewis, on the Problem of Evil:
  "While my base answer is I have no idea why God allowed that particular thing in your life, the flip side to that is he knows what you're going through, understands what you're going through. It won't last forever. You will get to experience his presence. And we have to trust in that." (34:45)

• Final Wisdom:
  "Question everything, but hold fast to that which is good... If what we believe is actually true, then it should be able to hold up to the test." (42:30)

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• 00:32–03:16 – Dr. Fazale Rana on evolution, design, and DNA
• 04:34–05:17 – Michael Ray Lewis recounts the early stages of producing the documentary
• 08:49–10:25 – J. Warner Wallace on the unmatched cultural impact of Jesus
• 14:41–15:52 – Lewis on the film’s purpose: piquing curiosity, inviting investigation
• 16:47–18:48 – Lewis shares the story of regret while missing the chance to evangelize his grandmother
• 29:14–30:17 – How to move from generic theism to specifically Christian faith
• 31:34–34:45 – Lewis articulates his approach to the problem of evil and suffering
• 39:46–41:27 – Film as evangelistic tool, universedesigned.com as resource hub
• 42:30–44:48 – Closing wisdom: embrace doubt, examine evidence, seek truth

Concluding Thoughts

This episode artfully weaves together personal testimony, apologetics, theology, and film as a tool for evangelism. Michael Ray Lewis’s story is both intellectually substantial and emotionally resonant—demonstrating that the quest for truth involves both head and heart. The episode provides thoughtful responses to perennial objections (science, God, evil, doubt), all while encouraging listeners to carefully, humbly, and persistently seek what is true.