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Podcast
One Plus One Equals Two
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Transcript
0:00
Hi, I'm Dave DeWitt, and today I want to prove to you that 1 plus 1 equals 2.
0:11
I know you probably think he's finally lost his mind, but if you bear with me, I'll try
0:15
to show you why I think this is important.
0:20
After finishing a paper on this, I told my wife I just proved 1 plus 1 equals 2.
0:26
She said I'm relieved to hear that.
0:28
Somehow I don't think she was being sincere.
0:32
But really, believe it or not, this needs to be proved, and the proof also establishes
0:39
the existence of God, which is why it's a relevant discussion.
0:44
What I'm going to do is I'm going to show you that mathematics is theological.
0:53
First let's talk about pantheism.
0:56
That would be the Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, probably known best
1:01
by the force of the Star Wars movies.
1:05
Pantheism tends to use mathematics practically, but not theologically.
1:11
They claim the whole universe is one God force.
1:15
So for example, Hinduism would claim 1 plus 1 equals 2 is an illusion, whereas the universe
1:24
is all one.
1:27
So pantheism would say theologically 1 plus 1 equals 1.
1:33
If you pointed out this is illogical, that would not bother them at all because they
1:39
believe logic was just a Western invention.
1:42
Of course, they have to use logic to prove there's no such thing as logic, but that doesn't
1:49
seem to bother them either when they attempt to illustrate that with the real world.
1:56
It doesn't work.
1:57
For example, some pantheists would say if you add one drop of water to another drop
2:04
of water, you still have one drop of water, 1 plus 1 equals 1.
2:08
The problem, of course, is that the drop of water is made up of a certain number of atoms.
2:15
Another equally sized drop of water has the same number of atoms.
2:19
If you put them together, you have twice the number of atoms, 1 plus 1 equals 2, not 1.
2:26
Now let's talk about atheism and those who think like atheists of progressive evolution
2:31
that say you're a Marxist.
2:34
They tend to not accept 1 plus 1 equals 2 as existing in the real universe.
2:40
Their idea is that 1 plus 1 equals 2 is not something that man discovered, rather it's
2:47
something that man created.
2:49
Mathematics, they say, is invented by man.
2:54
The problem with the conclusion of both the pantheists and the atheists is that mathematics
3:01
can actually describe reality.
3:05
True, man has added mathematical labels to real concepts, but the letters and numbers
3:12
represent an order of reality in the physical world, which man did not create.
3:21
We label things with ones, twos, and threes, and x's, y's, and z's, and we label processes
3:27
with pluses and minuses, multiplication and division signs, and conclusions with equal signs.
3:35
But we only create the label, not the reality.
3:40
Drew Carter from Gospel Coalition gave this example.
3:44
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the inventor of calculus, was asked by one of his students,
3:52
Why is 1 and 1 always 2, and how do we know this?
3:57
Leibniz replied, 1 and 1 equals 2 is an eternal, immutable truth that would be so whether or
4:07
not there were things to count or people to count them.
4:12
Close quote.
4:16
Mathematics is a language used to describe reality, but it does not create the reality.
4:22
If you have an apple and I give you another apple, you have two apples.
4:26
You can label that in a different way if you like, but the reality is that it results the
4:31
same whatever you tend to choose to call it.
4:35
You've got two apples.
4:38
It's as basic as the old question, if a tree falls in the woods, does it make a noise?
4:43
Whether or not there is anyone around to hear it.
4:45
Well, of course it does.
4:47
How do we know?
4:49
Because when trees fall, they make noise.
4:51
Man can recognize it and record it or not, but he does not create it.
4:58
Mathematics only recognizes labels and reasons through reality.
5:04
Take for example the simple formula distance equals velocity or speed times time.
5:12
We call it D equals VE, distance equals velocity times time, but then because of the logic
5:21
represented by algebra, it's also true that velocity equals distance divided by time and
5:28
time equals distance divided by speed or velocity, but we didn't create that.
5:35
We just discovered it.
5:38
For example, if I drive at an average of 60 miles an hour for two hours, I'll have driven
5:44
a distance of 120 miles.
5:48
Suppose I'm going to go to grandma's house and she lives 120 miles away and I can drive
5:54
at an average of 60 miles an hour, then I know it's going to take me two hours to get
5:59
to grandma's house.
6:01
If grandma lives 120 miles away and it took me two hours to get there, my average speed
6:08
is 60 miles an hour.
6:12
Knowing two, the third one, can be instantaneously calculated by the GPS in my phone, my car,
6:20
my airplane, or spaceship.
6:22
I didn't create that reality, I just discovered it, but where did that information come from?
6:30
Answer, it's just there.
6:33
Somebody discovered it, but nobody created it.
6:38
It's part of reality.
6:40
It's just real.
6:41
It's as a tree falling and making noise.
6:45
We discover it, but we don't create it.
6:48
We put numbers on it and apply the logic of algebra to it, because algebra is a language
6:53
that works in the real world, but D equals VT simply exists in the universe.
7:00
Nobody created it.
7:02
D equals VT and 1 plus 1 equals 2 were just there in the Garden of Eden.
7:08
They were there when Noah built the ark and when Abraham moved to Canaan, just as much
7:11
as they are today.
7:13
There was no need to figure it out.
7:16
The ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes, he lived 288 to 212 BC, discovered a number
7:24
that allowed us to accurately make measurements of a circle.
7:31
He discovered that if you divide the circumference of the circle by its diameter, you get the
7:37
same number, 3.141592653589, and you can keep on going, every time.
7:50
Later that number was called pi, so pi equals C over D, the circumference divided by the
7:57
diameter.
7:58
Therefore, without algebra, C equals pi D and D equals C over pi.
8:05
Archimedes did not create that number.
8:07
He just discovered it.
8:09
It was also discovered that the area of a circle could be determined by squaring its
8:15
radius and multiplying it by pi, so A equals pi R squared.
8:20
None of this was created by man.
8:23
It was only discovered by man, who was also part of the created universe.
8:31
As time went on, we discovered more complex relationships that exist in our world, but
8:38
we label them with mathematical symbols and apply logic by using the symbols of algebra
8:44
and calculus.
8:47
Let's evaluate some ideas proposed about mathematics.
8:52
Here's one.
8:53
Math is not about God, it's just what mathematicians do.
8:59
My comment.
9:00
The symbols and numbers are human things, but the reality they represent are created
9:06
by God.
9:08
Here's another comment.
9:10
Math is only about man.
9:12
It does not glorify God.
9:15
My comment.
9:16
Although mathematicians can just use math to solve problems for fun, math is also a
9:22
logical tool.
9:24
Like any tool, it has no value in itself.
9:28
It can be used for good or evil, but mathematicians can be used to prove good and services that
9:36
can help us love one another, facilitate ministry, give to the poor, all of which can
9:43
be pleasing to God.
9:46
Another comment.
9:49
Math is not a philosophy, a theology, or a morality.
9:54
My comment.
9:55
True, math is not a morality.
9:58
It's just, it can be used for good or evil, but it's a philosophy in the sense that it
10:05
believes there is order in the universe which can be discovered and explained logically.
10:12
For example, I've often said there are three things I know for sure.
10:17
I exist, the universe is real, and reason must be used to determine or understand reality.
10:25
My existence is undeniable because I have to exist to make the denial.
10:31
The universe is real because I'm real and I have to exist in some real place.
10:36
And reason is essential because if I said reason should not be used to determine, describe
10:43
reality, you could ask me if that's a reasonable statement about describing reality.
10:49
The last of these requires logic to solve problems, and mathematics supplies us with
10:54
a language, a tool, and a consistent process for applying reason to reality.
11:03
But does math imply a theology?
11:06
I think it does.
11:09
Mathematics does not allow us to exhaustively understand the universe.
11:14
But it proves that an orderly system of logical symbols and equations can be used to study
11:23
the universe.
11:25
Order never comes from chaos or chance, ever.
11:30
Order comes from an intelligent being creating it.
11:34
If you observe a bird nest, a beaver dam, a foxhole, or a mansion in Beverly Hills,
11:39
you can be sure there's an intelligent being who made that chaos and chaos into order.
11:47
Mathematics proves that the universe is full of order and can be understood with logic
11:52
and reason.
11:54
Order only comes from an orderly being, and since the universe has never been observed
12:00
creating anything, an order-making creator must exist.
12:06
One plus one equals two proves the existence of a creating, orderly God who holds things
12:14
together.
12:15
So, scripture, Job 38, one and four to six.
12:21
The Lord answered Job, where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
12:27
Tell me if you have understanding.
12:30
Who set its measurements, since you know?
12:33
Or who stretched out a line on it?
12:36
On what were its bases sunk?
12:38
Or who laid its cornerstone?
12:42
Psalm 19, one.
12:43
The heavens are telling of the glory of God, and their expanse is declaring the work of
12:49
his hand.
12:51
Psalm 124, O Lord, how many are your works?
12:56
In wisdom you've made them all.
12:59
Proverbs 9, nine to eleven.
13:03
Give instruction to a wise man, and he'll be still wiser.
13:07
Teach a righteous man, and he'll increase in learning.
13:11
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
13:17
Jeremiah 10, 12.
13:20
It's he who made the earth by his power.
13:23
He who established the world by his wisdom.
13:27
And by his understanding, he stretched out the heavens.
13:31
Romans 1, 20.
13:33
For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, his eternal power, his divine
13:38
nature have been clearly seen being understood through what's been made, so that they're
13:42
without excuse.
13:45
Colossians 1, 16 and 17.
13:48
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
13:53
Well thanks for listening.
13:54
If you want a paper I wrote on the subject, it's available on our website, relationalconcepts.org.
