Paul Baba, Scientist, Businessman, and Follower of Christ

Are faith and science compatible or are they in conflict?  Is there evidence for Christian faith?  To many skeptics, faith and science are not compatible.  In their opinion, there is not enough evidence to have Christian faith.  Paul Baba, Ph.D., disagrees.  In fact, this scientist, business leader, and thoughtful man felt compelled to address the subject directly.  He wrote a book called, All the Evidence You Will Ever Need:  A Scientist Believes in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Training and Business Background

In 1960, Baba earned his Ph.D. in Ceramics Science from the Rutgers University College of Engineering, after which he worked as a research scientist at Bell Labs in New Jersey, one of the top research organizations in the world at the time.  There he specialized in magnetic ceramics for computer memory applications.  Baba came to Silicon Valley in 1965 when Ampex Corporation recruited him to manage the development of innovative magnetic materials for tape recorder heads and microwave materials.  Later he worked in senior management roles at Integrated Automation and Litton Industries, among other companies. At Integrated Automation, his division pioneered the field of document imaging.

Faith Background

For over 65 years, Baba confesses to be a follower of Christ. It was at a youth camp that he answered an invitation to accept Christ as his savior.   In his book, Baba describes his experience this way.

It was not emotional; there were no thunderclaps or bolts of lightning.  It was a simple logical decision…. My life was changed forever – not perfection – at times I still did things I was ashamed of, but there was a clear change of direction. [All the Evidence pg. 147]

His faith was challenged along the way.  He recalls a particular trial he encountered in college.

A professor in a geology class devoted his last lecture to items intended to undermine faith.  And he allowed no questions, opinions, or discussion.  As time went by, I looked at the evidence and learned to answer the opinions presented by the professor.  Gradually my understanding and faith grew.

Compelled to Present the Evidence

After Baba retired from business, he felt compelled to lay out the abundant evidence for Christian faith.  He is careful to point out that evidence alone does not “prove” the existence of God or the divinity of Jesus.  But as in a legal trial or well-designed scientific investigation the evidence is convincing.

Our faith is not blind faith.  Taken together all the evidence is convincing.  But each of us has to decide for ourselves.  No one can prove beyond a doubt that God exists or that Jesus is the Son of God.  If these things could be proven beyond doubt, we would not need faith.  The evidence is there if one takes the time to investigate.

The Evidence

In All the Evidence, Baba lays out a logical thought process for skeptics to follow as they consider the evidence for faith.  The following questions serve as the basis for that process.

• Is there an intelligent designer? If there is,
• Did the Creator leave us with a manual?  If the Bible is the manual,
• What does the Bible tell us about the way to eternal life?

I will give a brief outline of the evidence Baba presents in his book.

In contrast to conventional wisdom, Baba has found there is an active and growing community of scientists who are believers.  In part one of All the Evidence titled “Is There a Creator?”  Baba discusses the slow revolution that is going on in scientific circles where many scientists now accept that there is an intelligent designer.  The near universal acceptance by many scientists of the Big Bang theory as the most plausible explanation for the creation of the universe is a key ingredient for the acknowledgement of an intelligent designer.

And contrary to what some believe, many scientists are followers of Christ.  For example, Baba notes that there are thousands of members of the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA). All members are scientists or engineers who believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In part two “You Mean He Left Us a Manual,” Baba provides evidence for the authenticity and authority of the Bible.  Among other information, Baba discusses the historical and archeological evidence for the Biblical manuscripts, the evidence for fulfilled prophesy, and the remarkable consistency between the Old and New Testaments given the many authors and span of time in which they were written.

In part three “The Bible’s Plan for Eternal Life,” Baba provides a systematic account of what the Bible communicates about who Christ is —  what Christ about who He is and what the apostles said about Him — and how to attain eternal life.  He does it in a way to help the skeptic weigh the evidence for accepting or rejecting Christ.

In the section titled “More Evidence,” Baba discusses the amazing transformed lives of the once fearful apostles and of Saul, the Jewish leader who persecuted Christians before his encounter with Jesus, as additional evidence for the truth of the Christian faith.

Baba concludes All the Evidence with personal stories of how God is working in his life, including a miracle which he experienced as a child.

Miracles

A barrier to faith for some is the concept of miracles.  I asked Baba about miracles.  He commented,

There are different categories of miracles.  Sometimes miracles can be explained by natural causes, but are considered miracles because of the timing of the event.  Consider the parting of the sea for Moses and the Israelites.  Certainly, wind could have caused such an event, but why did it happen when Moses and the Israelites needed to cross and then stopped when the Egyptians tried to cross?  Other miracles cannot be explained by natural causes.  But if there is an all-powerful God, why couldn’t He perform miracles?

Baba keeps a list of miracles in his own life.  One particular miracle at a young age is particularly meaningful to him.  In the following one minute video, he describes that miracle:

Living an Abundant Life

Paul Baba is living a rich life.  He has been married to his wife, June, for over 54 years. They have two married daughters, and eight grandchildren.  All are believers in the Gospel.

Baba has had a successful career as a scientist in business.  He holds 9 patents, has presented at many technical conferences, and has written technical papers for journals such as the Journal of Applied Physics.   Baba helped develop recording head technology which was needed to propel the popularity of consumer video recording devices.  And he developed magnetic ceramics for a next generation of radar systems.

More recently as an author, he has written All the Evidence as an encouragement to those skeptical of Christianity to consider the evidence for faith and Christ.  He has done so in the hope that skeptics will discover the hope which comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.