I want to be an astrophysicist

“I want to be an astrophysicist.” William Maillis is eleven years old. When most boys his age are quizzed, they talk about frogs, baseball, and having fun. But William is unique. He was doing addition math at 21 months; multiplication, reading and writing at 2 years old; algebra, sign language, and reading Greek at age 4; geometry at 5 and trigonometry at 7. Whew!

William started college in 2016 just after graduating from high school at the age of nine. His parents say that William has always been aggressive in his studies, and they have encouraged him to learn as much as he can. To them, his talents are a gift from God.

Upon recently receiving his Associates in Arts degree from St. Petersburg College in Florida, William was interviewed by many media outlets including CNN affiliate Bay News 9. When asked about future plans, William said that he would begin classes next month at the University of South Florida. And then? "I want to be an astrophysicist."

Astrophysics is a branch of astronomy that uses physics and chemistry to study the nature of astronomical objects. This is an area of study that includes some of the greatest human minds like Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking. It was Hawking who declared that there was no God. He spent most of his life as an astrophysicist, and his pioneering work explaining black holes and relativity led him to claim the title atheist.

It was Hawking that believed that "the universe is governed by the laws of science". He stated: "There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, [and] science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works."

When eleven-year-old William Maillis was asked what he hoped to accomplish as an astrophysicist, he answered with absolute certainty and sincere conviction. William said, “I want to prove to the world that God does exist through science."

So, there you go. A true seeker of God will not be deterred by the brilliant doubters. It reminds you of the Biblical David as he approached Goliath with the same attitude. In essence, David rejected the giants’ collection of weaponry, and trusted in his known God and proven sling.

All we really need to know about Creation is found in Genesis 1:1 (KJV), “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” This tells me that God existed before the beginning of time. Out of nothing and into nothings, God created something. To argue against the existence of God, is to wave your fists at the wind and to say that wind doesn’t exist.

Both Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1, make it clear that only a fool would say that there is no God. To elaborate on that truth, the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:18-21 (ESV), “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

May the omniscient wisdom of our Heavenly Father, and the amazing Grace of Jesus the Son, and the illumination of the Holy Spirit indwell in eleven-year-old William Maillis as he searches to prove the Truth we all know: In the beginning God!