BRUCE LICHT
FOUNDER OF MY ELEVATOR PITCH FOR GOD, ENTREPRENEUR, AND AUTHOR
Bruce grew up in Lafayette, California, and later received a B.A. in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles, as well as a Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles. After graduating, Bruce operated his family’s century-old retail fine jewelry business for twenty-two years before selling his share of the company in 2001.
Bruce had a passion for computers and graphic arts, so he went into business with his friend at a national technical publishing company. He served as the company’s publisher for seventeen years. The company pioneered the modern labor law poster industry, including inventing the first “all-on-one labor law poster” and “labor law poster compliance plan” before Bruce and his partner sold the company in 2018.
In addition to being the founder of the website, My Elevator Pitch for God, Bruce was the co-editor of Elevator Pitches for God: Volume 1and author of the cookbook Immediate Chef: No Previous Experience Required.
Visitors to My Elevator Pitch for God(www.mepfg.com) can read many wonderful, inspirational, and thought-provoking one-page essays by thought leaders with the widest breadth of backgrounds and experiences from all around the world.
Bruce’s mission is to introduce more people to God and strengthen the faith of those who already believe. He aims to bring people together, find common ground between different faiths, create meaning in people’s lives, and start to move the world in a better direction.
You can help by sending this website to friends and family and posting it on social media!
You can also connect with the website project’s LinkedIn page by clicking the link below:
A Cosmic Coincidence?
BRUCE LICHT
Is the uncanny relationship between the Sun, Moon, and Earth a cosmic coincidence of scale? How do the sizes of these celestial bodies and their relative distances apart from each other compare and what is the astonishing result?
The Moon measures 2,159 miles in diameter, while the Earth spans 7,918 miles across, and the Sun is 864,938 miles from side to side. That makes the Earth roughly four times the diameter of the Moon and the Sun almost exactly 400 times the Moon's diameter.(1)
Coincidentally, our massive Sun(2) is also close to 400 times farther away from Earth than the Moon.(3) This cosmic coincidence, of their comparable sizes and the distances that separate them, is what creates a near-perfect proportional balance and produces their apparent identical sizes in our sky.(3)
These proportions are not perfectly static because cosmic orbits are elliptical rather than perfectly circular. The Moon’s perigee (the point in its orbit where it is closest to Earth) is approximately 226,000 miles as compared to its apogee (the point in its orbit where it is furthest from Earth) which measures around 251,000 miles. The Earth’s perihelion (the point in its orbit where it is closest to the Sun) is approximately 91.4 million miles as compared to its aphelion (the point in its orbit where it is furthest from the Sun) which measures about 94.5 million miles. Depending on their exact locations in their orbits, when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, its disk is just large enough to produce either an annular “ring of fire" eclipse(4) or a total solar eclipse.
Understanding these cosmic scales helps us appreciate these unique conditions in our solar system. For proponents of Intelligent Design, this astounding geometric symmetry and precise mathematical alignment, transcends mere probability. It serves not only as a fascinating visual illustration but compelling evidence of the teleological argument—the proof of God’s existence based on intentional design.(5) In a universe governed strictly by random physics, the mathematical probability of a planet's sole natural satellite perfectly matching its host star's apparent diameter is vanishingly small. This 400 to 1 ratio acts like a deliberate cosmic signature. It transforms a simple physical alignment into a profound scientific, aesthetic, and spiritual phenomenon tailored specifically for its observers.
If the Moon were slightly larger, the spectacular solar corona would remain permanently hidden during total eclipses. If the Moon were slightly smaller, total eclipses would be entirely impossible, depriving humanity of a unique window into solar physics and this awe-inspiring wonder. Furthermore, this flawless celestial geometry directly coincides with Earth being positioned in the habitable zone of our “Goldilocks Universe”—the only known place where conscious minds exist to perceive it.(6)
This rare intersection of mathematical precision, planetary habitability, and observer placement suggests a universe that isn't a random byproduct of blind chance. Instead, it points to a deliberate Architect who meticulously created and calibrated the cosmos, with these exacting celestial characteristics to invite human discovery and ultimately reveal God’s existence.
Footnotes:
1) Comparative Diameters:
A) The Diameter of the Moon is approximately 2,159 miles in diameter (27.3% of the diameter of the Earth).
B) The Diameter of the Earth is approximately 7,918 miles in diameter (3.66 times the diameter of the Moon).
C) The Diameter of the Sun is approximately 864,938 miles in diameter (400.62 times the diameter of the Moon).
2) The Sun is so massive that about 960,000 intact Earth size planets can fit inside it.
3) Comparative Orbits:
A) The Moon’s perigee (which is the point in its orbit where it is closest to Earth) is approximately 221,000 miles.
B) The Moon’s apogee (which is the point in its orbit where it is furthest away) is approximately 251,000 miles.
C) The average distance between the Earth and the Moon is approximately 238,500 miles.
D) The Earth’s perihelion (which is the point in its orbit where it is closest to the Sun) is approximately 91.4 million miles.
E) The Earth’s aphelion (which is the point in its orbit where it is furthest from the Sun) is approximately 94.5 million miles.
F) The average distance between the Earth and the Sun is approximately 92.95 million miles.
G) On average, the Sun is approximately 390 times farther away from Earth than the Moon.
4) An annular solar eclipse, or "ring of fire" eclipse, happens when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun while too far away to fully cover it, leaving a bright ring of sunlight visible.
5) The teleological argument, also known as the argument from design, states that the complex order, purpose, and design seen in nature imply an Intelligent Creator or Designer. The word comes from the Greek term telos, which means "end," "goal," or "purpose."
6) The “Habitable Zone” is the orbital region around a star where the surface temperature of a planet is just right to allow liquid water and life to exist. It is also commonly referred to as the “Goldilocks Zone” because conditions are neither too hot nor too cold.