---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This equation of the impersonal plus time…"
description: "\"This equation of the impersonal plus time plus chance producing the total configuration of the universe and all that is in it, modern people hold by fa..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/164/francis-schaeffer-2607_chance_this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-tim_2774793.jpg"
---

#  This equation of the impersonal plus time plus chance…

![“This equation of the impersonal plus time plus chance producing the total configuration of the universe and all that is in it, modern people hold by faith.” quote by Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/164/francis-schaeffer-2607_chance_this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-tim_2774793.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/164/francis-schaeffer-2607_chance_this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-tim_2774793.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/164/francis-schaeffer-2607_chance_this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-tim_2774793.jpg)

> “This equation of the impersonal plus time plus chance producing the total configuration of the universe and all that is in it, modern people hold by faith.”

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The universe’s order is seen as a product of impersonal forces, yet many accept it without questioning.

**In simple terms:** People trust unseen forces to explain everything.

Key Takeaway

Question assumptions about unseen forces.

Themes

faith philosophy cosmology

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- academic debate
- personal worldview
- science education

Key Concepts

determinism existentialism theology

Questions to Reflect On

- What evidence supports this view?
- How does faith influence scientific interpretation?

A Different Perspective

Such views may overlook personal responsibility in shaping reality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Configuration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/configuration/) [Configuration Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/configuration-universe-3267885/) [Equations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equations/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Hold Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold-faith-798061/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-people-1158601/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Plus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plus/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-modern-2419450/)

## Related quotes

> [The initial configuration of the universe may have been chosen by God, or it may itself have been determined by the laws of science.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-initial-configuration-of-the-universe-may-have-been-chosen-by-god/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [I will stress once again that we do not know the source from which the UFOs or the alien beings come whether or not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-vallee/i-will-stress-once-again-that-we-do-not-know-the-source-from-which/)

[Jacques Vallee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-vallee/)

> [Perhaps some day, modern people will learn that mystery is not the prison of the mind of people, it is their home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-farrell/perhaps-some-day-modern-people-will-learn-that-mystery-is-not-the/)

[Walter Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-farrell/)

> [“There's a hardness I'm seeing in modern people. Those little moments of goofiness that used to make the day pass seem to have gone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/there-s-a-hardness-i-m-seeing-in-modern-people-those-little-moments/)

[Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/)

> [“Modern people are just like ancient ones, only more numerous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/modern-people-are-just-like-ancient-ones-only-more-numerous/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [It is especially difficult for modern people to conceive that our modern, scientific age might not be an improvement over the prescientific period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/it-is-especially-difficult-for-modern-people-to-conceive-that-our/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-modern-people-think-of-miracles-as-the-suspension-of-the-natural-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Modern people are only willing to believe in their computers, while I believe in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-robert/modern-people-are-only-willing-to-believe-in-their-computers-while-i/)

[Alain Robert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-robert/)

> [“modern people think that any one who makes himself slightly uncomfortable in public will immediately be uproariously popular.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/modern-people-think-that-any-one-who-makes-himself-slightly/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“Modern people are calibrated for a whole different level of danger acceptance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/modern-people-are-calibrated-for-a-whole-different-level-of-danger/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [modern people have seen too many chemicals and are ready to go back to eating dirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/modern-people-have-seen-too-many-chemicals-and-are-ready-to-go-back/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [“This is the only period in all human history when people were proud of being modern. For though to-day is always to-day and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/this-is-the-only-period-in-all-human-history-when-people-were-proud/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“It was possible to look at actual smartphones and tablets and laptops that had been manufactured on Old Earth. They did not work anymore,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-was-possible-to-look-at-actual-smartphones-and-tablets-and-laptops/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [Perhaps these ancient observatories like Stonehenge perennially impress modern people because modern people have no idea how the Sun, Moon, or stars move. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/perhaps-these-ancient-observatories-like-stonehenge-perennially/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [It's modern day. It is modern day. Some of the cars are older but it is absolutely modern day. There are modern cars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/it-s-modern-day-it-is-modern-day-some-of-the-cars-are-older-but-it-is/)

[Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/)

## More by Francis Schaeffer

> [Jesus taught that the mark of the Christian is the observable love shown among all true believers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/jesus-taught-that-the-mark-of-the-christian-is-the-observable-love/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [As evangelical Christians we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life. The rest of human life we feel is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/as-evangelical-christians-we-have-tended-to-relegate-art-to-the-very/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [Belief does not change what is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/belief-does-not-change-what-is/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [The overall way of thinking in the United States has shifted away from basic Biblical values, and the media share in the responsibility for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-overall-way-of-thinking-in-the-united-states-has-shifted-away/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [In God's world the individual counts. Therefore, Christian art should deal with the individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/in-god-s-world-the-individual-counts-therefore-christian-art-should/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [As evangelical Christians, we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life. The rest of human life we feel is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/as-evangelical-christians-we-have-tended-to-relegate-art-to-the-very-2/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [In the 20th century, evangelical Christians in America have naively accepted the role assigned to us by an anti-religious, anti-Christian consensus in our society.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/in-the-20th-century-evangelical-christians-in-america-have-naively/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [Humanism is not wrong in its cry for sociological healing, but humanism is not producing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/humanism-is-not-wrong-in-its-cry-for-sociological-healing-but/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [To die is to be with the Lord. It is not just an idea, it is a reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/to-die-is-to-be-with-the-lord-it-is-not-just-an-idea-it-is-a-reality/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [The purpose of apologetics is not just to win an argument or a discussion, but that people with whom we are in contact may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-purpose-of-apologetics-is-not-just-to-win-an-argument-or-a/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [If the church is what it should be, young people will be there. But they will not just 'be there' - they will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-the-church-is-what-it-should-be-young-people-will-be-there-but/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [With the Fall all became abnormal. It is not just that the individual is separated from God by his true moral guilt, but each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/with-the-fall-all-became-abnormal-it-is-not-just-that-the-individual/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [There is nothing more ugly than an orthodoxy without understanding or compassion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/there-is-nothing-more-ugly-than-an-orthodoxy-without-understanding-or/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [This is not an age in which to be a soft Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/this-is-not-an-age-in-which-to-be-a-soft-christian/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [The great distinction of a true Christian is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. How careful should he be, lest anything in his thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-great-distinction-of-a-true-christian-is-the-indwelling-of-the/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

[Explore all 158 Francis Schaeffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

## More Chance quotes

> [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/)

[Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/)

> [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. No one ever thought I'd be the champ, and look where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stipe-miocic/i-understand-it-s-promotion-but-no-one-ever-gave-me-a-chance-no-one/)

[Stipe Miocic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stipe-miocic/)

> [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/)

[Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/)

> [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/)

[Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/)

> [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/)

[Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/)

[Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/)

> [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/)

[Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/)

> [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/)

[Alejandro Taubas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-taubas/)

> [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. And by chance and how the world works, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-thought-my-first-few-jobs-would-just-be-off-off-off-off-off/)

[Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/)

> [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/)

[Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/)

> [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/)

[Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/)

[Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "This equation of the impersonal plus time plus chance producing the total configuration of the universe and all that is in it, modern people hold by faith.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Francis Schaeffer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-time-plus-chance-producing-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Chance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-time-plus-chance-producing-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/164/francis-schaeffer-2607_chance_this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-tim_2774793.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/164/francis-schaeffer-2607_chance_this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-tim_2774793.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/164/francis-schaeffer-2607_chance_this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-tim_2774793.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“This equation of the impersonal plus time plus chance producing the total configuration of the universe and…” — Francis Schaeffer",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Francis Schaeffer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "This equation of the impersonal plus...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-time-plus-chance-producing-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/this-equation-of-the-impersonal-plus-time-plus-chance-producing-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
