Monday, May 4, 2009

The Trouble with Atheism

What arrogance and narcissism it takes of an atheist to evaluate the existence of God based on their own judgments and impressions of justice. What immutable 'good' can a sole human produce, what universal standard can a person possibly derive to impose upon a situation and thus conclude upon a universal question? Any benchmark or principle a human may attempt to ascertain will be procured from either their own 'will' and viscera or developed as a reflection of a higher truth which exists in spite of human observation.

There are two arguments an atheist can choose from, after they posture the none-existence of God. The first argument is that human life as we know it is devoid of reason and order, and especially empty of any sort of meaning. There is no plot or plan to life, and humans each have their own agency of will to determine their own futures, but, there is nothing a human may strive toward or hope to achieve because life still inherently lacks purpose, and as such no purpose of a human action is possible in its consequence. All is indifferent, bleak, and blase. This is existentialism, which posits that there is no meaning in life and then attempts to explain a human's role in the world. This ideology is intrinsically absurd, because many humans have feelings that transcend basic instincts, many humans attempt to apply meaning to action and circumstance, and many people have experienced situations in which life beyond 'survival of the fittest' takes place. If life is merely evolution then to what purpose may a human live other than procreation and death?The existentialist is a skeptic and does not have the guts to even accept that there is good and bad, there is tension in life, and tension presumes a pulling of something, to a certain end, not just a meaningless assemblage of nonsense leading to nothing. Besides, existentialism fails to answer essential questions such as the source of evil, what love is, and why humans have reason and what does reason lead to.

The more likely position an atheist is going to take is the position that there is not a God, but the world is indeed ordered and there is meaning to life, particularly meaning in the actions of humans and in our lives. The purpose of life, as a result, is to follow the meaning that we either define ourselves, or the meaning that we find in nature. The problem with this is, that, as I mentioned above what meaning can a human determine which is truly meaningful? A human view of the world, or of morality, based on observation and experience is inevitably subjective, and therefore inconclusive. Any evaluation of purpose a human makes subjectively will be unavoidably contingent on whatever standard of purpose they utilized in their evaluation, and resultantly unfounded. No one can say legitimately that it is a good thing to love one's neighbor. Why is it a good thing? Because it fights the forces of hatred and works toward establishing peace among brothers? Well, why is this a goal worth achieving- just so everyone can live nice and peacefully now for no reason when the end of their lives will be the grave anyways? World peace is a good thing? Is it? According to what standard? The meaning and purpose of life is to love? Well, why? Because love produces good things? Well, good things leading to what? Any moral assertion a man can make atheistically tends to prolonging mental, physical and spiritual life, or improves in immediate quality. What to what end is this pattern when the prize of life is always death? The intellectual understanding of this, the pursuit of reason when the foundation of one's every thought is that the universe began randomly, if dealt with truly, will lead to one place: suicide. One cannot enforce their own order when they refuse to consent as to why the world is order, if they do this, their 'order' will be laid in confusion and their path uncertain. Despite all this, the moral atheist still accepts that the world is ordered, and that there is meaning to life. This cannot be, though, as a result of disorder. The only order that can possibly be created by disorder is an order that lasts only as long as the thing that makes it so lasts, only as long as its subjective justification exists, and disorder, by its nature, is chaos and eternally changing. Basing a decision on a pattern that is forever vacillating will lead nowhere and is an awfully foolish resolution to take as a man or women. This baseless pattern is the default of most humans and ends in capricious hesitancy in all things. Purpose cannot be established upon a purposeless world, such an attempt is vain futility and a man would do much better to simply take his own life. The point being, life is meaningful and the meaning found in life cannot be elucidated without including the existence of God. Furthermore, attempting to make sense of life by the mechanism of evolution, or by human goodness, or by human peace is equivalent to stating that there is reality, and then there is a sub reality level that humans operate on upon which meaning is found. For this 'sub' reality to exist, and mainly for it to be valid for an argument's sake, there must also be, by necessity, a super-reality, or a higher realm of existence.

Unfortunately, for the skeptical atheist, life is effusive with meaning and the principle of purpose presses against every human thought and action. The lavish presence of purpose in life reflects the reality that life is purposeful, just as the laws of Physics define specifically how the world is ordered. As a result the atheist must still confront the existence of purpose and meaning in life, if he is to account for the total sum of reality. Any philosophy that fails to satiate a concern or question of life must either be dismissed or questioned. Atheism by its nature is invariably flawed when it supposes that there is meaning without acknowledging a God, and therefore is fallacious. Because of this an intellectual man, chiefly a man who desperately wants to know the truth, will by necessity be compelled to admit the existence of God. Without an orderer, there could be no order. Without an author a story would be deprived of plot. Such a story would be a mindless bedlam of entropy that collapses upon itself into thermal equilibrium.

I have said all of this to admit that I now acknowledge God as truth.

2 comments:

Samuel Skinner said...

"What arrogance and narcissism it takes of an atheist to evaluate the existence of God based on their own judgments and impressions of justice"

We should use other peoples judgements and ideas of justice?

"What immutable 'good' can a sole human produce, what universal standard can a person possibly derive to impose upon a situation and thus conclude upon a universal question? "

Nothing is immutable and universal standards, by definition, cannot be imposed.

"Any benchmark or principle a human may attempt to ascertain will be procured from either their own 'will' and viscera or developed as a reflection of a higher truth which exists in spite of human observation."

That is why we get groups of people to work on it. The whole IS greater than the sum of its parts.

" The first argument is that human life as we know it is devoid of reason and order, and especially empty of any sort of meaning. There is no plot or plan to life, and humans each have their own agency of will to determine their own futures, but, there is nothing a human may strive toward or hope to achieve because life still inherently lacks purpose, and as such no purpose of a human action is possible in its consequence. All is indifferent, bleak, and blase. This is existentialism, which posits that there is no meaning in life and then attempts to explain a human's role in the world."

What is there to explain? We don't have any given role in the world. That doesn't mean no hope or goals- we still have other humans and the universe to work off of.

"This ideology is intrinsically absurd, because many humans have feelings that transcend basic instincts, many humans attempt to apply meaning to action and circumstance,"

People can be wrong, especially if all the proof is their gut.

"and many people have experienced situations in which life beyond 'survival of the fittest' takes place. If life is merely evolution then to what purpose may a human live other than procreation and death?"

Why should we accept the meaning life gives us? Just because it exists doesn't mean we must follow!

"The existentialist is a skeptic and does not have the guts to even accept that there is good and bad"

Only from our vantage point. The universe itself does not care.

" there is tension in life, and tension presumes a pulling of something, to a certain end, not just a meaningless assemblage of nonsense leading to nothing."

Except the end varies between individuals, suggesting it is random and not indicative of anything more.

"Besides, existentialism fails to answer essential questions such as the source of evil, "

Actions commited by people. Evil is not a force- it is a descriptor.

"what love is, "

Electrical impulses in the brain.

"why humans have reason "

Evolutionary explanation (it helps understand the world, boosting survival odds) or mechanism (the brain)?

"what does reason lead to."

A more accurate understanding of reality.

"what meaning can a human determine which is truly meaningful?"

I hear some people like kids and family.

" A human view of the world, or of morality, based on observation and experience is inevitably subjective, and therefore inconclusive. Any evaluation of purpose a human makes subjectively will be unavoidably contingent on whatever standard of purpose they utilized in their evaluation, and resultantly unfounded."

Short version- humans are finite.

" What to what end is this pattern when the prize of life is always death?"

Rarity leads to value.

"The intellectual understanding of this, the pursuit of reason when the foundation of one's every thought is that the universe began randomly, if dealt with truly, will lead to one place: suicide."

Because having a finite life makes people want to end it, but being able to continue forever after death doesn't?

" The only order that can possibly be created by disorder is an order that lasts only as long as the thing that makes it so lasts, only as long as its subjective justification exists, and disorder, by its nature, is chaos and eternally changing"

You do realize the universe will last for trillions of years? We are but a small island of order in a sea of choas.

"Purpose cannot be established upon a purposeless world, such an attempt is vain futility and a man would do much better to simply take his own life."

Purpose can ONLY be established where purpose does not already exist- to have it imposed is to be a puppet.

"The point being, life is meaningful and the meaning found in life cannot be elucidated without including the existence of God. "

Why?

"For this 'sub' reality to exist, and mainly for it to be valid for an argument's sake, there must also be, by necessity, a super-reality, or a higher realm of existence."

Ideals exist. They don't have a physical existance though, which is where your argument falls apart.

"The lavish presence of purpose in life reflects the reality that life is purposeful, "

Evidence for purpose?

"just as the laws of Physics define specifically how the world is ordered"

Actually, at its most basic, things are not ordered, but in flux.

" Without an orderer, there could be no order. "

Which is why stars and solar systems, galaxies, crystals, rock formations and the like form without a helping hand?

" Such a story would be a mindless bedlam of entropy that collapses upon itself into thermal equilibrium."

What do you think is going to happen to our universe? That is our fate.

Anonymous said...

Why do theists need a pre-ordained or underlying meaning to their lives in order for them to find meaning or purpose to their lives? Isn't their beauty and mystery to the idea of being able to find your OWN purpose... your OWN meaning? A baby born is a blank canvas... a new life to take shape however they see fit. Your life is what YOU make of it, not some imaginary friend.

Why do theists need answers to questions so badly that they just attribute those answers to the magic "solver of all puzzles"?

A god hypothesis is intellectually lazy. An atheist is secure enough to say, "I don't know, but I'd like to find out". A theist says, "I don't know so I'm going to give credit to the magic solver of all puzzles so I can feel better about it and don't have to think about it anymore."

Why do you presume it to be futile to find your own purpose instead of believing in some pre-ordained purpose by an imaginary friend? Life may be a pain in the ass, but it has some great moments... like great sex, incredible food, love, and even procreation. As a parent myself I can say quite honestly that the greatest achievement of my life is my son. Every shitty thing I went thru in my life leading up to his birth was worth it to get there. My purpose is to be the greatest dad I can and guide my son to hopefully have a better life than I did.

Suicide is a pathetic excuse. Most atheists value their lives MORE than theists do, because this is the ONLY life we know for a fact we have so why waste it? It it the atheist's prerogative to make their lives the best they possibly can.

So anyone who thinks that life without a god is a meaningless life and the only foreseeable choice is suicide is a friggin' idiot. Death isn't a prize. It's simply the end... LIFE itself is the prize. Make the most of it. Take your blank canvas and paint a masterpiece... live extraordinarily.

You really should read The Reason Driven Life by Robert M. Price.