Imagine a
child whose parents tell him that he is absolutely useless and that no one
wants him. That would certainly be
devastating for any child. Many would
call that the worst form of verbal abuse.
But why? What is it about this
scenario that we find so disturbing? The
reason is because we all crave meaning in our lives. Every person (child or adult) wants to know
that he has a purpose in life, that he has value as a human being. No one can
deny the need for a sense of meaning
and purpose in each person’s life, because without it, tragically, some are
even willing to take their own lives. And
our awareness of that meaning and purpose is inherent. It’s just built into our nature. It is just as real and just as ingrained in us
as the instinct to survive and the need to reproduce. And if it’s built into our nature, then we
have to wonder how it got there.
So, where
did we get this sense of purpose, value and meaning in life? Christians (and even many non-Christians)
believe that this comes from God. Naturally,
atheists would disagree. As far as we
are aware, atheists and materialists don’t deny the existence of these concepts,
but they will say that these traits came to us through evolution. Supposedly, our sense of purpose has evolved
in us over millions of years through an accident of chance, through random
natural processes and mindless, chaotic matter somehow coming together and
forming the incredibly complex creatures that we are. No order, no design. So, are we to assume that that which is purposeless has caused a sense of purpose
in us? Interesting.
According to
scientists, the universe is ever expanding, and the final result is that it
grows colder and colder until its energy is used up. Eventually, all living things will die and
even the universe itself will come to naught.
There will be no heat, no light, and no life of any kind. If that’s all there is, then there will be nothing
left to hope for, nothing to look forward to.
If atheism is true, all our lives will have been in vain, with no one
left to remember any of it. Nothing has
made a difference, since we all end up the same way. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether we ever
existed or not. Think about that. Ultimately, all life will have been rendered
insignificant.
According to
author, philosopher, theologian and scholar William Lane Craig, in an article
titled, “The Absurdity of Life without
God,” he says of humans [if atheism is true]:
“The same
blind cosmic process that coughed them up in the first place will eventually
swallow them all again.”
And a little
farther on, he states:
“If God does
not exist, then you are just a miscarriage of nature, thrust into a purposeless
universe to live a purposeless life.”
Consider the
doctor who helps to heal and save the lives of thousands… the scientist who studies
the laws of nature, the soldiers and law enforcement heroes who protect our
land… the heroic firemen who daily save lives and property… if atheism is true,
then ultimately none of these people matter.
And since we are merely a by-product of random matter and blind chance,
then, in the end, all of us are nothing more than a blip on the radar screen of
time. The life of a gnat would have been
just as important as that of a human, since we are all random accidents anyway,
and we all end in death. If there is no
final punishment for evil, nor any final reward for good, then man has no
ultimate meaning.
Yes, atheism
paints an awfully bleak picture. But the
atheist might object and say, “But we DO have purpose and meaning in our
lives! We have family, friends, work,
etc. It’s just that our purpose is in this life, not in some illusion of an
afterlife.” But if there is no
afterlife, and if all meaning and purpose is confined to this life alone, then
where is life’s meaning for the aborted baby, the stillborn, or the severely
handicapped? Where is their purpose? If life does not have lasting or continual
meaning after death, then whatever “meaning” it was thought to have is insignificant
and will be swallowed up in the darkness of an empty eternity.
The point
here is that we are all innately aware that our lives are designed to have
meaning, but atheism does not give us ultimate meaning. So, it therefore goes against our very
nature. On the other hand, Christianity
confirms that the meaning and purpose that each person senses is indeed
correct. And the God of the Bible, the
God of Christianity, offers everyone (including the atheist) the gift of
eternal life. In Him we have ultimate
meaning and significance. We just need
to trust and accept Him.
The author
of the book of Ecclesiastes strongly expresses the vanity, the futility, of a
purely secular or materialistic life: Vanity
of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”
(Ecclesiastes 1:2) Without God,
life is ultimately meaningless.
As far as
the atheist, if he is honest with himself, he has to admit that life just
doesn’t make sense in his worldview. We’re
not saying that atheists are always bad people or that they can’t have morals; we’re
saying that they’re living a lie.
Because every person knows, deep down inside, that God exists. No one has an excuse:
For the wrath of God is
revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is
evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being
understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Romans
1:18-20 - NASV)
See also
William Lane Craig’s powerful article (mentioned above) here:
