So far, we’ve looked at lots of evidence concerning different types of worldviews. As we’ve looked at these core beliefs, we’ve established that such a thing as “truth” really exists and that truth is something that people can know. We’ve also seen that the universe had a beginning at some point in time and because of this, it really can’t be eternal as some people believe. Since the universe had a beginning and can’t be the cause of it’s own existence, we then concluded that something else must have brought about it’s existence, something outside the universe itself. We also took some time to look at the evidence from creation and the evidence from design that provide a reasonable belief that a Creator does exist.
With these things in mind, it’s easy to ask this question: if there is a reasonable basis for belief in a Creator, why are so many people (including many really, really smart people) against the idea that a Creator really does exist?
Life Without God
Well, let’s think for a moment about the daily routine of your life and the people that you come into contact with each day at school, on the job or in other activities that you may be involved with. As you go about these daily activities, would it be fair to say that most of the people that you meet are people who live as if God did not exist? For many people, that would probably be an accurate statement.
For the most part, it seems that most people really don’t give any thought to God as they go about their daily lives. While some people may have a vague idea about the existence of a “higher intelligence” or supernatural being, that thought or belief isn’t something that has any real impact in their day-to-day lives. While statistics show that a majority of people do believe in “God,” the unfortunate truth is that many people live as if a God doesn’t really exist. If that sounds confusing, let’s see if we can take a moment to clear things up especially since in this case, things may not always be as they appear.
Defining Our Terms
First, when we talk about “God,” we’re referring to an eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent Creator of everything- the kind of God that’s found within the pages of the Bible. Now it’s important to remember that there are a number of implications that result whenever someone makes the decision to really acknowledge the existence of God.
For example, if God really created humanity then it means that this Creator God should always have the top priority in every human being’s life. In other words, God rightfully deserves to have the most important position of recognition, respect and honor in everyone’s life in acknowledgement and appreciation of what God has done in giving us our existence.
Unfortunately, this presents a problem for anyone who would really prefer to live his or her life without any help, input or direction from God. You see, someone who wants to “call their own shots” and doesn’t want anything to do with God must replace God with something else at the top of their life’s priority list.
This “something else” can take many forms. For instance, this “something else” might be a person, an idea, an object or anything else that someone loves, respects, fears or desires the most. So with this in mind, here’s a question: when people reject the existence of God, who or what do they usually replace Him with? If God is not the top priority in someone’s life (for whatever reason), then who or what does become the top priority?
Well, the answer for most people is that they become their own top priority. When people reject the existence of God, they are most likely to replace Him with themselves at the top of their life priority scale! If God is not the ultimate authority because someone believes that He doesn’t exist, then guess what- that person gets to be their own ultimate authority. Such a person becomes their own “god” so to speak and this is the essence of what has come to be known as “Humanism.”
The Principles Of Humanism
Humanism is the fundamental belief that human beings have the highest value in the universe. One of the basic principles of humanism is that “man is the measure of all things” and that no being known as “god” exists. Since “god” does not exist, a humanist believes that there is no higher authority other than humans themselves because humanity is on the highest rung on the ladder of existence, so to speak.
So how do humanists explain the existence of spiritual beliefs? Well, humanists generally believe that “religion” exists only to give people purpose and hope in a world where those things rarely exist. In general, a humanist believes that religions were invented by people who don’t want to live in a world that has no meaning.
Now this isn’t just some theory that was made up by people who didn’t like the idea of a God who would hold them responsible for their thoughts and actions. In fact, if you listen closely, you can hear people unconsciously acting on a humanistic worldview all the time. For example, you can hear this view expressed by people who say that “Christianity (or religion) is just like a crutch- it helps people deal with their problems.”
People who feel this way believe that the idea of Christianity is necessary because it helps people effectively deal with things like fear, guilt or anxiety. A humanistic worldview can also be seen as a driving force behind such beliefs as “If it feels good, do it,” “Trust or believe in yourself” and “Everyone should do whatever they think or feel is best for them.”
Many people live their lives by these principles even if they don’t necessarily label themselves as humanists. Why is this so? Well, it’s not because the evidence isn’t there- it’s because people choose to do so. The reasons behind that choice are explained in the first chapter of the Bible’s book of Romans and we’ll start to look at some of them next time.