Are you a materialist? Materialism (the philosophy) suggests that "physical matter is the only reality, and that everything-including thought, feeling, mind, and will, can all be explained in terms of matter and physical phenomena."

Or perhaps you prefer the term naturalist. You believe that all can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws. Nothing has moral, spiritual, or supernatural significance.

Carl Sagan once said: “The cosmos is all there is, or was, or ever will be.”

Douglas Futuyma in Science on Trial: The Case for Evolution, says:

“Some shrink from the conclusion that the human species was not designed, has no purpose, and is the product of mere mechanical mechanisms—but this seems to be the message of evolution.”

Richard Dawkins in The Blind Watchmaker:

"Natural selection is the blind watchmaker, blind because it does not see ahead, does not plan consequences, has no purpose in view. Yet the living results of natural selection overwhelmingly impress us with the appearance of design as if by a mater watchmaker, impress us with the illusion of design and planning."`

Francis Crick in The Astonishing Hypothesis:

"The Astonishing Hypothesis is that you—your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules"

What if all this is true? What if the cosmos and the chemicals and the particles really are all that there is, and all that we are?

"If man has been kicked up out of that which is only impersonal by chance , then those things that make him man-hope of purpose and significance, love, motions of morality and rationality, beauty and verbal communication-are ultimately unfulfillable and thus meaningless."

—Francis Schaeffer in The God Who Is There "Eventually materialist philosophy undermines the reliability of the mind itself-and hence even the basis for science. The true foundation of rationality is not found in particles and impersonal laws, but in the mind of the Creator who formed us in His image."

—Phillip E. Johnson,

Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds "Can man live without God? Of course he can, in a physical sense. Can he live without God in a reasonable way? The answer to that is No!"

—Ravi Zacharias, Can Man Live Without God

If you are an atheist, a materialist, a pantheist, or a naturalist, try to answer the following 11 questions:

"If all of life is meaningless, and ultimately absurd , why bother to march straight forward, why stand in the queue as though life as a whole makes sense?" —Francis Schaeffer, The God Who Is There If everyone completely passes out of existence when they die, what ultimate meaning has life? Even if a man's life is important because of his influence on others or by his effect on the course of history, of what ultimate significance is that if there is no immortality and all other lives, events, and even history itself is ultimately meaningless? Suppose the universe had never existed. Apart form God, what ultimate difference would that make? In a universe without God or immortality, how is mankind ultimately different from a swarm of mosquitoes or a barnyard of pigs? What viable basis exists for justice or law if man is nothing but a sophisticated, programmed machine? Why does research, discovery, diplomacy, art, music, sacrifice, compassion, feelings of love, or affectionate and caring relationships mean anything if it all ultimately comes to naught anyway? Without absolute morals, what ultimate difference is there between Saddam Hussein and Billy Graham? If there is no immortality, why shouldn't all things be permitted?(Dostoyevsky) If morality is only a relative social construct, on what basis could or should anyone ever move to interfere with cultures that practice apartheid, female circumcision, cannibalism, or ethnic cleansing? If there is no God, on what basis is there any meaning or hope for fairness, comfort, or better times? Without a personal Creator-God, how are you anything other than the coincidental, purposeless miscarriage of nature, spinning round and round on a lonely planet in the blackness of space for just a little while before you and all memory of your futile, pointless, meaningless life finally blinks out forever in the endless darkness?

Sources

Many, but not all, of the preceding questions are paraphrased versions of those posed by William Lane Craig in his book Reasonable Faith, chapter 2, "The Absurdity of Life Without God."

Author: Daryl E. Witmer of AIIA Institute.

Text Copyright © 2003, 2004, AIIA Institute, All Rights Reserved—except as noted on attached “Usage and Copyright” page that grants ChristianAnswers.Net users generous rights for putting this page to work in their homes, personal witnessing, churches and schools.

There is meaning and HOPE in this cosmos! The Bible claims to be the Creator's message to mankind. It is the world's best selling book of all time. But perhaps for you, it remains a mystery. Discover for yourself the overwhelming message of HOPE that God brings to man—presented clearly and chronologically from the foundation of the world to our own time. Watch it free, on-line (80 minute motion picture). GO…

Do you doubt the Bible because of your knowledge of Evolution? Visit the Creation SuperLibrary for accurate, opening evidence for Creation, provided by a team of experts from various disciplines. GO…

Archaeology provides abundant evidence in support of the Bible. Find answers to your questions about archaeology and biblical history. GO…

Why is the world the way it is? (filled with oppression, suffering, death and cruelty?) If God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and loving, would he really create a world like this? Find the answer!

Streaming video: “The Atheist Delusion”

length: 1 hour

Answers to frequently asked questions…

God's Origin: Who created God? (a detailed answer)

Who made God? (short answer)

If I can't see God, why should I believe in Him? (short answer)

God existence: How can I know that God exists? (detailed answer)

If God knows I am hurting, why doesn't He help me? Answer

How can I know the Bible is true? Answer

Are you implying that it is completely accurate, or does it contain insignificant inaccuracies in details of history and science? Answer

How can the Bible be infallible if it is written by fallible humans? Answer

The Bible is full of contradictions. Answer (Discover answers to numerous claimed “contradictions,” such as Where did Cain get his wife? [See full list]

Hasn't science disproven Genesis and other parts of the Bible? Answer

Life evolved; there is no creator god. Answer

The Bible says Earth is flat. Answer

The story of Noah's flood contradicts scientific knowledge and common sense. Answer

How could all the human races come from Noah? Answer

If the Bible's true, where is the Garden of Eden? Answer

The existence of dinosaur fossils disproves the Bible's Creation story and time chronology. Answer

Science has proved Earth is billions of years old; the Bible is wrong. Answer

Is it LOGICAL to believe that the biblical miracles really happened? Answer (AIIA)

MIRACLES, more information and list of biblical miracles and our other article involving miracles - Read

Miracles are impossible. Answer

Science has disproved Jesus's supposed miracles.

You take everything in the Bible literally. It's absurd. Answer

What about the Psalm 91 promises? Answer "…no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent…"

Religion has caused more wars than anything else in history. Answer

Why would I want to be a Christian when there are so many hypocrites? Answer

If Christianity is true, why are there so many denominations? Answer

With so many denominations and religions, how can I decide which are true and which are false? Answer

How can you claim that the Bible is truly the final authority in all matters of faith and morals? Answer

Aren't all religions basically the same? Why do Christians insist that one must believe in Christ alone to be saved? Answer

Why should I believe that Jesus Christ is God? Answer

How can one God be three persons?

Why shed blood? What's so important about Christ dying and rising from the dead? Answer

If Jesus was the Son of God, why did He call Himself the Son of Man? Answer

EXISTENCE - Jesus is a myth. Answer

ACCURACY - I don't believe the Bible records an accurate history of Christ's life. Answer

THE JESUS SEMINAR proved that much of what Christians believe about Jesus and the Gospels is wrong. Answer

VIRGIN BIRTH - The virgin birth is mythological and scientifically impossible. Answer

Disbelief in the Resurrection

What is crucifixion? Answer

How do we know Christ really rose from the dead? Answer

The resurrection is simply a myth. Answer

The Bible's account of Christ's resurrection is full of contradictions. Answer

Christ's body was simply stolen from His tomb. Answer

Isn't it possible that Jesus never really died on the cross, it just looked like it? Answer

The people that claimed to have seen Jesus rise from the dead were just “seeing things” or hallucinating. Answer

Was Jesus Christ buried in the wrong tomb? Or an unknown tomb? Answer

See our special section about Jesus for many more answers to skeptical questions. —GO…

What about the issue of suffering? Doesn't this prove that there is no God and that we are on our own? Answer

How can God be a god of love if there is so much PAIN AND SUFFERING in the world? Answer

If God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and loving, would He really create a world like this? Answer

If God is perfect, why did He make an imperfect creation? Answer

If God knows I am HURTING, why doesn't He help me? Answer

I'M UGLY. Why was God so unfair to me this way? Answer

Does God feel our pain? Answer

Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? Answer

What about the Psalm 91 promises? Answer "…no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent…"

I'm thinking about committing SUICIDE. Answer

God is unfair, if both Hitler and dear old ladies both go to Hell. Answer

Is God biased? Is it fair to save only some? Answer

God is all loving. He would never send me to Hell. Answer

My god would never send anyone to hell. Answer

How can you say that Jesus it the only way to God? How arrogant! Answer

I'm basically a good person. Answer

How good is good enough? Answer

Am I good enough to go to Heaven? Answer

God made me like this. Sin is His fault! Answer

I was once a 'born-again' Christian. Now I believe it's all rubbish! Answer

I've broken every one of the Ten Commandments. Answer

Don't judge me! The Bible even says “Judge not lest ye be judged.” Answer

Morality is relative. There are no absolutes! Answer

Aren't all religions basically the same? Answer

God can't forgive me. I've sinned too much! Answer

I committed the unforgivable sin, blaspheming the Holy Spirit. There is no hope for me. Answer

How can I be and feel forgiven? Answer

If God forgives me every time I ask, why do I still feel so guilty? Answer

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