thoughts on God [pt. two]*
My biggest issue with atheism / anti-theism concerns its assumption that humans are the pinnacle of the natural world. Oddly enough, I also battle against my own anti-atheism concerning this point. Here's why: Christianity also assumes that humanity is the pinnacle of the natural world. The only difference between the two is what prompted the human race to begin with: chance or design. Under chance, humanity is the pinnacle of the natural world because it was selected to be so. Through millennia of evolution, humans rose to the top, able to think and to know that they think. Under design, humanity, too, is the pinnacle of the natural world because it was also selected to be so. God's design put Adam and Eve in the garden, capable to think and to know that they think--to do right and wrong, and to know the difference between the two. And it's true: God breathed new life into the father of humanity and declared him to be very good. Christians like to emphasis that, of all creatures God created, only mankind was made in His image. At a glance then, whether by chance or grand design, both theism and atheism point to humanity as the end goal of the natural world. Despite this, I still cannot believe that I am simply a pawn in evolution's game.
History has proven one thing to be true: when a human (or group of like-minded humans) decides that his will, his desire, his goals and aspirations are of primary importance and carry supreme authority, he will do whatever it takes to enforce them on others. Think the Crusades, slavery, Joseph Kony. The convenience of misinterpreting the Bible for personal gain is evidenced through the various practices of religious violence over generations of Christians, supposedly acting in the name of God. So the solution for atheists is simple: reject God. The rejection of God is placed into human hands, who have complete freedom to make and do whatever they choose. Thus, faith in God shifts towards complete faith in self--in humanity. So, when personal experiences of a supreme being (see part one and comments) is filtered through the atheistic lens of human reason (and science), it cannot be quantifiably proven and, is therefore considered false. But the problem is not God. The problem is the very thing to which atheism would have us turn. Whether God exists or not, humans will always have to contend with human nature. The atheistic belief that the end of religion will naturally result in the termination of violence is naïve at best. Atheism does not resolve the conflicts that result from the human desire for power over one's own choices, direction, and enemies.
So, where is the difference within Christianity? If, as mentioned, humans are still the pinnacle of the created world, how is it different from atheism, and why should there be any different result within Christianity? The critical difference is in the source of human existence. An atheistic, god-less, chance-based world leaves the betterment of a happenstance world in the hands of happenstance humans (religious or non-religious). A theistic, God-centered world leaves the betterment of a designed and created world in the hands of a sovereign creator. The difference is huge. Instead of looking to self for the reason and purpose of existence--not to mention hope--Christianity points to God. God created man for His glory, that their lives would bring glory to Him (perhaps part three will delve into God's ego). The rejection of God only serves humanity in its narcissism and pride. Christianity, on the other hand seeks the pure entrance of God in Christ into the stained realm of creation. Christianity admits that without Christ, who offers freedom from the delusion of atheism and the desire for self-sufficiency, there is no hope for humanity.
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