Secular atheism, when lived out with intellectual honestly, leads to nihilism. Why is this? Because there is ultimately no objective basis for purposeful meaning in life for the secular atheist. Inventing meaning is neither rational nor logical. For example, a sign that states “Dead End” would offer an incoherent and false meaning if placed alongside a continuous superhighway. A sign, or anything in life that conveys meaning, only has valid and coherent meaning when it is linked to a corresponding reality in some type of logical manner. Many atheists are confused on this point. Richard Dawkins. for example, has claimed that an “adult” view of life is to subjectively “make” meaning in your life, in whatever manner you may wish to do this. In reality, this is a childish and superficial approach to a deep subject. Children, not adults, are fond of creating make-believe worlds. The following is a quote of Richard Dawkins from the God Delusion:
“The truly adult view [...] is that our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we choose to make it. And we can make it very wonderful indeed.”
Unlike Dawkins' make-believe meaning in life, Christian debaters, such as William Lane Craig, have demonstrated that a rational and logical worldview is possible only when it is based on logically framed precepts arranged in a logical syntax, and not merely based on pretentious whims.
Why Richard Dawkins' View of Meaning is Absurd...
1. Valid and coherent meaning in life must be somehow verifiable with objective logical principles.
2. Any proposed meaning that is not verifiable with objective logical principles is irrational and ultimately absurd.
3. Richard Dawkins offers that we should subjectively “make”meaning in life.
4. Therefore, Richard Dawkins' concept of meaning in life is irrational and absurd.
Richard Dawkins' concept of meaning in life seems to consist of an existential secular Spaghetti Monster dressed up in a cheap tuxedo. You can call invented and make-believe meaning in life “adult” or “wonderful” or even “very wonderful” - but it's still seems to be absurd to live life based upon make-believe meaning. What do you personally believe about the concept of meaning?
A. Meaning is an objective facet of life.
B. Meaning is arbitrary according to your whims.
C. Neither A nor B.
D. Both A and B.
An atheist writer posted an article at Dawkins' website, the Richard Dawkins Foundation, which outlines a view of meaning that seems to be a bit more objective than Dawkins' own view of meaning. The post is titled, "Why identify as atheist and not nihilist?" and the author states, "If logical, rational thinking is used then I fail to see how nihilism cannot be the conclusion." and, furthermore, "If you don't believe in a creator or divine plan and you understand how our minds and emotions have evolved as chemical signals and electrical pulses then where do you fit the meaning in to this? I enjoy being alive and live as hedonistic lifestyle as possible yet I am under no illusion that this has any meaning outside of my own mind." It's not surprising that Dawkins' own website offers views that contradict and oppose his own views on meaning. The New Atheists have not offered anything in the way of valid logical arguments to support their position.
Secular Atheists Have no Logical Basis to Affirm Purposeful Meaning in LifeWilliam Lane Craig posted an article at his website entitled,
The Absurdity of Life without God, postulating, "Why on atheism life has no ultimate meaning, value, or purpose, and why this view is unlivable."
"The fundamental problem with this solution, however, is that it is impossible to live consistently and happily within such a world view. If one lives consistently, he will not be happy; if one lives happily, it is only because he is not consistent. Francis Schaeffer has explained this point well. Modern man, says Schaeffer, resides in a two-story universe. In the lower story is the finite world without God; here life is absurd, as we have seen. In the upper story are meaning, value, and purpose. Now modern man lives in the lower story because he believes there is no God. But he cannot live happily in such an absurd world; therefore, he continually makes leaps of faith into the upper story to affirm meaning, value, and purpose, even though he has no right to, since he does not believe in God."
Rational Secular Atheists Admit that their Atheism Leads to Nihilism A self-confessed atheist, Adam, who is quoted at Craig's website, declares that he has come to hate his secular atheism due to its ultimate and undeniable nihilistic philosophical connection.
"This theme came to my attention when I saw an atheist post a long comment for William Lane Craig to address. Adam, the atheist, described why, "There is no escaping the nihilism as an atheist." He wrote to Craig, "After reading your paper on the absurdity of life without God, I soon realized that I had to become a nihilist." and he continued, "Let me mention here that I was a huge fan of the New Atheists, but I always sensed something was askew with them. Something seemed off about them because whenever they were talking about meaning, value, or purpose, they answered in such ways that only a person ignorant of the objections in your paper could respond. In short (too late), your paper never left my mind, even years after I wrote a "response" to it. I knew, deep down, that not only did I not, but could not answer your objections to atheism. What you say the atheistic worldview entails is true. There is no escaping the nihilism as an atheist."
John Piippo's blog outlines an argument William Lane Craig presented on this subject:
1) If theism is true, then we have a solid basis for morality.
2) If theism is false, then we do not have a solid basis for morality.
3) If 2 is true, then atheism does not lead to humanism, but to nihilism.
Dr. Craig states, "If theism is false, you've got to ask yourself, Why wouldn't nihilism be true? What proof do you have that nihilism is not the correct remaining alternative?" and, "Thus, if atheism is true, it becomes impossible to condemn war, oppression, or crime as evil. Nor can one praise brotherhood, equality, or love as good. It doesn't matter what you do - for there is no right and wrong; good and evil does not exist."
The typical reply by atheists is that, "Atheism does not lead to anything, it's just a lack of belief in God." But this is a glib answer that sidesteps the fact that atheism, when taken as a precept for life, is lived out in a very definite context. Any belief lived out in a context has implications. If you believe that atheism does not lead to nihilism in a philosophical context, I would be curious to see your reasoning in a comment of this post. I've found some sample atheist websites that deny (or avoid) this fact in their simplistic and / or vague summaries:
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The question of the meaning and purpose of life is logically an urgent one because it informs all the other decisions in life. This can be outlined in a logical deductive argument, which leads to another argument that supports the logical necessity of God's existence:
Arguments for God from Metalogical Necessities