- "A human being is a part of the whole called by
us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself,
his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of
optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison
for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few
persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison
by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and
the whole of nature in its beauty." --Albert Einstein
-
- "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light
can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." --Martin
Luther King Jr.
-
- In the final sequence of the film the "The Devil's
Advocate," Satan (protrayed with mirthful intensity by Al Pacino)
beseeches his son Kevin to partake of his plan to destroy humanity. Satan's
oratory is as compelling as it is beguiling. He offers Kevin everything
that a person could want -- or perhaps, not quite.
-
- "What about love?" Kevin asks.
-
- "Overrated," replies Satan. "Biochemically,
no different than consuming large quantities of chocolate."
-
- But Satan could not persuade his son, who took his own
life rather than sacrifice his soul for worldly pleasures. The expression
of shock on Satan's face was memorable.
-
- Satan's shortsightedness was hardly surprising. Moments
earlier, he had said, "I'm a fan of man. I'm a humanist. Maybe the
last humanist." But his fatal error was to view man as a purely physical
beast. He did not, perhaps COULD NOT perceive mankind's inescapable need
for love.
-
- In the real world, many people suffer from this narrow
field of vision. Most of the "hard sciences" operate under the
assumption that physical matter is the only reality. According to this
theory, the Universe consists of nothing but irreducible particles and
empty space. Human beings themselves are just collections of particles,
and every human thought and feeling (including love) is a purely physical
phenomenon. And of course, when a collection of particles physically dies,
it ceases to exist.
-
- The name for this viewpoint is "materialism."
It is popular among atheists, agnostics, and many humanists, and largely
unannounced, it has profoundly affected the direction of mainstream science.
-
- Proponents of materialism present it as the "rational"
alternative to religious "faith." Science requires observable,
empirical data to accept a thing as a fact, while "faith" is
a belief that has no roots in logical proof or material evidence.
-
- To prefer science over blind faith is of course entirely
reasonable. But is "faith" the only alternative to materialism?
-
- On a personal note, I can say that I am thoroughly convinced
of both the existence of God, and my own soul. However, I reject completely
the notion that I am subscribing to "faith." I have formed my
beliefs through years of logical analysis of observable facts. Indeed,
no "faith" is required to accept the existence of God as more
likely than not.
-
- We are all familiar with various "phenomena"
that do not fit within the materialist paradigm. Many of these -- from
after-death communications, to the influence of prayer, to ESP -- have
been tested in recent years in controlled studies conducted by accredited
scientists. Evidence of these phenomena -- including real-world "anecdotal"
data that skeptics generally dismiss on a priori grounds -- has become
quite powerful. But I am convinced that the best argument against materialism
can be found outside the realm of the so-called paranormal or miraculous.
Indeed, a fundamental flaw in the reasoning creates a whole so wide, one
can drive a truck through it.
-
- Many authors -- most notably C.S. Lewis in his book Mere
Christianity -- have attacked materialism's stance against "objective
morality." Early 20th century materialists asserted there is no objective
"right or wrong," but rather that environment shapes our moral
reasoning. In other words, the only reason we believe that murder is bad
is because we have been taught to feel that way.
-
- Regardless of the weakness of this position, materialists
are REQUIRED to defend it. If we live in a spiritually empty Universe,
there can be no reference point for distinguishing between right and wrong.
If materialists are asked why all human beings should be viewed as equal,
the only answer they can honestly give is, "Because things WORK BETTER
that way." Indeed, if a person is nothing more than a collection of
particles, there is no reason to believe that human life has any intrinsic
value.
-
- If we are merely our physical bodies, if there is nothing
that connects us in this empty sea of space, then we don't truly NEED one
another. We should be happy living separate and alone, existing only to
acquire material rewards and transient physical pleasures. But this does
not bear out in reality. It is an observable fact that people who live
only for themselves are terribly unhappy. Narcissism and sociopathy are
forms of mental illness that result from excessive interest in self. This
phenomenon began to manifest strikingly in the Western World in the early
20th century, when the first instances of serial murder emerged. Indeed,
76% of all serial killers were born and raised in the United States.
-
- It cannot be a coincidence that in the US, more so than
any other country in world, we are taught to value self-aggrandizement
and worldly acquisitions over service to others. Fame and fortune are the
goals of young people bred in the celebrity culture, and the results of
this mindset are deadly. Mental illnesses ranging from eating disorders,
to suicidal depression, to every addiction imaginable exploded in the US
in unprecedented numbers during the second half of the 20th century. This
is what happens to people who lose sight of their intrinsic need for community
and service.
-
- If you are your body and nothing more, you should feel
no interest in anyone's wellbeing other than your own (unless, according
to materialism, your "envirionment" dictates you should feel
that way). Even the experience of "love" is merely a series of
chemical reactions brought about by some unseen and totally unproven force
embedded in your DNA. But this inhuman view of love does not account for
altruistic behaviors. A collection of particles (a person) should not be
willing to enter a burning building and sacrifice himself to save the life
of a stranger. Yet this happens every day, and the people who do it consistently
report a feeling of uplift and satisfaction that cannot be matched.
-
- When these points are raised to materialists, they invariably
give the same response: "Religion cannot claim the moral high ground!
People kill in the name of God every day!" Of course, this is true,
but it's also irrelevant and a total distortion of the real choice we are
facing. Religious doctrine is not the alternative to materialism; our spiritual
identity is.
-
- I know that I am more than a body and I know that spiritual
reality will outlast every material form because I NEED my brothers and
sisters. If I live only for myself, I am lonely and without direction or
purpose. I can only reduce myself to the sum of my physical parts by losing
the ability to love and be loved.
|
