The psalmist asked the same question that is asked by man in each generation. “For what futility have you created all the children of men?” (Psalm 89:47, NKJV). In different translations it reads: “Why do you make all people so mortal?” (New English Translation). “Remember how short my life is, how empty and futile this human existence!” (New Living Translation).
There are circumstances in life that drive people to express such sentiments, but in their expressive frustrations, many choose different answers. The psalmist never lost sight of rationality; he knew well the Lord God brought man into existence. He was not of the irrational mindset that said the material universe came into existence from nothing, absolutely nothing. Neither was he of the silly notion that the material universe has always existed.
He may not have known much, but he knew that he was brought into existence by a power, force, and mind greater than anything of human creation. No, the psalmist was clear thinking, but his frustrations on this occasion were great. “What is the point of life!” he yells out.
If he was so rational and concluded that God brought it into existence, why is it that others who are equally rational conclude that God does not exist? Two reasons, I suppose. First, there is a strong desire and inclination to reject anything that is religious. Is it a matter of evidence? Not really. Evidence abounds. It is a matter of one’s desire to not be constrained or required to think there is One to whom we all must give an account (Heb. 4:12-13). A second reason is related to morality. If there is no God, then there is no moral code higher or greater than the one who made up the code he lives by. Strangely, for some, this is a liberating way of thinking. It is liberating until the moral code of another directly and adversely affects the one who made up his own code, thereby rejecting the Lord’s standard of right conduct. To reject the Lord’s standard of right conduct is to reject the Lord’s standard of righteousness (cf. 1 John 5:10).
The psalmist understood all these things. Earlier in the Psalm, he wrote, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you” (89:14, ESV). What does man know about righteousness or justice? If he is wise, he knows that with the Lord both exist, but without the Lord he knows that both are arbitrary, based on the whim of man’s thinking. With the Lord there is no futility.
Ron Thomas (updated, 6.22.2020 from an earlier writing)
FUTILITY IN LIFE
10 Friday Jul 2020
Posted in Atheism, Ethics, God, Uncategorized
You raise a good question in this blog. “If he was so rational and concluded that God brought it into existence, why is it that others who are equally rational conclude that God does not exist?”
Anytime I come across a blog that asks a question about atheists or puzzles over some aspect of who atheists are or why they believe certain things, I like to show up in the comments section and say, “Ask them.”
Atheists are friendly people. They are honest in their views. They happily answer questions. There’s no need to speculate.
As for me, it’s a lack of evidence. Now, you claim, “Evidence abounds.” I believe that this statement is entirely wrong. God either exists or does not exists, and this seems like a binary issue. I don’t see much opportunity for a false dilemma. There is nothing in the physical realm that requires a god. There is either an explanation or a mystery for natural phenomena, and that’s pretty much it. You can’t point to the things with explanations and claim there is a god because the explanation does the job that a god might. You can’t look at unclear phenomena and claim this as evidence for god because mysteries are just that: mysteries.
I’ve also seen several philosophical statements regarded as “proofs” for god. These are no more proofs than the suggestion that the earth is flat or moon landing was fake. Hundreds of years of debate over these “proofs” aren’t going to fill their gaps.
Now (I forget by who), it has been postulated that god is on an eternal coffee break. Sure, god exists, but we can’t know anything about this god because it is on perpetual leave. In this case, the atheist would be wrong, but would we might forgive them because, as I pointed out earlier, there is no evidence.
What is the difference between a god who isn’t there and a god on an eternal coffee break? Not much.
Either God exists or He does not exist. No middle ground. Evidence abounds; you say it does not. Let me ask you to put forth a syllogism that concludes “Therefore, I know God does not exist.” We will give attention to it.