A few days back I received an email attachment from an atheistic friend of mine. He wrote some observations on what he perceived as the development of religion in relation to what he called “reality.” Reality in this context is nothing more than the materialistic philosophy of existence. When one analyzes the foundations and meaning associated with this philosophy embraced, it’s not long before despair is invited to set in. Near the end of his little treatise he wrote:

Thus, for those who want more to life than life itself, there is an alternative to reality which promises life in the great beyond. And for those who seek answers which existential being by its very nature simply cannot supply, those answers are found via the medium of the alternative to reality which is known as religion.  Thus, in this alternative to reality there is the hope, the purpose, and the meaning which is lacking in existential reality.

My notes on the document are as follows: “Life cannot be successfully defined in such a narrow way. The alternative to the philosophy of materialism (which Dave calls reality) is reality which deals with the whole of man, not just a part as atheism does.”

Earlier, in his treatise, he called this reality which he embraces as chaos and an absurdity. This is the true form and dread of atheism.

There is, indeed, more to life than the atheistic naturalistic way. Jesus said he is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). In fact, life can be no better than that which the Life-Giver gives (cf. John 10:10).