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What is meant by worldview? The term refers to the way we view our world around us. Everyone has a worldview of some sort. Some view the world as being influenced by spirit beings (spiritism), others view it as being under the control of an eternal, holy, righteous, omnipotent, omniscient, transcendent God (biblical). Still, others see the world through the eyes of naturalism. Naturalism is the worldview that says that matter is all that there is, there is no God or spiritual realm that influences our world and our lives.
How does naturalism answer life's biggest questions: questions about purpose and meaning? A couple of video clips from PBS clearly demonstrate the inability of naturalism to provide adequate answers. The first video, There Was No First Human, speaks about human origins. Following the evolutionary premise that humans evolved from other forms of life over millions of years, the narrator announces that "my grandfather a hundred and eighty-five million generations removed? Not a human. He was a fish." In the story line of supposed human evolution, humans are really just another animal. I enjoy fishing and have no qualms about catching fish just for sport. I don't face a moral dilemma when I eat a fish. However, I would never intentionally try to place a barbed hook into the mouth of another human being and my conscience would scream at me if I were to fillet him and fry him up! But in the naturalistic worldview, why not? Fish eat other fish and don't loose a night's sleep over it. Why should humans be squeamish about eating each other? In the ultimate sense of this worldview, nothing really separates humans from fish other than millions of years of undirected biological processes. Those who espouse naturalism believe that you are nothing special and that you have no purpose in life other than to do what comes naturally to you and then you die. There is no plan for you. You aren't the product of a loving, caring Mind. You are not responsible to a universal Law Giver. You are simply the spawn of a prehistoric fish. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
It seems ironic that the PBS series to which these videos belong is titled It's Okay To Be Smart. The reason that I find this title ironic is because of the word "Okay". That word is a moral judgment word. Whoever created this title evidently wanted to reassure people that there is nothing wrong with being intelligent. But this begs the questions: Since there are some things (like being smart) that are okay, are there some things that are not okay? Or, is everything okay? No atheist would say that everything is okay. Most would agree that there are some good things and some bad things. The preachers of naturalism don't deny that morality exists, they just have no logical explanation for it. To them, morality is simply what I think is right or what the majority thinks is right. But who are you, PBS, to tell me what is okay and what is not okay? On what basis do you judge that being smart is a good thing? Is being smart better than being of average intelligence? Who says? Hitler was smart. Was he okay? My grandfather (not a fish) was probably of average intelligence. He never killed anyone. Was Hitler more okay than my grandfather? To where does naturalism look to decide these issues? The existence of morality is a thorn in the flesh of naturalism.
While the first video attempts to provide an account of human beginnings, another video, The Far Future of the Universe, attempts to predict our future.., and it doesn't end well. With much confidence the narrator predicts what will happen billions of years from now- i.e. the desolation of life on earth by an asteroid impact and the expansion of the sun, the sun running out of energy and its consequent deflation, the collision of galaxies, etc. all culminating with the complete emptying of of all matter from space. Then the narrator asks one of those big questions: he asks, "So what's the point of anything if it all ends?" He then posits an answer by quoting Sopranos director David Chase who reportedly said:
"It's a cold universe, and I don't mean that metaphorically. If you go out into space, it's cold, really cold, and we don't know what's up there. We happen to be in this little pocket where there's a sun, What have we got except love and each other to guard against all that isolation and loneliness?" [1]These two videos attempt to answer big questions: Who am I? What am I here for? Where am I going? Unfortunately, naturalism's answers are less than satisfying. If I am just another animal, I am not special. If I am a product of unguided random mutations and not of a caring Creator, then what I am is just an accident. If there is no God there is no real reason for morality. If there is no eternity, there can never be any real justice. If I strive to do my best and be a loving person, what's the point? Naturalism says that when I die, I cease to exist. The worldview of naturalism leaves no room for eternal rewards for righteousness or final justice for unrighteousness. As David Chase mentioned, the best we can do under naturalism is to try to love each other and help each other not be lonely. But why? Why should I be loving? Why should I try to help others not be lonely? If there is no God, then why not try to take all I can and live a life centered on my selfish desires? It's all I have to look forward to and there will be no consequences to pay after I die.
The biblical worldview on the other hand answers life's big questions with satisfaction. Humans are the direct creation of a loving God. Created in God's image to have a special relationship with Him and a unique place of privilege here on this earth. Man was created with dignity and purpose, i.e. to love the Lord God with all his heart, soul, and mind, and to love his neighbor as himself. God blessed man and gave him dominion over all other earthly creatures. God created a perfect world until it was marred by the consequences of man's sin. God will one day recreate a perfect world where those whom He has redeemed through His loving grace will enjoy Him forever. He has also created a hell, where those who have rejected Him will experience the consequences of that decision forever. The biblical worldview provides for purpose, morality, justice, and hope. Naturalism is bankrupt in these areas.
Endnotes:
[1] as quoted in The Far Future of the Universe, http://thescene.com/watch/pbs/its-okay-to-be-smart-the-far-future-of-the-universe (accessed January 6, 2015)