CONSEQUENCES
Selected Consequences;
Evolution is True and Christianity, and All Religions, Are Not
LIFE
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"Atheists do look for answers to existence itself. They just don't make them up." ~ Teller​​
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Life -
Purpose and meaning. For the theist, belief in their faith narrative (or really trust in their scriptures) provides life meaning, as their faith determines how to live a good life and avoid an eternity in hell if that applies. Acceptance of this is passive for people; few do a deep dive into their religion before believing. Few read their Bible before deciding. It’s a one-size-fits-all and ‘off the shelf’ ready to go. Ultimately, a ticket to heaven is a prize. An afterlife is usually asserted and the theist avoids the consequences that an atheist must address.
Of course none of this is true, thus wasting much time and tithes, but it does supply copious false comfort. The atheist gets no Get-Out-Of-Intellectual-Jail card. In a deterministic worldview, the King is physics and things are the way they are not because of a mythological “Fall”, but due to contingencies and natural physical laws.
I separate purpose where in an atheist conclusion there is no ultimate purpose, versus meaning whereby meaning can be constructed. Because something is temporary, like flowers, our lives and those of other animals, rain forests, etc. have no meaning? From what I know, most professionals do not make this distinction. The atheist must then wrestle with the finality of death and oblivion.
There are many conservative Christians who hope for WWIII and Armageddon because it means to them the return of Jesus. Never mind billions dead and a nuclear winter. The atheist on the other hand, knowing this precious one life is all there is, should work hard to leave the world a better place. Secular humanism most often becomes an atheist’s world view (but not the atheists Stalin or Pol Pot. Carl Sagan and thousands of compassionate atheists have a different world view; thus atheism can’t be a religion nor world view). One does not find meaning in life, we make it.
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What is life on the biochemical level? A physicist is interviewed with great insights:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/753670870179577
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William Lane Craig and Christopher Hitchens discuss meaning and purpose in their contrasting worldviews.
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What about death?
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Brian Cox (popular UK physicist) has some interesting things to say about life in a deterministic world.
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Life's meaning and the prospect of a soul. Also agreed to by the physicists Carrol and Hossenfelder
A Life of Genuine and Proper Skepticism:
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References
Groundhog Day and The Search For Meaning, Even if There's No Tomorrow (Neil Carter)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6PNzyM-jS0
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I posted this on FB 3/13/2025:
I have a science and medical background but I've also always been interested in existential questions. As a youth I turned to theology. As an undergraduate I tried some philosophy but the writings did not speak to me as brevity seems to be important in science but not so much in philosophy, and that's not how my brain is wired.
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So to my surprise when science discovered how we got here, when, from what and where these informed at least one aspect of why we are here. Evolution answers so many questions of why we are here, why we act the way we do and some issues of what makes us human. We have some newer DNA findings that absolutely rises to basically the level of evolution proof. Of course science can't answer all questions but it sure has us closer than other ways of truth seeking.
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Salman Rushdie and others have said there are two great questions in life. Where did we come from and now that we are here, how should we live? Without trying science has supplied an incredible amount of information to answer those two great questions. Many people don't like the answers and bemoan that science has stepped into areas that they feel is their turf even though they have failed after thousands of years to come to a consensus on those questions. Let alone theology making stuff up that is untrue.
I'm ducking. Here comes the "scientism" accusations, but look at the outcome results.
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