The Meaning of Life: Examining Whyte's Argument - Essay Sample

Introduction

In the last decades, the meaning of life has been taken as a positive feature of a person's life that is separate from other elements such as happiness and well-being that may be present or absent in life. Many people also believe that life can have meaning to different extents. Some philosophers hold the notion that God is the source of the meaning of life, and for that reason, the existence of God is imperative for life to bear meaning. This argument is relevant to Whyte's assertion that God has a plan for the universe and that the life of a person is meaningful.

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Some philosophers have also contended that human life would be meaningless without a moral code, and only God can provide such a code. Others have argued that Without God, human life would be contingent and meaningless. Others have also reasoned that life has the meaning provided that the creator purposely molds it. Of course, atheists: - people who do not believe in the existence of God, have refuted these claims, and have provided secular accounts of the meaning of life.

To them, life is meaningful even without God. They believe that living a life of great direction, purpose, and significance does not require the presence of God. This essay provides counter-arguments of the meaning of life from the perspectives of atheists and religious believers. Christians claim that life without God is meaningless, but atheists contend that life has meaning without God, and even if God exists, He is not the source of this meaning.

Claims that life without God is meaningless, absurd or without purpose are some of the criticisms made by atheists against religious believers. Christians argue that human and the universe are doomed if God does not exist. In this case, the absence of God implies that there is no immortality, which makes life absurd. It means that people have a life with no ultimate value, significance, or purpose. As philosopher and Apologist, William Lane Craig puts, "if God is non-existent, then life is futile. Pastor Rick Warren backs this claim in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, stating that life has no purpose and meaning without God.

According to Christians, life has no meaning without God. The arguments made by Craig and Warren not only acknowledge the existence of God but also suggest that the claims made by religious believers and atheists cannot be equal. Craig suggests that if the evidence from both sides is measured and found to be similar, then, there would be confusion about the meaning of life. Most people have also supported the claim that life has no ultimate meaning without God. Historically, the argument has been based on the following statement:

"If humans existed because of bi-chemical circumstance, then, they are accidents because they were not meant to exist. The universe did not require them, and it does not have plans or rules for humans. In fact, the world does not care for humans. Since they were thrust into life, it is up to them to survive and stay alive as long as they can, but eventually, die. "

Atheism seems to have two primary denominations: nihilism and existentialism. Most atheists are Nihilists who believe that life is meaningful even without God because, to them, there is no God. Atheists, therefore, argue that people can decide to be what they want or do whatever they choose with their lives because they have free will. In this viewpoint, free will supposedly give humans the meaning of life. They do not need the Universe or God to give them the meaning of life because it has nothing to do with anyone other than the person. Anyone can decide to be what they want because humans are thrust into this world without explanation. They define themselves, and that is the meaning of life according to atheists.

In contrast, religious believers argue that life has meaning and a sense of fulfillment when they surrender to God. Besides, they claim that life is more meaningful if there is hope for an afterlife. They contend that without such beliefs, life is pointless, and it can only be redeemed by the promise of eternal happiness beyond the grave. However, the believers wonder why atheists should bother if life is going to end afterward because such people lack this solace to believe and have the promise of eternity. Instead, atheists believe that life is precious and ought to be lived to the full. They support their argument using the kind of life enjoyed by the most high-achieving individuals in history such as Albert Einstein, a German theoretical physicist and other famous atheists who did not believe in God but lived lives of great direction, significance, and purpose.

Generally, hope is the feeling and desire for something to happen. Everyone hopes for a good life, health, and employment. Ultimately, every individual wish for immortal blissful existence. For believers, life is a fantastic gift provided by God that they do not want it to end. They refer to it as precious and valuable because it was created by God. Because life was created in the image and likeness of God, Christians argue that it has a meaning. That is to say, human being did not just exist, but they were created for a reason. Arguably, the reason human was created was to glorify God. In other words, the purpose of humans is to worship God, praise Him, proclaim His greatness, and fulfill His will.

Suppose, life turns out to be miserable through pain and suffering, then, the victims often hope for peace and pleasure. Occasionally, atheists argue that if God exists, then there would be no pain and suffering, but because people suffer, there is no God. In this perspective, atheists claim that many people who believe in God sometimes experience a lot of challenges in life accompanied by too much pain and suffering. This pain and suffering experienced by religious people encourage them to argue against the existence of God, stating that life with God is meaningless because it is characterized by pain and suffering.

Christians have refuted the atheists claim on pain and suffering, arguing that all instances of pain and suffering happen for a reason. According to them, God is aware of all miseries and will compensate. Biblically, pain occurred after the fall of man, and it was instituted by God to strengthen human faith. Those who believe in a religion say that pain and suffering are temporary because there is life after death. They support their argument using various verses in the Bible. The story of Job in Job 1 is one account that gives Christians hope of life after death. It encourages them to endure suffering because it is a temporary occurrence that will be replaced by happiness. John 11:25 also gives Christians hope of eternal life.

The scripture says, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die." Revelation 21:4 urges Christians to endure suffering. It says, "He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more deaths, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared." These verses tend to clarify that life is meaningful with God because there is eternal life which is full of joy and happiness. Since atheists deny the Divine and the supernatural, they also reject the concept of life after death. Without this concept, there is no hope of pleasure after a life of pain. As such, there is no expectation of something positive to happen, and this proves the point that life without God is meaningless.

According to atheists' worldview, all humans are destined to die without hope of a new life. For that reason, pain and suffering people endure are meaningless. They further argue that the immense sacrifices of the righteous and the distress of the victim are all in vain because they happen for no purpose. Classical theists believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good. Because of these characteristics, life is meaningful. Classical theists have also argued that a perfect being only creates things with useful life. In this sense, if life has no meaning, then creating human would be meaningless as well. As such, if God exists and created the universe, then, the fact that He decided to actualize the world that contains people indicates that life has meaning.

It is also believed that the life of one person may be more or less important than the life of another person. In particular, classical theists claim that if God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnibenevolent, then no life is meaningless if a particular life has less meaning than the other. Whyte claimed that this philosophy is consistent with theism and atheism. According to him, theists acknowledge God; so, no life is meaningless. In contrast, atheists can argue that if God exists, life would be meaningful, but they still deny the existence of God, whether they think life is meaningful or not.

Seachris and Goetz had a different point-of-view. He stated that without God, human beings could not have a meaningful life. Instead, the best that can be accomplished is a purpose. He defined meaning as something that is meant to be. There is an intention behind it, but it is impossible to have intension from a source such as a universe that lacks the capacity to intend. Of course, God has this capacity, and the universe created by Him can have this intention. Therefore, Seachris and Goetz stated that without God, life is meaningless. On the contrary, Haught claimed that humans are purposeful, although the universe may not be. The sense of purpose of a person does not all rely on the universe bearing a purpose. Naturally, all living things are purposive.

According to atheists, the purposive behavior of humans has evolved to become elaborated by intention but is significantly influenced by the fundamental goals of all living creatures: survival and reproduction. However, atheists should realize that the meaning and purpose of life should be beyond this biological perspective and more than the short-term attainment of goals or the hunt for a transitory pleasure. They need to understand that satisfaction or contentment varies from person to person. For some, hedonistic life provides continuous comfort while for others, virtues such as love, peace, and unity are sources of lasting satisfaction. In this view, atheists need to know that purpose and meaning are the primary characteristics of life. Simply stated, the use or the meaning of life is living. Everyone should struggle to get the most they can out of their lives.

Insofar as religious believers view meaning and purpose of life separately, most philosophers and non-theists see a close connection between the two terms. Since non-theists reject the perspective that human beings are artifacts created by God for a purpose, most of them see the need for distinguishing the meaning of life and meaning in life, where the latter can exist without the former. Such people believe that a person can live for purposes that provide meaning in their lives, but equally deny that these purposes are linked to the purpose of life provided by God.

On the other hand, theists think that there is compatibility in the two senses of purposes. That is purposes in life and purpose of life. According to Craig, for a person to understand the concept of the meaning of life, it is imperative to consider the idea of whether there is something that makes life worth living. In this context, a meaningful life is worth leaving while a meaningless life is not worth living. It should be noted that anything of intrinsic good makes life worth living.

Undoubtedly, this perspective seems to be the source of argument between atheists and Christians. Atheists think that a meaningful life is all about living a happy life without pain and suffering. In contrast, Christians believe tha...