10.27.20 - Atheism & The Search for Happiness

The Search for Happiness

There is one common attribute that all human being share throughout all human history: seeking happiness. The search for happiness is the motive of every action of every person – all races, all ages, all political parties, all religions (including atheists), and even those who kill themselves. In everything we do, every step we take, every move we make, happiness is what we’re looking for.

By “happiness,” in no way do we mean the superficial happiness of the material world; for those kinds of happiness start fading the minute we get them. They are fool’s gold.

It’s kind of strange since all other life forms seem to live up to their expectations, instincts, or design: trees, flowers, fish, birds, horses, bunny rabbits, mosquitos and even bacteria. But nooo, not us humans. We are never living up to our expectations/instincts/design. Am I wrong?

Note the corollary to the statement “we never live up to our expectations” is that whoever we are now is never who we want to be. Humans are the only species who want to be something more, or something other, than who we are. All other species are just what nature made them. Humans refuse to accept that. We say, “no” to our natural being. What is wrong with us?

Welcome to the fall of man; our fallen selves. We know this by virtue of our never, ever being happy with the cards nature has dealt us.

But, can we really rebel against nature?

Welcome to free will. For some reason, human can rebel against nature. We not only can, we absolutely will.

Why are the cards that nature dealt us missing the card on happiness?

Furthermore, the happiness we seek apparently can’t be found on earth, or for that matter in the universe. Nor in us, because we’re the ones looking for it. Yet, it is absolutely in the inner core of every human being.

We can tell we are getting a closer to it when life begins to take on a meaning or purpose that is somehow greater than we are or were before; or, when we stand up for someone or something based on some higher good or truth; or, when we defend someone who can’t defend themselves; basically, when we become someone higher than who we are now. Even if its temporary, we can tell happiness is down this road. Job aspirations parked for family time? Sacrificing nice things in the present for your kids’ futures? The path to happiness is not made up of the things of this world.

It’s as though we have this treasure map inside of us and we instinctively recognize the X that marks the spot – perfect happiness!... but we can’t figure out how the map works.

Logically speaking, we only have two options: 1) either these unrelenting aspirations of ours is a figment of our imagination, or else these ideas about happiness are put into us by God.

If the answer is that it’s our imagination, then that means everything important to humans is a lie: free will, goodness, justice, truth, and perfect anything – all pretend. Yet we know that no species has ever evolved or advanced by way of falsehoods and delusions because that is illogical. If there is no God, then it would be “natural” for us to not believe in God. Imagine a fish, evolving forever to its present existence in the ocean. It has no experience whatsoever with any other sort of existence. Then, for some reason, it evolves to have a strong desire to crawl around in a desert. Mind you, it’s never seen a desert and never will. Of course it makes no sense, it’s stupid. The same goes for universally humans evolving to seek meaning, purpose, truth, happiness, and justice. If human beings are truly one with material nature – like an apple hanging from a tree – then why do we are we so completely notone with nature?

Instead of senseless lies and illusions, humans rather seem to have universally “evolved” such that it is “natural” for them to…

1) believe in many things that are not of the material universe;

2) believe that we should have meaning and purpose to our lives – or else life isn’t worth living;

3) not only believe we can be – no, must be – different than who/what we are at every given moment of our lives, but greater than who we really are;

4) believe in a power greater than us; and

5) believe in an afterlife.

If it is natural for us to believe these things, then there must be a reason, for science has determined that anything that comes into existence has a cause. What’s the cause of all this stuff?

Since goodness, justice, purpose, and freedom are not from this world, and they are not from us since we are the one’s seeking them, then God is the only logical reason.

However, there’s a problem because such a God is outside of our finite reach. It might be logical but it would be TOTAL speculation; unless that God chose to enter our finite existence and reveal himself.

It just so happens there is a religion that got its origin this way – Judeo-Christianity. The whole bible is all about this God coming after us to reveal himself; and the rest is about us failing miserably to meet his love standards and running away from him. Who on earth would make up such a self-demeaning, self-punishing religion? And then try to sell this to the world? Answer: no human in their right mind. Or even in their wrong mind.

If further turns out that the first thing this God tells us is that He breathed his immaterial Spirit into us and that this is what makes us in His image and likeness. This just maybe might explain these high “godly” standards which are so hard for us to meet. It might also explain why we think we need meaning and purpose in our lives, and that we can somehow be better than who/what we are, and that there is an afterlife, and that there is a God. Yes, it just might explain all of that. Finally, it could explain why we are endlessly seeking a more perfect happiness in this life despite the fact that nobody has ever seen or reached such a place.

But it’s still hard. No matter how many places we go, worldly achievements we garner, or possessions we collect, the happiness they give us starts to fade almost immediately. Fool’s gold. So we stop and listen and God tells us this happiness treasure map is not initially an earthly roadmap. The first part of the map is to connect with the spirit he gave us – you can’t read the map any other way. However, once we get that down, then we can use that information to make our earthly journey, which is the second part of the map. And that will lead us to the third part of the map, which is both physical and spiritual. And, furthermore, that this is the reason we are here.

It turns out that we are on this journey to become more like God, which kind of makes sense because our spiritual parents are actually the Trinity. God reminds us that this is what is meant by our being made in His image and likeness (Gen 1:26). We are God’s offspring. Holy Moses!

So we say this is still too hard – always doing the right thing, being good, loving our enemies, forgiving idiots, and He replies Yes, he knows, but the powers he gave us were not intended to be used autonomously!

So we ask, Why? We like our autonomy!

Because, he answers, the connection is based on love and love is based on relationship, and relationship is how we used the powers he gave us – it’s our link with Him. Breaking off this relationship is what is called the Fall of Man, and humans are very good at doing that. But, He adds, the door is always open for us to return anytime during this lifetime.

So we say, it’s still too hard!

God says he knows. However, to show us the meaning of love, He reminds us that He poured himself into a human being, which is a little like pouring the Atlantic Ocean into a shot glass; or all God’s eternal wisdom into one Word; and then that one Word became a man, Jesus Christ, so that, among other things, God could meet us and we could meet Him. He would do this to make the path easier, and create a bridge from us to the Trinity via the Holy Spirit.

Then God says he can’t think of anything else he can do except make our decisions for us, but then we would lose our freedom. And it wouldn’t be much of a relationship if there wasn’t freedom to enter or exit it.

I know you all believe in God and this is about atheism, but it is important that you have as logical a foundation as possible. That was part of our purpose for this topic.

Not all of this is necessarily easy to remember at first, but laying a reasonable groundwork is the right start.

Below are some quick guidelines for dealing with atheists. They are not theological arguments; just a few argumentation strategies.

Dealing with Atheists

#1. Always remain calm. It is amazing what an advantage this is.

#2. Don’t look for trouble. Trouble will find you soon enough.

#3. If an atheist starts by demanding you prove that God exists, remember that whoever is making the demand has the obligation to defend their position first.

If an atheist replies, “I have nothing to defend, I withholding any belief in God,” you can say, “No, agnostics withhold belief. Atheism is a position that affirms or asserts the non-existence of God.”

If the atheist replies, “I have nothing to defend, I don’t believe in anything,” you can say, “My understanding is that atheism is not a passive disbelief but a position that positively affirms or asserts the nonexistence of God. That requires a defense as much as my beliefs do.”

If he asks where you got that understanding from, tell him the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, under the heading “What is Atheism?” – paragraph 3.

#4. It is always helpful to learn more about the atheist if you want to help them. To do so, you need to meet them where they are at, now where you are. For instance, most atheists were believers at one time, or at least a part of a religion. When you get the chance, as them when if they ever believed in God before and what caused them not to believe any longer. It’s always interesting. Show interest and understanding and ask more questions.

#5. Don’t be afraid to be wrong, or to admit you do not know the answer. You can easily say, that’s an interesting comment or good point, can I look into that and get back to you? This is how you learn, and it’s how to maintain civility.

#6. Remember, you are dealing with someone who also has the image and likeness of God. They may not know it but that doesn’t make it any less true. The Lord is in them, locked away in their soul by their free will, hoping to be invited out. He will most definitely appreciate your assistance, even if it’s just planting a seed.

Just to be sure you know the the average opinion of the atheist:

"You, your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules. (Atheist biologist, Francis Crick, in his book The Astonishing Hypothesis)

Or, Richard Dawkins’ universe, in which there is “no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference.” (River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life, 131-32).

What does the Church teach about this?

The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for (CCC 27).

Maranatha!

Ron