Over the years, I have had quite a number of discussions with Atheists. As you possibly know, I have saved some of these conversations and formatted them for the MarketFaith newsletter. If you desire to look at them, they are archived on the MarketFaith Ministries website at: http://www.marketfaith.org/worldview-dialogs.
As part of a personal research project I am working on, I recently took the opportunity to reread these dialogs. As I did this, one common thread kept jumping out at me. Almost without exception, most of these Atheists simply could not grasp the concept that Atheism is a belief system. Just about all of them truly believe that what they believe is based on science. Here is a short excerpt from the middle of one conversation that illustrates my point.
krayzewolf – December 10, 2012
Uh. No. Atheism is the rejection of all religions and supernatural.
Which assumes nothing.
That means show us testable evidence that your god is real, and then there won’t be any atheists. Simple as that. Until there is any evidence, we reject your claim. That’s it. With that said, being atheist doesn’t mean one believes that there couldn’t be any higher than us beings elsewhere in the universe, but not for nothing, there’s a lot more evidence to support UFO’s than any “God”. Just saying.
Freddy – December 10, 2012
I’m not sure how your definition is different than what I said. You assume that all which exists is natural. As such, you demand natural verification for anything you will accept. But what if there is a supernatural reality which humans can access by a spiritual part we possess? How do you know that is not true? You don’t! You believe your belief by faith.
Where did matter and energy come from?
How did life originate?
How did consciousness originate?
There are no natural answers.
krayzewolf – December 10, 2012
“You believe your belief by faith.”
No, I beleive in facts. Honestly, for me life is way too short to base beliefs in anything that has no evidence. Seeing we have no evidence, for any deities, there is no reason to assume there is any truth to them. However through human history we have in fact made significant discoveries that destroys any need for deities, as we have found real answers for reality. We have yet to make any progress through supernatural dogmas, if anything it holds us back.
Freddy – December 10, 2012
So, you just skip the questions I asked as if skipping them makes them have natural answers? There is no science to demonstrate matter and energy have a natural origin. There is no science to demonstrate life could emerge from non-life. There is no science to demonstrate that consciousness came from non-consciousness. You are making a mockery out of your answers by even thinking that your beliefs are based on empirical science. Your naturalistic beliefs are pure faith.
krayzewolf – December 10, 2012
Sigh. Your questions were irrelevant to this topic and you know it, as we once thought the universe revolved around Earth. We once even thought the world was flat. It’s called discovery through testing, trial and error. Simply taking the route “God must’ve done it” has got us nothing but complacency and false knowledge based on pure fantasy. What we don’t know today will be discovered tomorrow through scientific method, not through having faith in gods.
Freddy – December 10, 2012
Very interesting reply. So, you think it is not relevant for me to point out that you are asserting beliefs about the structure of reality that are not empirically verifiable, while you insist that I must empirically verify my beliefs? Does anyone else see the irony of this?
You claim that empirical science will discover the answers to my questions without having any basis for that claim except that you believe it to be true. That is called faith, my friend, not science.
Science and Naturalism Are Not the Same
The reason most Atheists think their beliefs are based on science is because they are truly not aware of the fact that a worldview and science are entirely different things. They believe that Naturalism and science are essentially the same. That is, they are sure that everything they believe can be explained using science. Thus, when they speak of their “beliefs,” they think they are speaking of things that can be explained by observation and experimentation. However, that is simply not true.
To clarify this, let’s look at a couple of definitions.
1. Science – Science is a methodology. It is the practice of doing experiments and making observations to try and understand how the natural universe works.
2. Naturalism – Naturalism is a set of beliefs. It is the belief that the natural universe is all that exists.
With their belief that science and Naturalism are essentially the same thing, it is easy to see why Naturalists believe that all of reality can ultimately be understood by science. After all, for them, that is all that exists. The only problem is, the very idea that “the natural universe is all that exists” cannot be demonstrated by science. It is a religious belief. This is problematic because they are asserting that everything can be ultimately understood using science based on a belief that cannot be backed up by science.
The Nature of Proof
The very nature of Naturalism demands natural proof for everything – verification based on observation and experimentation. Of course, they will readily admit that they don’t actually have proof of everything they believe, but they are convinced that given enough time, humans will be able to get that proof.
And therein lies the rub. That kind of confidence is not based on science. There is no proof that it is true. It is an article of faith. And when confronted with the fact that they can’t give natural proof for their beliefs, they simply do not understand. They assume it to be true, but answer with such replies as:
1) “We will find out later.”
2) We don’t know yet.”
3) Or they attempt to silence the questioner by asserting that questions which question the premise are simply not relevant.
As every worldview is a set of beliefs, it is not proper to ask for “proof” that it is true. But while there is no proof, there is evidence that can be brought to bear. And it is this evidence that we must look at as we seek to understand this matter. The evidence lies in three different arenas; empirical evidence, logical evidence, and human experience.
Empirical evidence is that which can be demonstrated using science. While science cannot provide actual proof of the truth of a given worldview, it can be a part of the evidential mix. When considering the idea of truth, we are talking about what is real. So, if some belief system asserts the belief that what science demonstrates is not real, we know immediately that it is the belief system which is not real, not the science. Science cannot prove the truth of a belief, but it is one piece of evidence to which we can appeal. As an aside, Christians believe in the validity of science as much as any Naturalist. It is just that we also believe there is as aspect of ultimate reality that transcends what science is able to study.
Logical evidence relates to reasoning that helps us assess the validity of a belief. For instance, if there are two contradictory statements, at least one of them must be wrong. They could both be wrong, but both cannot be right. The use of logical principles can help point us to the truth, and can be used as evidence in conjunction with other kinds of evidence, but it is unable, in and of itself, to prove that a given belief is true.
Human experience is another line of evidence. As we live life, our experiences point us to what works and what does not, what is true and what is not. As with the other types of evidence, it does not have the ability to prove that our experience is true. But in conjunction with other kinds of evidence, it can give us some direction.
So, at this point, we ought to now be able to see that when it comes to worldview beliefs, there is no such thing as “proof.” Beliefs, particularly at a worldview level, cannot be proven in the way Naturalists assert.
Witnessing to Atheists
The truth is, witnessing across worldview barriers is a difficult process because we are not simply dealing with communicating ideas. Rather, we are having to actually share something we know to be real with people who believe what we are telling them is fantasy. This is true in every case where worldview barriers must be crossed – including the Atheists we are dealing with in this article. So, exactly what do we need to do to bridge this gap?
1. Be Patient
Coming to believe something is real that you once believed was a fantasy is not an easy barrier to overcome. It can be done, of course. In fact, there are many faithful and committed Christians who used to be Atheists – and God can get hold of their hearts and they can change in an instant. However, for most, it takes time for them to understand the faith nature of their beliefs. Loving patience is a critical element of witness to many Atheists. Become friends, show love, and be persistent.
2. Help Them See the Difference Between Science and Naturalism
As we have seen above, science and Naturalism are not the same thing. That said, most Atheists believe they are. They simply have never been put in a position where they had to make a distinction between the two. An important part of witness to Atheists will be to help them understand the difference.
3. Help Them See That Naturalism Is a Faith
One element of helping people understand the difference between science and Naturalism involves explaining the faith foundation of their atheistic beliefs. To do this, it is very helpful to be conversant with the elements of naturalistic belief that are based on faith. While most Atheists think they understand their beliefs, a large percentage actually do not. Most hold their beliefs at an unconscious level. You very well may need to teach them their own doctrines of God, man, and salvation.
4. Make Them Question the Truth of Naturalism
Once an Atheist understands that what they believe is religious in nature, it then becomes possible to help them see the flaws and weaknesses in that faith. Naturalism requires that everything (including their naturalistic beliefs) ultimately have an answer that can be proven using the scientific method. The problem they have is that it simply cannot be done.
5. Share the Gospel
Finally, when they are ready and willing to hear the message, share with them how they can know a personal relationship with Christ. Reality must ultimately be known personally. It is personal knowledge which is the final “proof.” All of the other kinds of evidence point to this personal knowledge, but none of them are complete until an individual actually comes to know Christ in a personal relationship.
Naturalistic Belief
As we have strongly emphasized above, science and Naturalism are not the same. Science is a method for discovering things about the natural universe. Naturalism is a set of beliefs that assume that the natural universe is all that exists. When you are able to help people understand the faith nature of those beliefs, you put yourself in a position to help them see that the only true faith has been revealed by God in Jesus Christ.
© 2017 Freddy Davis