Materialism: A Failed Attempt at Replacing God

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Mrs. Johnson doesn’t believe in God. She is way too educated and enlightened to believe in such things, plus she is progressively liberal in her morals and stubbornly independent. Upon further questioning, I discovered that Mrs. Johnson had no good alternative explanations for the existence of what we experience as reality. Moreover, it appeared that she did not care and was content to never concern herself with such matters.
She was of the general opinion that science had explained everything, and therefore God was totally unnecessary. To which I responded that scientists have done no such thing and are no closer to answering any of the questions that really matter. I informed her that science has no explanation for the origin of the universe. No explanation for the origin of the laws of physics. No explanation for the origin of life, and no explanation for the origin of information. Nor were they any closer to solving the hard problem of consciousness. What’s more, never has there been a purely natural explanation for any of the above-mentioned things, ever.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Johnson appeared visibly distressed and abruptly went on a rant about all the injustices and evils in the world, and how such injustices and evils made God a criminal and unworthy of her time and consideration. To which I reminded her that it is we that are breaking the commandments and not actually God, and that she had, in her own way, contributed to the breaking of these divine moral principles of right behavior probably every day of her life.

At this point, Mrs. Johnson said that she did not have the time for such nonsense and was too busy to indulge in pointless superstitions. After this, she briskly walked away. These days, I encounter Mrs. Johnson everywhere. Her views and prejudices are universal.

Atheists find themselves existing in a universe that didn’t plan for their existence, and yet everything they need for sustenance, development and growth is mysteriously within their immediate environment. The idea of divine providence never seems to cross their minds. I suspect it does but is rejected and suppressed because a God-created reality has implications and ramifications that an impersonal, accidental universe does not entail. I perfectly understand that some materialists have a particular problem with Jesus turning water into wine, yet they have no problem with a whole cosmos, with all of its laws, appearing out of nothing and for no purpose whatsoever. Many materialists are in the habit of telling us that miracles are impossible because they are a violation of natural laws, but, of course, the whole cosmos popping out of nothing for no particular purpose whatsoever is a miracle they are happy to overlook.
As you shall discover in this book, I am of the opinion that purely naturalistic explanations for the existence of the universe and life are the worst possible explanations that can ever be given. In my country of Australia, I have come across many people who have adopted a reductionist materialistic worldview without ever considering whether it is actually true. Without ever considering whether it is rational, coherent or has any evidence for it. It seems to me that a materialistic position is commonly adopted as an alternative explanation for the existence of God. It is a position of philosophical refuge, providing safety from ever having to deal with the moral and emotional implications of a God-created reality. If you happen to be one of those who has adopted materialistic philosophy, then I would strongly encourage you to not read this book.