The other day I received a ‘prayer request’ through the web site which was actually a thinly veiled attempt to undermine my faith. Attached to it was a YouTube clip of Christopher Hitchens declaring why Christianity was untenable. Whilst I could argue about the individual points raised by Hitchens, it has caused me to think about the untenable position of atheism. This is a position that most atheists in my experience do not let themselves contemplate.

Essentially, the basis of atheism is that life, the universe, and everything in it is a product of completely random coincidences – of chemicals that happened to come together at the right time, in the right place, in the right conditions, so that from these coincidences life sprang forth, albeit of a very basic kind of life at first. Then over the centuries through selection, mutation and survival of the fittest, under the influence of randomly occurring climactic and geological conditions, we ended up with the mass array of flora and fawna currently to be seen on earth today.

Whilst I do not deny that some of these processes may have been part of the development of the earth and I am not a 6 day literal creationist, the atheistic position leaves me with two huge issues. The first is that the notion of a set of random events resulting in all that we see around us is just incredible (literally!). It has been said that an infinite number of monkeys given an infinite number of typewriters and infinite time would eventually, by random key strokes, produce the complete works of Shakespeare. When we hear that, the corners of our mouths turn up into a smirk as we consider the sheer impossibility of such a random set of events coming together to produce that outcome, and yet , in considering the origins of the universe, we are expected to believe a random set of events which have infinitesimally less chance of all occurring at the same time. That is why I say this position is incredible.

My second issue is that this position renders the whole of life completely meaningless. If we are just the product of random chance then nothing we do and nothing that happens in this world actually matters. Carried to its logical conclusion, it does not matter if we destroy the planet; it does not matter if we kill millions of people in nuclear war; it does not matter if we leave the starving to die of hunger. Nothing actually matters because it is all just a product of chemicals coming together. There is no reason for morality and ethics; there is no reason for society and laws. My only motivation should be to live for myself, to enjoy pleasure and satisfaction to the maximum while this life continues, without consideration of the consequences for others or for myself. Even producing progeny is meaningless because if we are here by random chance, what is the point of continuing the species which could easily be wiped out by the next disaster, and why should I care about them anyway? What is the point of them carrying on my genes? The humanists argue that, whilst on earth, we should try and do our best for our fellow man, and not live in a way to harm others. But why? Just because I have a logical brain and can think, why should I give any consideration to anyone else? What benefit will it bring me in my attempt to satisfy myself, except for from some false sense of altruism which is contrary to evolutionary thought?

This position, if considered from this perspective, is indeed bleak. Without the notion of a creator (however he did it), life is completely meaningless ‘a chasing after the wind’. The only thing that can bring life any real meaning is a connection with the eternal. It is only by seeing life as part of a universal ultimate that my existence here and now on planet earth can have any significance at all. This is the only element in life that can give a true rational for love. It is the only perspective from which we can find a purpose for continuing the species – so that they too can experience contact with their creator. Without faith in something beyond this material world, the picture we see is just a lot of random dots with no definition. But when we hold up the lens of faith to the picture, suddenly, images start to take shape, and a story begins to unfold that shows us our place within the great drama of the universe.

In the incarnation these two elements, the eternal and the material, came together in one place, in the form of a baby born in Bethlehem. This is one of the most challenging articles of faith in Christianity, and yet without it, there is no Christianity. In choosing to believe the truth of it, in choosing to take a leap of faith, I come to understand that the creator kissed his creation and brought it back into relationship with him. That Jesus came to restore meaning to the world and to the creatures that live on it. Why? Because ‘God so loved the world that he gave…’

Jesus gives meaning to everything. Let him bring meaning to all your celebrations this Christmas.

God bless!

Richard