Reality?

In one of my previous articles entitled ‘The Truth?’ I went over the basic Post-Modern Worldview; where everything depends on the individual’s beliefs and experiences. We came to the conclusion that, not only is this detrimental to a stable society, it is directly opposed to God’s Objective Truth. This week we will study two different yet related Worldviews; Nihilism and Existentialism.

Let’s start off with Nihilism. Nihilism (in a nutshell) is the belief that nothing really exists, so nothing really matters. There is no reality. Nothing is 'really real' so nothing really matters. Now this is extreme Nihilism but it can take many forms; denial of the worth of everything instead of the denial of their actual existence. The main social problem with Nihilism is that, by definition, nothing matters. People don't matter, ideas don't matter, so therefore society and even life itself does not matter. This is why it is rare to find a fully fledged Nihilist who has neither committed suicide or gone completely insane. We'll pick apart the scriptural flaws in a minute.

Existentialism is the philosophical world's desperate effort to save Nihilism. It redefines existence to the objective (observable) and subjective (non-observable). The problem is that the emphasis is placed on the objective, but with scary implications. Existentialism states that even though death is the end you historic events have a lasting effect on your actions. Translation: you are not responsible for your actions; outside stimuli are. This creates a whole different start of social problems. Now, not only are there no absolute morals, you aren't even responsible for your own actions, even when you break your own moral code. Once again this creates an anarchically society.

1 Corinthians 2:13b-14 (NKJV) says that "...not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." The second main reason (I went over the first in 'The Truth?') that the Theistic Christian Worldview is so despised by other worldviews is that they simply don't get it. Even Islam and Judaism (the only two other monotheistic - one God - worldviews, both fairly works based, but Judaism focusing more on sacrificial atonement) makes more sense to  polytheists or atheists. Why? Well, with extra-biblical reasoning we could say it is because of the amazing grace God has show us, especially in a grace/faith based redemption instead of a works based one. And that is valid, but, using this verse we can say that the main reason that non-Christians don't understand our worldview is because our worldview cannot be taught 'in words as man teaches' and fully comprehended. The things of God are foolish to him.

So why does this even matter? What does a person's view of reality have to do with what really matters most (like Truth)? Reality and Truth go hand in hand. In James W. Sire's book ‘The Universe Next Door’ (an excellent resource for breaking down 8 different worldviews present in our culture) he stays that our answer to 'What is really real?' is “the most fundamental. It sets the boundaries for the answers that can consistently be given to the other questions.”¹ So without a correct answer to ‘What is really real?’ there can be no other correct answers that remain consistent with you first answer. Reality is this; God is real, and He created the universe and everything in it. God is real, and there is no other.

^{Leaping Lizard}

¹‘The Universe Next Door’ by James W. Sire, Fourth Edition, page 20

Image by Leaping Lizard