Are you victimized by doubt? If so, you’re not alone. Let’s see how doubt about the meaning of life applies to any doubt we experience. Only two minority groups have immunized themselves against doubt about the meaning of life. They’ve both achieved this using their unwavering belief. Fervent Christians accept without question that life’s meaning is to realize eternal intimacy with God. Atheists take the position that the lack of proof of a God is proof there isn’t one and thus that life’s meaning is earthly fulfillment.
Most others have developed a position on life’s meaning that is as satisfactory to them as they can achieve. Because they can’t prove their position, they experience varying levels of doubt about it. Many people give little or no thought to life’s meaning with the result that they escape all doubt about it.
A relatively small number of people accept the existence of a creator cannot be proven and thus turn to reason-based thinking to establish their knowledge of life’s purpose. Would you like to learn how, by viewing the Meaning of Life Video Series? Its reason-based thinking establishes that life’s meaning is to love God and all His children as selflessly and unconditionally as you are able.
Despite the soundness of the arguments that support this knowledge, you may experience doubt about, or even reject it. Could your rejection be the result of some of these reasons?
You may recognize this new knowledge as being consistent with the teaching of the Christian churches. You may have come to reject much Christian teaching, seeing it as dogma unsupported by reasoning. However, is it not true that you gained this knowledge using reasoning rather than by blindly accepting dogma? Is it reasonable to reject this knowledge simply because religion takes a similar position?
You many find this knowledge makes you feel very uncomfortable. If you were to accept this knowledge, you would have no reasonable choice but to pursue it. This pursuit might very well entail more than you bargained for. It might even compel you to significantly change your life. We find change uncomfortable and hate to be compelled to change. However, can you reasonably reject this rigorously supported knowledge simply because you find it uncomfortable?
You may feel that, because you feel doubt about aspects of this new knowledge, it is irresponsible to accept it. However, you may also realize that no human knowledge is absolute and immune from correction. Scientists consistently challenge and often correct scientific proofs. Still, knowledge supported by scientific proofs and/or reason-based arguments is as good as human knowledge gets. Can you reasonably reject sound and supported knowledge based solely on unsupported doubt?
Just as scientists accept scientific proofs until they are successfully disproven, must we not accept reason-based arguments until they are successfully refuted. Doubt is inevitable. It is part of the human condition. It is evidence of an engaged mind. It is not unreasonable to experience doubt. But is irreasonable to fail to pursue it? When you doggedly pursue flaws in reason-based arguments and stronger counterarguments, you are no longer a victim of doubt. You can accept it as part of the process of establishing reason-based support for the best knowledge available to us as human beings.
And here’s a parting thought. If atheists are right and you are wrong, neither of you has anything to lose. But if this knowledge is correct, you have nothing to lose by pursuing it and atheists have everything to lose by not. Might atheists benefit from a little doubt?
What can be more important than knowing life’s meaning and doing your absolute best to achieve it?
Del H. Smith conducts research into life’s meaning and is the award-winning author of the AMAZON Best Seller, Discovering Life’s Purpose.