Disney’s TRON Legacy opens in theaters today. It’s been 28 years since the original debuted. For its time, TRON was an astounding breakthrough in computer-generated special effects. It helped pave the way for the digital wonders gracing the screen today. Although there’s nothing “special” about the film’s effects now, the existential issues TRON touches on remain timeless. As one hijacked program asks, “If I don’t have a User, then who wrote me?”
Despite brain-washing efforts by the villainous Master Control Program, the programs within the computer world don’t buy the idea that belief in Users (the unseen humans who write programs) is “superstitious and hysterical.” They continue to wonder how they came to be and what their purpose is—and they believe the answers lie with their Users.
Existential questions are innate to the human experience. We’re the only creatures that ponder the whys of life. In A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking notes, “We want to make sense of what we see around us and to ask: What is the nature of the universe? What is our place in it and where did it come from? Why is it the way it is?”
In Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, RTB founder Hugh Ross elaborates even further on the human tendency to ask questions: “Scientific curiosity arises from the desire to understand the way things work…Spiritual curiosity is driven by the quest for meaning and coherence” (emphasis original).
So strong is our need to find meaning, purpose, and value that the ability to answer life’s existential questions is a must for any viable worldview. RTB philosopher/theologian Kenneth Samples includes this ability in his list of nine worldview tests. In A World of Difference, he writes, “Worldviews must account for real human needs, desires, and aspirations. They should address man’s need for meaning, purpose, and significance—and explain why man is the way he is.”
Naturalism and Christianity offer radically different answers to this worldview question. According to naturalism, the physical world is the sum total of reality and is the result of mindless, purposeless, random processes. Death, in a naturalistic world, results in oblivion. In light of this scenario, Ken describes naturalism’s answer to human meaning: “While there is no ultimate meaning to human life, there may be subjective meaning in life by choice.”
Discussion threads on atheist author Richard Dawkins’ website seem to support Ken’s summary. Commenters on a thread entitled “Without God There Is No Hope” said that, from their point of view, there is no hope of an “afterlife,” so it’s best to enjoy the life we’re living now and make the most of it. As I understand it, atheism suggests that we give our lives meaning and purpose based on how we live and the choices we make. (Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s Übermensch concept addresses meaning from an atheistic perspective.)
On the other hand, Christianity argues that the universe, Earth, life, and humanity are all creations of a thoughtful, intelligent, purposeful, loving, personal God. From a Christian perspective, according to Ken, “human beings find their ultimate meaning, purpose, and significance in their Creator and Redeemer.”
Hugh argues that it’s this philosophy that gives humanity hope in the midst of this world’s evil and suffering. He writes, “But what if they [evil and suffering] are temporary? Suppose they are part of a realm that does not, when it ends, mean the end of human life. Then might they serve a purpose?”
The apostle Paul, no stranger to pain and suffering, declares in Romans 8:18, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” In other words, not only does God give us meaning and purpose in this life, he also gives us hope for life beyond this stormy existence on Earth.
Two different worldviews with very different perspectives on human meaning. For myself, I agree with Tron’s observation: “I don’t want to bust out of here and find nothing but a lot of cold circuits waiting for me.” However, the commenters on Dawkins’ site object strongly to the argument that religions, Christianity in particular, have a “monopoly on hope.” What do you think? What gives us meaning, purpose, and hope?
— Maureen
Resources:
Ken’s book A World of Difference compares and contrasts Christianity, naturalism, and other prominent worldviews. Hugh’s Why the Universe Is the Way It Is takes a more scientific perspective on hope and our reasons for it.
And if you’d like high-quality, academic atheist resources, Ken recommends the works of philosophers J. L. Mackie and William Rowe. Says Ken, “They’ll make you think.”
As for TRON Legacy, it’s a good sci-fi action flick, full of nostalgic references to the original, although it lacks its predecessor’s spirit of fun and adventure.
End of line.
December 31, 2010 at 10:20 am
What gives us meaning, purpose, and hope?
“What do you think? What gives us meaning, purpose, and hope?”
“With Out A Doubt” the things that give me meaning and purpose and hope is living in an intimate and personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ our LORD and has given us the gift of His Holy Spirit to make us and mold us into the image of God. It is only through this personal relationship that I can truly find meaning in this fallen evil world(not that everything in this world is fallen and evil). This may sound trite and meaningless to the atheist who says there is no God, but to me is is very real. The skeptic posses the straw man argument of the problem of evil, but the Bible tells us that evil is not from God but is a result of the rebellion of His creation, we call it sin. The meaning I find in Christianity tells me this God, the creator of all, has a wonderful plan for everyone who will put there faith and trust in Him. It is Gods will to eventually defeat evil. He is not the author of evil. Just because he does not deal with it in the time frame of the skeptic does not negate his primary attribute of love. While as a pastor I thoroughly enjoy the study of science, apologetics,and theology; these things in themselves do not give my life meaning. They help me to understand the world around me and God better, but they do not, per se, give meaning to my life. It is when I meditate on The Word of God and talk to him in prayer and since the quiet voice of God in my heart that I experience His love. That is not something you can quantify or put in a test tube, no it is something that one takes on faith. And it is through a relationship with Him that I find my purpose to serve him, and the hope that I have is to live eternally with Him forever in a new Heavens and a New Earth. Frankly, it is difficult for me to, understand how anyone can live on this earth without faith in God, especially when we come to the end of our lives and our only hope is annihilation. Of course the reality is eternal judgment for those who reject him. To the skeptic it is intolerant and bigoted to believe in the exclusivity of Christianity and to make a claim such as this. But if Jesus is who he claims to be and if the Bible is true then a Christians warning of eternal judgment is the highest form of tolerance and love that anyone can make. The more that I learn about the universe, the world, science, philosophy, theology the Bible and God, the more convinced I am that Christianity is the only way.
I am not perfect, I try the best that I can to live my life to please the God that I serve, but sometimes I mess up. But I thank the Lord that when I do I cry out to Him for forgiveness and fall upon His mercy and grace and find His forgiveness in my heart. The forgiveness that Jesus offers is not just for me, it is for everyone who will believe on His name. The Bible says that ,”it is his will that none should perish but that all should come to repentance.” “For If you confess with your mouth Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, then you will be saved.” But we also believe that no one can come to faith unless he or she is drawn by the Holy Spirit. Richard Dawkins may think that I am a sad little person to believe all of this, but I believe it with all of my heart, and it is where I truly find meaning.
I sometimes feel like Peter, in the Gospel of John. In this account Jesus was telling his disciples some things that were very difficult for them to swallow, and the Scriptures tell us that “On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” and many of them turned away and stopped following him. So he asked the twelve his closest disciples, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” and Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” If this is true that Jesus Christ is the “Holy One of God” and that he has the power to rescue us from this fallen world and gives to all who believe in Him eternal life, and as Christians we believe that this is indeed true, then I too concur with my brother Peter and for this belief he gave his life. I hope I would do the same.
I realize that what I have said is not all encompassing and may not be the exact way that all Christians think about their faith, I am more Wesleyan Armenian in my theology. And without a doubt what I have said may anger some, and no matter what I say I will not be able to convince the atheists and agnostics of the truth of my position. “What is truth?” Rather this is the testimony of a servant of God to the original question, “What gives us meaning, purpose and hope?” According to the Word the skeptics only hope is Jesus, so we should never stop trying to convince them turn to Him, and of this RTB is doing a great job(Keep up the good work!!). But we should also do one other thing for the skeptic that is sometimes forgotten, and that is pray. Sometimes even as Christians we overlook this simple activity. We see through the evidence of Scripture and all of Church History, that prayer to a living God has done more to change a heart than any of the grand schemes and plans of man. If you are a believer join me in this, I know that Hugh Ross and RTB do.
To Dr Hugh Ross and RTB:
Your ministry, has been a great blessing and help to me in understanding how the skeptic and syncs think. Thank you for your ministry and God bless.
Chris