If there is no god, the universe and our experience of life is still amazing, mysterious, moving, etc. Life is praiseworthy in so many ways on its own terms. This kind of experience of life is one aspect of living. But without a god, other questions are raised. I'll put a funny quote from Becker at the bottom, re: Freud's causa sui project.
If we hold an infinite god (one at list "big" enough to have accounted for all that is) responsible to do everything in its power to eradicate any unpleasant experience, then how would we be able to exist as we know ourselves? I do not know how we would exist at all, because then god would be all and do everything. There would be no room for our existence in that world. God would be everywhere improving everything a contingent, finite, self-absorbed, self-aware mortal individual undertook. If that were the case, then life, and especially free will would be a grand illusion. We imagine now that we in fact have a free will, and exist independently. The alternative sounds quite a bit like eastern religions to me. My explanation is that god is capable of a kind of self-limitation, maybe like a distinction or self-discipline, which allows for beings such as ourselves to be distinct entities with wills of our own. In order for us to have this kind of existence, the possibility for something less than divine results is necessary, must be allowed to occur. That is how I think god would allow for the possibility of the existence of evil, misfortune, pain, etc., without being either unconcerned or incompetent. We are responsible for some of it, along with natural occurrences and other causes, and that is actually a way of knowing our own autonomy, or separate and independent existence. Crude and simple, no doubt.
Becker, talking about strict materialists trying to establish meaning for their life and efforts, "It is hard for a man to work steadfastly when his work can mean no more than the digestive noises, wind-breakings, and cries of dinosaurs--noises now silenced forever. Or perhaps one works all the harder to defy the callous unconcern of nature; in that way one might even compel her to defer to the products of mysterious mind, by making words and thoughts an unshakable monument to man's honesty about his condition. This is what makes man strong and true--that he defies the illusory comforts of religion. Freud set out to defy nature by redoubling efforts to make true the lie of causa sui. (p 122) |
