The End of An Era - The Beginning of A New Era

Any society's foundation is only as strong as it's weakest link. That goes for Egypt, Rome, Greece, Caliphates, British and even American world powers.

But today, western culture, specifically America, has a unique situation. It has no foundation. It has long since abandoned its original and really hasn't replaced it with anything except a buffet-style steam table of different cultural ideas, religions, philosophies and ethical systems. As a result, our society is now sort of like a balsam wood stack resting atop a foundation of brittle Styrofoam. We aren't necessarily rudderless....we're guided in directionless, chaotic and spastic movements by thousands of tiny rudders, heading off in different directions...leaving us tugged to and fro from within.

We have merits we fall back on to help encourage us. We abolished slavery, universalized the vote and shattered systemic racism in our society, even though it may still exist in pockets. But those achievements were prior to our aimlessness....a bygone era, based on a foundation we no longer embrace. Within a couple of generations, we have only lived off the capital of these accomplishments and created no more ourselves. We have decided, for example, beginning with the universities and ending with the churches, that Biblical Christianity is intellectually naive and obsolete, to be accredited with horrors. By ignoring the horrors realized today, and those planted and nurtured for a future generation, we are blind guides, leading ourselves and our progeny into trenches and shackles.

Ironically, we replaced this with refuse. Blind guides with willfully deteriorated Swiss-cheese intellects, passionately arguing, with all moral pathos, against objective morality....standing flat footed in absolute resolution against the existence of absolute truth. Our origins have become well crafted mythology, supported with all rigor, believing as fact that bats and sponges share a common ancestor, while denying a human nature. We are troubled with evidence of a beginning, so we begin postulating multi-verses to ease that tension. Our destiny as ambiguous and ever-changing as fashion sense. Our interests have degenerated into voyeurism, living vicariously through the lives of people we never met or never will meet, in order to stimy the pain of boredom and emptiness in our own lives, in which only the only antidote is scandal, profligation, gossip and promiscuity. Any society in our shape would have vanished into dust. Ours has been living off of the capital from the past. But our capital has run dry.

Our wealth, arguably built upon a rich foundational view of reality, used up, recycled and used up again. For the past 100 years, our wealth has been generated through debt creation, our currency devalued completely, as it is backed by nothing more than more currency and that currency representing debt. As I write this, our last recession has resulted in record breaking declines in economic activity. Twenty four months into this recession, sales and jobs continue to decline, which hasn't ever been witnessed before. Rumors abound that the only reason we have a stock market is attributable to the Federal Reserve and US Treasury being the primary buyer of marketable securities, in the absence of demand. Our strength abroad has deteriorated, aspiring new tyrants to test the waters of our resolve. Those more brave are giddy with the ability to disrupt everyday life through the act of terrorism. Less is taught, less is known, generations reveal an indirect correlation of declining desire for knowledge and increasing desire for more entertainment. Of course, the entertainment is a much needed diversion. The less we know, the better off we are, so we think. A well presented speech trumps actual leadership for us, any day.

We are about to head into another election year and although it seems as if incumbents have much to worry about, even a completely different congress in 2011 will be dwarfed by a monolithic and extraordinarily entrenched governmental machine, put in place, gradually, over the past 100 years. Now, democracy is totally eclipsed by bureaucracy. Our economy is no longer based on production, but buying and selling financial paper promises. Our industries artificially managed by federal agencies, with little or no success, comparable to gamers playing interactive Sim-Nation scenarios over XBOX. And our leaders are clueless, dishonest and make decisions purely on the short term gain, despite the long term impact. And we accept that, encourage it, by sending them back or replacing them with the same old, dry, corrupt, pooled reserve of political insiders who have made a killing at being 'servants'.

In essence, the United States of America is terminally comatose. The signs of life that remain are like twitches or raised fingers in a comatose patient. Maybe we'll snap out of it. But, diagnostically, we probably won't.

For those that solely defined themselves as Americans, this is horrible news. In fact, its the end of the world for you. It's still horrible news for me, but it's not the end of the world. In fact, it could be that we are on the verge of a new era, in which opportunities present themselves in ways they never could have before.

For those that don't buy into Biblical Christianity, you're waiting for a brave new world to come rescue us before the dark sets in. In fact, many of us in that category are still in denial that the sun has set, let alone face the coming darkness. Notwithstanding, that new world will come for you and replace this one. Although it will be akin to a high tech serfdom, its perks will scratch the itch. You will not only be satisfied with it, you will probably hold in contempt anyone who would want to replace it or change it. A world currency is in the works, along with a world economy. Countries that have a cost advantage over others will be the producers and the rest will be the consumers, fueled purely by debt...borrowing the new currency controlled and backed by a world bank, loosely held together by several nations. And with the currency, comes hegemony. Our governments will be subservient to this new system, even though it will appear with the same old fashioned constitutional, parliamentary trappings.

It could be that none of this transpires, we encounter a national revival and continue on another 200 years or so. It could happen and I'm open to it. However, it seems like all that has transpired, represented by alot of what has already been described here, appears as if a pattern has formed...one that is set. Several want a return to Constitutional purity, as do I. But even re-establishing Constitutional purity isn't sufficient for a foundation. Constitutional purity must rest on a foundation. Without that, it's like trying to build a second floor without a first floor. That foundation has been utterly rejected by so many, that those that are not hostile towards it, have replaced Biblical Christianity, as a foundation, with Constitutional purity. And that's fatal. Even if I were an atheist, it seems logically conclusive that if God has spoken, there is no foundation sufficient aside what He has revealed. Any other way to look at it would be to treat God as an encouraged Saturday morning cartoon for adults.

For those who have placed confidence in Christ but are saddened by this reality, consider the fact that although we have been blessed to have participated in a civic experiment never before witnessed in world history, we are now, united in Christ, without borders. We belong to the King and our future is secure. As this new system sets in place, quite distinct from any other way of life, we love those in this new system...serve them in the name of Christ even though they want nothing of Him or us. We will be considered weak, easy targets, yet impossible to extinguish, which will fuel the anger and hostility, leading to even more violence and persecution. Instead of lashing back in violence, we accept it, and rejoice that we had the opportunity to share in His sufferings. All this, with, contrary to popular fiction novels, a very technologically advanced and wealthy world system. For His own, it won't be too comfortable. We'll be the football to be kicked around. But our strength is beyond us, and our resolve will baffle and fuel even more contempt. But out of that, more will come out of that system to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, just like we did. Right now, places like China, Africa, Indonesia are on fire with the Gospel of Christ...churches planted and growing in the midst of horrible persecution. Meanwhile, the church in the west is flattening out and declining. The coming hostilities will ironically fuel the flames of our passion for the Gospel and our resolve in reaching as many as we can, being servants, rather than masters, the punching bag, rather than the fist.

It may seem depressing to consider, but only because the familiar is going away. Uncertainty and the prospects of such treatment doesn't bode well and we shudder in considering our children and grandchildren in this reality. But remember, Jesus has conquered the powers of this world, even death itself. He will replace the fears with excitement, upset the odds, supplant concern with encouragement. Take what He's done in your own life and consider it to pale in what He will do. Once more, His Kingdom continues to grow throughout, like yeast in dough....like a conspiracy. Despite the end of this era, I want to assure that the next will end with far more than we ever anticipated in this one. No more heart-ache, war, tears, death or sickness. In the meantime, He still reigns and if you listen for Him carefully, tuning out the noise, you will see Him on the move like never before.

Problem of Being Atheistic & Believing in Evolution

With me, the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man's mind, which has developed from the mind of lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy. Would anyone trust the conviction of a monkey's mind, if there are any convictions in such a mind?

Charles Darwin in a Letter to William Graham Down, July 3, 1881

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/weekinreview/12wade.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss

Take a look at the above article from the New York Times before reading.

SOME TERMS
Atheism is the belief that there is no God. Naturalism is the belief that nothing exists but nature....things that can be reduced to an explanation of physics and chemistry. So, atheistic naturalism is sort of a redundant term, but nonetheless, conveys a belief that there is no God and no supernatural. I think that would be consistent with all the atheists I know and converse with or even read. I also have yet to meet an atheist that rejects scientific naturalism or evolution. So, the two are hand and foot, frick and frack.

Evolution can be defined as modification of species, over time, through decent, with the objective of survival. Evolution's basic interest is trying to get a species in the right place, at the right time, so that genes can be propagated. Anything that aids that process is favored by evolutionary modification through decent. So, evolution favors anything that aids in survival and disfavors anything (or at least is indifferent) to anything that doesn't aid survival. Patricia Churchland (pro evolution philosopher) has stated that evolution works on species using the four F's....fighting, fleeing, feeding and......reproduction. In other words, a species survives as manifested, behaviorally, by those four F's. Behavior conducive to survival is favored over all others.

Lastly, justified true beliefs can be defined as a knowledge claim/belief that represents or corresponds to reality and is justifiable for the person to hold. The idea is that we work towards believing as much true things as we can and rid ourselves of as much false beliefs as we can, in order to hold an accurate view of reality. This can only be done through properly functioning brains...sometimes referred to as noetic or cognitive equipment. If your thinking cap isn't functioning properly, then there is a very low or inscrutable probability that you'll be successful at the project of ridding yourself of false beliefs and gaining knowledge of justified true beliefs. If your noetic equipment is functioning properly and you have justification for the belief, then you have warrant for that belief as it corresponds to reality.

DARWIN'S DOUBT
The quote from Charles Darwin illustrates the problem between evolutionary forces, naturalism and the reliability of our knowledge claims/beliefs.

So, how does atheistic naturalism, evolutionary theory and the reliability of properly functioning thinking caps coalesce or jive with each other? Not very good at all. In fact, holding to atheistic naturalism, evolution and reliable beliefs are incompatible. Either you hold them all and conclude that there is little or no reliability in any of your beliefs, or else consider that you can rely on your cognitive abilities and question atheistic naturalism and evolution.

What's the probability that we can trust anything we believe, given atheistic naturalism and evolution? Restated as a probabilistic equation, what is P(R) = (N&E&C), where R = reliability of beliefs, N = naturalism, E = evolution and C = properly functioning cognitive abilities?

If P(R) > .5, then we have a good or favorable reliance on our beliefs as being true. If P(R) <.5, then our reliance on our beliefs is low or inscrutable. So, how does evolution and naturalism hold, in regards to our beliefs?

Natural Selection Is Interested in Beliefs That Aid Survival, Without Regards to the Truth of Those Beliefs
Consider the article from the New York Times, with regards to evolution, the God Gene and religious beliefs.

Religion has the hallmarks of an evolved behavior, meaning that it exists because it was favored by natural selection. It is universal because it was wired into our neural circuitry before the ancestral human population dispersed from its African homeland.

The article doesn't side with atheism and actually raises the idea that this new theory could be detente between atheists and the religious. But can it? As the article promotes, natural selection is mainly interested in survival and is indifferent to the content or veracity or truth of the belief. In essence, it doesn't matter if it's true. It only matters if it aids survival. So, if that is the case, then natural selection could promote false beliefs because they aid survival. In other words, natural selection has favored a belief that may not be true, because it helps aid in the survival of people groups.

If that is the case, then we are at a point where evolution, specifically, natural selection, is not interested or cares about the truth of a belief or knowledge claim. In essence, evolution cannot provide a basis for any justified true belief, as Darwin himself pointed out in his letter to Mr. Down.

So, given N&E, we are more apt to end up with P(R) <.5....or, given naturalism and evolution, the probablity of our beliefs being accurate are either low or inscrutable. An atheist may agree, with regards to religious beliefs. But the problem is, given the understanding of naturalism and evolution with regards to reliability of beliefs, it applies to ALL BELIEFS, including evolution and the hypothesis of the God Gene.

And here's where, given atheistic naturalism and evolution, we have a bottomless pit we can't jump out of, with regards to reliability on the truth of our knowledge of anything, including naturalism and evolution. In order to resolve this delimna, you would have to either abandon atheistic naturalism, evolution, both or hold to an incredible skepticism with regards to anything anyone could possibly know or believe.

So, can we believe in evolution and be religious? It would fix the problem with P(R) and by accepting a supernatural, including God, there would be a foundation that could provide a reliability in our beliefs that is greater than .5. But, since evolution was an attempt to provide a purely naturalistic explanation for all of life, without reliance on religious or supernatural beliefs, it seems that holding to belief in God along with evolution is sort of like trying to invite Castro and Reagan to live in your house. There's going to be tension and alot of discomfort! Once more, emperically, even though there is a great deal of evidence of change within species, there doesn't seem to be much credible evidence to support change between species....like a common ancestor between bats and, say, sponges.

But what evolution, specifically, and naturalism, in general, provide us is a defeater against the trustworthiness of any belief we have....in anything, including evolution and naturalism. It's called an undefeated defeater, as defined by Alvin Plantinga (as is most of the arguments presented in this note).

So, I think there are no good reasons to hold to either naturalism or evolution without jerking the rug out from under even your beliefs in evolution and naturalism. Given the fact we live in a postmodern world, we probably don't even care about that. We'll believe whatever the big plasma screen tells us, what Bono tells us or what Jon Stewart mocks or defends or what places us in the best possible light, regardless of its veracity. In essence, we're a pretty pathetic, self-absorbed, empty-headed (and hard hearted) culture. But, for those that still attempt to hold objective truth as something useful, then I think this line of thinking is solid and irrefutable.

I'll leave it up to the reader.