By Patrick Collins, Director of Ratio Christi at University of Alabama
In a few weeks, atheists will be gathering in Washington, DC to celebrate reason (www.ReasonRally.com). They believe they have a corner on the market – that any reasonable and honest person will hold their position that God does not exist.
I would like to point out what I see as the elephant in the room. While atheists purport to champion reason, reason contradicts the foundational principal of their worldview.
Let me elaborate.
Reason is “a statement presented in justification or explanation of a belief or action… the mental powers concerned with forming conclusions, judgments, or inferences.” (Dictionary.com) This includes thinking through concepts using logic. However, under an atheistic view of the world, only space, matter, and energy physically exist. Everything can be reduced down to chemistry and physics. This is known as materialism.
Where does “logic” fit into this paradigm?* Is logic a collection of cells, bumping against each other in a chemical process? Can it be reduced to some sort of physical process?
Not at all! To try to do so would be what’s known in logical fallacies as a category error.
The laws of logic, of which reason is completely dependent, are transcendent. We simply discovered and described them.
While it has been argued that the laws of logic are merely thoughts that only exist physically in the brain (which neurologists can scan the brain as activity is taking place), the laws of logic would still exist even if thoughts never existed. So the laws of logic can’t be merely thoughts since they do not depend on the existence of thoughts. It’s the difference between an objective reality and ‘a thought about’ an objective reality.
For example, if there was a time before sentient persons existing, the law of non-contradiction would have still existed. Two things could not be opposite at the same time and the same way and be true. There are no square circles in nature.
Therefore, the laws of logic are laws of being, not laws of thought.** They “govern” reality, yet they are immaterial. This doesn’t fit in the paradigm of atheism – atheists simply overlook the problem of the existence of logic and reason. However, reason and the laws of logic fit perfectly within Christianity.
Not only does Christianity allow for the non-material to exist, the Bible tells us the source of all reason and truth: God Himself.(John 1:1, 14:6) Christians are also instructed to use logic and reason in showing that Christianity is reasonable, rational, and true. (1 Peter 3:15) The existence of reason and the use of reason are both on the Christian’s side.
As the Reason Rally takes place, there will be Christians present to share the truth that using reason really does lead us to God and away from materialism. TrueReason.org is coordinating this effort of sharing the truth in love – including giving away water and booklets that respond to the Rally in a kind and loving way.
So, under atheism, is reason reasonable? Well, it’s certainly ironic that a group who does not believe in immaterial things is celebrating an immaterial thing.
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