Philosophy Versus Christianity: Exploring 10 Life’s Big Questions
Philosophy has long been a tool for humanity to grapple with the big questions that define our existence and shape our understanding of the world. From ancient Greek philosophers to modern-day thinkers, the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge has led to countless debates and discussions about the nature of reality, existence, ethics, and more. Christ shares with us truths, these truths could be philosophical in nature but not debatable as other philosophys, after all He created every mind and turns the heart of every human as He will because He is God. Don’t you just find philosophy intriguing I do! I do! , okay let’s delve into it. In this article, we will go into 5 big questions posed by different philosophers throughout history and attempt to unravel their complexities while giving each an accurate revelation from God’s Word of what each thought stands for. Enjoy.
- What is the meaning of life?
The question of life’s meaning has puzzled humanity for centuries. From Aristotle to Camus, philosophers have offered various perspectives. Some argue that life has inherent meaning, while others believe it is up to individuals to create their own purpose. Ultimately, the meaning of life may be subjective and vary from person to person.
The meaning of life, according to the scripture, God’s word, is to know God as He really is; and to enjoy Him and all that He is for us in Christ; and to reflect in this dark world some of the light that He has shown to us when Christ, the very Son of God, died in our place, precisely that we might know God and enjoy God. In spite of our sin; and then one day to see Him and know Him perfectly unendingly.
What’s the meaning of life to you?
2. Does God exist?
The existence of a higher power has been a central question in philosophy and religion. Philosophers like Descartes and Aquinas have presented arguments for the existence of God, while atheists like Nietzsche and Sartre have challenged these beliefs. The debate continues to this day, with no definitive answer in sight by them.
The Bible gives us a sure assurance; nowhere in the Bible are there arguments seeking to prove God’s existence. The fact of His existence is assumed from the first page where we read: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). His existence is assumed throughout the rest of Scripture. The Bible assumes the fact of God’s existence and calls upon people to make a venture of faith toward Him. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6). His Existence Is Evident To All.
Scripture says that God’s existence is evident to everyone.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world His eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse (Romans 1:19, 20).
If a person denies the existence of God, then there is no reference point for correctly understanding themselves or the world around them.
Only A Fool Denies That God does Exists
Not only does the Bible assume that God exists it says only fools deny His existence. Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts; there is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one (Psalm 53:1-3).
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth . . .for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles (Romans 1:18,21-23)
There Is No Excuse For Denying His Existence
Those who deny God’s existence have no real excuse. Paul wrote to the Romans.
For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
The Bible Reveals The True God
The Bible is more interested in showing that the God of Scripture is the true God who exists. In the ancient world it seems that everyone believed in some type of god. Atheism was not really an issue. The question, therefore, was, “Which God or gods exist?” This is the issue that the Bible addresses itself more than the mere fact of God’s existence. The God of the Bible is contrasted to the false idols that people were worshipping. The God of the bible still exists and is the one true God.
3. What is consciousness?
Exploring the nature of consciousness has been a focus for thinkers like Descartes and Hume. Is consciousness a product of the brain, or does it exist independently of the physical world? The mystery of consciousness continues to both fascinate and elude philosophers and scientists alike.
To be “conscious” is to be “aware.” The general term for a person’s thoughts, emotions, sensations, and general awareness is human consciousness. Scripture does not explicitly define what human consciousness is, though the Bible provides perspectives on it. A biblical view of human consciousness might be summarized as “the soul’s awareness of itself and its surroundings.”
However, defining human consciousness is notoriously difficult. Exploring consciousness means probing the deepest questions about what it means to be human. Such discussion typically involves a long list of mysteries and dilemmas. Some concepts are unresolved; others present competing or apparently contradictory truths. The Bible gives us practical ways to understand some such issues. On other details Scripture is silent, and we’re left to untangle questions on our own.
Biblical terms related to this subject should be carefully understood, especially according to their immediate context. Ancient terminology did not distinguish between the “mind” and the “heart” to the same extent seen in modern languages. That’s not to say emotions and intellect were never distinguished. Rather, it means words translated as “heart” in Scripture are not necessarily references to “pure feeling.” In some cases, what the Bible refers to as “the heart,” a modern writer might well label as “the mind.”
Where it touches on human consciousness, Scripture describes it as follows:
Human consciousness is part of being made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:14). Human beings are composed of distinct-yet-unified members, such as the body, soul, and spirit. There is an intimate and unavoidable connection between those members, yet they are not identical. This is similar to the relationship among the members of the Trinity, and it contrasts both with entirely physical animals and entirely spiritual angels. Another aspect of this “image-bearing” is that man is capable of self-awareness and objective thinking.
Human consciousness is influenced—not initiated—by the body (Romans 7:23; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:12). Physical factors influence awareness and thinking. However, the consciousness is not the same thing as the material body. Nor is it an uncontrolled, mindless effect of material processes. Myriad questions about this relationship are often referred to as “the mind-body problem.”
Human consciousness is distinct from the “self” (Colossians 3:2; 1 Peter 1:13; Romans 12:2). Our conscious thoughts are something “other” than our own selves; we are aware of this distinction. Human beings can deliberately influence their own thoughts and perspectives. We retain some level of control over such things, or, at least, we can deliberately seek to change them.
Human consciousness is perceived only by the individual and God (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Corinthians 2:11; John 7:24). An enormous barrier to scientific study of consciousness is that it cannot be directly measured or observed. It can only be subjectively reported by the consciousness itself. Likewise, no human being can ever know with absolute certainty what another person is feeling or thinking. This is a fundamental reason to be cautious when attempting to judge others (Romans 14:4; John 7:24).
Human consciousness is not the same as the “conscience” (1 Timothy 4:2; 1 Samuel 25:31). The conscience is one narrow part of consciousness. The conscience is a God-given emotional reaction to conflict between our values and our thoughts and actions.
Human consciousness is an integrated part of the whole (Matthew 22:37; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 103:1). While Scripture implicitly distinguishes between mind, body, soul, spirit, intellect, heart, and so forth, all these are meant to be entirely focused on the will of God. So far as our daily lives are concerned, fine-tuned distinctions between these are irrelevant. All that we are, and that which we can control, should be submitted to God to the best of our ability.
The relationship between soul, spirit, mind, and body includes human consciousness and is indescribably complex. The existence of consciousness—at least, our own individual consciousness—is impossible to deny. When philosopher René Descartes attempted to create an absolute starting point for all human knowledge, he began with the self-evidence of his own human consciousness: “I think, therefore I am.” The Bible may not give details on the nature of consciousness, but it accurately reflects ideas that our experience confirms.
4. Do we have free will?
The idea of free will has been a source of much debate in philosophy. From determinism to libertarianism, philosophers like Kant and Hume have offered differing views on the extent of human agency. The question of whether our actions are predetermined or freely chosen remains a complex and unresolved issue.
When we talk about free will, we are usually concerned with the matter of salvation. Few are interested in whether we have the free will to choose salad or steak for our dinner tonight. Rather, we are troubled over who exactly is in control of our eternal destiny.
Any discussion of man’s free will must begin with an understanding of His nature because man’s will is bound by that nature. A prison has the freedom to pace up and down in his cell, but He is constrained by the walls of that cell and can go no farther, no matter how much His will might desire it. So it is with man. Because of sin, man is imprisoned within a cell of corruption and wickedness which permeates to the very core of our being. Every part of man is in bondage to sin – our bodies, our minds, and our wills. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the state of man’s heart: it is “deceitful and desperately wicked.” In our natural, unregenerate state, we are carnally minded, not spiritually minded. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be” (Romans 8:6-7). These verses tell us that before we are saved, we are at enmity (war) with God, we do not submit to God and His law, neither can we. The Bible is clear that, in his natural state, man is incapable of choosing that which is good and holy. In other words, he does not have the “free will” to choose God because his will is not free. It is constrained by his nature, just as the prisoner is constrained by his cell.
How then can anyone be saved? Ephesians 2:1 describes the process. We who are “dead in our trespasses and sins” have been “made alive” through Christ. A dead man cannot make himself alive because he lacks the necessary power to do so. Lazarus lay in his tomb four days unable to do a thing to resurrect himself. Christ came along and commanded him to come to life (John 11). So it is with us. We are spiritually dead, unable to rise. But “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He calls us out of our spiritual graves and gives us a completely new nature, one undefiled by sin as the old nature was (2 Corinthians 5:17). God saw the desperate and helpless state of our souls, and in His great love and mercy, He sovereignly chose to send His Son to the cross to redeem us. By His grace we are saved through the gift of faith which He gives us so that we can believe in Jesus. His grace is a free gift, our faith is a free gift, and our salvation is a free gift given to those whom God has chosen “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). Why did He choose to do it this way? Because it was “according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:5-6). It’s important to understand that the plan of salvation is designed to glorify God, not man. Our response is to praise Him for the “glory of His grace.” If we chose our own salvation, who would get the glory? We would, and God has made it clear that He will not give the glory due to Him to anyone else (Isaiah 48:11).
The question naturally arises, how do we know who has been saved “from the foundation of the world”? We don’t. That is why we take the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, telling all to repent and receive God’s gift of grace. Second Corinthians 5:20 tells us we are to be pleading with others to be reconciled to God before it is too late. We cannot know whom God will choose to release from their prison cells of sin. We leave that choice to Him and present the gospel to all. The ones who come to Jesus He “will in no way cast out” (John 6:37).
5. What is the nature of reality?
Philosophers like Plato and Kant have grappled with the concept of reality and whether it is objective or subjective. Is reality shaped by our perceptions, or does it exist independently of our minds? The nature of reality continues to intrigue philosophers as they seek to understand the world around us.
The nature of reality and human beings from a Christian worldview is seen as being anchored in the belief in the existence of God. The Christian perspective acknowledges that God created and rules the universe, and seeks to understand God’s nature. It views Christ as central to human existence and reality as a whole, providing a divine perspective that allows for a comprehensive understanding of the world and the connection with concrete existence.
In conclusion; answering these questions is no easy task, as philosophy is a discipline that thrives on debate, inquiry, and speculation. Each question raises further questions and invites multiple interpretations and perspectives. Ultimately, the exploration of life’s big questions is a journey that challenges us to think critically, reflect deeply, and consider the complexities of our existence. So is it a sin, to ask questions too concerning Christ and His word, No! But it is sinful to attributing falsehood to Christ because Christ’s nature is truth and so by questioning His nature it becomes sinful.
Philosophy serves as a gateway to understanding the world and ourselves more deeply. By exploring life’s big questions, we can gain insight into the nature of reality, ethics, politics, and beyond. While definitive answers may remain elusive, the process of inquiry and contemplation allows us to engage with the fundamental aspects of our existence. So, let us embrace the timeless pursuit of wisdom and continue to explore the mysteries and wonders of life through the lens of philosophy. So we can use the art of using philosophy to enquire, explore the incredible scriptures of Life and Life giving word which is Truth. Yahweh’s own Truth.
