Christians ask this of atheists all the time, “What would you rather believe that you were created with a divine purpose in life or that you are just a product of random chance?” The idea is to create the false dichotomy that if one were created with a divine purpose, then one is special and magical while if someone doesn’t believe in a god (the Christian God in particular) then one must believe that they were just a product of random chance with no purpose at all and are therefore not special and have no value.
Let’s start with the Christian view of divine purpose first. What does it mean to have divine purpose? It seems to mean that the Christian God created you with a very particular plan in mind. And while you have free will (according to the Christian doctrine) I don’t think you can really go against God’s divine plan. How stupid a plan would it be if you can just do whatever you want? Think about it this way, we live in an interconnected society. So if God has a divine plan for you and everyone else, it would stand to reason that his plan for them is at least in part dependant on his plan for you. So if you would or could go against God’s divine plan, then you would really be messing up God’s divine plan for everyone else too. That basically means that if God were to have a divine plan, it would have to be carried out one hundred percent by everyone. That means no free will when it comes to following God’s divine plan.
If we were to really believe that we were all born with a divine plan and a divine purpose, then we would basically be slaves. So I ask, “What would you rather believe that you were created as a divine slave with no freedom and thus no worth or that you are a product of natural selection capable of choosing your own plan and purpose in life as an intelligent being in your own right?”
That brings me to the second part of the false dichotomy. Do atheists believe we are a product of random chance with no purpose in life? Of course not and while I can’t speak for all atheists because all atheism really means is a lack of belief in a deity, I can speak for the atheists who subscribe to a humanistic worldview. Most atheists in the greater atheistic community, whether they consider themselves Humanists or not still subscribe to a humanistic worldview. Of those atheists, very few would consider life without God to be random chance. This claim is basically a strawman of the science of evolution.
Some Christians who are not educated about the evolutionary process seem to think that evolution is about random chance. The fact is that evolution is brought about by a process called Natural Selection. Natural Selection is definitely not random. While random mutations occur, it is the mutations that are more adaptable to change which survive and are therefore passed on.
Finally, let’s talk about purpose. The idea that either you were created with one particular purpose in mind or no purpose whatsoever is just ridiculous. One of my favorite philosophers once said, “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein. This is in a sense an existential moment for people. We can live the life of a slave to an imaginary Lord and Master or we can find our own meaning and purpose in life.
We can choose the quick and easy path and do what others in our religion tell us God wants us to do, or we can learn and grow as people and find our own path and purpose. I see it as an issue of freedom. Back in the day, children (scratch that) young boys were expected to follow in their father’s footsteps. If your father’s purpose in society was a blacksmith, then your purpose would be to be a blacksmith. But today, we can be whatever we wish to be regardless of the occupation of our parents. We are free to create our own purpose in society and in life. Will you choose to limit your own purpose in life to that of a slave to an imaginary God, or will you choose to find your own purpose or purposes (no need to just choose one)?
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