[It seems like a good time to repost this letter, originally from 9-28-11]
I have a question for you. Can you think of anything which is True? I don't mean "true" in the sense that a statement reflects the actuality of the fact it represents, for example, "There is a truck parked in the driveway", when in fact there really is a truck parked in the driveway. That is called the Correspondence Theory of Truth". That is not what I mean.
The Truth to which I refer is a truth that is constant, unchanging, and universal. This truth is outside the power of humans to change, to modify, or to deny rationally. I can give some examples.
First is the fact that 2 + 2 = 4. If this seems too simplistic, consider this: these symbols represent a relationship that is universal; constant; unchanging. In fact they are trans-universal, because they would be true in any rational universe. Mathematics is the discovery of such universal truths. And no amount of arguing will change their truth value, so they are absolute: absolute Truths.
Another one is the existence of life. Now this might seem to be self-evident, but within Atheism, it no longer is a given. Under Atheism and its progeny, Philosophical Materialism, nothing exists except material reality, and those material things all behave by responding to Cause and Effect. Humans are no exception. So when Atheists are pushed to the limit, they must take the position that humans are deterministic and their behaviors are controlled by a chain of preceding physical events going clear back to the origin of the universe. So there can be no free will, if Materialism is valid; and if Materialism is valid, then Atheism is valid.
In order to protect Materialism and Atheism, free will cannot be allowed to exist; free will would mean that man is an "uncaused causer", able to defy prior causation and able to make rocks go uphill merely by exercising his will to create the conditions for it to happen. Humans would be "uncaused causers", because they cause events merely by will, rather than by previous history of accumulated events causing the next event.
An uncaused causer is a defeat for materialism.
But these Truths do exist, to the mind unencumbered with prohibitive ideologies. And because Truths exist which are universal, constant and unchanging, Truths which are absolute, then the idea of the existence of absolutes is also True.
But Atheists must deny absolutes in any form, because under Cause and Effect (Materialism), absolutes must also have a cause. And the cause of an absolute would be an absolute, too. An absolute creator of absolutes is denied outright.
As you observed, Atheists have to think themselves into corners of irrational concepts in order to preserve their ideology.
One of the outcomes of the atheist denial of absolutes is that logic, without an absolute basis in First Principles or axioms, is totally relative. Logic can slip and slide around and be made to fit the non-absolutist's opinion. And everything produced by Atheists and Materialists is therefore just non-logical opinion, based on no absolutes and no experimental science.
The entire subject of a non-material existence which is outside and beyond physical existence falls outside the purview of Materialism. Materialism merely denies such existence; denial is not a proof, neither experimental nor logical.
Observation of the existence of mathematics, logic, and life is a view into something which is outside of Materialism, yet something which is absolute. The deniers deny it at their own hazard: an irrational worldview.
Ask your deniers what their absolute basis for denial might be. If there is none, then why do they think it is True?
I hope this helps at least some. Please continue to ask any questions
you might have,
Stan
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