Naturalism Versus Christian Views
Naturalism Versus Christian Views
Naturalism refers to a world view that is based on the monistic materialists denying the existence of immaterial things as well as the ability to act in the world. Based on the ontological and the metaphysical views, it defines naturalism as a view that sees everything being made of natural entities. It is all about materialism, with it requiring everything in the world to be physically determined, contrary to Christianity. Christianity refers to the desire of human beings to live based on biblical teachings. Therefore, these two topics differ in that one is based on materialism while the other is based on immaterial things that need to be followed by the bible. Naturalism tends to be rooted in the man’s will of purpose on earth from which materialism crops in as it must be involved for the man’s purpose to be realized. These two controversial issues tend to have effects on each other as they dictate the different ways through which man has to live and treat one another. These two aspects are one of the greatest contradicting issues that we have to face in our culture today. Naturalism does not believe in the existence of God, while Christianity believes in the existence of the supreme being with them being bound to follow what it teaches through the bible.
The two world views concur only on little details, and as a result, human beings have to understand the two aspects in order to co-exist well in society since lack of comprehension between the two aspects can lead to more conflicts between the people who embrace each of the views as they all advocate their own ways of perceiving the world (Torrance, 2017). Christians believe God controls the world with them being created with a body and soul hence the consciousness that they tend to bear and the mental activities that they encompass (Burdett, 2017). Therefore, understanding naturalism and Christianity is the best way to analyze how human beings co-exist and how they passive different aspects in society.
Naturalism is a prominent worldview praised mostly by the people in the modern world. The examination of this aspect closely holds a criterion that establishes a legitimate worldview with it coming short of the several aspects in the society such as morality, personal logical consistency, as well as human nature (Cooper, 2000). In cases where naturalism fails, Christianity comes in from where it gives a valid view; therefore, both tend to complement the aspect where each of them does not concur (Burdett, 2017). Therefore, Christianity establishes itself as one of the most superior worlds views, with it offering many arguments regarding ontology, cosmology, design arguments, as well as arguments depicting God as the source of all moral aspects in society. Through analysis, Christianity displays superiority with naturalism displaying inferiority as it dwells within the non-existence of God.
Naturalism is said to be a source of knowledge that is normative with truth consisting of some objects of knowledge said to be extramental with them existing the way they can be perceived from outside. Therefore, it is more concentrated on materialism than the body and soul since the body and soul tend to perceive things from the inside rather than from the outside as naturalism does (Cooper, 2000). In addition, Christianity perceives things both from the inside and the outside, which helps them in analyzing different aspects in the society hence the term of being identified as one of the greatest and the most superior world view which the people in the society upholds (Torrance, 2017). Naturalism is always based on scientific ways of finding the truth from which different research methods are used by naturalists to help them explore the different aspects which they need in society.
Therefore in many times, naturalists believe science is the best way to go in all the things that they uphold within the societal settings. As a result, all cosmos, as well as everything that is within the society, is an object of study which has to be analyzed and from which natural laws rule the people (Burdett, 2017). As a result, they say that there is nothing that precedes all scientific laws in the society, with them being the ultimate authority. While analyzing different historical aspects in the society, the naturalists believe that things are only based on cause and effect, with them not being able to overarch their purpose (Cooper, 2000). According to them, natural aspects sequence all the cause and effect events, and as a result, there are no supernatural beings that are visible in any of the happenings that are depicted through any historical happenings.
The naturalists say that all the historical happenings do not involve any power of God as everything can be perceived through materialism rather than Christianity that perceives the historical happenings through the soul and the body hence the sentiments which they tend to uphold (Haight, 2019). Only the materials are counted in all aspects, even in cases that involve human beings as the ceasing of human existence also depicts the ceasing of their histological encounters without taking into account the soul that tends to be analyzed from the Christian world views as Christianity upholds on the existence of God and the existence of immaterial things like the soul that is too interconnected with God (Oppy, 2018). The naturalists believe in a mindless nature constantly produced from the “cosmic accident.” Therefore, this naturalism is a believer of the material cosmos that is existent and continues to exist for the longest time as that is the only way through which these people perceive the world.
The cosmos, therefore, is believed to be governed by the laws of physics, with it having a closed system and believing no God exists and no God governs the world hence the impersonal and the loveless matter that exists within the people (Oppy, 2018). In addition, for naturalism, morality never plays a central role but rather applies to human beings. It is believed to have emerged as the second after consciousness as well as the self-determination which people tend to have (Haight, 2019). Therefore, morality is a bi-product of the evolutionary ways stemming from the greatest notion of survival for the fittest. In this case, morality is said to be non-existent outside all human conditions.
Also, human beings are said to only be made of chemical and physical properties rather than how Christianity perceives them to be made of the body and soul yet wholly understood in the world of naturalism. Since all humans are made of matter only, the disorganization and of these aspects leads to the loss of the person hence disappearance (Haight, 2019). As a result, Christianity has been given a chance to be the superior one has it is able to give its logistic view rather than naturalism which is not able to establish logic in the ways it views the world. Christianity is the most superior since it uses both science and the other mode of ways through which it is able to understand and give out the truth to society (Oppy, 2018). All activities involving humans based on Christianity are always channeled, fulfilling the purpose of God (Cooper, 2000). God’s plan is always the ultimate one that redeems all human beings, evidenced by sending his only son to save humanity from the world of sin.
In conclusion, naturalism and Christianity are two different and distinct world views which people tend to uphold in society. Naturalism leans on science while Christianity leans on the fulfillment of God’s purpose and the existence of the body and soul from which nature believes human beings are only made of matter, and the disorganization of these aspects leads to the end of the person. Therefore reflecting on the matter, according to J.W Cooper, the scientific reflections do not concur with what should be upheld in reality since people should consider all aspects since the body and the soul is what hold all humanistic existence. Through God’s purpose on human beings, they have been able to reside lives from which their bodies cooperate with their souls, showing them how they can handle the various things in society. The soul is important to the body as well as the mental state, which the humans tend to bear as the people’s mindedness helps them co-exist well in the society with them understanding naturalism and Christianity, thus learning how they can handle the things that come their way in the society.
References
Burdett, M. S. (2017). ASSESSING THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND RELIGION: ADVICE FROM THE NEXT GENERATION: with Andrew B. Torrance,“Should a Christian Adopt Methodological Naturalism?”; Victoria Lorrimar,“The Scientific Character of Philip Hefner’s ‘Created Co‐Creator’”; and Michael S. Burdett,“Assessing the Field of Science and Religion: Advice from the Next Generation.”. Zygon®, 52(3), 747-763.
Cooper, J. W. (2000). Body, soul, and life everlasting: Biblical anthropology and the monism- dualism debate. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
Haight, S. J. (2019). Faith and evolution: A grace-filled naturalism. Orbis Books.
Oppy, G. (2018). Naturalism and Religion: a contemporary philosophical investigation. Routledge.
Torrance, A. B. (2017). SHOULD A CHRISTIAN ADOPT METHODOLOGICAL NATURALISM? with Andrew B. Torrance,“Should a Christian Adopt Methodological Naturalism?”; Victoria Lorrimar,“The Scientific Character of Philip Hefner’s ‘Created Co‐Creator’”; and Michael S. Burdett,“Assessing the Field of Science and Religion: Advice from the Next Generation.”. Zygon®, 52(3), 691-725.