What is the Foundation of Reality?

 What is the Foundation of Reality?

                                As a "child of the sixties" I have been engaged in the search for the definition of reality since I was old enough to understand the concept. The first time that I was challenged to define my worldview was  while in junior high school. We were given an assignment to write an essay on the topic.  The world at that time was dynamic and undergoing revolutionary changes geopolitically, sociologically, philosophically, theologically and  morally (while this maybe true today also, it was really a watershed period in history marking a breakaway from the long standing traditional values of the past). At the same time, I personally was going through the typical changes and challenges that every young person faces as they transition from childhood into adulthood. As I recall, my essay was a naive, idealistic and optimistic exposition on the basic goodness of man and the inevitability of science and technology to solve all of the problems of mankind. A view, I might add, that was wide spread and growing at that time, in spite of the obvious evidence, from the recent past (two world wars and the development of nuclear weapons), to the exact contrary. To a certain degree naive, humanistic optimism still survives as a worldview in the west today, however I would say that it has been replaced for the most part by materialistic pessimism. I realize that every generation faces its own challenging set of circumstances, but the post World War II generation was, I believe, unique in many ways. The primary concern of this particular article will be to consider the destabilization of conventional views of reality, following the near annihilation of mankind and the gross failure of human institutions (governments, universities, religious organizations, benevolent associations, international alliances, scientific institutions, etc.) to supply satisfactory answers to life's most profound questions. It is clear to me that we have drifted so far from any semblance of certainty or consensus of opinion that the question of the knowability of real reality, or even the desirability of  pursuing the question are passe in most quarters today. If you have read this far, then perhaps the question is not passe to you, good.
                             The words "Foundation" and "Reality" are both very substantial and primary concepts in the realm of human understanding. I invite you to think with me about the two ideas together, in an exploration of the definitions and supporting grounds for current thought forms and worldviews. The ramifications and the consequences of ideas are far reaching, touching every area of modern life. Each generation or age reflects the spirit of the times in many and diverse ways. Scientific endeavor, contemporary art forms, modern music and theater, prose, poetry, humor and the political arena are all reflective of what the current view of reality is.
                             There are many competing views contending for a say at the table of public opinion today. This in itself is not a bad thing. It is healthy for a society to explore new ideas and to scrutinize and examine old traditions and mores. Any philosophical system, worldview or religion that is afraid of questions or criticism is  destined to stagnate, ossify and sink into the mire of  irrealevancy. Philosophers, Scientists and Theologians (among others) have been pursuing the foundation of reality since man first became conscious and self aware. Currently, for example, atomic physicists are pursuing what has been labeled the "god particle". They are looking for the tangible, empirically verifiable explanation for all that exists, the foundation of reality. This worldview does not allow for any reality beyond the material universe. To put it into philosophical terms we will call it "Naturalistic Materialism". It was born out of the paradigm shift away from "Theistic Dualism" (physical and spiritual both real) to "Atheistic Monism" (only physical real). The seeds of this transformation can be directly traced back to the "Enlightenment" and the associated ideas of empiricism  existentialism, humanism and the unbridled enthusiastic embrace of all things scientific, with the expectation of mathematical certitude being applied to all avenues of investigation.
                             This quixotic crusade against all things spiritual in the pursuit of exclusively material causes has lead to a bleak place in the history of human thought. The unavoidable and inevitable conclusion of such a  blindsided pursuit and mindset has been reached in our day. Purpose and reason have been driven out of the universe and replaced with pessimism and mechanism. Man has been reduced, along with all of the other meaningless particulars in the universe, to a purposeless machine. Indeed man himself is not even so much a particular, let alone any concept like personhood, as he is merely a conglomeration of randomly coalesced particulars with no purpose. Is it any wonder that we see all around us meaningless acts of violence and destruction? Such a world view offers no hope and holds no consequences. The foundations of reality have been sabotaged. There remains no basis for objective truth or ethical standards, let alone morals. We have seen reality reduced to involuntary, aimless, atomic, chemical and biological reactions. Inevitable and irresistible determinism of one form or another has replaced conscious design and choice. What place then for responsibility or guilt? How empty and pointless an existence we are left with when we omit one half of real reality.
                                You see, if we remove the concept of any personal, purposeful, volitional being from existing in or beyond the universe, then all semblance of structure, purpose, form and law must go from our reality also and we are left with chaos and anarchy. Even the laws of non contradiction and cause and effect become blurred and non sequitur. But man cannot actually live in such a universe no matter how much he may promote it or declare it to be so. And so the modern atheistic materialist steals from the historical theistic worldview such concepts as the dignity of man and the value of self sacrifice and of love. He has no basis for any such things, but he affirms them any way. He must find, or make up a structure for living in a meaningless world, otherwise it becomes unbearable. This of course is why so many young people as well as people of all age groups are committing suicide at an ever increasing and unprecedented rate. Hopelessness, insignificance and irrelevance define despair.
                                 But the truth is, there is real hope for man and for the universe! We don't have to make up values or invent some baseless purpose for life in order to make our existence bearable. All that we have to do is to take an honest and objective look around us and within ourselves to see that there is indeed real value and structure, meaning and form, design and purpose to reality. Let me suggest an idea to you that is so old and neglected that it has become  new and revolutionary. Give the Bible a second look. Give the God of creation a chance to make His case for the value of your physical body and for your  life,  for your unique personhood and for your immortal, invisible soul.
                                 It is not so much that the authentic Christian worldview has been tried and found wanting in our day as it is the case that the authentic Christian worldview has been left untried and neglected in the main. It has been relegated to an old and outdated paradigm long since left behind. True Christianity has been supplanted by a seemingly limitless array of impostors. Nearly all of what parades around our modern world today under the rubric of  Christianity is some form or another of humanism. We have the non-supernatural version, the non sin version, the prosperity, the social gospel, the tolerant all inclusive versions. None of which are based upon sound biblical teaching or understanding.  In order to gain a clear view of true reality we must let go of all of the false ideas, inculcated preconceptions and the misconceptions that are obscuring our vision. What is needed is a renascence so to speak. A return to the original source, the Bible. A revival of faith in the Word of God.
                                  This is the focus of our current discussions and studies at Friends and Family Forum. A fresh look at the foundations of reality. In short a fresh look and new consideration of the origins and validity of the Holy Bible. The Bible claims to contain the "God breathed" living word of the creator of reality. Within it's pages we will rediscover the true foundation of what is real, what we can actually believe and know to be true. It contains the actual propositional revelation of the one and only source of reality, it's author. It is my hope that many will join us as we go forward over the next weeks. The name of our group reflects the heart of our members. We invite Friends from all points of view to join us along with an open invitation to all of the members of the Family of God. Ours is an open Forum discussion and study group with the Bible as our ultimate source of truth. Won't you "Taste and see" that the Lord is good?