There have been a couple of posts on this blog that have spurred quite a good discussion (see below:  Atheists Have No Basis for Morality, and  “Expelled” is a Must See: Freedom is the Victim).  While there have been some good points made back and forth, it seems like we are getting down in the weeds on a couple of issues and perhaps ignoring the bigger picture.  So this post is an attempt to take a look at the bigger picture.  Namely, what is the correct worldview?  A worldview is an explanation for why things are the way they are.  

Every effect has a cause and there are many effects about reality that cry out for an explanation.  A worldview, for example, answers questions such as: Why does this majestic and vast universe exist?  What caused these amazing beings we call life?  Why are we conscious?  Why is there good?  Why is there evil?  In fact, why is there anything at all?  Any good worldview must be able to explain at least the following:  

1.     The origin of the universe out of nothing

2.     The design of the universe

3.     The origin of the four natural forces

4.     The origin of the laws of logic and reason itself

5.     The origin of the laws of mathematics

6.     The origin of the law of causality

7.     The origin of objective morality & human rights

8.     The origin and design of life

9.     The origin and design of new life forms

10.  The origin of intelligence, personality, and information 

Anyone trying to tell you that his worldview is right must provide an adequate cause for all of those realities—atheists must, Christians must, and so must everyone in between.  It won’t do any good to have a possible explanation for one or two of them and ignore the rest. 

For example, Darwinists (i.e. atheistic evolutionists) try to tell us they have a cause for number nine.  But even if we overlook the flaws and gaps in their theory and grant them that point, so what? It seems to me that their worldview can’t be considered adequate until they can provide an adequate cause for the other nine realities on the list.  In other words, even if new life forms can be explained by Darwinism, how do atheists explain everything else?  How does a biological theory explain the origin and design of the universe, physics, morality, reason, intelligence, etc.?

Now some of you may respond, “So what’s your explanation? Did God do everything? Isn’t that God-of-the-Gaps?”  I’ll address that in a future post (if you want to jump ahead, you can read it in I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist). For now, forget my explanation.  What I’d like to see, if you are a Darwinist, is your explanation.  How does an atheist explain the other nine realities on the list?  I know it’s a lot to discuss.  Maybe take one at a time.  I look forward to your insights.  (Thanks especially to Christopher and JJ for participating.)