Bible Students

What is Prime Reality?

Prime reality is what can be observed. The material (natural) world is all there ever was, is, and will be, and there are no other (supernatural) forces. 

What is the nature of external reality?

The universe exists, and is interpreted by humanity. The universe is all there ever was and ever will be, until it’s eventual heat death. 

What is a human being?

A human being is a product of natural evolution. Humanity is neither greater nor lesser than any other animal. It is the most evolved in terms of cognitive and social abilities, but is not more valuable than anything else. A human is comprised only of material parts and has no spiritual counterparts. 

What happens to a person at death?

A human consciousness is ended, similarly to non-REM sleep. The person ceases to exist, forever. There is no reincarnation and no afterlife, for there are no spiritual strings to tie a “soul” to those places. 

Why is it possible to know anything at all?

At the basic level, it isn’t possible to know anything. As an integrated and consistent naturalist would agree, you cannot be 100% certain of anything. Our interpretation of reality is a result of evolution, which does not favor true interpretation of reality, but rather useful interpretation. The only thing we can truly know is that we exist, for to think is to exist. Other than that, we can know nothing. Our own thinking systems may be deceived by evolution. It is probable, though, that our interpretation of reality is mostly true. Truth is often useful and therefore favored by cognitive evolution, and the uniform experience of humanity produces the same interpretations for countless things. 

How do we know what is right and wrong?

A consistent naturalist does not know right and wrong. There is no objective moral standard. You cannot take what ought to be from what is. There is only what there is. There is no ought. Morality cannot even be based on the survival of humanity as being the ultimate ethic, since one cannot say the human race ought to live on. There is no ought from only what is. 

What is the meaning of human history?

Nothing. History is likely linear, as makes the most sense logically (though, our logical senses may fail), and likely is not eternal. However, deriving meaning from objective reality is not possible. There is no ought in what is. 

What personal commitments are consistent with this worldview?

Nothing. Consistent atheistic naturalism leads to Nihilism. There is no meaning, there is only what is. There is no ought. A consistent naturalist doesn’t even have the ability to say they ought to do nothing, since everything is meaningless. Even that is inconsistent, since you cannot derive what ought to be from what is.