Editor:

In his letter "Atheists' Views deny Ultimate Meaning (Feb 6)," Walter J. Caywood claims that atheism carries with it death of ultimate meaning of life. In my letter I am going to answer the question he asks at the end of his letter in an attempt to defend atheism. I will not reply to the rest of his theses since they are at best unclear to me.

His so called fundamental question was: "Which is more terrifying and/or appealing, embracing an existence with no actual ultimate meaning or significance, or the infinite-personal God of the universe (of whom the Lord Jesus Christ and the Bible testify) who alone gives meaning and value."

My question: What do you mean by "meaning" when you say atheism implies no meaning of life? You first clarify the notion of meaning, then I will reply to you.

Second question: Why is it that non-belief in God carries with it no meaning of life? Answer to this question, after you clarify the notion of meaning.

You want us to choose the second option: Believe in God who is the source of meaning and value. The problem is we can choose the second option only after we believe that God exists. In other words, belief in the existence in God precedes the adoption of second option. But the problem is that, as far as I know, nobody in history ever proved the existence of God to the effect that it can be reasonable to believe the existence of God.

Your reply might be: Forget about that problem! Belief in God brings us comfortable psychological state!

Then my reply is: Many people once believed that the earth is the center of the universe, and the belief brought comfortable psychological state. For them, believing that the earth is off center was like heaven-collapsing. If somebody today is of this adjustment. Similarly, if a person claims that non-belief in God is like heaven-collapsing, I am inclined to say that she needs a psychological adjustment too. And it is their problem, not atheists'.

Seungbae Park
first year philosophy graduate student