Purpose-Driven Faith

“Religion expresses the human need for meaning, not a demand for explanation. For those who have it, faith entails understanding the limits of the human mind and an acceptance of mystery. Even if all the problems of science are some day solved, humans will still be searching for purpose in their lives, and for that reason alone they will need religion.” – John Gray in a book review for The Globe and Mail called “Don’t Write Off Religion Just Yet”

Mr. Gray reviews a book by David Berlinski called The Devil’s Delusion Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions. I have not read Berlinski’s book, but I am given to understand that it is not a work favourable toward worldviews which are not theistic (it may in fact have been written in response to atheist Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion). In this review, Gray makes no secret of the fact that he agrees with Berlinski in supporting religion and opposing those who are not religious. He does not use the time and space of his article to put forward a compelling case for religion, preferring instead to rant against contemporary atheism while generally reducing the rather large topic of religion down to a very simple suggestion that only religion can give people meaning, and that as long as humans want to have purpose in life, they must continue to take up religion as their solution.

As objectionable as Gray’s simplification may seem on its face, I imagine that many people on both sides of the faith coin would agree with him. The community of faith has adequately marketed itself to the general public as the place where meaning and purpose are found, where the “void” and emptyness that all unchurched people are supposed to inevitably feel can be resolved. The marketing works. Generally speaking, when a person struggles to mentally or verbally capture their purpose in life, they seem to frequently and instinctively turn to religion in the same way that a person with a runny nose turns not to facial tissue, but to Kleenex. Mr. Purpose-Search Paul and Mr. Void Vic cannot just turn to personal reflection and conversation with companions, they “need religion.” They need to accept the limitations of the human mind. They need to accept mystery. They need to lay it all at the cross and trust God.

To find purpose and meaning elsewhere is to be labelled “depraved” and “tormented” and even “deluded” by the devil himself. And as I have indicated elsewhere, this sort of tone from religious people has sometimes been provoked by animated atheists.

From my present position, I would be inclined to get nose-to-nose (figuratively) with Gray regarding this review and express disagreement in frank terms. However, it occurs to me that Gray is unintentionally working against himself, and rather than disagree with him, I should encourage him to continue working against himself.

Religion, properly speaking, does not teach that the need for purpose and meaning should be a primary motivation for an individual’s adherence. For Christianity, the reason people “need” to submit and obey is that there is a just God at the helm to whom all must give account. The notions of purpose and meaning fall in line as person-oriented, and the chief principles of religion for Christians are God-oriented.

So, when an eager evangelist for any religion rushes out to proclaim that people need purpose and “for that reason alone they will need religion,” it reduces the burden of persuasion for the person who is endeavoring to say that religion is not a necessary element of a good life. In other words, some believers may want you deal with pointed questions about the existence of God and what God requires of mankind, but folks like this reviewer (John Gray) essentially throw all that out and the only burden on me is to say that a meaningful life can be had apart from religion. Presto, no more need for argument.