Let’s logically go through a materialist or humanist view of the world.
Creation of the universe and life
A materialist understanding of the universe is that it came into existence independently and has no ultimate meaning. It was simply a chance occurrence with no point. There happens to be at least one planet with an environment to support life; we call it planet Earth. Somehow, yet unknown, the first cells with DNA were formed. These first life forms evolved through mutation and natural selection to diverge into thousands of life forms.
Survival of the fittest
Each species became unique because natural selection eliminated unwanted features. Some animals are fast, others strong, some have excellent camouflage, and others have intelligence. These attributes are nothing more than for survival.
Therefore, the human brain cannot be anything more than a survival function. If a person were to meet up with a grizzly bear, the bear’s power would be greater than a person’s brain. However, the human brain could invent weapons that could kill the bear. The point is that human intelligence cannot be anything more than an evolutionary product of survival of the fittest.
All the brain can do is create realities that help humans survive. The brain can and does develop realities that even cause humans to kill their kind. Some believe the color of their skin makes them superior to other people. Some think that their intelligence allows them to take advantage of the weak.
Human dignity and rights.
It becomes difficult to say that all humans have rights because that would only be a concept of the brain trying to survive. Some believe that animals should have the same rights as humans. Others think a large population of humanity needs to be killed off so that the planet can survive. One nation thinks that another nation should be under their control. If our brains are the product of mutation and natural selection, then each one of these ideas is not correct or wrong; they are simply good or bad, and only natural selection will determine their destiny.
Many humans think that all people should be treated equally and have rights that others cannot take away. The writers of the Declaration of Independence declared this. However, this can only be a choice based on some people’s perceptions. The concept of humans being special is ancient. Genesis is a story of humans created by God that the three largest religions in the world have come to understand. Many cultures have believed in a being who created men.
Why reject the idea of a creator?
There are varying views of how humans should behave, so why reject the view of a creator? No view of human behavior is based on anything except the brain trying to keep itself alive. The view of a creator doesn’t need to be true if it works to bring about a better humanity.
Being a humanist or materialist, one could not conclude that the Bible is accurate and that Jesus was God. But there is no reason to think that a man named Jesus conceived away from living that wasn’t good. Some parts of the world that have historically embraced Jesus’ teaching think of humanity as worthy of dignity and rights. It is from Jesus the concept of loving your enemies has influenced cultures.
The bottom line to humanism.
The human brain is a product of evolution for the survival of its species. All concept of how humans interact with each other and other living things is an evolving illusion to keep us alive. The most powerful idea, whether aggressive or passive, will win out. A humanist can only claim humans have rights, dignity, and worth based upon one perception of reality. There cannot be a universal truth because no such exists in a world of evolution.
What if?
What if humans were the product of a Creator who, as Genesis says, was created to care for the earth? What if we have a universal purpose, and our instinct to care for our planet and one another is a reality? What if our minds are not making things up? Instead, they are embracing what we know to be true. If so, we can demand human rights, dignity, and worth. It is not a debated concept of survival but is grounded on what has occurred. The choice is yours if you have one!