When philosophy leads to the wrong conclusion
"If naturalism were true then all thoughts whatever would be wholly the result of irrational causes...it cuts its own throat." – C. S. Lewis [A Christian Reply to Professor Price]
Naturalism is a classic example of philosophical presuppositions leading to the wrong conclusions. The naturalist denies any power higher than his reason and therefore has a distorted picture of reality. For the naturalist, what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. As Paul Copan points out, the naturalist is guilty of what is known in logic as the "self-excepting fallacy." Simply put, he does not hold his own beliefs to the same standard he expects of others. He explains away the religious beliefs of others as the product of their DNA and experience, suggesting that they are invalid. Yet, perhaps by a miraculous stroke of genius, he does not consider his own reasoning abilities untrustworthy, even though, according to his own worldview, they themselves are also the product of his DNA and experience. The naturalist will refuse to defend his faulty presupposition although this is precisely what he expects of others.
Even more embarrassing for the naturalist is that his worldview is self-refuting. The naturalist claims to reject the metaphysical while at the same time ignoring the fact that naturalism is itself a metaphysical framework. As many people have repeatedly shows – naturalism cannot be scientifically proven. Naturalism masquerades as science, when in fact “it is really an un-provable philosophical assumption that guides experimentation. Naturalism itself is not the result of experimentation”.
The next time you look at the starry hosts, fool yourself that this is all time plus matter plus chance. Or do the sensible thing and echo the words of the Psalmist: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world (Psalm 19:1-4, NIV).”
