To my Friend Will Wright: Letter One
In his recent blog post, my good friend and Catholic Catechist Will Wright tells you that the meaning of life is “to know God, love God, and serve God. The goal of life is to grow in holiness, to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ. The goal of life is to get to Heaven.” To the surprise of no one, as a Scientist and Atheist, I disagree.
Will —
you seem to be conflating the meaning and goals of life: These are distinctly different concepts. The ‘Meaning of Life” would be the significance of Life, that which gives Life value: Whereas the “Goal of Life” is the purpose with which a specific life, or life in general, exists.
“Knowing God” is not a logical answer to the question “What is the significance of Life?” Fundamentally, any question concerning significance is a subjective one: A specific teddy bear may be insignificant to me and another 7.5 billion people on the planet, but of tremendous consequence and importance to a specific child or toddler. To presume that life has a ‘Meaning” requires that it be viewed from the perspective of some entity capable of considering such a meaning.
In much the same vein, “Goals” also require some conscious assignment of value to be assigned. You have assigned the goal of your life as growing in holiness and relationship with your Lord and Savior and to get into heaven: Goals I cannot share, as I have no relationship with Jesus Christ and do not consider heaven to exist. But I must wonder how identifying such a goal impacts your attempts to fulfill them.
Does your motivation matter to God, and could it impact your ability to enter Heaven? For example, if altruism is an act which creates good for your fellow Human while giving you no such benefit, and makes you more likely to enter Heaven, is altruism even possible when the concept of a moral dessert for a life well-lived is forefront on one’s mind?
Another example I hope will strike closer to your goals: Suppose you have a wealthy relative with whom you have a good relationship. If you were to describe the goal of your relationship as “to grow in relationship and to receive their estate when they pass,” can it ever really be a relationship purely for the purpose of the relationship itself?
Your friend,
Scott
