Introduction
A believer usually has a clear understanding of what makes their life meaningful. In a religious worldview, the ultimate meaning of life lies in honoring God and redeeming one’s life through good deeds. Consequently, life becomes meaningless if one rejects God, the creator of everything a believer holds dearly.
However, one would make a hasty assumption by claiming that a lack of relationship with God deprives secular individuals’ lives of meaning. These people can take God out of the equation and find the meaning of life in various manifestations. The essence of human nature acts as a natural driver of an autonomous search for meaning. Sometimes, people may fail in this endeavor and descend into bitterness and nihilism. Nevertheless, the self-perceived absence of God does not imply that a secular worldview is incompatible with crafting the meaning of life and successfully following it throughout one’s life journey.
Defining Meaning in Life and the Foundation for a Secular Perspective
Before exploring how human life can be meaningful without God, one needs to clarify what constitutes the meaning of life. This notion may seem too abstract or broad to give a clear answer. An average person may vaguely describe the meaning of life as something that gives them mental resilience and a sense of purpose. However, human sciences such as psychology and sociology have made a convincing attempt at conceptualizing the meaning of life by defining its key facets.
A state-of-the-art review by King and Hicks (2021) determined three underpinnings of meaning in life. Firstly, the comprehension component refers to feeling the right direction (King & Hicks, 2021). The world starts making natural sense for an individual; they become capable of living in harmony with their environment.
Secondly, the meaning of life stands on the sense of purpose based on valuable life goals and aspirations. Finally, one finds meaning in significance, the belief that their life matters (King & Hicks, 2021). Ultimately, life becomes meaningful if a person has goals, makes sense of their life, and feels that their contribution to the world is appreciated.
Human Capacity for Secular Meaning and Its Sources
If all three conditions are met, an individual achieves a state of positive affect. The feelings of pleasure and happiness are inherently entangled with meaning in life (King & Hicks, 2021). A religious person may argue that these positive emotions are meaningless without a connection to a higher power. However, the nature of human beings allows them to find meaning and retain morality despite the absence of God.
According to Lewis (2018), biological evolution has predisposed humanity to purposive, meaning-oriented behavioral patterns. Human beings are naturally adept at reflecting on experiences and finding meaning in life events. Thus, religiosity is not required to make an individual’s life meaningful (Lewis, 2018). Humans are capable of crafting the meaning of life without the intervention of higher spiritual powers.
Moreover, one can argue that religion has incorporated humanity’s natural social dispositions, thus being a secondary product rather than an original source of meaning in life (Lewis, 2018). As such, an individual may disconnect from God, a figure brought into existence by human minds, and use their innate cognitive prowess to develop a customized vision of meaning in life.
The Autonomy of Secular Meaning and the Optional Role of God
Individuals with a secular worldview have various sources of inspiration and meaning in life. Van Mulukom et al. (2022) surveyed one thousand people from 10 countries across the world to establish the foundations of meaning in life without God. On average, respondents mentioned ten categories, with science (35.1%) and humanism (25.5%) being most frequently referred to as the basis of their worldview and personal meaning of life (Van Mulukom et al., 2022).
These findings demonstrate that God is not essential for making human life meaningful. The secular meaning of life is based on using the natural human capacity to reflect on experiences and discover new senses and perspectives. In addition, one can see that a humane attitude to the world, care, kindness, and compassion do not vanish from people’s minds in the absence of God.
As such, the exclusion of religiosity does not render human lives meaningless. Secular individuals are fully capable of navigating through life without a connection to God. In that regard, God becomes an optional assistant in the search for the meaning of life rather than being its sole provider.
Conclusion
In summary, one can claim that God’s existence is not mandatory for bringing meaning into human life. Due to their inquisitive, meaning-oriented cognitive patterns and natural aptitude for self-reflection, humans can fill the vacuum left by the absence of God. Some individuals may fail in their search for meaning in life; others may not use their abilities to the full extent, preferring to live without thinking much about abstract matters.
Nevertheless, humans can sever their connection to God and construct their meaning of life on secular values. Love, care, compassion, and passion for discovery build a foundation rivaling religion-based perception of meaningfulness. Therefore, the absence of God, whether due to his potential nonexistence or an individual’s secular worldview, cannot deprive human life of meaning and satisfaction.
References
King, L. A., & Hicks, J. A. (2021). The science of meaning in life. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 561-584. Web.
Lewis, R. (2018). Purpose, meaning, and morality without God: Why we care even if the universe doesn’t. Psychology Today. Web.
Van Mulukom, V., Turpin, H., Haimila, R., Purzycki, B. G., Bendixen, T., Kundtová Klocová, E., Řezníček, D., Coleman, T. J. III, Sevinç, K., Maraldi, E., Schjoedt, U., Rutjens, B. T., & Farias, M. (2022). What do nonreligious nonbelievers believe in? Secular worldviews around the world. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 15(1), 143-156. Web.