Tolerance can only exist if truth exists. If moral relativism is right — if “my truth” and “your truth” are equally valid, and there is no absolute truth we both have to seek — then the only way we can settle differences is by force. The strongest will win, not the truest. Tolerance is only possible when we are all seeking perfect and unconditional truth, a truth we are subject to, not a truth we control.
2. The Quesarito
It may be true that animals can evolve such that they butcher meat, mill flour and make cheese without a special gift of spiritual intelligence (though I doubt it), but what I have in mind here is the special appreciation for beauty that human beings have. Only we want to see something balanced and perfect, something that fills our hearts with wonder and a kind of awe. We alone have the experience of thinking we have arrived at consummate beauty, only to find a lack in it and want something more. Something like (and my sons agree with me here even if you don’t) the Quesarito at Taco Bell.
3. Climate Change Activism
Some people are absolutely certain that human beings are destroying the climate, and must be stopped. Their sense of justice and outrage is admirable. If they were only animals, they wouldn’t care about future generations. But they hunger for righteousness … because they have souls, and they long for personal and unconditional justice that they just know is out there — somewhere.
4. Taylor Swift’s Advice on Unrequited Love
… and prison wives’ testimonies of love for their husbands. In fact, every form of suffering for love is impossible without a soul; without God. If love is just the chemical connection to a mate, why should it last in the absence of the mate? Why should it suffer for the beloved? And unrequited love reminds us of something more: Every love on earth ultimately feels unrequited. We know that there is a greater love out there that is truly unconditional.
5. Science Majors
As C.S. Lewis put it, “Men became scientific because they expected Law in Nature, and they expected Law in Nature because they believed in a Legislator. In most modern scientists this belief has died: it will be interesting to see how long their confidence in uniformity survives it.” Science grew out of a Christian culture — without yesterday’s theologians, you wouldn’t have today’s Bio-Chem majors.
6. Our Disgust at Non-Apology Apologies
Everyone hates to hear the words, “I’m sorry you feel that way,” or, “I am sorry but you can totally see why I did that.” We hate the words because we have consciences, and consciences tell us that when something is wrong, it’s wrong. We have consciences because they are the voice of God in our hearts, pointing us toward truth.
7. Desperate Prayers
We all have said it at one time or another. “Lord, please help get through this.” “Lord, if I make it, I’ll totally give up Quesaritos.” These rudimentary calls to prayer — and more significant ones even moreso — arise from our understanding that there is help to call on. We don’t call for help from Leprechauns or the Tooth Fairy when we are in trouble, because Leprechauns and the Tooth Fairy don’t exist.
8. Atheist Organizations
Speaking of mythical creatures — have you noticed that there are no groups formed to fight belief in Leprechauns or the Tooth Fairy? There is no reason to form such a group, because (to repeat) Leprechauns and the Tooth Fairy don’t exist. Now, atheist groups, on the other hand, you need those! Without constantly reinforcing your unbelief, your atheistic leap of faith will be hard to sustain.
9. Free Speech
See “Tolerance” above. But also: Jesus Christ taught us to love our enemy, and that changed the course of history. Out of that command grew the courtesy of knights and the Geneva Conventions. Free speech is as much a product of respect for opponents as it is respect for Truth (sometimes it came in spite of corrupt Christians, but always it came in accord with Christian principles). Expect it to rapidly start eroding as faith dies.
10. Life, the Universe and Everything
And of course on the list of things that wouldn’t exist if atheists were right, there’s all of our experiences of the real. Just saying.