from a Christian point of view,how is extentialism wrong?

Question

I am not an extentialist, I am just studying about extentialism.

Answer 1

The problem with 'existentialism' is it does away with moral absolutes, you cannot nail down what is truly right or wrong. Relativism is a fact in certain arenas, but it is not an across the board fact. Some things are relative, some are absolute; there is a marriage here that eliminates the theory of 'existentialism'.

Answer 2

I don't know much about this, but have you heard of Soren Kierkegaard? Unlike many existentialists [who were atheists] he was a Christian. Check out 'Fear and Trembling' for his classic analysis of faith with reference to Abraham. It's a challenging book but reasonably short. I couldn't quite understand it but if you are studying existentialism it might be worth a work; and his other books, such as 'Either/or.' Having said all this, most Existentialists were Atheists and did not believe in absolute moral values, which is why some Christians are against existentialism.

Answer 3

If you meant to type existentialism, I think I can answer this question.

Kathryn VanSpanckeren (1) defines existentialism as : A philosophical movement embracing the view that the suffering individual must create meaning in an unknowable, chaotic, and seemingly empty universe.

This by nature opposes christian humanist ideals, because it assumes the universe is chaotic and empty. Christians believe that God is a part of everything and every part of life. To call the universe chaotic and empty is to intrinsically say it is devoid of god.

Answer 4

It's a very cynical principle. It pretty much says that you can never trust things just because you see them. If you can't believe what you can see, how do you believe in a God that you can't see? Everything in the world is a postulate, not a theorem. You can't mathematically prove that love exists for example, but you can feel it, so you accept the fact that it exists.

Also, if nothing exists for certain, then there are no such thing as moral absolutes. For example, someone could bring 100 infants to a desert island and develops their own civilization, and raise those babies to believe that rape and murder are okay. The person doing it could justify himself by saying, "There are no cops and no laws on this island, so why isn't it ok?" Because God says it's not ok!

I believe that there are moral absolutes, and things like rape and murder are illegal even if they are done on Pluto, because God does not allow them. Humans cannot invent or change moral truths, because God ordains them.

Answer 5

"Existentialism"...
It restates the negativeness of the universe, the hideous lonely emptiness of existence, nothingness, the predicament of man forced to live in a barren, godless eternity, like a tiny flame flickering in an immense void, with nothing but waste, horror, and degradation, forming a useless bleak straightjacket in a black absurd cosmos. This is what all Atheists feel of the world and God.

Existentially speaking, God doesn't become an authority in a person's life until they authorize God to be their personal authority.

Answer 6

It puts the task of defining "meaning" in the hands of the individual and takes it away from God or, more accurately, religious dogma.

Thus the awesome feelings of freedom and personal responsibility of the existentialist.

To Purity: "This is what all Atheists feel of the world and God."
Thank you for putting words in my mouth. I would disagree with what you said, but apparently that's how I feel about the world and God. Also, I would interested to hear what exactly you mean by "existentially speaking". Let me guess, you know nothing about the existentialist thinkers and just saw an opportunity to shoe-horn in your dogmatic opinion. Congratulations.

Answer 7

I'm a Christian and I don't judge other people for their beliefs

Answer 8

Literally speaking, no.

Answer 9

read Kierkegarrd (sp?) thats what his whole theme was.