SO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU EXIST BUT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND AN ANSWER. We Exist Because We Possess The Essence Of Existence. Likewise, we can understand that the Creator of the Universe has to exist, since it would be unintelligent to dismiss this, knowing that if there is infinite essence, there has to be an Infinite Being.

The futility of life is a fact that everyone must address. Not all people believe that life is futile; some argue that being born only to die does not constitute futility. For me, this is hard to fathom. If death means the cessation of life, then being born to cease to exist is indeed futile. There is no point in creating something just to destroy it.

For instance, imagine you spend five years of your life building a house. You take the time to think about what you want to create, and you go through the trouble of drawing up plans for your house. You even map out the processes involved. Finally, you have the plans, the details of the materials required, and information on where to obtain them.

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You dig the holes for the foundation posts and intend to pour concrete into them. You need iron rods and bars to place in the foundations. However, you discover that this will require more effort than you expected, so you decide to purchase pre-made concrete posts with wire extending from them, allowing you to tie the floor bearers down securely. The holes for the foundations are dug, the posts are positioned, and the earth is compacted around them. The bearers are laid across the foundation posts, and the wire is wrapped around the posts and fixed securely into the bearers. Floor joists are laid across the rows of supporting bearers. The wood for the floor joists is not as thick as that of the bearers; instead of four inches by four inches, the joists are four inches by one inch thick. You decide against using particle board for the floor and choose tongue-and-groove three-by-one-half-inch floorboards. You ensure that the flooring is securely jammed together before you begin nailing in the floorboards.

Once the flooring is completed, you build much of the frame on the ground. Each portion of the frame consists of studs, noggins, sole (floor) plates, top (ceiling) plates, and braces. The vertical studs are ten feet long and have a diagonal brace running through them that attaches to both the sole plate and the top plate. Every four studs has a brace running diagonally from the sole plate to the top plate. You realize that it is easier to install the noggins later to ensure that the width of the gaps between the studs remains constant once the frame is completed. The doorjambs and lintels are added once the wall frames are erected. You then place the ceiling joists on top of the wall plates and set your roof at the desired pitch with jack rafters, ridging, and hips, before installing the rafters, purlins, struts, strutting beams, hanging beams, collar ties (rafter joists), and gable ends. Once these are in place and secured, you attach the fascia around the bottom of the rafters and the bargeboard on the gable with beading. Additional noggins and braces are placed in the walls. Rafter joists are fixed across the wall plates. Instead of using butt joints and gang nails, you prefer to create notches in the plates for the studs and in the studs for the noggins. Planing the studs to create the notches takes more time, but you want to build a house that is sturdy and capable of standing for centuries. Wherever possible, you use mortise and tenon joints or half-lap joints instead of butt joints and gang nails, which are the modern method of building.

You purchase the most expensive slates you can find for the roof. Instead of plasterboard, you use lath and plaster for both the walls and the ceiling. You nail thin strips of one-inch-wide wood battens with narrow gaps between them for the plaster to grip. This takes longer than using plasterboard, but you want to create a house that can stand the test of time. The exterior is clad with treated wood and painted. You invite your friends over to see the house, and they all admire it. When you invite them a second time, they come thinking you are going to have a moving-in party. Instead, much to their dismay, you light a bonfire next to the house and throw gasoline on it. Your friends are aghast with horror as the house goes up in flames. They exclaim that you are mad and think you have gone insane. You went to the trouble of building a house that would last a few hundred years, and then you just set it alight. What a waste of effort—absolutely pointless—futile!

Can you imagine going to the effort of saving money for ten years so you could take another five years to build a house that people would admire, only to set it alight for them to watch it go up in flames?

Jesus said:

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’” (Luke 14:28-30)

“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Instead of a tower, we could speak of a house. When a person starts something and is unable to finish it, people laugh at him because his actions have become futile. Likewise, when a person builds on a foundation that is not capable of withstanding the elements, people would laugh, too. These are futile efforts because they come to naught. Most people would agree that saving for ten years and then building a house to last a couple of hundred years, only to raze it to the ground by fire as soon as it is built, is an act of futility as well.

This is essentially the point about futility. People can engage in what appear to be meaningful activities, but they are futile in the end. We can purposefully express our thoughts about futility in a demonstrative way, or we can live in ignorance, believing ourselves to be wise, and merely lead a life of futility.

When we speak to people about futility, most will admit that for a person to go to the trouble of saving money to build a house capable of lasting a couple of hundred years and then turning it to ashes is an act of absurdity. Many homeless people could have made use of that house. If the owner wanted to keep the land, the house could have been sold and transported elsewhere. What infuriates many people is the absolute waste of good resources, not to mention the environmental concerns regarding pollution from the fire. Yet the story illustrates exactly what people really do with their lives.

People spend their lives striving to achieve many different things. Tycoons like Rupert Murdoch, who built the mega-media giant News Limited, seek to create empires that span the globe. Most people, however, think in terms of building reserves for retirement. When young, most couples seek to establish a family where they can enjoy the company of their children and grandchildren. Rupert Murdoch went from being the owner of a city newspaper (with a circulation of approximately 50,000) to owning a global news juggernaut. Unlike Murdoch, not everyone sees most of their desires realized. Yet many people will tell you that their lives have meaning because they find significance in the things they do.

Finding significance in an otherwise futile existence is what some forms of nihilism supposedly address. What is known as “existential nihilism” and “ethical nihilism” are attempts to find significance within nihilism. We can say these are efforts to find meaning in futility without God.

Nihilism is often attributed to having originated with Friedrich Nietzsche, who rejected Christianity and spent much of his life in a state of despair. However, nihilism actually dates back to around 450 BC and is attributed to Gorgias' philosophy, which is found in a work titled “On Non-Existence.” In this work, three sequential arguments are developed. The first is that nothing exists. The second is that even if existence exists, it is inapprehensible to humans. The third is that even if existence is apprehensible, it cannot be communicated or interpreted for one’s neighbors. His conclusions are very similar to Buddhist ideas of existence being non-existence, where the avoidance of suffering is each person's goal on Earth, for suffering is knowledge of existence.

According to one definition, nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and possess no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy.

Nihilism has gained a following among atheists. While all nihilists are atheists, not all atheists are nihilists. There are atheists who believe that evolution has a purpose. True nihilists see no purpose in existence. However, like many inventions of humankind, there are different types of nihilism.

Epistemological nihilism denies the possibility of knowledge and truth and is linked to extreme skepticism.

Political nihilism advocates the destruction of all existing political, social, and religious orders as a prerequisite for any future improvement.

Ethical nihilism (or moral nihilism) rejects the possibility of absolute moral or ethical values. Good and evil are vague, and related values are simply the result of social and emotional pressures.

Existential nihilism, the most well-known view, affirms that life has no intrinsic meaning or value.

Unfortunately, some people who claim to be interested in finding the truth become entangled with nihilism. You would think they would understand that there is no point in nihilism, as there is no significance in being born only to die. When people point to Nietzsche and nihilism or any philosophy or religion that advocates going from nothing to nothing, the question they need to answer is always: Where is the significance and purpose in developing such a worldview? One could argue that it justifies a person's current existence. What an absurd notion.

The mere fact that people develop a worldview of any sort to explain existence is evidence of their need for meaning. Even if they adopt the worldviews of others, this still demonstrates their need for meaning. Many reject the idea of nihilism and claim that we are traveling through a series of rebirths from nothing back to nothing or from the source back to the source. This is also a form of nihilism and possesses no significance of eternal worth. The same applies to those who claim they are on their fourteenth incarnation or transmigration in the journey from non-being back to non-being, asserting that the significance of their current manifestation of being is to discover the quickest way to end the suffering they are presently enduring. This is usually framed as acquiring nirvana and transcending the material realm of existence by entering a state of perfect peace devoid of suffering. However, you will never find a person who has actually achieved nirvana. To achieve nirvana is to attain the ideal and cease from suffering forever.

One wonders how those with Buddhist, nihilist, or atheistic ideas can be sure their belief system surpasses the assurance of rebirth in the here and now. Most Westerners are rejecting a Christian worldview. Clearly, those who reject the heritage into which they were born have no understanding of a Christian worldview. If they did, they would realize there is significance in being born, but only if we seek the truth about being "born only to die."

Indeed, futility is an insult to intelligence. The earlier mentioned story of building a house just to burn it down illustrates the evidence of futility.

Rather than seek the truth and acknowledge the reality of futility, people often resort to justifying their existence by presenting arguments that their lives have significance for one reason or another. If nothing else, such individuals clearly demonstrate they have the capacity for reasoning, even if it is faulty reasoning. The mere fact that we humans have the capability to reason but not the ability to overcome death is what needs to be addressed. When we consider ourselves, we must ask: Are we reasoning individuals who believe that being born to die is not futile? Amazingly, many people do.

Reading the book of Ecclesiastes is worthwhile because it provides a good picture of what futility is about. Ecclesiastes is framed within the context of ancient Israel's culture. As we read this, we cannot help but be prompted to think about the futility of our own existence. The drumbeat is solid but true: nobody has asked to be born, and nobody asks to die—unless the pain of this present existence is unbearable.

However, what each one of us needs to address within the framework of our existence on planet Earth is how we can conceive of eternity. Surely, there must be a reason for our ability to think about eternity. The idea that we could never die and instead live forever makes sense if we were created with the intention of possessing everlasting life, but not if we are merely born to die.

We could argue that it is illogical to accept that there is significance in being born only to die. It is equally illogical to use logic to reason that existence is more than being born to die, even though we are unable to establish this once we are dead, as far as those still living on this planet are concerned.

The claim that nothing can be known is often raised. By "nothing," we can assume what is meant is the certainty of knowledge. For we know that nothing appears impossible to find because nobody has produced nothing. Claiming that a handful of air is nothing only holds water until someone points out that what is perceived to be nothing actually consists of oxygen and other gaseous elements.

What may seem logical often does until it is undermined by superior knowledge. There is an irrationality in the logic we may use to claim that we are created because we know how to create things; therefore, we must have been created. However, we cannot actually identify the Creator in the same way we can identify any other finite object. Logically, if we were created, there must be a Creator, and that Creator must be known. If not, how can we know we were created and are not just a product of circumstance—chance? Of course, once we accept that the first two humans were created, the foreboding question becomes: Who created the Creator? The question of who created the Creator of the Creator can go on ad nauseam.

Many reply that nobody created the Creator; everything evolved. This, of course, raises its own problems when attempting to establish how creatures requiring eyes, lungs, and hearts developed them. The complexity required for these organs to function couldn't have been assembled piece by piece over a hundred years, let alone thousands, millions, or billions of years.

Evolutionists face the age-old argument of what came first: the chicken or the egg. They are unable to solve it. If they could, nobody would raise it when arguing for or against the existence of the Creator of the Universe. If the egg came first, who brought the egg into existence? If the chicken was created first, who created the chicken? People, unknowingly displaying their ignorance, arrogantly settle for either the egg or the chicken.

The truth is that the rooster had to come first; otherwise, there could not be a fertilized egg, nor a reason to create the chicken so it could lay the egg. This doesn't answer the question about the Creator; it merely indicates that the Creator is a necessity for Creation to exist. The complexities of Creation are manifold. Anyone who thinks that a human being, an ape, or some other creature just evolved from nothing is not thinking very clearly about the complicated organs that must exist before a body can function. Some huge leaps had to be made from organelles to complex organisms.

Consider the circulatory system, which could not function without its arteries, veins, lungs, and heart. The lungs and heart are intricate organs in their own right, but they also need to connect to perform the function of oxygenating the body and removing carbon dioxide and other gases. The alveoli are an incredible multitude of minute sacs and ducts that form the major part of the lungs, and without them, there would be no breathing. The alveoli didn't come about by circumstance and then begin repeating in the manner of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The evidence, therefore, points to the human body being designed.

Arguments about bodily malfunctions and flaws in the design of living beings have nothing to do with the original design. There are explanations for why humans are born to die, and like other biological creatures and plants on Earth, they go through a life cycle of birth, growth, maturity, reproduction, and death. Unfortunately, for those who claim everything is evolving, there are a number of phenomena that are very difficult to incorporate into this concept. Creatures that actually change their physical characteristics during various stages of their life cycle, such as frogs, butterflies, and moths, demonstrate that there is no evolutionary process; rather, modified, restricted forms of microevolution are evident. In particular, the caterpillar, chrysalis, adult, and egg cycle speaks of a Creator rather than just a chance event.

Logic based on a faulty premise always seems right, even though it is wrong. This is something found in apologetics, where people defend their belief systems. Any scientist who subscribes to the "No Creator" basis for understanding life obviously would not see truth as something that must be sought. Fudging the figures and creating an appearance of truth through manipulations is just as delusional as gullible individuals believing that a talisman, figurine, or statue has the power to bring rain to end a drought or to destroy an enemy.

Apologetics is the discipline of developing arguments to defend the convictions that people hold. However, apologetics tend not to win people over to another person’s way of thinking. Mostly, arguments tend to further convince those who are advancing them. If people do not see the flaws in the arguments they are presenting, nothing is going to change.

Doubt is what causes a person to change his or her view. When we consider ourselves, we know that when we have doubts, we usually seek answers to erase those doubts. Of course, much depends on the level of motivation we have at the time, which in turn depends on how much pain our doubt causes us. If we feel comfortable with our current existence, we may doubt other people's intentions and the significance of anything we are shown because it doesn't immediately affect us. However, pain will cause us to shift our ideas.

For instance, if individuals doubt the existence of God, they will seek comfort from those who express the same ideas. Often, organized religion or certain individuals who claim to represent God are the cause of their doubts. These doubts are then carried over to the existence of God.

Unless a person admits that being born only to die is a futile existence, there is little likelihood of that individual considering injustice, love, wisdom, morality, or their own subjectivity in relation to the One Who Exists, besides Whom there is no other.

For those who embrace nihilism, there must be reasons that endear them to this philosophy. Often, it is because they see it as the best means of advancing a better lifestyle for humans. While they acknowledge that they are going to die and that they did not ask to be born, many people feel that once the current social conditions are annihilated, a utopia can be introduced where people will have access to the fountain of youth, and where racism, homophobia, and sexism do not exist.

Some nihilists think they are quite clever and put forward a simple argument based on an empiricist who believes that truth is evidenced through conducting experiments, or a rationalist who claims that thinking alone establishes the truth of existence.

An empiricist, a rationalist, and a nihilist attempt to prove their case for the truth to a person who claims he is blind. The empiricist provides what he believes is a valid demonstration. The rationalist brings forth what he considers an a priori reality. From the answers of the first two, the nihilist believes he has proven his point. A realist believes existence can be known for sure, even if one is blind or disabled.

Empiricist: Can't you see the truth?

Person: No, I'm blind.

Rationalist: I think, therefore I am.

Person: You used speech to make that proclamation; one must use sight or hearing to interpret.

Nihilist: See, nothing can be certain.

Person: You can't prove that.

Nihilist: You're catching on. Nihilism is the only epistemological philosophy worth following.

Realist: But the reality of pain means that there is certainty of existence.

As it happens, pain is the greatest motivator we know. When we experience pain, we are motivated to alleviate it in whatever way we can. A toothache can motivate people to pull out their own teeth without the aid of a painkiller. In such cases, the pain is so intense that pulling out the tooth, which would otherwise be extremely painful, becomes a non-issue because the action of removal is perceived as a lesser pain, and its intensity is not felt. If the person is not motivated to remove the tooth without a painkiller, then the intensity of the pain has not yet become unbearable.

Nihilism

Nihilism varies according to the nature of the person who espouses the philosophy. The popular view is that nihilism is synonymous with cynicism and despair. In fact, nihilism is a worldview in which adherents claim to believe only in personal observations and experiences that prove true, or in what others, who are considered scientifically qualified, can prove true, provided it aligns with their worldview. Evidently, this modern view of nihilism is based on the following:

The beginning of the universe was a random event that occurred within a certain set of parameters; likewise, all subsequent events have occurred by chance. Life is an end in itself, and there is no such thing as purpose.

Consequently, absolute truth does not exist. Value systems and ethical codes are futile constructs, except when they serve the interests of the nihilists to enhance their quality of life or arise as a consequence of natural behavior.

The natural outcome of the above is that responsibility, obligation, and similar concepts are falsehoods. Nihilists are thus inclined to ignore or sneer at societal norms and conditioned mindsets.

The first priority of every nihilist is self-interest. This includes personal well-being, satisfaction, and survival. To this end, the nihilist performs every action with this goal in mind. The nihilist does not pursue these actions consciously; rather, they are natural occurrences that require no thought.

There are two types of nihilists: a. Those who possess an undamaged psyche, maintain unity within themselves, and are motivated by a creative libido. Such nihilists are not necessarily self-absorbed, as they find that altruistic deeds lead to greater well-being. In fact, it is claimed that some nihilists may even follow traditional dogmas if they are proven to work for the best interests of the individual. b. Those who are motivated by a self-destructive id, and whose actions exhibit a death wish. Such nihilists oppose anything that suggests purpose, values, and social cohesion. Morals, ethics, and values of any nature are considered manmade beliefs, whereas thoughts and ideas are not beliefs but images of a reality that does not exist; therefore, every proposition is invalid. Life itself has nothing to offer, and being pointless is why nihilism is associated with despair. Since nothing exists and we cannot truly know anything, the blessing of non-existence is that it will never terrorize anyone; therefore, we who know nothing have nothing to doubt. Death, in the sense of becoming nothing, is bliss.

The nihilist view is contradictory and represents nothing more than a mindset that seeks to defend the futility of life as a meaningful basis for its own meaningless existence. The mere fact that a nihilist has a belief system is itself a contradiction. A true nihilist, by definition, would simply commit murder-suicide or attempt to destroy everything as soon as he or she realizes that life is futile, and this would be of no consequence. However, even those with a destructive bent harbor an inner fear that death may not be pleasant, and that there could be more to existence than merely being born to die.

When engaging with a person who identifies as a nihilist, the “why" test is the most effective means of discussion. There is no point in pointing out the futility of life, as the nihilist already believes that life is futile. What the nihilist needs to realize is how invalid his or her own reasons are for the belief system they claim to reject. Subjecting people to the “why" test is a challenging approach; it resembles the incessant questioning of an inquisitive three-year-old. While using the "why" test may seem aggressive or off-putting, it is necessary when individuals are in denial of the truth and continually speak in contradictory terms. Asking why a person has not yet killed themselves can be a hostile way to introduce oneself. Naturally, it is better to engage in some preliminary conversation beforehand. However, such a question becomes appropriate when a person uses a philosophy like nihilism as their raison d'être (justification for existence). The reasons a person claims for not having killed themselves will reveal much about that individual. Depending on the answer, a new focus for exploring the person’s mindset will emerge. Few people are dyed-in-the-wool nihilists—or atheists, for that matter.

Fear and doubt are the two primary reasons why people do not act on what they might claim they would like to do. People do not kill themselves because they fear what lies behind the curtain of death, as they are uncertain whether their current belief system is valid. This uncertainty indicates that the individuals in question are not truly convinced of their rejection of purpose. Nihilists acknowledge that life on Earth is futile, yet they find a purpose in that futility while simultaneously claiming that there is no purpose. Once a nihilist acknowledges that there is a purpose, it seems possible to help that person explore the reasons why life on Earth might be futile but not life itself. It would be unjust for a Creator to create people and give them the ability to contemplate futility, only to have them perish or hold them accountable for their actions if the human soul does not disintegrate at death.

Nietzsche, before developing his philosophy of nihilism, was well-versed in Christian theology but may not have read in the Gospels that Jesus said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). If Nietzsche did read this, either it did not register with him or he dismissed it.

Not all Christian theologians actually read the Bible. Often, they concentrate on theology and, in doing so, rely on written commentary by church doctors. What they read concerning the Bible is often based on partial quotations. This is one of the reasons many theologians, particularly among Roman Catholics, have an impoverished understanding of what the Christian Scriptures actually state.

Jesus clearly stated that we are to fear Him who has the power to destroy the soul, not merely to kill it. Killing something doesn't necessarily mean destroying it, although we might assume it does. Jesus was killed but not destroyed; He came back to life, and His body was nowhere to be found in the sepulcher where it lay lifeless. He returned to His physical body after three days and nights and rose from where He had been physically lying. Although everyone at the time would have said He was killed by crucifixion, in fact, having been declared dead, Jesus' legs were not broken, whereas the legs of the other two crucified with Him were broken (John 19:31-33).

People who claim that nothing really exists are often very self-righteous and convinced that they are right in their views. For their own sake, they need to realize that there is no significance in being born only to die. Many will argue that by pointing out the lack of significance in anything, if we are born to die, we are merely focusing on an ultimate purpose. Some will claim they deny the existence of an ultimate purpose because no God exists, and if He does exist, there is no evidence. Anyone who claims that nothing exists and then suggests otherwise, by implication, is expressing doubt in their own beliefs and is not true to their convictions, even if they assert that everything is an illusion. Once an individual begins to agree that he or she is not truly a nihilist or a true atheist, it becomes possible to work with that individual to explore the idea that their sense of morality may have a higher meaning. For those who have begun to doubt their initial defense of the significance of doing good deeds, the previously described scenario of building a house and then burning it to the ground should provide food for thought.

The existence of social conventions that are observed by those who claim to be nihilists points to significance and meaning in terms of interaction. Morality is fundamentally about relationships, nothing more. Many atheists and nihilists acknowledge that they find meaning in relationships. After all, morality is all about the relationships between people, not things. Attributing morality to a person's relationship with an object is usually considered absurd, although this is not always the case today. Many claim to have relationships with dolls and even engage in sexual intercourse with them. Bestiality is still frowned upon and socially unacceptable. If we accept that humans were made in the image of God, we find it easier to accept the absolute truth regarding morality and our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Indeed, when it comes to sexual sin, this is an abomination in the sight of God, as is bearing false witness and coveting what does not belong to us.

Speaking of relationships as the essence of morality: How does it feel to be the victim of abuse? How does it feel to be dumped by a lover or partner, or to have been divorced? What is the point of saying, “I love you,” when it is not really meant, because the person was dumped?

Further questions worth exploring are:

Don’t you think it is wrong when people do not keep their word?

How can we trust anyone if what people say is always meaningless?

Wouldn’t you prefer it if people kept their promises to you?

Do you really like being lied to?

Doesn’t it hurt to think that life is so dreadful?

Do you feel pain at all?

How about emotionally—do you feel pain when you are let down?

Do you know what it feels like to have your feelings hurt?

Have you ever seen your feelings outside of your body?

Have you ever seen your feelings at all?

We can ask these questions of ourselves. When we do, we find that life doesn't seem as cheerful as we might like it to be. Positive thinking has its merits, but not when it comes to denying reality. People can claim that life isn't futile even if there is no purpose. Personally, I have found that when individuals begin to divulge their self-interests and hurts, or when they are confronted with the futility of their own nihilistic or atheistic thinking, matters change. Life without meaning seems pointless, and without an ultimate purpose, life is completely futile.

As strange as it may seem, feelings are often given a sense of individual personhood, as they are frequently cited or referred to as being "hurt." Feelings are never actually seen in action on their own; neither are they ever produced as a substance that can be placed on a table for examination. However, the way people speak about feelings suggests that the unseen is real. In experiencing emotional pain or sensations, individuals confront the reality of the unseen. Emotional sensations may seem pleasant, euphoric, thrilling, or even ecstatic, but when these feelings turn to pain as a result of human interaction—or lack thereof—this is essentially spiritual pain.

Establishing the reasons why people think there is no God yet find meaning in living a futile life can be quite a delightful and interesting exercise. The key is to get into the person’s mind and draw out their deepest thoughts in a conversational manner. This does not happen when applying what is known as the “why test.” The “why test” resembles an interrogation and is reserved for when people start to become defensive and insist that their view is correct.

Relationships are based on trust. This requires us to get to know each other. When seeking to understand what people truly believe, I find it helpful to explore their perception of being born to die. This provides a basis from which to assess whether the person wants to be real or live in fantasies. People who prefer to be real want to cut to the chase and establish a foundation for building a relationship. This is truly possible when they acknowledge that this life is futile. Once individuals admit that it is possible life was not meant to be futile, they become willing to reflect on the possibility that a higher purpose exists for our existence. Without a sense of a higher purpose beyond being born to die, there is no sense of a worthwhile destiny in which to place our hopes. For me, this is important if I am going to learn to trust someone. A person who has no concept of personal integrity and morality is untrustworthy.

One cynic argues that there is no person who genuinely believes in the possibility of life after death. He suggests that if you do not believe in the futility of this world and a higher purpose, consider Hollywood film producers who profit from selling films devoted to death and destruction to the gullible. The significance for nihilistic Hollywood film producers lies in the accolades of Oscars, Grammys, and other awards, not to mention the money in the bank and the celebrity lifestyle of the rich and famous. As for what happens later, they believe a deal will be on offer, allowing them to bribe their way into the pearly gates.

Futurists look forward to a progressive realization that a better existence in this life is possible through scientific breakthroughs and technological change. There will be a more rewarding life for future generations as humans learn to live more harmoniously with each other and with nature. Current values will be replaced with better ones, and morality will increase because people will be more educated about the importance of respecting each other and life on planet Earth. Racial tension will cease to exist due to the integration that comes from recognizing each race's unique qualities, which have allowed it to thrive in the past and can be adopted for a more homogeneous society. Social constructs and traditions that are detrimental to peaceful coexistence will be eradicated, not by force, but because people will recognize their lack of value.

Futurists may have ideals that they believe will transcend current thinking and the destructive lifestyles that exist today. The reality is that these changes are not occurring yet, and human nature must change before society can change. Technology does not alter a person’s thinking or belief system. While technology may be utilized to bring about what a person desires, it will not change their fundamental beliefs. For instance, if a nihilist sees a gun as a tool to terrorize those who do not possess guns, the nihilist will act on that impulse. However, if people realize that possessing guns can deter nihilists from shooting them, they might invest in firearms as a means of self-defense. In this scenario, the nihilist does not truly believe in nihilism and decides to modify his behavior. This illustrates the futility of belief systems that can be altered by individuals who take personal responsibility for themselves.

One nihilist wrote: "Nihilism is great! Nothing matters! Have a good time! Chill out! Be good to each other! Be a hippy/nihilist hybrid and love the world!"

The futility of life on this Earth is a reality. Merely stating that nothing matters and advising that we should be good to each other is contradictory because being good does matter. The futility of such thinking needs to be exposed. However, the selfishness of the selfish is difficult to overcome unless they are left to swim in their own excrement and realize they hate living in it.

Psychiatrist Anthony Daniels (aka Theodore Dalrymple) once said, “When every benefit received is a right, there is no place for good manners, let alone for gratitude.”

While listening to a radio broadcast in which Daniels was interviewed about his book, Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass, he recounted an anecdote concerning a woman living in a council-owned dwelling. When visiting the woman, a single mother with several young children, Daniels went into the backyard and was alarmed by its untidiness. Not only were there dangerous items lying about that could harm the children, but the area was also filled with rubbish that seemed to invite rodents to inhabit it. Daniels asked the woman when she was planning to clean up the backyard. The woman replied that she had called the council numerous times and requested that they clean it up, but they had not responded. Evidently, she did not see it as her responsibility, nor did she realize that preventing accidents and disease is possible when people take the initiative to clean up their own backyards.

Nihilistic philosophies cultivate a victim culture where people do not see that they can take the initiative and make a difference in their own lives. Likewise, the futility of this life can be overcome when we take the initiative to discover whether there is a higher purpose than merely being born to die and watching all our good work essentially go up in smoke. Like the woman with a junkyard for a backyard, who sees herself as a victim or as someone living on welfare and not responsible for obtaining her own income, she does not consider herself the cause of her junkyard; someone else is at fault.

The Greek philosopher Hegesias of Cyrene (3rd century BC) argued that happiness is impossible to achieve. He saw the futility of life and contended that in a life where wealth, poverty, freedom, and slavery produce no more pleasure than pain, death is a better alternative. The Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC–43 BC) claimed that Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC) banned Hegesias from teaching in Alexandria because his book Death by Starvation persuaded people that death was more desirable than life.

Surely, it is better to seek a higher purpose than to accept the wisdom of men who claim that this life is all that exists for the living and that death is preferable to life. There is a greater futility than being born merely to die, and that is existence itself having no meaning. We can grasp the concepts of eternity and infinity; therefore, we should be able to grasp the concept of ultimate meaningfulness for our existence. If we choose to abandon the idea that there is any reason for our existence apart from chance, we are abrogating our rights to eternal life, if it exists. We are abrogating our rights to justice. We are abandoning any sense of an essential self or human nature. Yet the suggestion that the universe is all that exists and that there is no meaning outside of its bounds disregards much of the scientific inquiry that suggests there must be more. We may live in what appears to be an unresponsive, materialistic universe, but it is not one that is isolated, even if we may feel isolated from its author.

The atheistic existentialist nihilist movement, popularized in France by Jean-Paul Sartre last century, is based on the idea that "existence precedes essence" rather than "essence is existence." The notion that existence precedes essence is expressed as scientific materialism. However, science is the quest for truth. If there is no truth, then the discoveries of science are meaningless, as nihilists like to claim. But we know nihilist claims are absurd because they are self-contradictory, as we have already seen. The reality is that essence is existence. We exist because we possess the essence of existence. If we did not possess essence, we would not exist. Likewise, we know God must exist because we can conceive of eternity and infinity. God, therefore, is the essence of time and infinity. All things have come into existence through Him, and without Him, nothing exists. In fact, everything exists because of the Lord God, Creator of the universe, Creator of Heaven and Earth.

I think, therefore I am -- Descartes. But does acknowledging one exists answer the questions concerning the futility of being born to die, being born to suffer and die, and knowing that love is unconditional and never ends, only not experience it.

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[i] McComiskey, Bruce (1997). "Gorgias, "On Non-Existence": Sextus Empiricus, "Against the Logicians" 1.65-87, Translated from the Greek Text in Hermann Diels's "Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker". Philosophy and rhetoric 30 (1): 45. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40237935?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents –retrieved 6/7/15