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Just Material

Theists will often define materialism as meaning: "only material things exist." There are many things that theists believe are non-material and yet still objects that exist. Based on this definition of materialism, they believe the materialist is denying that these non-material exist.

  • Love for example is something non-material, and so they claim that the materialist denies that love exists.
  • Emotions are non-material, and so they think the materialist denies that emotions exist.
  • Thoughts are non-material, and so they imply the materialist denies that thoughts exist.
  • Mathematics is non-material, and so they claim that the materialist denies that mathematics exists.

These are all things that the theist thinks are non-material, and thinks the materialist is excluding, but that is not the case. The materialist is simply saying that everything that exists, does so because of material. In a material world, humans exist, language exists, culture exists, love exists, thoughts exist, emotions exist, memories exist, and so on. It is just that all these things exists either as material, or because of material.

Christians will say that materialists think that "the world is just material." The use of the word "just" there is to say that this does not include things they believe are non-material. What they miss is that the materialist sees the same full world that they do, it is just that everything is either material or caused by material.

There are things that people make up:

  • Of course the soul is non-material, and so the materialist denies that souls exist.
  • Ghosts are non-material, and so the materialist denies that ghosts exist.

Generally true that materialist deny ghosts and souls, but not based on them existing non-materially, but simply that they don't exist.

What Happens To The Soul When You Die?​

The soul is the process of consciousness.

Does a flame exist? Sure it does. As a candle burns, the process of burning forms a well defined pattern we call a flame. The flame is a process, not a static form. When you blow out the candle, where does the flame go? It doesn't go anywhere, it simply stops. Just like consciousness.

In ancient times, people thought fire was another element, like water and air, and separate from the candle. Later we learned the truth: it is just a chemical reaction running as a process. The flame is made from the material of the candle, and is not separate from the candle.

In ancient times they also thought that consciousness was a real material thing separate from the body. now we know it is simply a process that is running in the body on the nerves. Life is another process running across the cells. When life stops, the nerves stop, and consciousness stops.

The "life" and the "soul" do not go anywhere, they just stop.

Material Is More Than Just Material​

Here is the intended argument:

  1. Laws of logic are not material

  2. Materialist says everything is material

  3. Therefor materialists have no logic to work with and can't prove anything.

  4. All non-Christians heads explode from nonsense.

OK, I made up the last one. There are several flaws but let me focus on one: When the materialist says that everything is material, it means EVERYTHING including any laws of logic. The laws of logic "exist" as concepts in the brain which are in fact material constructs. These laws of logic are shared ideas, cultural agreements.

The Christian believes when they say "Materialist says everything is material" that this is going to leave out things that the Christian believes are non material. BUT that is not what the materialist says. The materialist says that EVERYTHING is and comes from material: EVERYTHING. Thoughts, concepts, laws, parties, romances, bibles, religions, and yes even the concept of God.

What the materialist is NOT saying, is that those things the Christians believe a non-material don't exist. They are saying that those things the Christians believe a non-material, are actually material.

I am going to repeat this again, because no matter how many times you say it, Christian apologists continue to misrepresent it. Materialists are not saying that X does not exist, they are saying X is from material. Supply your own X.