Obviously, there are a great variety of belief systems in the world, ranging from materialistic evolution to New Age pantheism to Christian monotheism.  Yet how can we know which road to travel in the search for absolute truth? 

     First of all, every serious student of truth must first admit that ULTIMATE reality is accepted by faith.  That is, although logic, science, and available evidence play a part in shaping our decision, the question of ultimate purpose and origin are tied to who or what we choose to BELIEVE about the past.  Ultimate, absolute truth is tied to where we came from and why we are here in the first place.

Atheists (those who believe in "no god") often hold tenaciously to the theory of evolution.  To the atheist mind, ultimate reality goes no further than random chance mixed with eons of time.  This faith-based outlook is not scientific in the least--for at the root of all the so-called intellectualism is a blind faith in inanimate matter that exploded 11-15 billion years ago.  (For more information on this topic, see our Science category)

Pantheists (those who believe god is everything, including themselves) believe that ultimate reality and truth can be found within.  After all, man is god...as are the flowers, the beetles, and the rocks.  Everything is part of a great "force" or "universal energy."  In this thinking, whatever you believe is right for you.  This concept dominates the Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, and has made great inroads into the Western world through the New Age/New Spirituality Movement.  The faith of these believers is placed upon an undefined, impersonal energy that, although it has no attributes, has somehow ordered the universe and all it contains.  Their concept is basically that "god" has amnesia (since most humans have "forgotten" they are really god) and that god needs to be told he is god so that he can be brought into fullness with the universal energy field.

Polytheists (those who believe in many gods) often also view ultimate reality as a great force or mind that permeates all things.  Even though they accept the concept of multiple gods, ultimate truth cannot be found in any one of those "lesser" gods, but in something greater.  These gods must be "lesser" in that there can not be two or more "all-powerful beings" in existence.  (They wouldn't have power over one another.) Many animist and polytheist cultures around the world have a concept of a single "creator" god or entity that they worship to one degree or another.  An example would be Hinduism in India, with its supposed 30+ million different idol gods, yet its widespread belief in "brahmin" as the highest "force."   

Monotheists (those who believe in one God) view ultimate truth and reality as coming from a singular, living Being.  The four major monotheistic religions are Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, and Biblical Christianity*.  Logically and scientifically, this concept probably has the most supporting evidence that can be gleaned from observation and human experience (this assumption will be examined next in our search).  Ultimate reality, to the monotheist, is found by faith in the Creator God who designed the world intelligently and personally.  As the Creator, this God has the absolute authority to rule our lives, and we are accountable to Him.
*Christianity and Catholicism have been separated purposefully, in that Catholicism has added "truth" to the Christian Bible and devised a system of religion foreign to the Biblical standard of Christianity.

Of course this explanation of belief systems has been brief and very simplified, but it gives the reader a birds-eye view of the major religious beliefs.  So, which belief about "god" shall we embrace?  Which system is the most credible and deserving of our trust?  Which can satisfy the inner "emptiness" of our souls?  What is the ultimate origin of all things?  Where can we find absolute truth?

ATHEISM certainly cannot provide any hope or concept of purpose to the weary soul.  To be an atheist is to admit that man is worth nothing more than the ground upon which he stands, and is to declare unequivocally that there is no purpose in human life other than to survive. 
      There is a great logical dilemma that atheism faces as well.  Aside from the fantastic evidences for design in all creation, atheism has a greater issue with which to contend--its own basic presupposition is flawed.  The statement "There is no God" is an absolute negative statement.  The problem is, the only people who can make absolute negative statements are people who have absolute knowledge of all things, at all times, with no exceptions.  Unfortunately for the atheist, he does not possess such knowledge.  It is impossible for him to KNOW that God doesn't exist, he is just guessing.  (Which actually makes him an agnostic…) 
       It gets worse for the atheist, however.  He would contend that all things have evolved by chance random processes.  If this is true, that means that his own brain and capacity for logic and thought are mere chance processes.  So, how can the atheist be sure his logic is right if he can't even know if his brain has evolved correctly?  How can he even know if he is asking the right question?  The honest atheist really has no answer as to ultimate reality, only a guess formulated out of his own unsupported presuppositions. 

VERDICT ON ATHEISM:  NO SATISFYING ANSWERS.

PANTHEISM is not really a competent religious system either, in that its logic is flawed from the beginning.  To assume that god is everything is to include oneself in the equation.  Thus, the answer must be found within, whether it has to do with some special knowledge or cosmic interface or channel of power.  Yet as complicated as this system is, it still does not at all account for the question at hand--where did everything come from?
        Many pantheists subscribe to the idea of reincarnation--that is, when you die you just come back again as someone else or an animal, depending on your level of commitment in the previous life.  Well, if there is no personal God who is ultimately in charge, who orders all these mysterious events?  Who administrates and keeps record of what good works and what desires all people have partaken of?  What intelligence governs such a tremendously complicated system?  Where did this world and our physical lives come from anyway?  Did the "force" (who cannot think) decide (who has no will) to split apart and become physical?  Why?  How did it?  Again, what is the purpose of all life then?  Clearly, this idea of pantheism raises many more questions than it answers, and it fails to deal with the ultimate issue--how can we be sure what absolute truth really is?

VERDICT ON PANTHEISM:  NO SATISFYING ANSWERS.

POLYTHEISM is another option to consider, but it too, can be easily dismissed as irrational.  Shall we believe, as the Mormons, Hindus, and various other peoples, that there are really many gods out there somewhere?  Again, if we would contend that there are many gods, we would quickly run ourselves against a solid brick wall logically.  If there are many gods, where did they originate?  Where is the ultimate source?  Why have they been made?  Why have we been made?  This answer really leaves us in the same boat as the others...it gives us no straightforward, believable explanation of how all things came to be and what the purpose actually is.
       One popular idea in society is that "all religions are true."  This, in essence is a polytheist or "relativistic" view, as it would declare that God, Allah, the Buddha Essence, etc. are all god together at the same time.  The flaw in this thinking is that these "god concepts" all contradict one another at the most fundamental levels.  Both the character and attributes of these different "god concepts" are so diverse that to reconcile them would be impossible for even the most brilliant mind. 
      When there are multiple choices that do indeed contradict one another, all of them cannot be right.  Somebody has to be wrong.  Try placing a number in a hat and have others guess at it.  If someone says "1" and the next person says "4" one of them MUST be wrong.  (Both could be wrong, but both cannot be right.)  Thus, our thirst for the origin of truth is not quenched.  If the assumption of polytheism is correct, which deity makes the rules?  Who determines right and wrong?  What if the "gods" disagree?

VERDICT ON POLYTHEISM:  NO SATISFYING ANSWERS.       

Overall, the three belief systems we have examined do not provide us with the information needed to understand the ultimate origin and reality of all things.  What is the real purpose for humanity?  Why was the Universe made to begin with?  It is in the desperate attempt to answer these questions that many thousands of religious sects have sprung up worldwide, yet to the mind in search of absolute truth, few of these systems offer any help whatsoever. 

This is why the fourth option will most certainly bring us to the end of our search.

MONOTHEISM offers answers to all of these ultimate questions.  The basic tenet of this belief is both logical and conclusive--there is one God who made the world, sustains the world, and who ultimately rules the world.  (For a logical defense of monotheism, think through the "Logical Ladder")
      This God has great purpose in the existence of both the Universe and every individual human soul.  There are no logical flaws with believing that an eternal, all-powerful Being created the world by the power of His own word and will.  Everything that we know is locked within time and space, so the infinite character, knowledge, and power of God is far above what our miniscule thoughts could ever fathom.  So let us, on this basis, answer some questions:

Q.  Where did the Universe come from?
A.  From the All-Powerful Creator God

Q.  Why was the Universe created?
A.  For the pleasure and glory of the Creator God

Q.  What is the purpose for mankind?
A.  To serve and love God in obedience, so that our lives achieve that which God   
       as planned for us.

Q.  Who determines right and wrong?
A.  The Creator and Owner of the Universe--God.

Q.  Who is it that determines absolute truth?
A.  God alone.  As the Creator, He alone has the right to set ultimate standards of
      truth and reality.

     While these answers seem simplistic next to the complicated theories of other world religions, they are so satisfying and comforting to the honest seeker.  Think of a young child, looking up at his parents and asking "Why did you have me?"  The reply: "Because we wanted a little boy to love" would be more than enough reason!  God has made humanity--God has made you--for a specific and marvelous purpose.  The Creator of the Universe, the Infinite and Fantastically-Powerful God has created you so that He might have a personal relationship with you both now and forever.  Your purpose in existence is to know your Maker personally, to obey, love, and have everlasting fellowship with Him. 
      The Bible makes a clear statement in this regard: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.  In Him was life, and that life was the light of men."  (John 1:1-4)  The true life--the light that we are seeking--can only be discovered as we gaze toward our Creator!  It is here and here alone that the search for truth--that quest for satisfying answers to life's greatest questions--can end. 

By Daniel W. Jarvis (2000)
http://www.absolutetruth.net