Elon Musk was recently interviewed at the 2025 All-In Summit. In the interview, Musk addressed a question on the civilizational suicide of the West today, particularly the high suicide rate and the unwillingness of people to reproduce. In the interview, Musk says, “Unless people have a sense of optimism and purpose about the future, suicide might just be what happens. . . . We need to maybe give people a sense of optimism and excitement about the future, and a belief that the future will be better than the past.”1

Musk said that the loss of religion in the West has created a vacuum of meaning. He proposed that a “coherent philosophy that people can get excited about” could provide this optimism and purpose that people lack. While Musk identifies a critical issue, I think he fails to find a meaningful and compelling solution. There isn’t a great philosophy or optimistic vision that we can put together that will be enough to fill this vacuum because the fundamental problem is spiritual. We are made for something greater.

In his book, How Civilizations Die, David Goldman addresses the historically low birth rate, which has fallen well below replacement, and how the unwillingness to reproduce today is unprecedented. Goldman states, “As traditional society gives way to modernity, faith and fertility vanish together. . . . The truth is that humankind cannot survive without faith, specifically faith that our lives have meaning beyond the mere span of years. Humankind cannot bear mortality without the hope of immortality. When men and women lose the sacred, they lose the desire to live.”2

Goldman says that as we move away from traditional society and the biblical worldview that corresponds to our human dignity and our ultimate call, we move away from the only thing that will ever satisfy. We cannot help but to seek immortality because we are immortal creatures. We are destined for eternal life. This divine purpose and destiny comes from the Word of God that is passed down to us through lives lived with God and in God. This life leads to a renewed mind and a fresh spiritual way of thinking about reality, the meaning of life, and human destiny. An exciting philosophy will never fulfill the deeper longing in the human heart.

C.S. Lewis articulates the reason for this in his book Mere Christianity. Lewis says, “The reason why it can never succeed is this. God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. . . . [People] are all trying to run it on the wrong juice. That is what Satan has done to us human beings.”3

Goldman and Lewis identify the problem exactly. This is a post-Christian world that is trying to tell people they can be as gods and can find happiness and fulfillment apart from God. In fact, there is no other way to f ind it than being aligned with Him. It is time for the Christian people to be the light of the world and to articulate the truth about the only answer to this desperate situation in the world where people have fallen into the great lie of the devil.

1. Elon Musk, “Elon Musk on DOGE, Optimus, Starlink Smartphones, Evolving with AI, Why the West is Imploding,” interview by Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, David Friedberg, September 9, 2025.

2. Goldman, David P. How Civilizations Die: (And Why Islam Is Dying Too). Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, 2011.

3 Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. New York: HarperCollins, 2009.