Worldview matters. Clarifying worldviews is not an academic exercise, intellectual theory, or a philosophical concept. A worldview is an integral part of the lives of those you minister to on a weekly basis. It determines their relationships. It determines their successes and failure. It determines their goals and motivations. If you want to see someone change their lives, they’ll have to change how they look at the world first.
Every week as you stand before your people to share God’s Word, they’re bringing different worldviews into the room. What are some of these worldviews?
1. The one with the most toys wins.
This is the worldview of materialism – and it can be summed up with one world, more. Materialism says that the only thing that really matters in life is acquiring things. Those who subscribe to this worldview live mostly to collect things.
The Bible’s answer: Jesus said this in Luke 12, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (NIV). He tells us not to judge our lives by how much we’ve got. The greatest things in life aren’t things.
2. I’ve got to think of me first.
We live in a “me first,” serve-yourself world that says it’s all about you. Commercial slogans cater to this viewpoint. Slogans like, “have it your way,” “we do it all for you,” “obey your thirst,” “you’ve got to think of what’s best for yourself,” and “You deserve it.”
For the last 40 years, the Baby Boomer generation has been called the “Me Generation.” This “me first” idea has infected entire communities. It has torn up marriages (“I don’t care how divorce impacts my spouse or children; it’s all about me”), destroyed workplaces (“I don’t care how my laziness impacts my co-workers; it’s all about me”) and even ruined churches (“Serve my needs first, forget about the lost”).
It’s a self-centered, individualistic way of life that says we should ignore the community and other people.
The Bible’s answer: Jesus says, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” (Matt. 16:25 NLT). Jesus says you only begin to live when you give your life away. Significance in life does not come from serving yourself; it comes from serving God and others.
3. Do what feels good.
This is hedonism – the belief that the most important thing in life is how we feel. The number one goal of a hedonist is to feel good, be comfortable, and have fun.
It’s the worldview that Hugh Hefner founded Playboy magazine on. He willingly acknowledges he is a hedonist.
It’s not just playboys who are hedonists, though. In fact, someone who lives for the goal of retirement is a hedonist. If the whole goal of a person’s life is to simply do nothing, live a self centered life, and make no contribution to the world, that’s hedonism.
The Bible’s answer: “Are you addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied” (Prov 21:17 Msg). Mick Jagger’s been singing: “I can’t get no satisfaction” for 40 years. Why? The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied. Continue >>
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I apologize."A Brief History of Time" is actually the name of Stephen Hawking's book, not "A Brief History in Time".My apologies to him and to all.
I do understand what you are saying about these being two different areas.However, both are under the heading of "Origins".I do agree with you that "A Brief History in Time" is a "good read".I had to read it in college "many moons ago", and it was an interesting read from what I can remember.
Actually, I was just asking a question based on the statement you just made.Do you find Creation of life by God to be just as incredible as life appearing by spontaneous generation? Because I don't.At least with God you have a cause.Spontaneous generation does not.If you can explain it to me, I am willing to listen to what you have to say, but nobody has adequately explained to me how life just suddenly appeared without a cause.
"So you think that a Creator creating from nothing is somehow just as impossible as something coming into existence all by itself? Is it self-created? Interesting!!!"
You're confusing the Big Bang with abiogenesis. The former deals with the origin of the universe. The latter deals with the origin of life on Earth. Both are separate fields of inquiry, since the origin of life on earth happened 9 - 10 billion years after the formation of the universe.
The June 2007 issue of Scientific American has a great article on abiogenesis. Also, A Brief History of Time is a great resource for cosmology and Big Bang theory.
Actually, I should use the word "incredible" not "impossible".
So you think that a Creator creating from nothing is somehow just as impossible as something coming into existence all by itself? Is it self-created? Interesting!!!
"Without a Creator, you're left to believe in "spontaneous generation", the idea that life suddenly appeared out of thin air."
Here's the bottom line for me: With a creator you're left to believe that life was created out of thin air. Spontaneous generation doesn't mean that plants and animals rose out of the ground in their current form. All it means is that somewhere, somehow, molecules started copying themselves. From there, evolution took over. That's easier for me to consider valid in the face of the available evidence than an omnipotent being creating everything, including life and then leaving no overtly convincing evidence of its existence.
"I apologize if I have characterized you as evil just because you disagree with me on the validity of Christianity."
I'm sorry if you thought I was accusing you of mischaracterizing me, which wasn't my intent. The person who did the mischaracterizing was Rick Warren. Just a tip, Mr. Warren: If you want people to listen to your sermons it would be best if you don't call them evil first. (Not that I'd be in church anyway.)
"Whatever your take on it, thanks for giving me much to think about and for the tip on learning more about Quantum Physics."
I'm happy to hear I've made someone's day better and expanded their horizons.
I have been reading up on Quantum Physics.There is intrinsic randomness only if you accept the Copenhagen model.However, even within that model there is room for God, either as a Cosmic Observer or the Hidden Variable, stopping the infinite regress of causes.If the universe is seen as a quantum object, what or who outside the universe collapses its wave function? There is the possibility that all of this is illusion, in which case you and I are not even having this conversation.While Quantum Physics does seem to allow for the possibility that there is no God, it does not necesarily rule him out altogether.If you go to reasons.org, they seem to take the position that Copenhagen and Hidden Variables require a necessary being.Whatever your take on it, thanks for giving me much to think about and for the tip on learning more about Quantum Physics.It can only help me as I seek to learn more about God and His wonderful Creation!!
My purpose is not to characterize you in any negative way.We simply disagree.You want me to consider Quantum Physics, but it is only within the framework of my worldview that it even has a leg to stand on.Why should I consider it any more authoritative than anything else? Within the framework of your thinking, it only has whatever validity that we give to it.The laws of science denote a Lawgiver.I think you are open to the idea of objective truth, or you wouldn't have said it is not ok to hurt someone else.I apologize if I have characterized you as evil just because you disagree with me on the validity of Christianity.That is not my intent.We are merely having a discussion, and we just happen to disagree.I don't agree with you, but I would give my life for your right as an American to believe it.
Here is the bottom line "for me".You can have the right conditions for life all you want, but it still doesn't account for how life originated.Without a Creator, you're left to believe in "spontaneous generation", the idea that life suddenly appeared out of thin air.Poof, and there it was.It's like a magic trick without a magician.Louis Pasteur discredited it in the 19th century.Nobody has adequately explained that to me.That's why I'm not an atheist.
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Yes, and so do many other religious groups. This makes their claims no more or less valid than those of Christian theists. But if you think that you can make a persuasive argument based on "The bible said it therefore it's true," you're mistaken.
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While I am not denying that some Christians willl say "The Bible said it therefore it's true", however this is not case I am making. What I was simply saying was.....Christianity has more than the Bible for it's basis for it's theistic claims. We believe we do have sufficient evidence within philosophical arguments, historical evidence, etc.
I am not saying that evidence is sufficient "enough" for everyone, or that everyone even agrees that evidence is actually evidence. Yet this is something everyone must weigh and look at for themselves.
Christianity, as a whole, is not making a claim for Theism, "Just because you can't disprove it" as the examples previously given would.
I have read The Purpose Driven Life and was in a group study of the book. It was refreshing to read and understand that God created me with a purpose and a plan in mind. That I was just poofed here out of the "black hole". To know that I was created in the image of Almighty God, had a profound impact on my life. My life had no meaning or purpose before. I was always searching and never finding answers, and my life was a living nightmare.
Through this study and other loving brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord God showed me that my understanding and my knowledge was quite flawed and misinformed. I'm still a work in progress and I have more growing up to do. I realized that through God's teaching, that people places and things are gifts from God, but they can never take His place in my heart.
I was created for God's purpose, to love and be loved and to glorify Almighty God, I think that is a most significant meaning. God loves me and I sure do love Him, my life is not perfect in this world, but HE is perfecting me and I know that HE is working out HIS plan and HIS will shall be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Man can choose to continue to not believe God. Rick Warren takes God at His word. Without God we have no meaning in our lives. Everything else fades away, people, places, things, they vanish, they die, the fall down, but God's love never dies! It is incredibly sad that man can be so blind to the love of God! I praise Him that HE opened my heart and mind to know the truth and I am so thankful to HIM for revealing Himself to me. HE is beyond description.
So, you can make the choice to believe God or to continue in your unbelief. Many in today's world do not want truth, they want to hear what they want to hear, and if it conflicts with what they want to do, the life they want to lead, then they dismiss it as untrue and that it has no meaning. It is because people live in rebellion against Almighty God, I know I used to live in that world too! So, I speak from experience of one who has denied God at one time in my life. I again, Praise HIM! for not counting my sin against me! I sing His praises for the Majesty He is! Wake up, we need to have a Biblical Worldview, not a humanistic one or any other kind. If you choose any other, why condemn those who choose to believe God. You don't wanna believe, so why you at a Christian web site?? Hmm, don't you have more important things to do then hang around a place where God is talked about all the time!
Thank You Jesus for opening my eyes and ears to hear Your voice and Your truth! For Your Glory Lord!
Last thing I`ve got to say, is ,...I want to THANK everyone that gets on these periodicals with a point of view/and or opinion,....because there is a HUGE education to be had out there and without trying to slam Intelligence and human smartness into a basic classification or category, I feel blessed to have my personal outlook increased alot because of the "Comment" category of Christianpost.com.,.....
Thanks again.....
"Either the universe is eternal and self-existent(which the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics says is not the case), or it was created by an eternal and self-existent being.To say that it just happened by chance is non-sense"
I'd suggest reading up on quantum mechanics. Happening by chance is a perfectly valid scientific construct. Of particular interest is the thought experiment known as Schrodinger's Cat.
"If I take your TV set, how can it be wrong if there is no objective right or wrong?"
Rights only exist insofar as we agree as a society that rights exist. And the best argument for stating rights exist is that we've seen that the consequences are better if we respect human rights as universally as possible.
"[T]he evidence provided by Theists may not be convincing to the Atheist, but proof is different than persuasion. Indeed Christians have philosophical proofs (Cosmological argument, Transcendental argument, etc.), Historical proofs, and more."
Yes, and so do many other religious groups. This makes their claims no more or less valid than those of Christian theists. But if you think that you can make a persuasive argument based on "The bible said it therefore it's true," you're mistaken.
Don't get me wrong; as humanist I feel that human rights, including the rights both to believe and not to believe, are universal. I do not wish to outlaw religion anymore than I wish to live in a theocracy. I am just sick of being portrayed as evil, immoral, depressed, and nihilistic by theists, including Christians.
Well said, DannyPoo. Thanks for your input.I was sinking a little bit there!!