What is a Worldview made up of There is a conflict of Worldviews across the Globe Every worldview is made up of Theology Philosophy Ethics Biology Pyschology Sociology Law Politics Economics and History ID: 371954
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Slide1
Introduction to WorldviewsSlide2
What is a Worldview made up of?
There is a conflict of Worldviews across the Globe
Every worldview is made up of
Theology, Philosophy, Ethics, Biology,
Pyschology
, Sociology, Law, Politics, Economics and History
Some worldviews are based on irrational, inconsistent views of reality. Developing your level of worldview analysis will help you to combat pitfalls of these Slide3
Why Study the Christian Worldview?
Even by any secular standard, Jesus is the dominant figure of Western culture. Much of what we think about as ‘Western’ finds its source of inspiration in the religion that bears His name” p. 3 of txt
C.S Lewis said that “We are now getting to the point at which different beliefs about the universe lead to different behavior. Religion involves a series of statements about facts, which must be either true or false. If they are true, one set of conclusions will follow about the right sailing of the human fleet, if they are false, quite another set” Slide4
Effects of Worldview on Culture
Cultural and Ethical Relativism
What is wrong with this statement: What’s true for you can be true for you, but not for me
Political Correctness:
Makes it hard for someone to stand up and say that a certain practice is wrong,
because it may offend someone
Area of family structure and sexuality is a major one here: can you choose your gender for example, or is it preordained?Slide5
Examples in the media of moral decline
http://
www.gallup.com/poll/137357/Four-Moral-Issues-Sharply-Divide-Americans.aspx
http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madoff_investment_scandalSlide6
Why Study Islam?
Founded: 622 AD
Works Based Religion
Jesus counted as one of the ‘prophets’ of Islam, though not recognized as the Son of God
The resurrection of Jesus also not
acknol
.
Major Difference: Jesus’ sinless life vs. Muhammad’s (bloodshed and the encouragement of force to spread belief).Slide7
Why Study Secular Humanism (Liberalism)
Dominant Worldview in Colleges and Universities
Push for separation of ‘Church’ and ‘State’—anything religious removed from
govt
practice
Determined to ‘free’ Christian students from traditions of Christianity
Humanists see Christianity as a barrier to the growth of humanism and therefore actively seek to undermine
Ch
Worldview
Media often pushes liberal ideas/w-viewSlide8
Why Study Marxist-Leninist Worldview?
Marx: life was best understood as struggle between owners of capital (bourgeois class) and the workers (proletariat)
Worldview responsible for the deaths of more than 100 million people
Viewpoint on each of the 10 disciplines (Theology, Biology
etc
)
One of the main sources of criticism against Christianity
Quote: p. 22 identifies how opposite Marxism and Christianity areSlide9
Why Study Marxism cont
…
Academia (universities and schools) are the main places where Marxism has influence
Guess how many Marxist lecturers in the US alone? (see p. 23)
Can be up to 90% of College Faculty in some places
Quote final paragraph: p. 24. Link to Roman Empire Slide10
Genesis and Jesus in relation to worldview
Cardboard cutouts exercise in groups
Jesus life points towards the perfect way to live in every area of the 10 worldview categories Slide11
Introduction pt
3
Should Christian’s engage in discussions on ‘
wordly
’ issues—politics, economics, biology and law, or should they stick to the spiritual stuff—prayer, preaching the gospel & relief work. Discuss in pairs
Dualistic thinking
“There are not two realities, but only one reality, and that is the reality of God, which has become manifest in Christ in the reality of the World”
Missionary or Business Leader, which is more spiritual? Slide12
Creative and Redemptive Order
We live and move and have our being (existence) in a world shaped by the 10 worldview categories
All ten disciplines are mentioned, either directly or indirectly in Genesis
Jesus as the center and epitome of all tenSlide13
Confronting Deceptive Philosophies
Read 2
Cor
10:15
What might it mean by ‘demolishing arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of Christ’?
Nazism and Communism:
Internet search for estimated number of deaths due to World War Two and Communism in the 20
th
Century
How does this balance with common view about religion and death tolls?Slide14
Islam, Sec Humanism, Postmod
, Marxism
All of the above are based on the ‘basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
What is the wisdom of God, by contrast?
What do the books of
Isahiah
(55:8-9) James (3:17) and proverbs (13:17) say about it
? My ways are not your ways, wisdom is pure, peace-loving. One pretends to be poor but is richSlide15
Acts 17:22
Paul was talking to
Epicurians
(materialists vs. spiritual reality seeking pleasure the highest good) and Stoics (moral and intellectual perfection key to right living) when he said that they ‘worshipped an unknown god” (Acts 17:22).
Using the concept of worldview, why do you think that Paul was basically saying these philosophers were religious?
What ‘gods’ to we worship in Western Culture?Slide16
Communism or Secular Humanism as Religious?
Do you think
Communiusm
could be considered religious? Why/ why not?
Secular Humanism: many of the proponents of this worldview openly admit that it’s effectively a religion for them (p. 35 of text)
(Some deny it, but the American Humanist Association receives a RELGIOUS TAX EXEMPTION
Bible studies have been banned in many schools: If secular humanism is religious in nature why are their ideas openly taught? Slide17
Post Modernism
Three Key Elements:
Relativism
Opposition to Rationalism
Promotion of ‘Culturally Created Realities’
Deconstructionism key methodology:
Words do not represent reality—they create it
Concepts are arbitrary, even ‘humanity’ (read last para of p. 27)Slide18
Social setting & Superiority of Christian WV
In 1925, teaching evolution in schools was banned.
Now, the reverse is true—teaching creationism is banned
The Christian worldview is simply superior to all others. It is not inconsistent and lays the foundations for an exceptional life—one that appreciates Truth, Beauty and Goodness
Christian worldview is “the only proper all-encompassing belief system that is larger than both the individual and the family, but it destroys neither” p. 40 (text).Slide19
Conclusion
Secular Humanism the oldest of the worldviews
Marxism and Postmodernism are far ‘younger’
Importance of seeing things as a whole—see Bible verses in context and social issues in the broader context as well (within the context of competing worldviews with
Eternal Consequences
Remember that ideas have consequences. Bad ideas= bad consequences. Use this course as opportunity to develop both academically but also spiritually