Video Series on 6 Worldviews - Part 3
Dr. David Noebel
Back in the early 1990s, Dr. James Dobson and Gary Bauer sought to identify what they saw happening to Christian young people in the United States. Their conclusion was that “nothing short of a great Civil War of Values rages today throughout North America. Two sides with vastly differing and incompatible worldviews are locked in a bitter conflict that permeates every level of society.” [James Dobson & Gary Bauer, Children at Risk] The war, as Dobson and Bauer put it, is a struggle “for the hearts and minds of people. It is a war over ideas.”
As in any war, there are casualties, and anti-Christian ideas are taking their toll. Recent surveys indicate that up to 59 percent of “born again” college students drop out of that category by their senior year. [Taken from the “College Student Survey.” Cooperative Institutional Research Program, U.C.L.A. Online article: http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/css_po.html.]
The Christian Worldview
Many people, including many Christians, do not realize that the Bible addresses all ten disciplines of a worldview. Christianity is the embodiment of Christ’s claim that He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When we say, “This is the Christian way,” we mean this is the way Christ would have us approach life and the world. It is no small matter to think and act as Christ instructs.
America has been described as a Christian nation. However, America-along with the rest of Western Civilization-has turned away from its intellectual, cultural and religious heritage. Almost thirty years ago, Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer noted America’s drift toward secularism as a failure of Christians “to see that all of this [cultural and social breakdown] has come about due to a shift in world view-that is, through a fundamental change in the overall way people think and view the world and life as a whole.”
The study of worldviews in general, and the Christian worldview in particular, is a wake-up call for everyone. A country seeking to promote human rights (including the right to be born), liberty, and the common good must adhere to the only worldview that can account for our existence and dignity. We contend that human dignity comes from the fact that human beings are created in the image of God, a uniquely biblical perspective. Abandoning this perspective has dire consequences, considering the rise in abortions, homosexual practices, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, and the move toward human cloning.
The Islamic Worldview
It is estimated there are 1.3 billion followers of Islam. In recent years, the Islamic worldview has been growing exponentially in numbers, power, and influence, and, therefore, is worthy of our study. As one article headlined, “The future belongs to Islam,” providing added incentive to understand its beliefs and goals.
Writing in The Sword of the Prophet, commentator and international political consultant, Serge Trifkovic, explains that “Islam is not a ‘mere’ religion; it is a complete way of life, an all-embracing social, political and legal system that breeds a worldview peculiar to itself.”
Christianity and Islam have some teachings in common, including belief in a personal God, creation of the material universe, angels, immortality of the soul, heaven, hell, and judgment of sin. Likewise, Muslims accept Jesus as a prophet (one of many), his virgin birth, physical ascension, second coming, miracles, and messiahship.
The major differences between Christianity and Islam is Islam’s rejection of the biblical Trinitarian God and the death of Jesus for the sins of the world. Muslims likewise reject Jesus’ physical resurrection from the dead and his claim to be the Son of God.
Another major difference between the founder of Christianity and the founder of Islam is that the Bible describes Jesus as living a sinless life while the traditions of Islam depict Muhammad having many flaws. “Muhammad’s practice and constant encouragement of bloodshed,” writes Trifkovic, “are unique in the history of religions. Murder, pillage, rape, and more murder are in the Koran and in the Traditions.” Furthermore, Muhammad’s life “seems to have impressed his followers with a profound belief in the value of bloodshed as opening the gates of Paradise.” Thus, the history of Islam from 622 A.D. to the present has been a history of violence, submission, and war toward infidels (non-Muslims).
For many Muslims, one of Mohammad’s most important legacies is to see the world as a conflict between the Land of Peace (Dar al-Islam) and the Land of War (Dar al-Harb). On the other hand, there are a number of Muslims, particularly those living in Western democracies, who do not believe the Koran’s violent passages regarding killing infidels and Islam’s violent history should be applied literally today. Yet, in either case, Islam is a worldview with which Christians must contend.
The Secular Humanist Worldview
Secular Humanism refers primarily to the ideas and beliefs outlined in the Humanist Manifestoes of 1933, 1973, and 2000. Secular Humanism is the dominant worldview on the majority of colleges and universities throughout all Western nations. It has also made gains in many Christian colleges and universities, especially in the areas of biology, sociology, law, politics, and history.
Secular Humanists recognize the classroom as a powerful incubator for indoctrinating students into their worldview. Operating under the educational buzzword “liberalism,” a Secular Humanist agenda controls the curriculum in America’s public schools thanks to the National Education Association, the National Academy of Sciences, and a host of foundations, including the Ford Foundation.
Christians considering a college education must be well versed in the Secular Humanistic worldview or risk losing their own Christian perspective by default. In her book Walking Away From the Faith, Ruth Tucker, a professor at Calvin Seminary, makes it clear that Christian students are walking away from their faith because of Secular Humanist teaching.
The ideas of Humanism have gained prominent influence throughout modern society. B.F. Skinner, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Erich Fromm, all former “Humanists of the Year,” have powerfully affected the discipline of psychology. Scientists such as the late Carl Sagan, another “Humanist of the Year,” preached his Humanism on a widely heralded television and high school curriculum series. More recently, the outspoken atheist and Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins has gained much attention through a number of popular books on evolution and, of course, his 2006 best-seller, The God Delusion. Clearly, Humanists are willing to support their worldview-often more faithfully than Christians. For these and other reasons, we must give the Secular Humanist worldview close attention.
The Marxist Worldview
Marxism is a militantly atheistic, materialistic worldview. It has developed a perspective regarding each of the ten disciplines-usually in great detail. Based on the writings of Karl Marx in the late 1800s, Marxism has taken on some new looks in recent years-including debasing culture as a form of revolutionary activity.[xiv] The latest Communist Manifesto, titled Empire, was published in 2000 by Harvard University Press. Marx’s presence continues to be felt around the world.
Marxism predominates on many American university campuses. Recruited as college students in the 1950s and ’60s, many Marxist “radicals” earned PhDs and are now the tenured faculty on many campuses. “With a few notable exceptions,” says former Yale professor Roger Kimball, “our most prestigious liberal arts colleges and universities have installed the entire radical menu at the center of their humanities curriculum at both the undergraduate and the graduate level.” U. S. News and World Report published a lengthy article in 2003 entitled “Where Marxism Lives Today,” which states, “Marxism is so entrenched in courses ranging from literature to anthropology… that today’s students are virtually bathed in Marx’s ideas.”
The “radical menu” Kimball referred to includes a large serving of economic determinism. According to Karl Marx, the key problem with capitalism is that it breeds exploitation. Therefore, capitalism must be replaced with a more humane economic system, one that abolishes free markets (private property and the free and peaceful exchange of goods and services) and replaces it with a government-controlled economy.
Marx’s economic ideas and political policy go hand in hand. A Marxist style communism controls a large number of nations around the world, and traveling under the name of “social democracy,” a Marxist inspired political philosophy has engulfed Western European nations. Further, many South American countries have also taken a Marxist turn in recent years, and many think that the current administration and congress of the United States is quickly taking America down the same socialist road.
In addition, some Christian groups have attempted to combine their Christianity with Marx’s ideas of social equality. Because of the prevalence and subversive nature of Marxism, Christians must be aware of the goals of Marxist-thinking professors, politicians, and theologians.
The Cosmic Humanist Worldview
The Cosmic Humanist worldview consists of two interrelated spiritual movements. One is known as the New Age Movement (NAM), and the other is neo-paganism, which includes occult practices, Native American spiritism, and Wicca.
The New Age Movement mixes ancient Eastern religions (especially Hinduism and Zen Buddhism) with a touch of other religious traditions, adds a smattering of scientific jargon, and imports the newly baked concoction into mainstream America. “The New Age,” explains researcher Johanna Michaelsen, “is the ultimate eclectic religion of self: Whatever you decide is right for you is what’s right, as long as you don’t get narrow-minded and exclusive about it.”
The assumption that truth resides within each individual, however, becomes the cornerstone for a worldview. Granting oneself the power to discern all truth is a facet of theology, and this theology has ramifications that many members of the New Age movement have already discovered. Marilyn Ferguson, author of The Aquarian Conspiracy (a book referred to as “The New Age watershed classic”), says the movement ushers in a “new mind-the ascendance of a startling worldview.”
This worldview is summed up by Jonathan Adolph: “In its broadest sense, New Age thinking can be characterized as a form of utopianism, the desire to create a better society, a ‘New Age’ in which humanity lives in harmony with itself, nature, and the cosmos.”
While New Age believers make no serious distinctions between religions, considering that all are ultimately the same, John P. Newport explains that “neopagans generally believe that they are practicing an ancient folk religion, whether as a survival or a revival. Thus, being focused on the pagan religions of the past, they are not particularly interested in a New Age of the future.”
Through best-selling books and popular television shows and movies, the Cosmic Humanist worldview is gaining converts in the West and around the world. Malachi Martin lists dozens of organizations that are either New Age or sympathetic to Cosmic Humanist views. Clearly, Cosmic Humanism, a transplant from the East, is a growing presence throughout the Western hemisphere.
The Postmodern Worldview
Forced to face the inhumanity, destruction, and horror brought about by the Third Reich and the Soviet Gulag during the first half of the 20th century, a substantial group of Enlightenment humanists and neo-Marxists abandoned their worldview to create one they believed more fitting with reality, resulting in the Postmodern turn. By the 1980’s, Postmodern professors were making significant inroads in humanities and social science departments around the world.
Christian philosopher J.P. Moreland notes that Postmodernism refers to a philosophical approach primarily in the area of epistemology, or what counts as knowledge or truth. Broadly speaking, Moreland says, “Postmodernism represents a form of cultural relativism about such things as truth, reality, reason, values, linguistic meaning, the ‘self’ and other notions.”
Though Postmodernism comes in many forms, there are three unifying values: a commitment to relativism; an opposition to metanarratives, or totalizing explanations of reality that are true for all people of all cultures; and the idea of culturally created realities. Each of these commitments are designed to deny that there is a worldview or belief system that can be considered absolute Truth.
Postmodernism’s most effective methodological tool, one used extensively in university modern language departments, is known as Deconstruction, which means that words do not represent reality, and that concepts expressed in sentences in any language are arbitrary.
Some Postmodernists go so far as to deconstruct humanity itself. Thus, along with the death of God, truth, and reason, humanity is also obliterated. Paul Kugler notes the ironic twist: “Today, it is the speaking subject who declared God dead one hundred years ago whose very existence is now being called into question.”
To complicate matters even further, we must acknowledge that there even exists a variety of Postmodernism called “Christian Postmodernism.”[xxv] Such is the essence of mainstream Postmodernism-a worldview that claims there are no worldviews. This “anti-worldview” worldview is one that certainly demands the attention of thoughtful Christians.
There is freedom in the Christian worldview that no other worldview offers. Only in the Christian worldview does man place himself into the hands of a good, loving, and all-powerful God who will direct and guide his life. In every other worldview, man depends upon himself.
We could study in detail all the varying worldviews. And to do so, would be helpful in understanding false religions. But at the end of the day, what’s really important is knowing God’s answers to life’s great questions. God’s answers are revealed on the pages of Scripture. Reading and studying the Bible will prepare Christians to share their worldview (i.e. their faith) with others.
The Christian Worldview Answers the Questions of Life
Where did I come from?
It is the Almighty God of all creation who gave me life. (Psalm 139:13, Revelation 4:11)
God created the world and everything in it. (John 1:3, Romans 11:36, Colossians 1:16)
Why am I here and what is my purpose in life?
Man was created for God’s pleasure and by His will (Revelation 1:6, 4:11).
Man’s purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Where will I go when I die?
The end for all people is physical death (Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death…) and eternal life of the soul. All bodies will die and all souls will live eternally…somewhere.
Christians will live in Heaven with their Creator, having received forgiveness of sins and the gift of salvation (Romans 6:23 …the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord). Sadly, those who reject God’s gift of salvation will live separated from God forever (Mark 9:43-48), condemned by their own choice (John 3:18), and judged for their works (Revelation 20:12).
Why is the world in the condition it is in?
Because of sin. God created the world perfect, without any death or dying. And He created man without sin. Man chose to disobey God and seek after his own desires. In doing so, sin entered the world (Romans 5:12).
Every one of us is a sinner. We aren’t sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. We were born sinners and we are the problem in our world. The condition of our world is because of the problems caused by the sins of man.
What can be done to improve my life?
Live for Jesus and allow His Holy Spirit to work in and through my life.
All religions, except Christianity, teach that if man tries harder his life will improve. But doing good works does not guarantee a better life. Jesus asked, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36) He also warned, “…unless you repent you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3) But He also promised, “…I give unto them [those who are His] eternal life; and they shall never perish…” (John 10:28).
The only way to improve life in a sinful world is to be cleansed of one’s own sins and receive the gift of eternal life with the Lord Jesus Christ. That produces a rest for the life.
When Jesus saves someone, He also gives them the Holy Spirit, to indwell them and empower them to live for Him.
What can I do to make a difference in the world?
Conclusion
We cannot overstate the significance of these five anti-Christian worldviews. The basis for much of what is taught in the public classroom today comes from Secular, Marxist, Cosmic Humanist, and Postmodern thinking and takes on a variety of labels: liberalism, multiculturalism, political correctness, deconstructionism, or self-esteem education. Or, as is often the case, the labels are dropped and courses are taught from anti-Christian assumptions without students being told which worldview is being expressed. Neutrality in education is a myth.
The first chapter of the Book of Daniel explains how Daniel and his friends prepared themselves to survive and flourish amid the clash of worldviews of their day. We believe that Christian young people equipped with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the Christian worldview and its rivals can become “Daniels” who will not stand on the sidelines, but will participate in the great collision of worldviews in the twenty-first century.
Society will flourish in the light of truth only when the emphasis shifts back to a Christian perspective. This dramatic shift in emphasis can be brought about through the leadership of thousands of informed, confident Christian students who think deeply and broadly from a well-honed biblical worldview and emerge as leaders in education, business, science, and government.
Our desire to bring about this shift in emphasis is the fundamental reason Summit Ministries produces curricula and resources for Christian schools and homeschool families (primary, middle, and secondary), presents in-service worldview training for teachers across the U.S. and around the world, and provides worldview conferences for students and adults. Information is available at www.summit.org.
As in any war, there are casualties, and anti-Christian ideas are taking their toll. Recent surveys indicate that up to 59 percent of “born again” college students drop out of that category by their senior year. [Taken from the “College Student Survey.” Cooperative Institutional Research Program, U.C.L.A. Online article: http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/css_po.html.]
According to George Barna’s research, nine out of ten “born again” adults do not have a biblical worldview. To effectively engage this battle of ideas, Christians must have an understanding of the times and “know what [they] ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32).
What is a Worldview?
Everyone bases his or her decisions and actions on a worldview. We may not be able to articulate our worldview, and our worldview may be inconsistent, but we all have one. So, the question is, what is a worldview?
A worldview is “an interpretive framework”[iv]-much like a pair of glasses-through which you view everything. It refers to any set of ideas, beliefs, or values that provide a framework or map to help you understand God, the world, and your relationship to God and the world. Specifically, a worldview contains a particular perspective regarding at least each of the following ten disciplines: theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, and history.[v]
This article summarizes the six worldviews that currently exert the most influence over the whole world. Other worldviews exist, but they wield much less influence. For example, Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, or Shintoism may profoundly influence some Eastern countries, but hardly sway the entire world. The major ideas and belief systems controlling the world, and especially the West, are contained in the following six worldviews.
What is a Worldview?
Everyone bases his or her decisions and actions on a worldview. We may not be able to articulate our worldview, and our worldview may be inconsistent, but we all have one. So, the question is, what is a worldview?
A worldview is “an interpretive framework”[iv]-much like a pair of glasses-through which you view everything. It refers to any set of ideas, beliefs, or values that provide a framework or map to help you understand God, the world, and your relationship to God and the world. Specifically, a worldview contains a particular perspective regarding at least each of the following ten disciplines: theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, and history.[v]
This article summarizes the six worldviews that currently exert the most influence over the whole world. Other worldviews exist, but they wield much less influence. For example, Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, or Shintoism may profoundly influence some Eastern countries, but hardly sway the entire world. The major ideas and belief systems controlling the world, and especially the West, are contained in the following six worldviews.
Five Major Worldview Categories
- Naturalism: atheism, agnosticism, existentialism
- Pantheism: Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, New Age, Consciousness
- Theism: Christianity, Judaism, Islam
- Spiritism and Polytheism (includes thousands of religions)
- Postmodernism and Secular Humanism (marked by skepticism, individualism, little or no spiritual foundation)
In addition to those listed above, many people claim not to adhere to any of the mainstream definitions. They consider themselves to be “free-thinkers” with the right answers. In actuality, they simply modify one basic belief system, or combine several. And most often, they cannot clearly define what they believe.
The Questions of Life
Worldviews seek to explain the most basic questions of life:
1. Who am I?
2. Where did I come from?
3. Why am I here?
4. What is my purpose in life?
5. Where will I go when I die?
6. Why is the world in the condition it is in?
7. What can be done to improve my life?
8. What can I do to make a difference in the world?
How people answer these questions is influenced by their knowledge and perceptions of the world and by what they hold to be true. In other words, one’s worldview is defined by one’s beliefs. Since much of the knowledge and many of the perceptions are not provable, all worldviews are faith-based systems. Every worldview is a system of beliefs by which people live until they reach their ultimate destiny, which is also defined by their worldview.
True Religion, False Religion, or No Religion
Man has been trying to understand and define his life and his world since the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). In previous centuries, worldviews were defined by religious beliefs: 1) the Abrahamic faith religions, 2) false religions, and 3) no religion.
Why So Many Worldviews?
Many reject the Christian worldview because their faith is in themselves or in false teachings. They choose to believe in themselves, in their own abilities, or they follow a false god. Their problem with the Christian worldview is that it requires submission to an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Triune God. Even though the Triune God is proven to be all-loving and all good, many refuse to acknowledge their need to depend on One who is more powerful and more knowledgeable than themselves. They focus on themselves. Their faith is in their own ability and power.
The Christian worldview focuses on the God who created all things. It encourages a dependency on God’s power and direction and promises peace, strength, and joy. [Shari Abbott - Reasons For Hope]
The Christian Worldview
Many people, including many Christians, do not realize that the Bible addresses all ten disciplines of a worldview. Christianity is the embodiment of Christ’s claim that He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When we say, “This is the Christian way,” we mean this is the way Christ would have us approach life and the world. It is no small matter to think and act as Christ instructs.
America has been described as a Christian nation. However, America-along with the rest of Western Civilization-has turned away from its intellectual, cultural and religious heritage. Almost thirty years ago, Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer noted America’s drift toward secularism as a failure of Christians “to see that all of this [cultural and social breakdown] has come about due to a shift in world view-that is, through a fundamental change in the overall way people think and view the world and life as a whole.”
The study of worldviews in general, and the Christian worldview in particular, is a wake-up call for everyone. A country seeking to promote human rights (including the right to be born), liberty, and the common good must adhere to the only worldview that can account for our existence and dignity. We contend that human dignity comes from the fact that human beings are created in the image of God, a uniquely biblical perspective. Abandoning this perspective has dire consequences, considering the rise in abortions, homosexual practices, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, and the move toward human cloning.
The Islamic Worldview
It is estimated there are 1.3 billion followers of Islam. In recent years, the Islamic worldview has been growing exponentially in numbers, power, and influence, and, therefore, is worthy of our study. As one article headlined, “The future belongs to Islam,” providing added incentive to understand its beliefs and goals.
Writing in The Sword of the Prophet, commentator and international political consultant, Serge Trifkovic, explains that “Islam is not a ‘mere’ religion; it is a complete way of life, an all-embracing social, political and legal system that breeds a worldview peculiar to itself.”
Christianity and Islam have some teachings in common, including belief in a personal God, creation of the material universe, angels, immortality of the soul, heaven, hell, and judgment of sin. Likewise, Muslims accept Jesus as a prophet (one of many), his virgin birth, physical ascension, second coming, miracles, and messiahship.
The major differences between Christianity and Islam is Islam’s rejection of the biblical Trinitarian God and the death of Jesus for the sins of the world. Muslims likewise reject Jesus’ physical resurrection from the dead and his claim to be the Son of God.
Another major difference between the founder of Christianity and the founder of Islam is that the Bible describes Jesus as living a sinless life while the traditions of Islam depict Muhammad having many flaws. “Muhammad’s practice and constant encouragement of bloodshed,” writes Trifkovic, “are unique in the history of religions. Murder, pillage, rape, and more murder are in the Koran and in the Traditions.” Furthermore, Muhammad’s life “seems to have impressed his followers with a profound belief in the value of bloodshed as opening the gates of Paradise.” Thus, the history of Islam from 622 A.D. to the present has been a history of violence, submission, and war toward infidels (non-Muslims).
For many Muslims, one of Mohammad’s most important legacies is to see the world as a conflict between the Land of Peace (Dar al-Islam) and the Land of War (Dar al-Harb). On the other hand, there are a number of Muslims, particularly those living in Western democracies, who do not believe the Koran’s violent passages regarding killing infidels and Islam’s violent history should be applied literally today. Yet, in either case, Islam is a worldview with which Christians must contend.
The Secular Humanist Worldview
Secular Humanism refers primarily to the ideas and beliefs outlined in the Humanist Manifestoes of 1933, 1973, and 2000. Secular Humanism is the dominant worldview on the majority of colleges and universities throughout all Western nations. It has also made gains in many Christian colleges and universities, especially in the areas of biology, sociology, law, politics, and history.
Secular Humanists recognize the classroom as a powerful incubator for indoctrinating students into their worldview. Operating under the educational buzzword “liberalism,” a Secular Humanist agenda controls the curriculum in America’s public schools thanks to the National Education Association, the National Academy of Sciences, and a host of foundations, including the Ford Foundation.
Christians considering a college education must be well versed in the Secular Humanistic worldview or risk losing their own Christian perspective by default. In her book Walking Away From the Faith, Ruth Tucker, a professor at Calvin Seminary, makes it clear that Christian students are walking away from their faith because of Secular Humanist teaching.
The ideas of Humanism have gained prominent influence throughout modern society. B.F. Skinner, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Erich Fromm, all former “Humanists of the Year,” have powerfully affected the discipline of psychology. Scientists such as the late Carl Sagan, another “Humanist of the Year,” preached his Humanism on a widely heralded television and high school curriculum series. More recently, the outspoken atheist and Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins has gained much attention through a number of popular books on evolution and, of course, his 2006 best-seller, The God Delusion. Clearly, Humanists are willing to support their worldview-often more faithfully than Christians. For these and other reasons, we must give the Secular Humanist worldview close attention.
The Marxist Worldview
Marxism is a militantly atheistic, materialistic worldview. It has developed a perspective regarding each of the ten disciplines-usually in great detail. Based on the writings of Karl Marx in the late 1800s, Marxism has taken on some new looks in recent years-including debasing culture as a form of revolutionary activity.[xiv] The latest Communist Manifesto, titled Empire, was published in 2000 by Harvard University Press. Marx’s presence continues to be felt around the world.
Marxism predominates on many American university campuses. Recruited as college students in the 1950s and ’60s, many Marxist “radicals” earned PhDs and are now the tenured faculty on many campuses. “With a few notable exceptions,” says former Yale professor Roger Kimball, “our most prestigious liberal arts colleges and universities have installed the entire radical menu at the center of their humanities curriculum at both the undergraduate and the graduate level.” U. S. News and World Report published a lengthy article in 2003 entitled “Where Marxism Lives Today,” which states, “Marxism is so entrenched in courses ranging from literature to anthropology… that today’s students are virtually bathed in Marx’s ideas.”
The “radical menu” Kimball referred to includes a large serving of economic determinism. According to Karl Marx, the key problem with capitalism is that it breeds exploitation. Therefore, capitalism must be replaced with a more humane economic system, one that abolishes free markets (private property and the free and peaceful exchange of goods and services) and replaces it with a government-controlled economy.
Marx’s economic ideas and political policy go hand in hand. A Marxist style communism controls a large number of nations around the world, and traveling under the name of “social democracy,” a Marxist inspired political philosophy has engulfed Western European nations. Further, many South American countries have also taken a Marxist turn in recent years, and many think that the current administration and congress of the United States is quickly taking America down the same socialist road.
In addition, some Christian groups have attempted to combine their Christianity with Marx’s ideas of social equality. Because of the prevalence and subversive nature of Marxism, Christians must be aware of the goals of Marxist-thinking professors, politicians, and theologians.
The Cosmic Humanist Worldview
The Cosmic Humanist worldview consists of two interrelated spiritual movements. One is known as the New Age Movement (NAM), and the other is neo-paganism, which includes occult practices, Native American spiritism, and Wicca.
The New Age Movement mixes ancient Eastern religions (especially Hinduism and Zen Buddhism) with a touch of other religious traditions, adds a smattering of scientific jargon, and imports the newly baked concoction into mainstream America. “The New Age,” explains researcher Johanna Michaelsen, “is the ultimate eclectic religion of self: Whatever you decide is right for you is what’s right, as long as you don’t get narrow-minded and exclusive about it.”
The assumption that truth resides within each individual, however, becomes the cornerstone for a worldview. Granting oneself the power to discern all truth is a facet of theology, and this theology has ramifications that many members of the New Age movement have already discovered. Marilyn Ferguson, author of The Aquarian Conspiracy (a book referred to as “The New Age watershed classic”), says the movement ushers in a “new mind-the ascendance of a startling worldview.”
This worldview is summed up by Jonathan Adolph: “In its broadest sense, New Age thinking can be characterized as a form of utopianism, the desire to create a better society, a ‘New Age’ in which humanity lives in harmony with itself, nature, and the cosmos.”
While New Age believers make no serious distinctions between religions, considering that all are ultimately the same, John P. Newport explains that “neopagans generally believe that they are practicing an ancient folk religion, whether as a survival or a revival. Thus, being focused on the pagan religions of the past, they are not particularly interested in a New Age of the future.”
Through best-selling books and popular television shows and movies, the Cosmic Humanist worldview is gaining converts in the West and around the world. Malachi Martin lists dozens of organizations that are either New Age or sympathetic to Cosmic Humanist views. Clearly, Cosmic Humanism, a transplant from the East, is a growing presence throughout the Western hemisphere.
The Postmodern Worldview
Forced to face the inhumanity, destruction, and horror brought about by the Third Reich and the Soviet Gulag during the first half of the 20th century, a substantial group of Enlightenment humanists and neo-Marxists abandoned their worldview to create one they believed more fitting with reality, resulting in the Postmodern turn. By the 1980’s, Postmodern professors were making significant inroads in humanities and social science departments around the world.
Christian philosopher J.P. Moreland notes that Postmodernism refers to a philosophical approach primarily in the area of epistemology, or what counts as knowledge or truth. Broadly speaking, Moreland says, “Postmodernism represents a form of cultural relativism about such things as truth, reality, reason, values, linguistic meaning, the ‘self’ and other notions.”
Though Postmodernism comes in many forms, there are three unifying values: a commitment to relativism; an opposition to metanarratives, or totalizing explanations of reality that are true for all people of all cultures; and the idea of culturally created realities. Each of these commitments are designed to deny that there is a worldview or belief system that can be considered absolute Truth.
Postmodernism’s most effective methodological tool, one used extensively in university modern language departments, is known as Deconstruction, which means that words do not represent reality, and that concepts expressed in sentences in any language are arbitrary.
Some Postmodernists go so far as to deconstruct humanity itself. Thus, along with the death of God, truth, and reason, humanity is also obliterated. Paul Kugler notes the ironic twist: “Today, it is the speaking subject who declared God dead one hundred years ago whose very existence is now being called into question.”
To complicate matters even further, we must acknowledge that there even exists a variety of Postmodernism called “Christian Postmodernism.”[xxv] Such is the essence of mainstream Postmodernism-a worldview that claims there are no worldviews. This “anti-worldview” worldview is one that certainly demands the attention of thoughtful Christians.
Unlike Other Worldviews
Only the Christian worldview is built on a rock-solid, never-changing, absolutely-true foundation. Why is the Christian worldview foundation never-shifting, always solid, always true? Because it is not based on man’s knowledge and understanding. It is based on the wisdom of God as revealed through His inerrant Word. It is based on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Only the Christian worldview is built on a rock-solid, never-changing, absolutely-true foundation. Why is the Christian worldview foundation never-shifting, always solid, always true? Because it is not based on man’s knowledge and understanding. It is based on the wisdom of God as revealed through His inerrant Word. It is based on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mal 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I do not change”
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
There is freedom in the Christian worldview that no other worldview offers. Only in the Christian worldview does man place himself into the hands of a good, loving, and all-powerful God who will direct and guide his life. In every other worldview, man depends upon himself.
We could study in detail all the varying worldviews. And to do so, would be helpful in understanding false religions. But at the end of the day, what’s really important is knowing God’s answers to life’s great questions. God’s answers are revealed on the pages of Scripture. Reading and studying the Bible will prepare Christians to share their worldview (i.e. their faith) with others.
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The Christian Worldview Answers the Questions of Life
Who am I?
I am a soul, knit together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).
I was born into this world in the flesh and born again of the Spirit (John 3:5)
I am a soul, knit together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).
I was born into this world in the flesh and born again of the Spirit (John 3:5)
It is the Almighty God of all creation who gave me life. (Psalm 139:13, Revelation 4:11)
God created the world and everything in it. (John 1:3, Romans 11:36, Colossians 1:16)
Why am I here and what is my purpose in life?
Man was created for God’s pleasure and by His will (Revelation 1:6, 4:11).
Man’s purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Where will I go when I die?
The end for all people is physical death (Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death…) and eternal life of the soul. All bodies will die and all souls will live eternally…somewhere.
Christians will live in Heaven with their Creator, having received forgiveness of sins and the gift of salvation (Romans 6:23 …the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord). Sadly, those who reject God’s gift of salvation will live separated from God forever (Mark 9:43-48), condemned by their own choice (John 3:18), and judged for their works (Revelation 20:12).
Why is the world in the condition it is in?
Because of sin. God created the world perfect, without any death or dying. And He created man without sin. Man chose to disobey God and seek after his own desires. In doing so, sin entered the world (Romans 5:12).
Every one of us is a sinner. We aren’t sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. We were born sinners and we are the problem in our world. The condition of our world is because of the problems caused by the sins of man.
What can be done to improve my life?
Live for Jesus and allow His Holy Spirit to work in and through my life.
All religions, except Christianity, teach that if man tries harder his life will improve. But doing good works does not guarantee a better life. Jesus asked, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36) He also warned, “…unless you repent you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3) But He also promised, “…I give unto them [those who are His] eternal life; and they shall never perish…” (John 10:28).
The only way to improve life in a sinful world is to be cleansed of one’s own sins and receive the gift of eternal life with the Lord Jesus Christ. That produces a rest for the life.
Mat 11:28-29 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
When Jesus saves someone, He also gives them the Holy Spirit, to indwell them and empower them to live for Him.
What can I do to make a difference in the world?
- Know the foundational truths of the Christian worldview.
- Be prepared and ready to share God’s truths, His love, and the saving grace of Jesus with all people.
- Make an effort to turn conversations from worldly matters to subjects of spiritual importance.
- Be a testimony for Christ in your life by living in accordance with His will and by reflecting His light.
Matthew 5:15-16 "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel [basket], but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."Beliefs About God in Religious Belief Systems
- Atheism says, “There is no God.”
- Pantheism says, “All creation is God.”
- Panentheism says, “God is in, and He transcends, all creation.”
- Deism says, “God is a distant creator.”
- Theistic Finitism says, “God is limited.”
- Polytheism says, “There are many gods.”
- Monotheism says, “There is only one God.”
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Conclusion
We cannot overstate the significance of these five anti-Christian worldviews. The basis for much of what is taught in the public classroom today comes from Secular, Marxist, Cosmic Humanist, and Postmodern thinking and takes on a variety of labels: liberalism, multiculturalism, political correctness, deconstructionism, or self-esteem education. Or, as is often the case, the labels are dropped and courses are taught from anti-Christian assumptions without students being told which worldview is being expressed. Neutrality in education is a myth.
The first chapter of the Book of Daniel explains how Daniel and his friends prepared themselves to survive and flourish amid the clash of worldviews of their day. We believe that Christian young people equipped with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the Christian worldview and its rivals can become “Daniels” who will not stand on the sidelines, but will participate in the great collision of worldviews in the twenty-first century.
Society will flourish in the light of truth only when the emphasis shifts back to a Christian perspective. This dramatic shift in emphasis can be brought about through the leadership of thousands of informed, confident Christian students who think deeply and broadly from a well-honed biblical worldview and emerge as leaders in education, business, science, and government.
Our desire to bring about this shift in emphasis is the fundamental reason Summit Ministries produces curricula and resources for Christian schools and homeschool families (primary, middle, and secondary), presents in-service worldview training for teachers across the U.S. and around the world, and provides worldview conferences for students and adults. Information is available at www.summit.org.
