A biblical world view is belief in the reality of God
What Is A World View?
The world population is divided into major cliques based upon “world views.” Within the major world views, there are further divisions within each world view.
“World view” may be defined as a collection of philosophically integrated perspectives on beliefs, life and the universe through which a person interprets and responds to their environment.
In each person’s highly personalized world view there are basically held beliefs such as what constitutes reality, is there a God/god, what is right and what is wrong, why are there human beings, what is the purpose of history, why do people die, is there life after death, and etc. There may be no conscious definition of such things, but they are still real to each person.
There is, however, a pitfall here, in that usually there is no systematic gathering and analysis of factual data, there are romantically, not logically held, theoretical viewpoints, old wives tales, superstitions masquerading as “religious teachings,” reverence for the false opinions of esteemed, though wrong, elders in our lives such as parents and highly visible and respected “leaders,” ideas from popular songs, movies and other entertainment outlets of popular culture which we have subconsciously accepted as truisms, and etc. So we have a tendency to take whatever data we personally become aware of and then make it fit our beliefs.
In other words, we really don’t know that much about what has happened in the real world yesterday, last week, last year or tens or hundreds or thousands of years ago, do we? How much less what is happening in the totality of the universe! Add to that our emotional coloring of anything factual, or simply opinions we hear, and we see our “world view” concept crumble into the disassociated parts that it really is! So we have to realize that our so-called “world view” is, in reality, simply an opinionated, personal and highly subjective view limited mostly by what comes within our scope of experience. It’s what you choose to believe and is not necessarily based upon true reality, or facts.
Perceptions View
Nevertheless, it’s our view, and we all have one, however rightly or wrongly arrived at and you are heavily influenced by how you perceive things. Aren’t you? Aren’t I? Aren’t they?
World Views
There are, arguably, basically six broad so-called “world views:”
1. Atheism
2. Agnosticism
3. Theism
4. Postmodernism
5. Belief by consensus
6. Biblical
Atheism denies the existence of God, agnosticism asserts that there may or not be a God, theism affirms the existence of God and postmodernism ignores and discounts God and relies upon language and sub-cultural values to define reality. Belief by consensus is simply a variation of the “get on the bandwagon, because everybody else is” philosophy. A biblical world view bases its perceptions on what the Bible says.
Atheism and Agnosticism
Naturalism
Atheism recognizes the natural and moral evils of this world and its people, but denies there is a God. Agnosticism also recognizes evils, but is not dogmatic in denial of the existence of God, and is open to arguments for or against the existence of God. Atheism, agnosticism and existentialism fall under the broad category of “naturalism,” stressing the material and denying the spiritual.
Theism
The theist camp has differing ideas about the existence of God and evil, and the reality of the material and spiritual. One camp subscribes to finitism, i.e., that God is not greater in power than evil. Another camp says that evil and God exist co-eternally as equals in power. Yet another camp claims that God will overcome evil in His time, as He is more powerful than evil. The main adherents of theism are Christianity, Judaism and Islam. They all see reality as being both material and spiritual. The “Biblical world view,” discussed later in this article, would be considered under Theism, but sees both the material and spiritual as reality, as defined by the Bible.
Pantheism
Falling loosely into the category of “theism” is pantheism. The pantheist says all that exists is God and God is all that exists and denies the existence of evil because there is no distinction between good and evil. Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age and etc., all stress the spiritual while denying the material stating that it’s an illusion.
Spirits And Polytheism
Also falling loosely into the category of “theism” is spirits and polytheism. This group ascribes the happening of material or natural things to spirit forces of gods and demons, who must be appeased and placated. This group relies upon shamans and visions to relay information from the gods and demons to humans.
Postmodernism
For the postmodernists, truth and reality must be filtered through the lens of shifting cultural values, which include, but are not limited to, freedom of personal and corporate expression, tolerance of those values so expressed, inclusion of those truths and values into the particular sub-culture in which they were expressed, and lack of universal ethics, beliefs, traditions, truths and values. There is no right or wrong, one individual’s truth is not necessarily another individual’s truth — it’s simply what works for the individual. Postmodernists appear to favor multi-culturism, situational ethics and feminism. They view Darwinism, Christianity and any type of objective truth negatively. Postmodernism is very complex and its many adherents are not necessarily agreed upon all these factors, but respect an individuals’ opinion on them.
One aspect of postmodernism is noteworthy: it appears to be a variation of anarchism. Anarchism may be defined as: a political theory opposing all government and favoring voluntary social cooperation and interaction; breach of public order. Characteristics of anarchy are the absence of effective government or the resulting social disorder.
This overload of information on postmodernism makes it difficult to fully comprehend by definition. Probably the easiest way to understand it is how it is manifested in an individual. Simply put, these individuals are saying to themselves and to their surrounding environment, “Any place I am and any place I go, I want to be in charge of me. If you are astute and perceptive, you will recognize my gifted leadership abilities and you will also want me in charge of you.”
Postmodernism can be seen as simply a rebellious and selfish attitude, promoting self.
Belief By Consensus
Yet Another False Basis Of Unity
Each of the world views seeks to find a basis of unity with the other world views, and the divisions within each one. Since it’s impossible to find unity based upon all these differing (il)logical points of view, unity is now found in the “belief by consensus” world view.
This “belief by consensus,” instead of being based upon logic, is now found in agreement on theories:
The theory of evolution.
The theory of global warming.
The theory of same-sex marriages.
The theory of growing multi-culturalism.
The theory, by the U.S. Government, that might makes right and righteousness.
And on and on and on ...
America is identified by the world as a “Christian nation.” That puts us squarely in the category of “Theism.” Yes, we have our share of Naturalism, Pantheism, Spirits And Polytheism and Postmodernism. However, the world view of the rest of the world towards America is that of Theism, specifically, Christian.
To put it another way, America’s perceived Theism is in direct opposition to the Naturalism, Pantheism, Spirits And Polytheism and Postmodernism which is predominant in most of the rest of the world.
However, as if that is not a factor to alienate us from the rest of the world, the theory, by the U.S. Government, that might makes right and righteousness, only worsens the matter. Because of the presumption and bully tactics of the U.S. Government in attempting to force the rest of the world to adopt our governments’ “world view,” we are now hated by the rest of the world.
The prevailing “belief by consensus” “world view,” of the theory of evolution, global warming, same-sex marriages, multi-culturalism and who knows what else provides a loose intellectual unity for America with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, that is not sufficient to bind us together in unity as those things are based upon conjecture. Which leads us back to “no systematic gathering and analysis of factual data, ... romantically, not logically held, theoretical viewpoints, old wives tales, superstitions masquerading as “religious teachings,” reverence for the false opinions of esteemed, though wrong, elders in our lives such as parents and highly visible and respected “leaders,” ideas from popular songs, movies and other entertainment outlets of popular culture which we have subconsciously accepted as truisms, and etc. So we have a tendency to take whatever data we personally become aware of and then make it fit our beliefs.”
The real “Chicken Little — the sky is falling” syndrome is not to be found only in the theory of global warming, but also in all of the theoretical postulations which are so easily accepted as “scientific fact” by a body of individuals who subscribe to this “belief by consensus” world view.
A Biblical World View
George Barna published the results of a survey in December of 2003. Here are excerpts from that article:
In the article, Mr. Barna stated that “... a large share of the nation’s moral and spiritual challenges is directly attributable to the absence of a biblical worldview among Americans.” The article also states “The research indicated that everyone has a worldview, but relatively few people have a biblical worldview — even among devoutly religious people. The survey discovered that only 9% of born again Christians have such a perspective on life.”
Elsewhere in the article it states:
“Among the most prevalent alternative worldviews was postmodernism, which seemed to be the dominant perspective among the two youngest generations (i.e., the Busters and Mosaics).
(In another publication, Mr. Barna classified the differing generations in saying: “The Mosaics are the youngest of the five generations that coexist within America today. Those generations are the Seniors (born in 1926 or earlier); the Builders (1927-1945); the Baby Boomers (1946-1964); the Baby Busters (1965-1983); and the Mosaics (1984-2002). The oldest of the Mosaics have been around for more than a decade and a half, but it is not until a group reaches the age of 12 or so that social scientists and marketers start to pay serious attention to them — and have a sufficient body of credible information upon which to draw conclusions about the group. We are finally at the stage where we can begin to project the nature of the Mosaics.”)
“For the purposes of the research, a biblical worldview was defined as believing that absolute moral truths exist; that such truth is defined by the Bible; and firm belief in six specific religious views. Those views were that:
1. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life;
2. God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He stills rules it today;
3. salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned;
4. Satan is real;
5. a Christian has a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with other people; and
6. the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings.”
The conclusion was made that “Adults with a biblical worldview possessed radically different views on morality, held divergent religious beliefs, and demonstrated vastly different lifestyle choices.”
Mr. Barna also said that relative to a biblical world view the “goal is to facilitate a means of interpreting and responding to every life situation that is consistent with God’s expectations. These are not perfect people, but once they catch on to the critical principles found in the Bible and train their minds to incorporate those views into their thinking, their behavior varies noticeably from the norm.”
Note that the Baby Busters (1965-1983) and later (Mosaics, 1984-2002), are those 42 years old and younger, as of the date of this writing, February, 2007. Note also that the most prevalent alternative worldviews [read: perceptions view] was postmodernism. And the dominant perspective among the two youngest generations (of those 42 years of age and younger) is postmodernism.
Rebels Creating Rebels
In other words we have a bunch of rebels among us, who want things their own way. And who want others to want them as their leaders.
Postmodernism is not the only prevalent and dominant alternative world view in the institutional church today. The “belief by consensus” world view also runs rampant. Instead of basing belief in what the Bible says, i.e., a “biblical world view,” false unity is being promoted by agreement on theories of what they think the Bible says, by many different so-called “leaders” within the institutional church system. Which again leads us back to “no systematic gathering and analysis of factual data, ... romantically, not logically held, theoretical viewpoints, old wives tales, superstitions masquerading as “religious teachings,” reverence for the false opinions of esteemed, though wrong, elders in our lives such as parents and highly visible and respected “leaders,” ideas from popular songs, movies and other entertainment outlets of popular culture which we have subconsciously accepted as truisms, and etc. So we have a tendency to take whatever data we personally become aware of and then make it fit our beliefs.”
There is no place in a “biblical world view” for the competing world views of “postmodernism” and “belief by consensus.” Who do you think you’re fooling?
Think For Yourselves!
There is enough information revealed in this article to cause some of you to think about your “world view” [read: perceptions view]. For those of you who consider yourself to be true disciples of Jesus Christ, i.e., a follower, supporter and imitator of Jesus, you will want to consider your beliefs in the six specific religious views mentioned in the George Barna article. And your 24 hour a day, seven day a week lifestyle. “The survey discovered that only 9% of born again Christians have such a perspective on life.”
We humans, in our continuing rebellion, are opening up the door for some extremely hard and difficult times which we ourselves are responsible for causing. Because we have ceased to think rationally and logically. Because we are biblically illiterate, and prefer the traditions of men. Because we are selfish and not only want things our way, but also want others to want things our way. Because we want to be in some type of agreement with others based upon “belief by consensus,” and somehow rationalizing it to ourselves as “unity.”
Prepare!
Prepare yourselves for some real horror in your lives as this mentality spreads like a killer virus throughout the world and in the institutional church system. And yes, this will affect the most precious freedom that we in America used to have: that of freedom. Personal freedom, freedom of speech, freedom to go and stay anywhere we want to, and freedom of religious expression.
There will be hell to pay — figuratively and literally.
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•Americans religious faith in self and church, not Christ
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