Post by Kevin on May 1, 2021 12:01:52 GMT -7
The next subject for review and insight. Please let me know your thoughts and how to improve this:
Worldviews
We all have a worldview. At its most basic meaning, a worldview is nothing more than a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world. It’s not a physical view of the world, but rather a philosophical view, an all-encompassing perspective on everything that exists and matters to us.
A person’s worldview represents his most fundamental beliefs and assumptions about the universe he inhabits. It reflects how he would answer all the “big questions” of human existence: fundamental questions about who and what we are, where we came from, why we’re here, where (if anywhere) we’re headed, the meaning and purpose of life, the nature of the afterlife, and what counts as a good life here and now. Few people think through these issues in any depth, and fewer still have firm answers to such questions, but a person’s worldview will at least incline him toward certain kinds of answers and away from others.
A worldview shapes and informs our experiences of the world around us. Like spectacles with colored lenses, they affect what we see and how we see it. Depending on the “color” of the lenses, some things may be seen more easily, or conversely, they may be de-emphasized or distorted—indeed, some things may not be seen at all.
Worldviews also largely determine people’s opinions on matters of ethics and politics. What a person thinks about abortion, euthanasia, same-sex relationships, environmental ethics, economic policy, public education, and so on will depend on his underlying worldview more than anything else.
As such, worldviews play a central and defining role in our lives. They shape what we believe and what we’re willing to believe, how we interpret our experiences, how we behave in response to those experiences, and how we relate to others. Our thoughts and our actions are conditioned by our worldviews.
Worldviews operate at both the individual level and the societal level. Rarely will two people have exactly the same worldview, but they may share the same basic type of worldview. Moreover, within any society, certain worldview types will be represented more prominently than others, and will therefore exert greater influence on the culture of that society. Western civilization since around the fourth century has been dominated by a Christian worldview, even though there have been individuals and groups who have challenged it. But in the last couple of centuries, for reasons ranging from the technological to the theological, the Christian worldview has lost its dominance, and competing worldviews have become far more prominent. These non-Christian worldviews include:
o Naturalism: there is no God; humans are just highly evolved animals; the universe is a closed physical system.
o Postmodernism: there are no objective truths and moral standards; “reality” is ultimately a human social construction.
o Pantheism: God is the totality of reality; thus, we are all divine by nature.
o Pluralism: the different world religions represent equally valid perspectives on the ultimate reality; there are many valid paths to salvation.
o Islam: there is only one God, and He has no son; God has revealed His will for all people through His final prophet, Muhammad, and His eternal word, the Qur’an.
o Moralistic therapeutic deism: God just wants us to be happy and nice to other people; He intervenes in our affairs only when we call on Him to help us out.
Each of these worldviews has profound implications for how people think about themselves, what behaviors they consider right or wrong, and how they orient their lives.
At the core of a worldview is the a priori assumption; an assumption that is true without further proof or need to prove it. It is assumed the sun will come up tomorrow. Christians begin with the a priori assumption of God. Atheists begin with the a priori assumption of no God. When you begin your search for truth, it is imperative you understand your worldview and a priori assumptions. Because if you aren’t willing to challenge these, you won’t be able to get to the truth.
Here’s an example of how this impacts everything. When I began my journey, my worldview was that of a Christian with the a priori assumption that God exists. In order to get to the heart of truth, because I wanted to understand why I believed what I believed, and didn’t want to take someone else’s word for it, I had to challenge my worldview and assumptions. I had to question my assumption that God exists by asking, “How do I know God exists?” “Does God exist?” “Can I find evidence for God’s existence?”
Without first challenging you’re a priori assumptions, who can you ever know for certain if you’ve built your worldview on a solid foundation?
The same is true for the atheist. How do you know God does not exist? Is there any evidence you would accept for the existence of a deity? If so, what is that evidence? Will logical evidence work? Statistical? Scientific? Philosophical? Theological? For each person the answers are personal and different. What I find as valid evidence, others may be bored by and dismiss because the subject or methodology may not be of interest to them.
Everyone has a different threshold for evidence, and everyone weighs evidence differently. For example, creationists and evolutionists look at the exact same evidence, but come to drastically different conclusions. Just as you and I may look at one piece of evidence for God’s existence, and I may find it compelling, but you may not. You may find something else compelling for evidence for God, that I may think is unconvincing.
Worldviews
We all have a worldview. At its most basic meaning, a worldview is nothing more than a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world. It’s not a physical view of the world, but rather a philosophical view, an all-encompassing perspective on everything that exists and matters to us.
A person’s worldview represents his most fundamental beliefs and assumptions about the universe he inhabits. It reflects how he would answer all the “big questions” of human existence: fundamental questions about who and what we are, where we came from, why we’re here, where (if anywhere) we’re headed, the meaning and purpose of life, the nature of the afterlife, and what counts as a good life here and now. Few people think through these issues in any depth, and fewer still have firm answers to such questions, but a person’s worldview will at least incline him toward certain kinds of answers and away from others.
A worldview shapes and informs our experiences of the world around us. Like spectacles with colored lenses, they affect what we see and how we see it. Depending on the “color” of the lenses, some things may be seen more easily, or conversely, they may be de-emphasized or distorted—indeed, some things may not be seen at all.
Worldviews also largely determine people’s opinions on matters of ethics and politics. What a person thinks about abortion, euthanasia, same-sex relationships, environmental ethics, economic policy, public education, and so on will depend on his underlying worldview more than anything else.
As such, worldviews play a central and defining role in our lives. They shape what we believe and what we’re willing to believe, how we interpret our experiences, how we behave in response to those experiences, and how we relate to others. Our thoughts and our actions are conditioned by our worldviews.
Worldviews operate at both the individual level and the societal level. Rarely will two people have exactly the same worldview, but they may share the same basic type of worldview. Moreover, within any society, certain worldview types will be represented more prominently than others, and will therefore exert greater influence on the culture of that society. Western civilization since around the fourth century has been dominated by a Christian worldview, even though there have been individuals and groups who have challenged it. But in the last couple of centuries, for reasons ranging from the technological to the theological, the Christian worldview has lost its dominance, and competing worldviews have become far more prominent. These non-Christian worldviews include:
o Naturalism: there is no God; humans are just highly evolved animals; the universe is a closed physical system.
o Postmodernism: there are no objective truths and moral standards; “reality” is ultimately a human social construction.
o Pantheism: God is the totality of reality; thus, we are all divine by nature.
o Pluralism: the different world religions represent equally valid perspectives on the ultimate reality; there are many valid paths to salvation.
o Islam: there is only one God, and He has no son; God has revealed His will for all people through His final prophet, Muhammad, and His eternal word, the Qur’an.
o Moralistic therapeutic deism: God just wants us to be happy and nice to other people; He intervenes in our affairs only when we call on Him to help us out.
Each of these worldviews has profound implications for how people think about themselves, what behaviors they consider right or wrong, and how they orient their lives.
At the core of a worldview is the a priori assumption; an assumption that is true without further proof or need to prove it. It is assumed the sun will come up tomorrow. Christians begin with the a priori assumption of God. Atheists begin with the a priori assumption of no God. When you begin your search for truth, it is imperative you understand your worldview and a priori assumptions. Because if you aren’t willing to challenge these, you won’t be able to get to the truth.
Here’s an example of how this impacts everything. When I began my journey, my worldview was that of a Christian with the a priori assumption that God exists. In order to get to the heart of truth, because I wanted to understand why I believed what I believed, and didn’t want to take someone else’s word for it, I had to challenge my worldview and assumptions. I had to question my assumption that God exists by asking, “How do I know God exists?” “Does God exist?” “Can I find evidence for God’s existence?”
Without first challenging you’re a priori assumptions, who can you ever know for certain if you’ve built your worldview on a solid foundation?
The same is true for the atheist. How do you know God does not exist? Is there any evidence you would accept for the existence of a deity? If so, what is that evidence? Will logical evidence work? Statistical? Scientific? Philosophical? Theological? For each person the answers are personal and different. What I find as valid evidence, others may be bored by and dismiss because the subject or methodology may not be of interest to them.
Everyone has a different threshold for evidence, and everyone weighs evidence differently. For example, creationists and evolutionists look at the exact same evidence, but come to drastically different conclusions. Just as you and I may look at one piece of evidence for God’s existence, and I may find it compelling, but you may not. You may find something else compelling for evidence for God, that I may think is unconvincing.