By the Numbers

Friday, March 18, 2011

The Christian Worldview: Nonsense, Or Good Sense?


The Christian Worldview: Nonsense, Or Good Sense?


What are the basic beliefs of the Christian worldview? They’re sensible explanations of life, more logical, scientific, intellectually satisfying and defensible as Jesus publically claimed and demonstrated He was the God-man in this real world. Unless we have all knowledge of space and time, it’s an unwarranted assumption to claim no personal ethical God exists. To claim the Christian worldview arrogant, one must provide evidence to show their alternative view superior. Or, to claim we can’t know absolute truth is itself a truth claim. Look at the evidence and be objective.

The infinite personal, ethical Creator and Upholder God of the Bible is the only source, foundation, and unifying factor that makes sense of everything—truth, logic, life, mind, freedom, love, justice, human dignity, human rights, ethics, a meaningful world, history, a life of purpose and life after death.

Put another way, science operates on a cause and effect basis meaning atoms didn’t just pop into existence. Everything began must have a Beginner. So this finite dependent changing universe requires an eternal infinite Creator. We know also that an infinite regress of time would prevent me being here today. But here I am a living thinking person writing this article—it’s a God thing.

. THEOLOGY. There is only one true eternal, personal, ethical, triune God who is Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and Judge revealed to us in creation, conscience, Christ, Scripture and history. Human belief in atheism, deism, dualism, pantheism, panentheism (process thought), and a finite God give us no hope of a real God who acts in our world for our good.

·   PHILOSOPHY. Thought is not composed of matter. The universe had a non-material origin. So mind necessarily precedes and explains matter. Intelligent design and irreducible complexity throughout nature points to a personal God. Mindless molecules can’t arrange themselves into life and mind in any amount of time. We destroy ourselves to deny God.

·  ETHICS. Right and wrong are universal, knowable, objective absolutes only if based upon one infinite, personal, holy and loving God.  Human judgment is faulty not knowing all the facts, being biased and unable to make right decisions. Conscience is a guide but can be suppressed and nullified. We will one day face our Maker and Judge who as man in love sacrificed himself to pay for our sins and give us eternal life. That's the only basis for responsible unselfish living.

·   BIOLOGY. An infinite, eternal Creator fits the evidence better than spontaneous generation or macro-evolution. Life must exist to produce life and life has genetic plans with limitations—nature’s random selected characteristics and mutations are inadequate mechanisms. Life forms exhibit a planed complex rather than slow natural process—it’s the faces on Mt. Rushmore compared to the water eroded Niagara Falls. A complete fossil record would establish a slow blind process of evolution, but we find only a few hoaxes and simultaneously sudden major complex changes in life forms suggesting creation. Evolution is naturalistic speculative theory, not scientific experimental fact.

.  PSYCHOLOGY. Humans are both material and spiritual, body and soul in God’s image, immortal with dignity, but fallen needing a Savior and Lord. A guilt free humanity building a perfect utopia is contrary to all history and sinful human nature.  Both human dignity in God's image and human depravity as a fallen self-centered rebel is crucial to true understanding.
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·  SOCIOLOGY. Family consists of father, mother and children for human protection, provision and stability. Trial marriage, polygamy and same-sex marriage defies fairness and common sense. Compatibility, commitment and love in marriage do make sense. Homosexuality is not nature’s design and carried out consistently would destroy the human race. What is learned can be unlearned. 'I can’t help it,' is an unacceptable argument--a thief or murderor could say the same thing.

·  LAW. A holy or perfect God has set just standards that promote justice, order, law-abiding citizens and a safe and secure society. God mandated capital punishment. Godly living promotes a healthy and happy citizenry without excessive laws and force. To pamper criminals, abort unborn human beings, and ration health care produces crime, death, heartbreak, guilt and despair. We are both victims and perpetrators. Citizens should know and hold lawmakers and courts accountable to their constitution.

·  POLITICS. All men share human rights equally given by their Creator and as descendant from one original couple. The state can’t give human rights and has no business taking them away. A clear conscience makes practical sense of natural law (what I call universal human law), but apart from the biblical God makes no ultimate sense. Overpaid politicians serve themselves and special interests, not the citizens. Positive law of finite, fickle, conflicting, selfish human interests leads to chaos, anarchy and tyranny. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

·  ECONOMICS. Private property, free enterprise and responsible use of money glorify God and prosper nations. State ownership, welfare and central planning can’t accommodate supply and demand. It destroys citizen freedom, responsibility and incentive to work. Secular governments pretend to help citizens, but tax them into poverty and hardship. Its theft and violates human dignity and rights. To attain the classless society, the state must eliminate opposing classes. It’s a bloody nightmare people risk their lives to escape. Compare the Marxist and free sides of the Berlin Wall.

·   HISTORY. Fulfilled Bible prophecies show God’s in charge of his world no matter what men do. History’s not meaningless cycles, or utopian schemes men attempt, and always fail bringing devastation and death. History as God’s providence began with Creation and the Fall, continued with the God-man’s incarnation, atonement and resurrection, and will climax in the renovated heavens and earth. Understandings of God’s actions are as diverse as the five parties who viewed our Lord’s crucifixion carrying out his Father’s will. Everyone will bow the knee and confess our righteous Judge is Lord Jesus Christ. I’ve read to the end of God's Book. You’d be wise to do likewise. God connects the dots for his glory.
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I’ve adopted and modified these points from David A. Noebel’s excellent book Understanding The Times, p. 129. I highly recommend it for persons wanting a clear presentation of five views: Islam, secular humanism, Marxist-Leninism, Cosmic Humanism, and Postmodernism. Further, the five views are discussed under each of the above headings. This book is an excellent college text.
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Please do yourself, others, and your country humanitarian service by sharing this article to others. Jesus alone is the way, truth, and life--trust in Him. Thank you & God bless.
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1 comment:

  1. GOOD NEWS MESSENGERS, Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. When we do that, we're not just concerned about ourselves and our own problems, we care about our neighbors. And the best way to show our concern is to tell them about the Savior and his Word.

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