# Why Study Worldviews?



## amishrockstar

If Christians can, and do, act contrary to their worldview. 
If Atheists can, and do, act contrary to their worldview (act kindly to their neighbor, etc). 
Then what is the benefit to studying worldviews?

Is it to call people to be consistent with their worldviews and/or
adopt another?

If you had to teach "worldviews," to students, what types of
exercises (in-class) would you do?

Thanks


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## LawrenceU

I've been teaching World View classes for several years. I find that it is exceptionally valuable to those Christians who study them. It helps them to see where their own inconsistencies lie and it helps them to see where different ideas, proposals, programs, etc. come from that are pushed in the media, schools, and the lives of those around them. I personally know of several people who have been brought to faith as a study of worldview.


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## MMasztal

I, too, echo Pastor Lawrence's view. Believe it or not, most people including Christians and non-believers don't even realize they possess a worldview and fashion themselves as "neutral". Non-believers typically espouse neutrality and tolerance as worthy, but in practice fail to practice either or realize that their worldview is self-refuting.

A study of worldviews brings to light how people actually think and make decisions and further shows the reality of the non-bridgeable chasm between the Christian and secular worldview.

Jesus said no one can serve two masters as well as you're either for me or against me.


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## amishrockstar

Thanks Lawrence.
Since you've taught worldviews, maybe you can 
help with my other question from another thread. 

Are Nazism, evolution, and humanism worldviews, 
or are they ideas that come from a worldview?

I've heard Bible teachers refer to the above as
worldviews, but I've also heard that there are
basically seven worldviews: Atheism, Agnosticism, 
Finite Godism, Deism, Polytheism, Pantheism, 
and Monotheism. 

Any thoughts? 

Thanks,
Matthew


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## TimV

Matthew, the problem with nazism as a world view is that it's like saying membership in the Democratic or Republican party is a world view. The nazis were just one of many fascist political parties in Europe at the time. The National Party in SA was very fascist for decades, but for instance would never even allow evolution to be taught in schools since it contradicts the Bible. Abortion even in cases where the baby was retarded could land you in jail. Italy was fascist, but for instance didn't deport racial minorities.

I doubt that the study of world views will ever change the hearts of people, but you can say the same thing about most any form of apologetics. That doesn't mean that they can't serve as a means to start the process of convicting people of their sin, as Lawrence and Michael pointed out. 


In Germany during the 30's you had millions of people support the nazis, and they ranged from solid Christians to atheists to everything in between. Perhaps if you narrow it down to social Darwinism you'd have an easier time nailing it down.

best
Tim


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## Mushroom

My limited study of worldviews has revealed to me how much I was/am affected by erroneous ones inculcated into my thinking by false doctrine, secular media, public schooling, political ideology, and so on. It really is amazing how entrenched they are in our minds even as we are unaware of what they are and their implications. That alone is good enough reason to study them in-depth.


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## Theogenes

If you had to teach "worldviews," to students, what types of
exercises (in-class) would you do?
Jumping Jacks!


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## Andrew P.C.

amishrockstar said:


> If Christians can, and do, act contrary to their worldview.
> If Atheists can, and do, act contrary to their worldview (act kindly to their neighbor, etc).
> Then what is the benefit to studying worldviews?
> 
> Is it to call people to be consistent with their worldviews and/or
> adopt another?
> 
> If you had to teach "worldviews," to students, what types of
> exercises (in-class) would you do?
> 
> Thanks


I would agree with the other replies(minus the jumping jacks, i'd go with pull ups  ). The only thing i would add is that knowing these things better equips your defense against an aggressive "non-believer" mind set in our society.


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## Peairtach

Sin in the Christian_ is _, paradoxically, consistent with the Christian worldview because the Christian worldview says that there will be sin in the true Christian until he dies. In another sense of course sin is inconsistent with our profession of Christianity and we should avoid and get rid of it by God's grace, like the plague. But if you could point to a sinless Christian that would be an argument against Christianity. 

It is important to study different worldviews so that you can refute them and show that ultimately the Christian worldview is the only rationally consistent one. The worldview expressed in the Word of God is destined to make a display of all the other worldviews and their foolishness, and it will do this in history.

E.g. II Corinthians 10:5; Revelation 19.

It's a process in history whereby Christ trounces all His enemies, Lucifer and his angelic and human minions, by His Word, His Spirit, His Church and His Providence. 

There are a number of "Enlightenment projects/experiments" that have come crashing down, e.g. Fascism, that was embued with a Nationalistic Humanism (which used as much or as little of traditional religion as comported with its vainglorious humanistic ambitions), Communism (or Marxist Humanism) , and our own ugly sister of Western "Democratic" Secular Humanism, an unstable experiment that has a dialectic between radical secular individualism and radical conformity to secular society.

The latter is unravelling and is doomed to destruction though no-one can predict when, and in spite of all their talk of human rights of religious freedom etc, the true Church in the West could be subject to serious Ecclesiatical and State persecution before the _denouement. _

The Enlightenment attempt to think without reference to God has already partially collapsed from Modernism into Post Modernism.

I suppose worldviews are like the layers of an onion, with some presuppositions being more fundamental than others. E.g. the Enlightenment project of thinking - trying to think - without reference to God can by twists and turns lead to the American Revolution, the French Revolution, Marxism, various Fascisms and the modern largely godless modern/post modern societies in which we live.

*Quote from Matthew*


> I've heard Bible teachers refer to the above as
> worldviews, but I've also heard that there are
> basically seven worldviews: Atheism, Agnosticism,
> Finite Godism, Deism, Polytheism, Pantheism,
> and Monotheism.


The above would be the more fundamental and lower layers of the worldview onion.



> Are Nazism, evolution, and humanism worldviews,
> or are they ideas that come from a worldview?


The above would be the upper layers of the worldview onion.

I'd recommend firstly basic books on philosophy so that people get a "feel" for the subject.

E.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophy-...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264452675&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intelligent...=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264452731&sr=1-9

This is a useful book from a Christian perspective on various worldviews:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/World-Diffe...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264452517&sr=1-3


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