CIM Briefing Papers

C.I.M. Outline #33 
 
                       WORLD VIEWS AND YOU 
 
I.  Introduction 
 
     A.  Today more than any time in history worldviews are in 
         Collision.  Ideas do have consequences!  Today there is 
         no longer a worldview consensus in our country.  The 
         conflict and the polarization (see the abortion issue 
         as an example) and political gridlock we see are the 
         result of the demise of the Christian consensus which 
         once undergirded our society.  Currently, there is no 
         strong worldview consensus. 
 
     B.  Modern man is faced with a supermarket of worldviews all 
         claiming to represent reality.  This is due to several 
         factors, among them are: the loss of Christianity's 
         sense of mission in the world, and through modern 
         travel and communication we are exposed to many 
         different cultures. 
 
II.  Definition of a Worldview 
 
     A.  A worldview is a philosophy of life.   An ideology.  A 
         weltanschuang (for you Germans!).  It is an attempt to 
         explain life's most basic questions.  A religion is 
         likewise, a worldview.  Any distinct culture is the 
         embodiment of a worldview. 
 
     B.  Definition:  "It is a system of beliefs;  it is what we 
         really believe about the world (universe) and ourselves 
         and how we fit into the scheme of things, and it is 
         these beliefs which influence our thought and action. 
 
     C.  Illustrations 
 
         1.  A worldview can be likened to a pair of glasses 
             through which one views the world.  It is important 
             to have the right prescription or one will have a 
             distorted view of reality! 
  
         2.  Think of a worldview as the picture (the boxtop) 
             that goes along with a jigsaw puzzle.  The pieces 
             of the puzzle are life as you find it.  A worldview 
             helps you arrange the pieces in some meaningful 
             order. 
 
         3.  Everyone has a worldview (even TV commentators and 
             journalists!).  A person may not be adept at 
             articulating or defending their worldview.  They 
             may not even be able to explain how they received 
             it. 
 
         4.  Individuals may be at different stages in the 
             process of defining and defending their worldviews.  
             In this process, we are influenced by many 
             different forces.  Why do people hold one worldview 
             rather than another, we may ask?  Usually a 
             person's worldview is the result of the following 
             forces: 
 
             a.  Culture and tradition:  generally that in which 
                 a person is born. 
 
             b.  Feelings, some emotional attraction, or that 
                 which is apart from reason. Perhaps a mystical 
                 experience. 
 
             c.  Empirical data.  Facts that you experience or 
                 witness.  For example, the Apostles who 
                 witnessed the resurrection.  Worldviews are 
                 shaped by experience. 
 
             d.  Reason or logic.  Unfortunately not much of 
                 this is involved in the shaping of a worldview!  
                 But some is. 
 
             e.  Peer pressure.  This would likely be in 
                 conjunction with the culture and tradition.  Is 
                 a Muslim free to believe otherwise?  Why not? 
 
             f.  Revelation.  Information from a transcendent 
                 source such as God or an authoritative source. 
 
III.  The Purpose of a Worldview 
 
      A.  It Provides a sense of Peace 
 
          1.  In the sense that you know who you are and what 
              your place is in the universe. 
 
          2.  Your worldview should be such that it leaves no 
              great areas of your experience that cause tension. 
 
          3.  A world view should bring peace when it adequately 
              explains the world as it is. 
 
              Mark Twain once said:  "From the cradle to his 
              grave, a man never does a single thing which has 
              any first and foremost object save one--to secure 
              peace of mind--spiritual comfort for himself."  
 
      B.  It Provides Perspective 
 
          Our world view gives us a basis, or a perspective, from 
          which we can analyze, categorize, and synthesize data 
          enabling us to make sense of our existence.  It helps 
          us integrate the facts into a meaningful whole.  In a 
          practical sense its our basis for making life's 
          decisions. 
 
IV.  Characteristics of an Adequate World View 
 
     A.  It is Coherent.  (Coherency) 
 
         1.  The pieces of the puzzle have no meaning in 
             themselves. 
 
         2.  They only find their meaning in the whole. 
 
         3.  The main sense of a painting cannot be gained by 
             only looking up close.  When you step back and view 
             it from a distance one gains a sense of the overall 
             meaning. 
 
     B.  It corresponds to the way things really are.  
         (Correspondence) 
 
         Your world view must correspond to the way things really 
         are.  A psychotic must generally be institutionalized 
         because his view of life is so far removed from reality 
         (the way it really is). 
 
     C.  It is always consistent.  (Consistency) 
 
         It is devoid of internal contradictions.  In 
         otherwords, its adheres to the laws of logic. 
 
     D.  It can potentially explain all of reality.  
         (Comprehensiveness) 
 
         1.  No corner of reality is ignored. 
 
         2.  A world view must be capable of handling and 
             explaining new data.  No "my mind is made up don't 
             confuse me with the facts!"   It is sometimes 
             helpful to ask yourself (concerning your own 
             worldview) "What would falsify my worldview?"  It 
             is also a good question to ask those of a non- 
             christian worldview.  Incidently, what fact would 
             falsify Christianity?  See I Cor. 15:12ff. 
 
         3.  It has few ad hoc explanations.  A classic example 
             of ad hoc explanations is when it is revealed to a 
             woman that her husband is having an affair.  Rather 
             than face the problem head-on her continual 
             response to evidence is explanations that preserve 
             his integrity.  "Oh! He was just counselling with 
             her." etc. 
 
             Note:  The above characteristics are also what you 
             would use to test a worldview.  Try it with a false 
             cult.  
              
V.  Consequences of a Faulty Worldview 
 
    A.  Many unanswered questions and a lack of meaning.  For 
        example, if a scientific theory fails to have 
        explanatory value it is useless.  So a worldview. 
      
    B.  Physical consequences.  A worldview may say the law of 
        gravity is an illusion but if an adherent of such a view 
        jumps over a cliff there will be consequences!  See the 
        Christian Science cult which says sickness is an 
        illusion. 
      
    C.  A false hope.  Nothing could be sadder than someone who 
        has hope for life after death based on false premises.  
        "If I go to church regularly I'll go to heaven." 
 
VI.  The Four Universals of Worldview Building 
 
     Universals are those things that are universally true; they 
     are self-evident; there are no exceptions.  
 
     A.  Something exists and its effects are the same for all 
         men.  All men observe and experience cause and effect.  
         The universe is therefore rational; it is predictable. 
 
     B.  All people absolutize.  The finite always seeks an 
         infinite reference point or the finite has no meaning.  
         For some it is God (various forms of theism); for 
         others, this reference point (final authority is man 
         (forms of humanism).  All worldviews are either forms 
         of theism or forms of humanism. 
 
     C.  No statement can be both true and false at the same 
         time.  This is a primary law of logic known as the law 
         of non-contradiction.  All communication is based on 
         this principle.  The philosopher, Hegel, tried to deny 
         this universal but had to employ the law to state his 
         case!  Because of this universal, ideally speaking, 
         only one worldview can correctly mirror reality.  For 
         example, communism and Hinduism both make divergent 
         claims about the nature of reality.  One or the other 
         may be correct, or neither are correct.  However, they 
         both cannot be correct at the same time or the universe 
         is an absurd place!  There are not many paths to the 
         top of the mountain!  Karl Marx said:  "Either God is 
         sovereign, or man is sovereign.  One of the two must be 
         untrue."  Here for once the hairy-one is correct! 
 
     D.  All people exercise faith.  All presuppose certain 
         things to be true without prior proof.  These are 
         presuppositions, inferences or assumptions, upon which 
         a belief is based.  Here are some common assumptions of 
         current worldviews:  a personal god exists, life began 
         from inorganic matter, man is basically good, the Bible 
         is true, reality is only material. 
 
 
VII.  The Major Questions answered by a Wordlview 
 
      A.  Who am I?  What is man? 
 
      B.  Where did I come from?  How did the universe come into 
          existence?  Questions of origin and existence. 
 
      C.  What is truth?  How can I know and know that I know? 
 
      D.  What is right action?  Questions of ethics and 
          morality. 
 
 
VIII.  Concluding remarks 
 
       The uniqueness of the Christian worldview is that they 
       believe that the Creator of all the pieces of the puzzle 
       has given (revealed) them the Boxtop which gives them 
       meaning.
    
 
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