Something that this child learned several years ago is the importance of worldviews, including how they are made and the way they impact our lives. I bring these things up every once in a while because they are crucial, especially for Christians.
Many professing Christians do not know what and why they believe things, and are essentially heretics. They are riding to perdition in a handcar. We must not only make sure of our salvation, but have a proper worldview and submit to the authority of God's Word.
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| Spectacles by kkiser at FreeImages |
Unfortunately, many Christians are into tribalism, a kind of "us verses them" thing where it's more important to have the "right" doctrines and join their self-congratulatory clubs than it is to love and uphold one another.
Someone may object, "I don't have presuppositions." That is a presupposition in itself. It is interesting that professing atheists ridicule Christians who use presuppositional apologetics, but are hardcore presuppositionalists themselves! Worldviews and presuppositions can be likened to glasses; atheists presuppose materialism and evolution (which is foundational for them), and Christians are supposed to presuppose the truth of the Bible. Ironically, atheism is self-refuting and a professing atheist cannot be consistent in his or her worldview. The Christian can be consistent, because our worldview makes sense of human experience.
You have probably heard the expression rose-colored glasses. It is often a criticism of those who see everything in an excessively positive way, or to shield themselves from unpleasant things. (As an aside, a song from the groovy Jesus People days that I heard in a church years ago was called "Rosy Tinted Glasses.") Christians must have worldview glasses with the right prescription.
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| FreeImages: Spectacles by kkiser, cross by LilGoldWmn |
While worldviews are our starting point in dealing with the world, they can also change. We can take an active part in establishing and securing our worldview on the written Word of God, but we must be consistent. It is imperative that we go against our carnal nature and crucify it, then get our glasses, and keep them maintained. The Christian life takes effort, but the rewards are many.
Starting with the right presuppositions matters because our presuppositions shape how we answer life’s major questions. Where did we come from? Are we here for a reason? What is our standard for truth and morality? What happens after death? We all have some framework for interpreting reality and for approaching these major questions—even if that approach is to avoid thinking about them or to say we don’t believe they can be answered. So although not every person may have thought through his or her worldview carefully, everyone does have a worldview. The question is, which worldview? Answering that requires understanding the worldviews that exist in the first place.
To read all of of this important article (plan on about fifteen minutes) or listen to the audio by my favorite reader, see "A Biblical Prescription: A Worldview Checkup" (alternate link here).