What Is Worldview?

Worldview is the way an individual or group thinks of reality; how experiences are explained; a philosophy on life. As David Noebel said in his book, Understanding the Times: The Religious Worldviews of our Day and the Search for Truth,

"…worldview refers to any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement, or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world, and man’s relations to God and the world. Specifically, a worldview should contain each of the following ten disciplines: theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, and history. . . . Each worldview offers a particular perspective from which to approach each discipline. Conversely, each discipline is value laden with worldview implications." (Eugene Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1991, page 8)

A person’s worldview is often determined by their experiences or geography. A native who lived his whole life in the African Congo would have a worldview limited to what he knows and sees every day where he lives. Trees, rocks, rivers, huts, and other natives are what he experiences in his isolated geographic location. His outlook on life is largely determined by these things on which he is familiar. If he were to go to a modern city, such as Cairo or New York, his worldview would change considerably. He sees cars, skyscrapers, motorboats, and modern people that he has to explain and accommodate into his understanding of life.

The native’s philosophy was determined also by what his parents and elders told him; his religion is spiritualism and animism. However, when something from the outside comes, perhaps a missionary bearing the Bible, his worldview will have to be altered somewhat, whether or not he accepts the message of the Bible; he knows that another belief system exists apart from what he has been taught.

The world is full of different ideas and philosophies and propositions, with as many philosophies as there are people. It is impossible to look at one’s outlook on things from total objectivity. We cannot fully escape the viewpoint we have already. However, it is possible to examine the world with some level of objectivity. We can be open-minded, and try to look at the facts, as well as other ideas, using common sense and rationale.

As a Christian, I view the world from what I know from the Bible. The Bible is the one constant that brings sanity to our complexity of viewpoints. While worldviews vary, there are ideas that are available to everyone, regardless of what they have experienced or where they live. God, the Creator and Lord of the world and the universe, has revealed Himself to mankind through the wonders of His creation; this is natural revelation. All humans, regardless of location, religion, skin color, or philosophy, have the opportunity to accept or reject God’s natural revelation; and the result of accepting this is the availability of God’s special revelation, the Bible.

The Bible is God’s message to mankind. Through it we can learn about God, how to live, and most importantly, how to obtain eternal life. The Bible says all people are sinners (Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Jesus Christ was both God and man, and He died on the cross to pay the penalty of death for our sins, then rose again three days later. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” (John 6:47). This is the message of the Bible, that we can have everlasting life in heaven with Him through faith in Him. To have a Biblical worldview, one must trust in Jesus Christ first.

Worldview is of utmost importance. In all the study and discussion about the various worldviews and ideas, there is one reoccurring theme – the struggle of absolute truth versus humanism.

Absolute truth says there are moral absolutes. Truth exists. There is an transcendent, omnipotent, perfect God who rules in the lives of men. Human beings are specially created in the image of God, and our lives have worth. The Christian brand of absolute truth also elevates the Bible as the source of constant truth. Its precepts, wisdom, teachings, and laws are good and true.

In contrast, humanism denies there can be absolute truth. The only truth is science. There is no such thing as moral absolutes – morality is whatever society says it is; it evolves on man’s whims. There is no God – man is the measure of all things. It is a religion that ultimately worships man, or environment. Man is nothing more than a highly evolved animal, smarter than a bug in life, but no different than a bug in destiny – death.

The Biblical worldview seeks to overturn the hoplessness of humanism, and humanism tries to overturn the absolutism of the Bible. This theme will be prominent on this blog.

I will be taking different areas of media (newspaper, TV, radio, and internet) articles and reports, and commenting on them from what I believe is a Biblical worldview. The Bible is the standard by which we will view the world.

Sources will be diverse, including CNN, FoxNews, BBC, Newsmax, Asia Times, World magazine, New York Times, the National Liberty Journal, and many others, in attempting to have as open-minded, varying viewpoints and accurate information as I can. I will use my local news sources, The North County Times and the Christian Examiner as well. From the above sources I will comment on current events, the cultural and religious ramifications from those events, as well as how they relate to the Biblical worldview. I will also post commentaries, articles, and essays on culture and religion in general, without reference to a particular media source. My goal is to post on this blog at least once a week.

It is my hope and prayer that this blog will help people think rationally and critically, and that people who have not yet trusted in Jesus Christ to save them would believe, and that Christians would look at the world the way God wants us to, through a Biblical worldview.