Session 5 Final Assignment - Oct. 3 @ 10_44 pm

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1 Session 5 Final Assignment Kimberly Nunley-Walker Colorado Christian University

2 Session 5 Final Assignment Introduction Throughout this course, we have discussed the concept of a worldview and analyzed several different worldviews including Christianity, Secularism, Marxism, New Spirituality, and Postmodernism. In this final paper, I will focus on Christianity and Secularism. The paper will include the central ideas of each worldview, compare-and-contrast the two worldviews, a logical defense for one worldview, and a common ground for the two worldviews. II. The Central Concerns, Ideas, and Goals of Both Worldviews Christianity is a religion and philosophy of life which views God as the supreme being of the universe. The foundation of Christianity revolves around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians believe God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, referred to as the "Messiah" to save the world. Jesus in response was crucified to offer forgiveness for our sins as we Christians are sinful. Christians understand and believe that we must pay for our sins. The belief is "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (Holy Bible, 2016, ESV, 1 John 1:8-9). Christians believe that the Holy Bible is sacred. The Holy Bible includes "important scriptures that outline Jesus' teachings, the lives and teachings of major prophets and disciples, and offer instructions on how Christians should live" (Kids of Courage, 2013, p. 1). Christians devote their lives to God and Jesus Christ. Secularism, on the other hand, is a religion and philosophy of life which views man as the supreme being of the universe. Secularists reject the existence of God and any supernatural. Secularists believe man to be good. They think that "people should feel good about themselves regardless of their behavior" (Abounding Joy, n.d., p. 1). Secularists believe that people are a part of nature. Secularists

3 believe that humans control their destiny. Secularists also believe that problems occur due to ignorance and lack of education. Secularists reject the idea of God and his powers of redemption. Secularists instead rely on education and science to improve the world. According to Secularism.org (n.d., p. 1), some of the principles of secularism include separation of church and state, freedom to practice your own beliefs, and equality for religious and non-religious individuals. III. Compare-and-Contrast: The Ten Ways of Looking at the World Theology Christians believe God is everlasting. There is an existence of heaven and hell. Christianity "posits the existence of God as a personal, relational, creative being who has made himself known through nature and through Scripture" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 477). Christians believe in God as the designer, we are made in God's image, we can experience redemption, and are meant to serve a purpose. Christians proudly proclaim, "the existence of a personal, triune God who desires to be in a relationship with those who bear his image" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 480). The main concern for Secularists is in the here and now and human beings as opposed to eternity. Secularists do not believe there is a God. Secularism states "God is either nonexistent or irrelevant" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 479). Secularists are atheists by conviction. Secularists believe in man and nature. Philosophy Christians believe they can know things because of "sensible [order] through Jesus Christ, the incarnation of the logos" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 481). Christian philosophy focuses on the reconciliation between science and faith, starting with the practice of natural rational explanations with the help of Christian revelation. Christians believe in a harmonious

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4 balance between science and faith. According to Myers & Noebel (2015, p. 473) Secularists' beliefs consist of materialism, naturalism, and atheism. Secularism states that matter is perpetual. Myers & Noebel (2015, p. 481) state to Secularists "the material world if all that exists, and the phenomena have a natural explanation". Since nature is all that exists, any immaterial "the soul, the afterlife, God - do not exist by definition" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 481). Only scientific method can explain reality to a Secularist. Secularists have the self- confidence that evolution, man, his body, his mind, and his soul are products of evolution not designed by supernatural. Ethics Christian ethics focuses on moral order. Christians believe "all things good, true, and beautiful are based in God's character" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 483). Christians believe it is existential to be truthful. Proverbs 12:22 (Holy Bible, 2016, ESV) reads, "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight." Because God is everywhere, Christianity says "an ethical system based on his character will reside in every soul, across all cultures, at all times" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 483). Secular ethics is based on logic, empathy, reason, or moral intuition. According to the Secularists mindset, there is no existence of good or bad, right, or wrong, so therefore it must not exist. Secularists believe "no god wrote the laws of good behavior into the cosmos" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 482). Secularists do not accept the belief of supernatural revelation or guidance. Biology Myers & Noebel (2015, p. 484) state "from a Christian perspective, God created humankind, not the other way around." Science in the Christian worldview is accepted as "science is the study of God's orderly creation" (Geneva College, n.d., p. 2). Christians, for the

5 most part, believe God's providence is the legitimate basis for seeing order and constancy in the world. Most Secularists deny the existence of a design or a designer. Secularism relies on macroevolution to support the natural causes of human creation. Macroevolution is best explained as the "natural selection acting upon genetic mutations, where random changes in DNA lead to adaptions which may improve the ability of some organisms to survive and reproduce" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 267). Secularists argue that natural selection is responsible for properly explaining human creation. Psychology Christianity deals a lot with personhood. Christians believe that God is a person. We as humans are products of God who "required thinking, planning, artistry, and execution - all qualities God shared with us, his image-bearers" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 485). Secularists argue that "self-actualization will allow a person to become healthy and happy" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 485). The fundamentals of Secularism allow their followers to believe God is a myth and that we are evolved animals produced millions of years ago. All psychological thinking is explained by nature, the acknowledgment of religion being responsible for psychological thinking is dismissed. Sociology In the Christian worldview, the structure of the family is critical to the institution of society. The family especially is critical to the development of society. Everything else can fail or fall except family. The family is responsible for instilling and carrying out the moral responsibilities of the Lord. Since there is no God according to Secularism, there is no religious order or leaders of faith. Secular sociology also suggests "society causes us to do what we do: we

6 aren't making choices, but responding to external stimuli" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 486). Much of the Secularists' beliefs can be explained by nature. Law Christians believe that God is the only legislator. Christianity says, "God gave us divine laws and the means of discovering them" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 489). Christian law emphasizes the eternal moral precepts of divine law over civil, ceremonial, or judicial aspects. The theology of grace over law is most desirable. Secularists under law, only trust themselves to create the legal system as they "reject the ideas of fallenness" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 488). Secularists believe that church and state should be separate. Politics In the Christian faith, God has been ordained in several institutions and plays pivotal roles in the caretaking of His creation. Christianity recognizes "the value of persons, as well as a balance between person and society, and the valuable roles of the family, government, and church" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 486). In the Christian worldview, God influences the laws provided to His followers. The 10 commandments act as the laws for Christians to follow. According to the Secularists' beliefs, man, and his atmosphere are the results of evolutionary forces. For secularists, the meaning and purpose of human existence are measured on a human scale. Secularists believe they can provide meaning for themselves, their concerns, ideas, and philosophies. Economics Christianity "begins with the assumption that no economic system can save us or usher in the Kingdom of God" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 491). The Bible acts as a book of principles that define specific economic implications, such as righteousness. Secularists follow a socialist

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7 point of view in that they believe "humans are inherently good and smart enough to develop a good society without divine guidance" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 491). Secularism posits "that material prosperity undermines the felt need for religious consolation and leads to religion playing a lesser role in culture and politics" (McCleary, 2010, p. 43). History Christianity believes that history is the "epic unfolding of God's ultimate plan for all humanity" (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 493). Understanding the history of God helps Christians to understand their daily roles and the history of their choices and lives. Myers & Noebel (2015 p. 493) explain Secularists believe "as we progress, our ideas also evolve." Secularists believe that the history of evolution for both organisms and society can provide us necessary history and information. IV. A Logical Defense I find the Christian worldview to be more compelling compared to Secularism. Secularists rely on science and mathematics to explain the cause of life. Secularists are like atheists that argue that it was the Big Bang Theory that created the human universe. Secularists believe that things such as the Big Bang Theory are responsible for the cause of life, both living and non-living forms. However, Keeft (n.d., First Cause Argument, para. 2) explains that "based on the instinct of mind that we all share: the instinct that says everything needs an explanation. Nothing is just without a reason why it is." Secularists claim that mere matter does not move but cannot explain how things are perfectly created. Keeft (n.d., First Cause Argument, para. 4) argues "the whole universe is a vast, interlocking chain of things that come into existence. Each of these things must therefore have a cause." Due to the nature of Secularism, Secularists argue that spontaneous creation must

8 then explain the creation of the universe. They feel science can explain why we exist. The most logical explanation is supported by the Christian worldview. Christians explain that God placed the universe and all the things that make up the universe in the most desirable way to Him. For things to be the way God intended them to be, there must be a first cause. If there is no first cause by the hands of God, then we have "violated the Principle of Sufficient Reason for everything" (Keeft, First Cause Argument, para. 5). Another reason why evolution cannot be the cause of our existence is the difference in abilities between humans and animals. The Christian worldview explains that there must be a creator, a designer. Keeft (n.d., The Design Argument, para 2.) emphasizes "The universe displays a staggering amount of intelligibility, both within the things we observe and in the way these things relate to others outside themselves." Secularists would say that it simply is left up to chance. There is a designer that can explain the purpose and reasons of human beings. For example, the complexity of the human mind. The human mind can be referred to as a computer. Keeft (n.d., Argument for Design, para. 5) describes that the human mind "is the most complex piece of design in the known universe." The human is capable of remarkable things which would allow one to believe that a Designer is responsible for the creation, function, and ability. The Christian worldview is compelling due to the creation of our DNA. Dr. Francis Collins states "DNA [is] an instructional script, a software program, sitting in the nucleus of the cell" (Every Student, n.d., Chapter 27, p. 2). Secularists will say that DNA is science and can be explained by human genome sequencing. Christians will argue that "DNA has information in it – instructions to form a living being. And information never comes about by chance; it always comes from a mind. So DNA proves that God created the first creatures" (Answer Genesis, n.d., Chapter 27, p. 2). According to Every Student (n.d., Is God Real, p. 2) "the tiny space in every

9 cell in your body...is three billion letters long." Due to the complexity, there must have been a designer or outside force responsible for creating our DNA as "we cannot escape the presence of intelligent (incredibly intelligent) design" (Every Student, n.d., Is God Real, p. 3). Our DNA is important because it is just more proof of God as our creator. God is responsible for the design, complexity, and variation of our human bodies. V. Common Ground Although Christianity and Secularism appear to be opposites of each other, I feel that some similarities can allow for common ground. Christians and Secularists both believe in moral codes. Although they differ in origin, the goal of both religions is to live a peaceful life. I believe that Christians and Secularists can respect each other by understanding that both share the belief in ethical principles and the worthiness of humans. Christianity and Secularists discuss on several topics, for example, homosexuality and abortion. Although the two religions have their differences, I believe they can also find common ground on economic justice. If both religions can be flexible and accept an alliance for social welfare or environmental needs, then they can work efficiently. Topics dealing with abortion and gay marriage will have to remain indifferent. I think what is most important for the religions is to accept the differences and live the life you feel you are meant to have. Christians can be forgiving and see the goodness in people and Secularists can be less critical of Christians' belief systems including God. VI. Conclusion In the course PHL-205A: World Views, we discussed what is a worldview and analyzed several different worldviews. In this paper, I focused on Christianity and Secularism. In the paper, I explained the central ideas of each worldview, compared, and contrasted them, provided a logical defense for Christianity, and established a common ground for the two worldviews.

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10 This paper has reinforced how the Christian worldview has truly shaped my understanding of the world around me.

11 References Abounding Joy. (n.d.)., O. C. (n.d.). https://www.aboundingjoy.com/humanism_chat.htm. Answers in Genesis., C. (n.d.). https://answersingenesis.org/is-god-real/what-is-the-best- argument-for-the-existence-of-god. Everystudent.com. (n.d.)., I. (n.d.). https://everystudent.com/wires/is-god-real.html. History.com, C. E. (. (n.d.). https://www.history.com/topics/history-of-christianity. Holy bible: English standard version (esv) (Anglicised reader's ed ed.). (2016). Keeft, P. (n.d.-a). Arguments from Design . https://peterkeeft.com/topics/design.htm. Keeft, P. (n.d.-b). The First Cause Argument. https://peterkeeft.com/topics/firse-cause.htm. Kids of Courage. [Comparing Christianity and Secular Humanism]. (2013). https://www.kidsofcourage.com/?p=7422. McCleary, R. M. (2010). The Economics of Religion and Secularization . https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15570274.2007.9523277.. Miller, P., F., Vandome, F., A., McBrewster, & John. (2009). Geneva college: College, christian, humanities, liberal arts, beaver falls, pennsylvania, no... Myers, J., & Noebel, D. A. (2015). Understanding the times: A survey of competing worldviews (1st ed.). David C Cook. Secularism.org. [Exploring Secularism]. (n.d.). https://www.secularism.org.uk/what-is- secularism.html..

Session 5 Final Assignment - Oct. 3 @ 10_44 pm

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