Biblical and Secular Worldview Assignment- BAER
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RLGN 105
Biblical and Secular Worldview Comparison Paper
Anna Reid Baer
Liberty University
RLGN 105_C04: Introduction to Biblical Worldview
Dr. Jessica Tipton
October 30, 2023
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RLGN 105
I.
A Biblical Worldview answer to the 5 Worldview Questions:
1.
The Question of Origin
– (How did life begin? How did mankind come into existence?)
According to a biblical worldview, life began because “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (
ESV, Gen. 1:2). God created the earth in seven days starting with light, the sky, then land and seas, the sun, moon, and stars, fish and birds, and animals and humans. Mankind exists because God desired them to hold dominion on earth “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (
ESV, Gen. 1:27). Man exists out of the breath of God and woman from the rib of Adam. 2.
The Question of Identity
– (What does it mean to be human? Are humans more important than animals?)
Humans identity is found in Christ because “God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (
ESV
, Gen. 1:26). No other living creature is made in the image of God, which separates humans from the rest of creation. God
created man to “…. Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (
ESV, Gen. 1:28). Subsequently, God calls humans to be in relationship Him by following His word which “should frame our entire perspective on life” (MacArther, 2003, p. 26).
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3.
The Question of Meaning/Purpose
– (Why does mankind exist?)
The sole purpose for mankind is to glorify God. Sin is human nature because the world is fallen “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (
ESV, 1 Cor. 10:31). Humans were meant to do everything for God’s glory and “keep [our] conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (
ESV, 1 Peter 2:12). A lot of times humans commit actions that do not give glory to God out selfishness but “the world and human life do have a meaning and look towards their fulfilment, which comes in Jesus Christ” (Echeverria, 2019). Ultimately, humans demonstrate a biblical worldview giving glory to God in our everyday lives.
4.
The Question of Morality
– (What is meant by right and wrong? How do we know what is right?)
In His word, God lists commandments that His people are called to keep. We must “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:
[
a
]
sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (
ESV, Col. 3:5). The meaning behind “right” is “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (
ESV, 1 John 2:3). When are close to and know God by obeying His commandments, we will know we are doing right. We will know what is wrong “When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (
ESV, Prov. 16-7). Anything we do that
does not please the Lord is sin which creates a void between us and Him.
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RLGN 105
5.
The Question of Destiny
– (Is there life after death? What will happen to people after they die?)
Those who obtain a biblical worldview are guaranteed life after death because “For God so loved the world,
[
a
]
that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (
ESV, John 3:16). Those who believe in him will have perfect, everlasting life after death and “As a result of salvation, the mind of a newly redeemed person knows and comprehends the glory of God” (MacArther, 2003, p. 53). All the Lord requires for salvation and everlasting life with him is confessing and believing that He is Lord. However, those who do not believe in him “shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (
ESV, John 3:36).
(Word Count: 610)
II.
A Secular Humanistic Worldview answer to the 5 Worldview Questions:
1.
The Question of Origin
– (How did life begin? How did mankind come into existence?)
A secular worldview does not believe in a specific way that mankind came
to be. They don’t believe that creation came from a supernatural creator and believe there is “no God at all, only the natural universe” (Ryken, 2002, p. Page 4 of 8
RLGN 105
35). Additionally, secularists believe in scientific theories for creation, such as the Big Bang Theory and the universe we live in is a result of chance.
2.
The Question of Identity
– (What does it mean to be human? Are humans more important than animals?)
Secular humanists do not believe in the supernatural and believe in the natural world and scientific reasoning for human life. Many people accept the theories of evolution from Charles Darwin which suggests that “…the observation
of nature has revealed not one scrap of evidence that humanity is superior or special, or even particularly more interesting” (Ryken, 2001, p. 48). Within a secular worldview, humans hold no dominion or value above animals and living things. 3.
The Question of Meaning/Purpose
– (Why does mankind exist?)
Humanism suggests that the meaning and purpose of life is determined by individuals. Secularists believe in finding your own truth, this means that the purpose for humans is subjective and different among people. One scholiast suggests that “
Reason alone, deliberately divorced from any resort to authority or tradition, has led not to anything remotely approaching agreement about what is true. It has produced an open-
ended range of conflicting truth claims that… are apparently irresolvable” (Nord, 2019, p. 82). Ultimately, there is no specific answer for the purpose of human existence in the secular worldview.
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4.
The Question of Morality
– (What is meant by right and wrong? How do we know what is right?)
Morality is quite downplayed within a secular worldview. There is no framework for what is “right” and what is “wrong” because they do not believe in God. Secularists believe in the common ethics of society rather than a biblical, moral conscience so “…there is no adequate way to account for moral properties such as obligations, right and wrong, and the guilt universally felt when failing those obligations” (Rae, 2013, p. 54). Secularists abide upon societal and cultural standards and common sense to shape their morality. 5.
The Question of Destiny
– (Is there life after death? What happens to people after they die?)
The humanist view of death depends on the individual. When it comes to death, many are unsure about what will really happen as they are not promised eternal life in Christ. A scholar concludes that “
The absence of miracles completes the separation of our real world from a possible Spiritual World to which our souls (if they exist) may migrate after death. The existence of souls and
a Spiritual World…is simply unknowable” (Saltman, 2012, p. xi). Many secularists just come to accept death as the end because they are left in uncertainty
without believing in their divine creator. (Word Count: 416)
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RLGN 105
III.
Conclusion Ultimately, the comparison between a Biblical worldview and a secular worldviw reveals
extreme differences in how the questions of Origin, Identity, Purpose, Morality and Destiny are answered. God gave us the Bible as His word to communicate the answers to these foundational questions and what it looks like to live a life according to Him. On the other hand, humanists heavily rely on scientific reasoning and theory as explanations for life. They also conform to societal norms and a subjective way of life to define who they are. Overall, the Bible serves as a concrete foundation for humans to understand the foundational questions of life and how to shape our lives to live in a way that reflects the perfect image of God.
(Word count: 123)
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References Echeverría, E. (2019). Christian Worldview.
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society,
62
(4), 874-885.
ESV Study Bible
. (2011). Crossway Books.
MacArthur, Mayhue, R., & Hughes, J. A. (2003).
Think biblically!: recovering a Christian worldview
. Crossway Books.
Nord, Guenther, K., & Weiss, M. (Eds.). (2019).
Formations of belief: historical approaches to religion and the secular
. Princeton University Press.
Rae, S. B. (2013). Doing the Right Thing: Making Moral Choices in a World Full of Options. Zondervan.
Ryken, P. G. (2013). Christian Worldview: A Student’s Guide. In D. S. Dockery (Ed.), Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition. Crossway.
Saltman. (2012).
Sacred humanism without miracles: responding to the New Atheists (First edition.). Palgrave Macmillan.
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