Christian Worldview Paper 1

7/28/2019 Christian Worldview Paper 1

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THE WORLDVIEW OF CHRISTIANITY 1

The Worldview of Christianity, Atheism, and the Scientific Method

Shontell White

Liberty University

COUN503

Professor Chad Cooke

June 3, 2013


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Religion, culture, various occults, atheists, scientists, and other groups all have something

in common, they all have beliefs. Each one of these groups beliefs make up their worldview. A

worldview comprises one's collection of presuppositions, convictions and values from which a

person tries to understand and make sense out of the world and life. A worldview is a

conceptual scheme by which we consciously or unconsciously place or fit everything we believe

and by which we interpret and judge reality.2A worldview is, first of all, an explanation and

interpretation of the world and second, an application of this view to life.3

(MacArthur, 2006).

Scientists based their beliefs from theories that have factual results after tests and

experiments are conducted. The scientific method is the process by which scientists, collectively

and over time, endeavor to construct an accurate (that is, reliable, consistent and non-arbitrary)

representation of the world which consists of four steps; observation of a phenomenon,

hypothesis base on the phenomenon observed, use of the hypothesis or predictions based on the

hypothesis, and tests and experiments on the predictions,

(http://teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu/phy_labs/AppendixE/AppendixE.html). Scientific

presuppositions state that everything has a scientific reasoning whether there is evidence to prove

it or not. The scientific method can be used to seek knowledge and truth base on the experiments

that have tangible or visual evidence to back the hypothesis. The scientific method can also be of

help to the beliefs of Christians. Christians can use the scientific method results to back what the

Bible teaches. Because the results prove that the hypothesis is correct and accurate, people can

gain more knowledge on the creation of the world and rule out all other believes with no written

or visual explanations.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n1/whats-your-worldview#fnList_1_2http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n1/whats-your-worldview#fnList_1_2http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n1/whats-your-worldview#fnList_1_3http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n1/whats-your-worldview#fnList_1_3http://teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu/phy_labs/AppendixE/AppendixE.htmlhttp://teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu/phy_labs/AppendixE/AppendixE.htmlhttp://teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu/phy_labs/AppendixE/AppendixE.htmlhttp://teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu/phy_labs/AppendixE/AppendixE.htmlhttp://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n1/whats-your-worldview#fnList_1_3http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n1/whats-your-worldview#fnList_1_2


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Christianity, atheism, communist, humanism, new age, and the occult all have various

views of the world and the creation of human life. A-theism, by definition, states foundationally

that there is no God. All worldviews provide answers to the big questions in life like Where do

we come from? How do atheists explain our origins without God? Their answer is evolution.

This gives them an explanation for our existence withoutGodnaturalistically. Briefly stated

the grand theory of evolution embraces the following. Atheists believe in the scientific method

stating that the Big Bang theory created the earth and human life form. Billions of years ago

time, matter and energy came into existence as the result of thebig bang. The Big Bang theory

states that billions of years ago the galaxies, the stars, and the planets created on their own. After

the creation of the galaxies, planets, stars, before life form began on earth it was only hot molten

substance that later cooled down creating water. The living chemicals created life form

spontaneously and over millions of years the chemicals created life form through genetic

mutation and natural selection. The Big Bang theory went on to explain that creatures resembling

apes evolved from through natural selection and later evolved into human after developing more

advanced brain functions. Evolutionists scientific evidence for this belief is the fossils that have

been discovered throughout time and the geologic column. The laws of entropy states that the

universe will be destroyed by heat, and after everything is destroyed by heat, the process of the

Big Bang theory will start over again.

The atheistic worldview, based on this supposed history, says that we had an accidental

beginning; we developed through random processes and that there is no ultimate hope for the

future. It says that there are no absolutes, no basis for morality or ethics outside of what each

person decides is right for them. All theories from creationists, to atheists and Christians all

believed based on faith. We can only look back through time from history that was recorded, the
http://creation.com/article/3051/#big_banghttp://creation.com/article/3051/#big_banghttp://creation.com/article/3831http://creation.com/article/3831http://creation.com/article/3831http://creation.com/article/3831http://creation.com/article/3051/#big_bang


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Bible, (for Christians), and scientific evidence provided for all other beliefs outside of

Christianity, (Smith, 2009).

The Christian worldview focuses on Jesus and what the Bible states. The Bible states the

beginning and the end. The beginning is described in Genesis explaining how life form was

creates. The end is described in Revelation and explains the events that will take place before

human and all other life forms will be destroyed by fire. The Bible never states that these

scientific events did not occur, but states that these events occurred through God, (Genesis

chap.1). There are many that are confused about the Bibles explanation of prehistoric animals

and encounters but Genesis explains how Noah had to select animals and take only his family on

the ark that he built because the Lord planned to destroy all other life form because of the

wickedness that was taken place; which can explain fossils and rocks that were later found by

scientists, archaeologists, and others. (Smith 2009, Genesis chap.7). If the Bible is read carefully

and studied and interpreted the way God intended for it to be read, then mankind can see that

each scientific event that is recorded with evidence to back it, is already written and explained

spiritually in the Bible. The Christian worldview sees and understands God the Creator and His

creation-i.e., man and the world-primarily through the lens of God's special revelation, the Holy

Scriptures, and secondarily through God's natural revelation in creation as interpreted by human

reason and reconciled by and with Scripture, for the purpose of believing and behaving in accord

with God's will and, thereby, glorifying God with one's mind and life, both now and in eternity,

(MacArthur, 2006).

As stated before, the scientific method can be used to seek knowledge and truth about the

creation of man by the evidence provided through research and experiments and tests. Human

nature can also help gain knowledge and truth of what is and what is not. Human nature consists


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of how the human thinks, feel, acts, or even what human believe. A religious or Christian view

of human nature is based on scripture. Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9), and he also admits "O Lord, I know the way of man is

not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (10:23). In Genesis we also

read "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent

of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). Paul also wrote "There is

none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God;

they have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none that

does good, no, not one" (Romans 3:10-12). Paul explained that the "natural" mind of man, is

essentially hostile to God and His law: "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not

subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be" (Romans 8:7), (Smeenk). It is through scriptures

such as these that point human towards why events occur or have occurred. Human nature can

help us gain knowledge through personal experience and what we have seen or encountered

throughout our life, or empiricism.

Other ways of seeking knowledge is through religious literature, and information passed

down from others. Trusting that what we read or have read is true is based on beliefs.

Information given from one person to another is based also on whether or not a person believes

the information given. The information can be researched and once again if the information is

proven then it will become more believable. Religion is not only used to help define what human

nature is and how it works, but can but religion can also help to explain why people believe

certain things and how these beliefs interact with science. Atheists base their knowledge upon

empirical and rational reasoning through epistemology. Epistemology is the investigation into

the grounds and nature of knowledge itself. The study of epistemology focuses on our means for


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acquiring knowledge and how we can differentiate between truth and falsehood, (Cline). Some

atheists depend on epistemology to justify their beliefs.

Christianity, atheism, and other cultures and religions have a different worldview of how

the world was created, and who created it. Christians believe that God created the heavens, the

earth, all that reside in in it. Christians have the Bible to back our beliefs. Atheists relay totally

on what can be proven scientifically or what makes sense to explain how the world and all that it

contains was formed. There are many ways that we can acquire knowledge of how the world was

created and how human life form came to be. Science does hold some forms of truth and can be

interpreted through the teachings of the Bible. Both science and Christianity can work together to

explain how God designed and carefully created the Earth and all that is in it.


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References

Cline, A. What is Epistemology? Philosophy of Truth, Knowledge, Belief.

http://atheism.about.com/od/philosophybranches/p/Epistemology.htm

MacArthur, J. (2006) Whats Your Worldview. Abridged from Think Biblically! edited by Dr.

John MacArthur, copyright 2003, pages 13-17. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a

ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187,www.crossway.com.

Smeenk, H., W. Conquering Human Nature.http://www.hshideaway.com/chap02.htm

Smith, C. (2009). Genesis: The Missing Piece of the Puzzlehttp://creation.com/genesis-the-missing-piece-of-the-puzzle
http://www.crossway.com/http://www.crossway.com/http://www.hshideaway.com/chap02.htmhttp://www.hshideaway.com/chap02.htmhttp://creation.com/genesis-the-missing-piece-of-the-puzzlehttp://creation.com/genesis-the-missing-piece-of-the-puzzlehttp://creation.com/genesis-the-missing-piece-of-the-puzzlehttp://creation.com/genesis-the-missing-piece-of-the-puzzlehttp://creation.com/genesis-the-missing-piece-of-the-puzzlehttp://www.hshideaway.com/chap02.htmhttp://www.crossway.com/

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Christian Worldview Paper 1