What is Your World View?

World view is defined by Oxford Languages as “A particular philosophy of life or conception of the world”. According to that definition not one person on the face of the earth can say that they have no world view. Many will struggle to articulate their philosophy of life, but they will have, according to another definition of world view, “A collection of attitudes, values, stories, and expectations about the world around us, which inform their every thought and action” (Sire, 2004).

There are a number of lenses through which we interpret all our experiences and through which we make decisions, but at the root of every one of those lenses is one of two main approaches:- a naturalist approach, or a theistic approach. Naturalists assume there is no God, whilst theists assume that there is a God. Augustine maintained that there were only two ways to look at the world – by the culture of life, the Christian world view, and by the culture of death, the secular world view.

The Culture of Life – An Overview

The biblical record is plain, God created life through Jesus (Gen 1 and John 1), and sustains life through Jesus (Heb 1:3; Col 1:17). In his primal state in the Garden of Eden, the first man Adam had the sublime bliss of walking and talking with the one who created him in his own image. That bliss was shattered with the eating of the forbidden fruit. The blessed communion between God and man was broken and eternal life forfeited. The sentence of death was pronounced, both spiritual, and in due course physical. However the good news of the gospel is that our creator Jesus is also our redeemer, and through faith in him, we are raised from spiritual death to spiritual life, and the subsequent death of our bodies is a mere transmission into a life of glory with our God forever. The apostle John explains “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28-29). How awful to be the latter – coming forth to be publicly convicted of rebellion against God and publicly condemned to everlasting punishment.

The testimony of every believer is that we were all “dead in trespasses and sins…but God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us…has made us alive together with Christ” (Eph 2:1-5). If we are in Jesus, we have true life and eternal life; if we have not come to Jesus in repentance and faith, we do not have life – we continue under the condemnation of the law (1 John 5:12; John 3:36)

The Culture of Life – Creation

The founders of most branches of modern science not only believed in God but took God’s word as their instruction manual. They saw with their own eyes that God’s attributes were clearly portrayed in his creative acts and in the providential maintenance of his creation. They saw order and symmetry, and observed that he upheld his creation in a regular and repeatable way. They understood that when God worked miracles outside the natural order of things he had special reasons for doing so. Their main focus was to uncover and explain the natural laws employed by God in upholding and sustaining his creation. By the process of observation and experimentation they discovered the natural laws governing the operation of the universe. For example, Sir Isaac Newton discovered that objects will continue in a straight line at constant speed if no unbalanced force is acting (First Law of Motion). There seems to be a correlation between reverence and respect for God’s word, and the breaking through of new scientific discoveries. Dr Jonathan Sarfati, author of The Genesis Account, comments on a little known fact in the history of science:- “Science made great advances after the Reformation rediscovered a plain (literal) understanding of scripture. The more objective understanding of scripture was transferred to an objective view of nature, leading to the rise of experimental science” (page 34).

The Culture of Death – Darwin

In 1859 Charles Darwin published his book The Origin of Species promoting biological evolution over long periods of time. Essentially, Darwin’s book is basically a history of death; death over millions of years leading up to man’s emergence; death in the present, and death in the unknown future. The world has fully embraced this theory, including the generality of scientists who openly acknowledge that they cannot, will not, accept the alternative, which is belief in the God of the Bible. Dr Lawrence Krauss, an outspoken anti-theist and evolutionist admitted that evolution is a religion, an explicit substitute for Christianity. He said “We take the side of science (naturalism/materialism) in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism”.¹Krauss, L.M., Teaching Doubt, The New Yorker 15.3.15

Unfortunately, many professing Christians have been seduced into accepting the theory or parts thereof, thinking that these men and women of learning have now revealed the how of what God has done and is doing, in spite of these interpretations violating every principle of a sound exegesis of God’s word. Modern evolutionist scientists are often treated as if they themselves have evolved into a state of superior intellectualism, but that is not the case, and they should not be deferred to in all their pronouncements. However, not every Christian is seduced. God has ensured that his word continues to find root in the hearts and minds of his people. He gives true wisdom to his children, even the little ones:- Jesus said “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes” (Matt 11:25). And “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut 29:29). The Holy Spirit has inspired the writers of holy writ to write in such a way as to resonate with the youngest of readers. God is the master communicator.

Pre and Post Darwin

Most of the ground breaking scientific discoveries were made by creationists prior to the advent of the theory of evolution. However, there have been many significant scientific discoveries since Darwin, and not all by creationists. All mankind is made in the image of God and endowed with creativity and intelligence. However, evolutionists are put at a disadvantage because they are working off the wrong foundations.

Devolution

The theory of evolution was actually a long time in development, but it was the publishing of Darwin’s Origin of Species in 1859 that marked a real turning point in history, and not only in biological history. Acceptance of this theory has profoundly affected all areas of life. The fundamental basis of Darwinian Theory is that the human and animal kingdoms are evolving through mutations and natural selection. The theory is false, firstly because mutations at the molecular level are mostly deleterious. That is accepted by the general scientific community, but evolutionary scientists rely on natural selection (differential reproduction) to come to the rescue. Natural selection is a part of the creation model and would have been in operation prior to the fall of man, but according to many scholars, and, in particular, Dr J C Sanford in his classic work Genetic Entropy, mutation/selection cannot even create a single gene (page 131). Sanford first published his work in 2005 and since then a series of dramatic new developments have been published, all powerfully reinforcing the central themes of his book. In the updates to his book, he quotes a number of studies within the genetics community showing that the human mutation rate is in the range of 75 to 175 nucleotide substitutions (misspellings ie deleterious mutations) per person per generation. The human genome is devolving, not evolving.

The Fruits of Evolution

The weaving of an evolutionary framework into the mainstream of life has had profound implications. The standard casting of man evolving onward and upward from ignorant and illiterate cave dwellers has led to serious aberrations. When paintings described as “exquisitely rendered” and “too magnificent for their time” were discovered on the walls of the Chauvet Cave in France, archeologist Gilles Torsello of the University of Toulouse said “The fundamental importance of Chauvet is to show that the capacity of Homo Sapiens to engage in artistic expression did not go through a linear evolution over many thousands of years. It was there from the beginning”.²Balter M, ‘Going deeper into the Grotto Chauvet’, Science 321, 2008

The sub-title of Darwin’s Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection was “The preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life”. Evolutionary teachings were simply carried to their logical conclusion by the Nazis who tried to exterminate the “inferior” races like the Jews, Gypsies, and Slavs as well as the “unfit” eg the handicapped. We recoil at the horrors of the Holocaust, yet we are currently witnessing the wholesale slaughter of unwanted babies who literally struggle to get away from the implements of the abortionist, and scream silently as they are dismembered. The advent of ultrasound technology reveals what really happens inside the womb. We are also currently witnessing a movement at the other end of the life spectrum – legalising physician assisted suicide. Those of us who do not wish to prematurely end our lives are safe for now, but the pressure is mounting – the right to die could very easily become the duty to die.

If we are indeed an end product of pond scum, and no more than an arrangement of molecules, then what value life? We become very expendable. Gary Bates and Lita Cosner say that the twentieth century was the most blood stained in all of recorded history.³Is Human Life Special? CMI, 2015. They document a reign of evolution inspired terror commencing in 1860 with the spiritual father of communism, Karl Marx, who was an avid Darwinist. He was followed by Leon Trotsky (1918), Joseph Stalin (1930), Adolf Hitler (1940), Mao Zedong (1949) and Pol Pot (1975). All those men were greatly influenced by evolutionary principles which provide no basis for conscience or morals.

Current World View – Theistic or Naturalistic?

Historians of all persuasions record the fact that our Western Civilisation and its various institutions were founded on Christian principles. The triune God was recognized and his word was front and centre of public policy and the instruments of public policy. Little by little, but at a pace recognisable by all keen students of history, we are seeing the influence of Christianity removed from all three arms of government – legislative, executive, and judicial, and generally from all the institutions of our society. These are radical times. Our society is becoming very man centred, and as a result, creation ordinances concerning men, women, marriage, work, and dominion over the animal kingdom are being overturned in favour of an approach which puts man at the centre of man centred philosophies.

The major thrust of the humanist agenda is to redefine the sexual mores. Marc Barnes from New Polity believes that scientific advancement without a Christian basis is at the root of what he calls “the sexual revolution”. He said “while the radicals’ ongoing sexual revolution has been driven by many forces, it could not have happened without the invention of the contraceptive pill and the abortion clinic. The transgender phenomenon could not have happened without the development of hormone treatments and medical sex-change and cosmetic surgeries. Similarly the development of the IVF industry led to the lesbian baby boom of the 1990’s and drove the push for same sex and transgender marriage. After several hundred years of scientific advancement expanding human horizons, increasingly without any moral compass, the rhetorical question is repeatedly asked ‘if science makes these things possible, why should they not be done?’ Faith in science (scientism) has replaced faith in the transcendental. Indeed this new faith treats the transcendental as irrelevant”.⁴Extract from “Natural Marriage is the First Line of Resistance”, Patrick J Byrne, News Weekly, 17.1.23

But all the while, there is a deep seated belief in some kind of God, who must have designed this exquisitely ordered creation all around us. The book of Romans tells us that men have suppressed the truth which is that “his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead”, and have “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:20;25). The palpable tension is between life derived from a material origin, organising itself in a random way, and operating under the principle of “survival of the fittest”; and, equally incredible, life coming from God ex nihilo, out of nothing. The first way of thinking seems to be borne out in this world of dog eat dog, and the dominance of the strongest – the wealthy, the powerful, and the celebrities who seem to have it all together, in contrast to the weak and helpless, the poor and the lame, and the aged.

In the main, the changes currently taking place are being received favourably by the majority because they seem to promote equality and equity, eliminate discrimination, and foster inclusiveness and tolerance. Some of the changes do line up well with God’s word and are bringing about desirable changes in our society, particularly those changes that relieve the poor, and help the handicapped. And we do have to recognize the many abuses of the past, so any measures which address those abuses are to be welcomed and encouraged. Other changes do not line up well with God’s word. For example, the group of changes that seek to break down the so-called barriers that prevent women from full participation in society. Affirmative action is employed to speed up the process, which, of course, creates discrimination, which, of course, was blamed for the problem in the first place. The word “discriminate” in common parlance is invariably understood as a negative, but the true meaning is to be “observant of, or giving due weight to differences” (Oxford Dictionary). Discrimination is the result of a wise discernment of differences. Other changes are directed at breaking down the so-called architype arrangement of men married to women and having children, and instituting more satisfactory arrangements where personal needs and wants are met, thus facilitating individual freedom.

The basic problem is that this trend to move away from Christian foundations places us in the hands of the worldly wise, and we know that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He catches the wise in their own craftiness”, and again “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile” (1 Cor 3:19,20). The way to true wisdom is to be aware of our own ignorance, and to be willing to be taught of God, “who gives (wisdom) to all liberally and without reproach”(James 1:6). God, in his wisdom, has given us a model by which to live our lives. This model depends on each of us accepting the role and responsibilities that he has given to us, and submission to those he has placed above us. A good starting point is 1 Corinthians 11:3, “the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God”. Ephesians 5:22 elaborates “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord”. Wives are the hub of the household, so beautifully described in Proverbs 31, and so well portrayed by Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Sarah earned the praise of God for her gentle and quiet spirit and obedience to her husband (1 Pet 3:1-6). The responsibility of husbands is to love their wives just as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it (Eph 5:25). Part of the responsibility of husbands is to “dwell with them (wives) with understanding, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, being heirs together of the grace of life” (1 Peter 3:7). Reference to the wife being the weaker vessel is a reference to the fact that God made women weaker by nature and constitution, and therefore to be protected and defended; but in other and higher respects, wives are equal to their husbands “being heirs together of the grace of life”. The current push to equalise the number of women and men in the top posts of politics and business does a disservice to women, who have their hands full with their God ordained roles as mothers and heads of their households (Prov 31:15,21,27; 1 Tim 5:14; Ps 113:9 KJV). When God was remonstrating with his people in Judah over their sin, he threatened to take away the rulers and princes, and replace them with children and women. He said “I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them” (Isaiah 3:4); and “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them” (Isaiah 3:12).

Some of the catchcries of today are “be true to yourself”, “follow your heart”, “if it feels good do it”, and “do your own thing”. They all centre around self and independence, but happiness does not come from excluding the external and focussing on the internal – following feelings and following our hearts. Feelings are fickle, and “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer 17:9). No, the way to fulfillment in life is to look outside ourselves to a loving God who has woven into his creation a mutual dependence, and a need to be submissive to those above us. Husbands to Christ (1 Cor 11:3), wives to husbands (Eph 5:24), children to parents (Eph 6:1), servants (employees) to masters (employers) (Eph 6:5), citizens to rulers (Rom 13:1; 1 Pet 2:13), church members to elders (Heb 13:17), and church members to one another (Eph 5:21; 1 Pet 5:5).

The Christian World View

The Christian world view or culture of life is bound up in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian says “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Again “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Ph 1:21). He has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Tim 1:10). He is life, and if we are in him, we have life, and that more abundantly (John 10:10). In him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3). In him, we not only have wisdom, but also righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor 1:30). In him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). He is altogether lovely (Song 5:16). Christ is all in all (Col 3:11).