Worldview Comparison - Van Anne

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@ E monotheisn'r I atheism

E p an t h e i s m I p an e n t h e i s m I deism W finitegodisrn *e polytheism

whyisyourworldview important?

whatis a A worldviewis simplya viewof the world.Everyone hasone.A worldview is the set of beliefswe hold aboutthe big questions of life. Here'show someexoertsdescribea worldview: (assumptions A worldviewis a set of presuppositions which may be true,partiallytrue, or entirelyfalse)whichwe hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basicmakeupof our world. -James W. Sire, ThelJniverse NextDoor;A Basic Worldview Catalog

A worldviewis a map of reality./t is the frameworkof beliefs,values,and imageswithinwhicha person makes decisionsand conductsthe businessof living. -Leland Ryken,Culture in Christian Perspective ...everypersoncarrieswithin"his heada mentalmodelof theworld - a subjectiverepresentation of reality. -Alvin Toffler.Future Shock

Whetheryou knowit or not,your you worldviewinfluences the decisions makein life:Whetheryou go to church or go surfinginstead;whetheryou pursueearthlywealthor spiritual gain; whetheryou livein fearor hope. Somebeliefsyou mightholdstrongly, whileotherbeliefsyou probablydon't thinkaboutoften.Yourworldview changes asyourbeliefschange.lf you changethe strongcorebeliefsin your worldview, thenyourlifewill change drastically. Yourworldviewmayor maynot be true, just likebeliefs.A worldviewcanbe true aboutsomethingsandnot trueabout otherthings.Beliefsin a worldvieware true if they matchup with whatreallyis.

of:l.ifq?, otlor€the big Qu€gt|Ops:,, whatis real? ls the world I experience realor is it just a figmentof my imagination? Are miracles realor aretheyjustnaturaloccurrences we don't understand? CanI evenknow what'sreal?

howshouldwe live? Whatcanwe do to get to know God?WhatdoesGod want r; from us?Howcanwe Know what'srightandwrong?Do .| ,." Iour liveshavepurpose?

istherea God? lstherejustoneGod or many gods?ls God closeto usor distant?ls thereevena God out there?

wheredid we comefrom? Did God createhumanbeingsor did we just by chanceevolvefrom lowerlifeforms?Do we haveoastliveswe can'tremember? Whatdoesit evenmeanto be human?

I #W' wherearewe going? Whathappens when we die?lstherean afterlifein Heavenor are we reincarnated intootherlivingbeings? Or is deaththe end? ial

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Thcrc i:; no God ..,i

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Unknown

H u m a n sa r e a p r o d r . c t of evolution

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Peoplecan be either good or bad; humans may be flawed but can be corrected

Yes,but only by the sensesand logical deduction

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Gorl ir;,rll

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God is real,but the world is an illusion

God is realand generatesreality

God is the maker of the real

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Physicalmatter and energyare the only reality

T h c r t i r ,. r G o d , brrt llc i:;lirnited

Godand somethingelse eternalare-i'eal

Only God is real

T h e h u m a nc o r e i s t r e s a m e e s s e n c ea s G c d

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H u m a n sa r eg o o d internallybut may be caughtin outward illusion; the flaw is also illusion

Onlythe recognition I of godhoodiireal, all I e l s ei s i l l u s i o n I

Humansare both;flaw is part of the growth Process

Y e s ,b y t h e e x p e r i e n c e ] of becoming/growing ]

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God

Part of God

God

Peoplecan be either good or bad*they Most complex crealure Yes,by the sensesand I containall that is of God's making logicaldeduction I necessary for choosing; I no flaw exists i

God and something else

Producedby God (possible for humur,, or to be eithercreater,l ly evolvecl theistical i

Can be either; no flaw exists

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Yes,by reasonand I supernatural revelation I I

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T h t : t c ,r t ( ' r r a n y Gorir;

T h t ' r t ' i r ,o n l y ottt: (lor I

G o d sa n dt h e cosmosare real

God is the maker of the real

God isthe maker of the real

V a r i o u st h e o r i e s ( m y t h s )a b o u t o r i g i n s

Creationof the go,

God who created out of nothing

Originallygood, but now bent; the flaw C r e a t e db y G o d a : ,, l i s is seriousbut can be siqnaturm e asterpi,,:c overcomewith Godt help

Can be either; no flaw exists

O r i g i n a l l yg o o d , b u t now bent; the flaw is fatal, and only God can fix it

Y e s ,b y r e a s o n a n d s u p e r n a t u r a lr e v e l a t i o n

The worshipof God is the beginningof all knowledge

The worshipof God i s t h e b e g i n n i n go f a l l knowledge

a Biblicalworldview important?

w h a ti s r e o u i r e d of a worldview?

interpretation: it gives us glasses t h r o u g hw h i c h w e c a n s e e m e a n i n g camera to life.Justas an unfocused prrovides a blurryimage,our vtewof tlrc world remainsblurrywithout some g/;rssesthatcorrectit. Allof us see the our worldthroughsomekindof glasses; of the worlddependson urr