05 – The worldview dead-end

People want total liberty to do what they want, but they also want to live in a just, free, civilized society – or at least an orderly one. But when truth and justice are merely matters of personal opinion, a society can’t know what is true and just, much less order itself accordingly.

The only way to create a just, civilized society is to build it on a worldview that can prove what is true and just.

A worldview is simply the way people make sense of their world and figure out what is true and just. Everyone has a worldview, though most haven’t ever thought about what theirs is. Many people’s worldviews are a hodgepodge of ideas and beliefs that contradict each other.

You’ve seen these worldviews at work. You probably even agree with one or more of them:

Pragmatism – This is the idea that the meaning, value, or truth of a belief or action is its practical effectiveness. The pragmatist says something is good if it works. The problem is that evil can work very well. History books and newspapers are filled with the names of men who effectively used big lies and mass murder to accomplish their goals.

Utilitarianism – This is the idea that the right act is the one most likely to produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The utilitarian is willing to let one man die for the people. The problem is that guilty people might think the death of an innocent witness is a good thing.

Naturalism – This is the idea that the physical world is all that is real. The naturalist says nothing is real if it can’t be known by the five senses. The problem is that life is full of real things – love, joy, and peace, as well as truth and justice – that you can’t see or touch.

Humanism – This is the idea that the greatest good is improving humanity. The humanist might focus on idealistic goals like eliminating poverty or disease. The problem is that self-serving people can have very different ideas about what counts as improvement, and the humanist has no way of proving that his idea is truly good.

Hedonism – This is the idea that the good thing is what gives a person pleasure. The hedonist wants to live in an orderly society because pleasure-seeking is difficult when anarchy rules. He cares little, however, about the suffering of others, as long as it doesn’t affect him personally. The problem is that one person’s pleasure often comes at the expense of others. For a few, the suffering of others actually is a source of pleasure. A world full of people seeking their own pleasure is bound to be a chaotic place.

Existentialism – This is the idea that an individual decides for himself what is right and true and embraces it passionately. The existentialist searches for a truth that will change his life – and immerses himself in whatever might meet his need. The problem is that one man passionately pursues a “good” that another one sees as an evil to be fought with equal intensity.

Relativism – This is the idea that what is right and true depends on what an individual or group believes. The relativist says no person or society can judge the religion or morals of another person or society. All religions and moral systems are of equal value, and each one is true for the people who believe it. The  problem is that evil religions would be true for the people who follow them, and society can’t punish someone for doing what he truly believes he ought to do, even if the society believes it is evil.

Skepticism – This is the idea that no one can know for sure what is true. The skeptic always doubts when other people claim to know what is right and true for others. He refuses to accept any truth that cannot be proven beyond all doubt. The problem is that nothing can be proven beyond all doubt – and the skeptic’s daily life is in fact filled with beliefs and values that he accepts without absolute proof.

From here on, I use the word ’skepticism’ to refer to the dominant worldview of Americans, Europeans, and others – including Christians – who have been influenced by the skeptic’s values and way of thinking. One person’s skepticism may differ from another’s as they reflect different elements of various worldviews. Virtually all varieties of today’s skepticism, however, involve elements of naturalism, existentialism, and relativism. The Western worldview is especially skeptical when it comes to religion and morals.

The skeptic doubts there is any such thing as absolute truth. He doubts whether a person even could know absolutely what is right or wrong for himself. He is very sure no one can know what is true for others when it comes to religion and morals.

In practice, none of these worldviews – and others not listed – can prove what is true in religion and morals and provide the foundation for a just, civilized society. None of them can point to provable facts to validate what it says is true and just. Let a society try to live by any of these philosophies, and sooner or later it must devolve into chaos, anarchy, and tyranny.

Think about it!
How do you know what is true and just? How would you convince a skeptic to consider your worldview?

Get involved!
Ask your church leader or Bible teacher to recommend a resource on developing a Christian worldview.

Next installment
06 – The future tyranny

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