As a Christian who attends a very prominent Christian University, I have had quite the experience in dealing with questions from people that don't necessarily support same-sex marriage, same-sex parenting or surrogacy in general.
Interestingly enough, I took a World Views class recently so I thought I would share my final here also...
My World View
like without Christmas?I don't like the idea of Christianity being presented as a get-out-of-Hell-free card, even such a presentation is only the initial pitch ("Better scared into heaven than comforted into hell," goes the logic). And yes, fear is often an effective short-term motivator. But the activated instinct for self-preservation generates a massive well of psychic gravity, warping other considerations, other elements of the Christian life. In my experience, this fear-distortion creates some unfortunate side-effects, particularly in terms of the Christian's relationship to others. True confessions time: I remember once (well, several times) when in the course of explaining to some acquaintance the realities of heaven and hell I would meet with a "that's nice for you, but I just don't believe that" response on their part. Stymied at their apathy/agnosticism--how could someone not believe in, let alone not care about, hell?--I would more often than not retreat to a self-righteous, condescending-slow-head-shake: "Well, I'd hate to be you on Judgment Day. Guess we'll find out which of us is right then."
What happened there? I remember reflecting on those moments after they happened, knowing (with all the knowledge I then had) that I was right--I was going to heaven and they were going to hell. But still I knew that somehow I had committed a wrong, that something in my spirit had gone awry. I was supposed to be reaching out with love, leading this person to recognize their peril and act to let Christ save them. But I had ended in a place of pride.
More than pride-- wounded pride. I was hurt that this person did not see the world the way I did, that they declined to take my word for the Realities Unseen that awaited them. I was certain, dammit! Didn't they see that? Did they think I was crazy or something? Didn't they know how hard it was for shy, nerdy me to expose myself like that?
Ugh. Like an Avon saleslady who has to scratch a neighbor's name off his list of recruits after an unsuccessful pitch. To my credit, I suppose, I tried to militate against that mentality by focusing intently on how much I wanted the person in heaven with me, how sad I would be (if one can be sad in heaven--I was vague on that) if they weren't with me in Eternal Bliss. And I did honestly want to share my Power-Droid-strewn heaven with everyone. Still, though: questions like "How many people have you led to the Lord this week?" are what passes for ice-breaking in some Faith Bible circles. I wanted at least to have double-digits.
I structured my existence--or a great deal of it, at least--around an active belief in the Final Judgment. Many the morning when I would wake up, crane my neck up at my window, push aside the blinds, and try to catch a glimpse of open sky to see if it were ripped open. Whenever someone we knew died, I would always ask if that person had gone to heaven or hell. In times of fear I drew strength from the certainty that an eternal paradise awaited me.
For someone not to believe that--casually, calmly--shook me, made my certainty seem stilted and, well, a little crazy by comparison. It introduced the possibility that, in fact, the foundations of my worldview weren't actually necessary for everyone. And if that was the case, were they still actually foundations? Most of the time I didn't have to worry about that; I was lucky enough (if that's the word) to be surrounded most of the time by people who shared and fostered my worldview.
It is impossible to prove the nonexistence of anything. All we are able to do is to look at the evidence and come to a logical conclusion. Even if all arguments for the nonexistence of God failed, that would still not prove the impossibility of a sound argument for the nonexistence of God. Since this is true, so is the reverse. If all the arguments for the existence of God failed, that would not prove the impossibility of a sound argument for the existence of God. Therefore, it is more productive for me to believe what I believe to be true.
What it all comes down to is, the meaning of life is what you tell yourself it is. Each one of us has a different purpose. Only you can give your life "true" meaning and value. Others may help add to it and offer more inspiration but the ultimate decision is yours.
The general beliefs is that my worldview shapes not only how I see the world, but also profoundly influence the particular beliefs I come to hold, the judgments and decisions I make, and all that I think, say, and do .
While Christianity is believed by faith, it is most definitely a reasonable and rational faith. It answers the questions of the mind and the heart. We all live by faith. Some people have faith in themselves. Some have faith in a hope for world peace. Some have faith in their money, their education or their employment. All of those things are temporal and can change. They can all let us down. Our health can fail, we can lose our job, we can end a meaningful relationship with someone we care about. Life changes, but God can be depended on through it all. He will never leave nor forsake those who belong to Him. (Heb. 13:5b)
If we don't really believe the truth of God and live it, then when we witness we will be confusing and misleading. Most of us go through life not recognizing that our personal worldviews have been deeply affected by the world. Through the media and other influences, the secularized American view of history, law, politics, science, God and man affects our thinking more than we realize. We then are taken "captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" (Colossians 2:8).
However, by diligently learning, applying and trusting God's truths in every area of our lives -- whether it's watching a movie, communicating with our spouses, raising our children or working at the office -- we can begin to develop a deep comprehensive faith that will stand against the unrelenting tide of our culture's non-biblical ideas. If we capture and embrace more of God's worldview and trust it with unwavering faith, then we begin to make the right decisions. Because, in the end, it is our decisions and actions that reveal what we really believe.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).
