Have you ever thought how you view the world around you? That view is usually influenced by how we were reared, life experiences and our position on the authority of the Holy Scriptures.
Have you ever thought
how you view the world around you? That view is usually influenced by
how we were reared, life experiences and our position on the authority
of the Holy Scriptures. This premise is applicable to everyone whether
Christian or not.
My Christian worldview
can best be described as a “biblical world view.” That was the first
sentence of my response to the Board of Trustees in June of 2004 as
part of my application for the position of president of Louisiana
College. Most of what follows was also taken from my response for that
purpose.
With over 30,000
denominations claiming to be “Christian” today, I find it necessary to
separate myself from a generic Christian worldview. Del Tackett writing
for Focus on the Family said a recent nationwide survey compiled by the
Barna Research Group determined that only 4 percent of Americans had a
“biblical” worldview.
Tackett writes,
“Barna’s survey also connected an individual’s worldview with his or
her moral beliefs and actions.” Tackett continues, “Barna says,
‘Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, our
research found that most Americans have little idea how to integrate
core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to
the challenges and opportunities of life.’”
To begin with, a
worldview is considered to be the framework from which we view reality
and make sense of life and the world around us. Whether they are aware
of it or not, every person has some type of worldview. A personal
worldview is all that one believes to be true, and what we believe to
be true becomes the driving force behind every emotion, decision, and
subsequent action. In short, it becomes the catalyst for our response
to every area of our lives including science, theology, economics, law,
politics, art, and social order, and yes, a Christian liberal arts
college by the name of Louisiana College.
I believe a biblical
worldview is based on the perfect Word of God. When we believe the
Bible is entirely true, we allow it to be the foundation of everything
we say and do.
I believe in the
absolute truths of the Bible and those absolute truths dictate my every
thought and deed when I am in His will. Furthermore, the Bible tells
us, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
(Psalm 11:3) Those who would pick apart the Scriptures and declare
which parts of the Bible are true and which are not, have only their
own concept of truth upon which to base their worldview. That is why it
is imperative for me to found my worldview upon the inerrant Word of
God.
If we do not really
believe the truth of God and live it, then our witness will be
confusing and misleading. In addition, life’s demands will be
frustrating and confusing, at best, because our resulting decisions
will have no absolute foundational basis.
Some would consider an
educated man to be one who has received a liberal arts education
characterized by the end product of a “broad and enlightened mind.” A
true Christian liberal arts education will provide a curriculum that
presents a diverse course of study under the authority of the
scripture, free from licentious thinking.
As Christians, we are
under the authority of Scripture, which limits the extremism of
material that is available to us to use in teaching truth to our
students.
While it is “true” that
immorality, perverseness, and lewd thought are ever present in the
present day American and global cultures, it is “false teaching” to
consider that because it exists, it is “fair game” for our curriculum.
My responsibility as
president is to continually guide the college in all matters, including
curriculum, and to be focused on the all out search for Truth – free
from licentious immersion. We should focus on all the great curriculum
materials available to us as academicians and lead in finding
innovative ways to implement our mission.
By diligently applying
God’s eternal and changeless truths to our biblical (Christian)
worldview, we develop a deep and comprehensive system of action that
will stand against the unrelenting tide of our culture’s non-biblical
ideas. With this in place, we make the right decisions and form the
appropriate responses to questions on abortion, same-sex marriage, and
even media choices.
Everyone has a
worldview. As our college students develop and implement theirs, we
offer a model for a worldview based on timeless, unchanging truths –
God’s Word, through which they can view the world and make decisions
based upon that strong and eternal foundation. For “If the foundations
be destroyed, what shall the righteous do?”
As Christians, we
should ask daily, “Upon what is my worldview based?” As parents and
grandparents, you can trust your college, Louisiana College, to mentor
your children and grandchildren through the lens of a biblical
worldview.