Calvary Classroom WORLD RELIGIONS · WORLD RELIGIONS Definition of Religion “A system of beliefs...
Transcript of Calvary Classroom WORLD RELIGIONS · WORLD RELIGIONS Definition of Religion “A system of beliefs...
Calvary Classroom
WORLD RELIGIONS
Calvary Classroom
WORLD RELIGIONS
WORLD RELIGIONSDefinition of Religion
WORLD RELIGIONSDefinition of Religion
“A system of beliefs and practices that provides values
to give life meaning and coherence by directing a
person toward transcendence”
– Winfried Corduan
WORLD RELIGIONS4 Functional Modes of Religion
WORLD RELIGIONS4 Functional Modes of Religion
(1) The EXISTENTIAL: is faith and religious experience
(2) The INTELLECTUAL: are the formal statements of formed
belief; truth claims.
(3) The INSTITUTIONAL: the organization furthering its
beliefs and cause.
(4) The ETHICAL: its moral code concerning human conduct.
WORLD RELIGIONSTerms Related to Religion
WORLD RELIGIONSTerms Related to Religion
BELIEF: Truth claims.
EXPERIENCE: a religious experience in the life of the follower.
RELIGIOUS STATEMENT: A truth claim about the Divine, including salvific claims and relationship (if such a thing) between the divine and humanity.
MIRACLE: For theism, a miracles is a supernatural act of God that only God can bring about. This is not so with the “supernormal” which demons can cause. Yet, for various religions, an extraordinary event which is contrary to our experience, it is claimed, is a divine miraculous activity.
BELIEF: Truth claims.
EXPERIENCE: a religious experience in the life of the follower.
RELIGIOUS STATEMENT: A truth claim about the Divine, including salvific claims and relationship (if such a thing) between the divine and humanity.
MIRACLE: For theism, a miracles is a supernatural act of God that only God can bring about. This is not so with the “supernormal” which demons can cause. Yet, for various religions, an extraordinary event which is contrary to our experience, it is claimed, is a divine miraculous activity.
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
• I. Introduction
• Question: ―What is it that everyone has, no one can live without, every important decision in life is made with, and yet most people do not even know they have?
• Answer: ―A world view.‖ (Norman L. Geisler and William D. Watkins, Worlds Apart: A Handbook on World Views, 2nd ed. [Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984, 1989], p. 9)
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
II. Definition of Worldview
A worldview is a set of presuppositions . . . which we hold
(consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently)
about the basic make up of our world.‖ (James Sire)
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
III. Worldviews 101
a.A worldview is how a person views or interprets reality
b.It is the framework of beliefs through which or by which
we understand the world around us
c. Your worldview affects how you think and act
d.It influences personal meaning and values
e.The most important question it addresses: Where did
we come from?
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
IV. Why Study Worldviews?
a.The example of Jesus Matthew 22:23-33; 34-40
b.The example of Paul Acts 17:16-34
c. To help set captives free 2 Timothy 2:24-26
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
V. Worldviews: a World of Difference
a.View of God
b.View of origins
c. View of man
d.View of morality
e.View of destiny
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
VI. Three Foundational Worldviews
a.Atheism – there is no God; there is no God at all
b.Pantheism – everything is God; there is no God but all
c. Theism – there is only one God; there is no God but the
Lord
d.Polytheism – There are many Gods; (virtually extinct)
ATHEISTIC: from “atheos” (Greek): a = “none” or “without.” And theos = god. Hence, no godism or without-god-belief.
MONOTHEISTIC: mono = one; and theos = god. Thus, OneGod-ism
PANTHEISTIC: pan = entire or all; theos = god. Hence, all is god; god is all.
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
ATHEISTIC: Humanism and various branches of Buddhism (founded in rejection of Hinduism). Philosophically, there is atheism, agnosticism and skepticism.
MONOTHEISTIC: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Also included are: Baha’i and Zoroastrianism. Note: Some forms of Hinduism: there is a mix of monotheism and polytheism. HENOTHEISM = a One god worship while not discounting the belief of other gods.
PANTHEISTIC:The divine is “one with the world; the world is a manifestation of divine” of a self-existent impersonal divine essence.
Some form of Buddhism and Hinduism holds that God/the Divine/Universe is much like a rigid machine while others claim that the universe possesses spiritual properties.
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
VII. View of God a. Atheism
i. No God exists in or beyond the universe
ii. Matter is all there is – Examples: Karl Marx Friedrich Nietzsche Jean-Paul Sartre
a. Pantheism i. There is no God outside the universe
ii. God is the universe and the universe is God
iii. Some will say Mind is all there is – Examples: New Age Movement Hinduism
a. Theism i. An infinite, personal God exists beyond and in the universe
ii. He created and sustains the universe and acts within it
iii. The universe displays both matter and mind – Examples: Christianity Judaism Islam
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
VIII. View of Origins a. Atheism
i. Either the universe is eternal OR
ii.Matter came into existence from nothing and by nothing
iii.Evolution and natural laws explain everything
b.Pantheism i. The universe is eternal
ii.There is no distinction between God and the universe or man
c. Theism i. The universe is not eternal, but was created out of nothing by God,
who transcends His creation
ii.Matter is created and finite, God is uncreated and infinite
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
IX. View of Man a. Atheism
i. Since there is no God, man is the measure of all things
ii.Man, in effect, is God figuratively since man achieves all things by his
own power
b.Pantheism i. Man is God literally because everything is God
ii.The biggest problem with human beings is we don‘t realize we are
God
c. Theism i. Man is a finite creature created by a loving, personal Creator
ii.Man and God will forever be distinct
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
X. View of Morality a. Atheism
i. There is no absolute moral standard since there is no Moral Lawgiver
ii. Morality is established by society
iii.An act is good if it brings good results
iv.There is no such thing as sin
b. Pantheism i. There is no absolute moral standard outside of us since we are God
ii. Morality is relative
iii.Ultimately there is neither good nor evil because all is one
iv.There is no such thing as sin
c. Theism i. There are absolute moral standards given by God, the Moral Lawgiver
ii. Morality is objective, eternal, and universal
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
XI. View of Destiny a. Atheism
i. Death is the end of existence
ii. ―Life is hard, and then you die‖
iii. There is no individual immortality, only the human race is immortal
iv. Life is without ultimate purpose and meaning
b. Pantheism i. Death is the end of one life and the beginning of another
ii. They believe in immortality through reincarnation
iii. The purpose of life is to merge with God and lose individual identity
iv. We will all live forever as God
c. Theism i. For Christians, death is the beginning of life in God‘s presence
ii. Every individual will exist eternally, either with God or separated from Him
iii. The purpose of life is to worship and eternally fellowship with God
iv. All who trust Christ as their Savior will live forever with God
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
XII. Worldviews Summary Seven Major Worldviews
• There are a total of seven major worldviews concerning the existence of God. No
one can consistently believe in more than one of these worldviews because the
central premises of each are contradicted by the others. These views are
mutually exclusive. Logically only one worldview can be true. All the others must
be false.
1. Theism – An infinite God exists beyond and in the universe. The physical
universe is not all there is, but it is the creation of an infinite, omnipotent and
personal God who created it out of nothing (ex nihilo). God also sustains the
universe and can perform supernatural acts within His creation. Examples:
Judaism, Christianity, Islam
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
2. Deism – God is beyond the universe but not in it. Deism is basically theism
without miracles. It says that God is transcendent over the universe but he is
not supernaturally active in it. While deists say there is a creator, they hold a
naturalistic view of the world. Examples: Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine
3. Finite Godism – There is a finite God who is beyond and in the universe, but
he is limited in his nature and power. Evil exists because this God is unable to
overcome it. Examples: William James, Rabbi Harold Kushner
4. Polytheism – There is more than one finite God in the universe. Many
personal Gods exist and they are active in the universe. Each God rules a
certain domain over which He is supreme. Examples: Mormons, Ancient
Greeks
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
5. Atheism – There is no God either beyond or in the universe. The universe is
all there is or ever will be. The universe is self-sustaining. Atheists claim to
know, or at least believe, that God does not exist. Examples: Karl Marx,
Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre
• Secular Humanism - Embraces human reason. Human beings are
capable of being ethical and moral without religion or a god. It does
not, however, assume that humans are either inherently evil or
innately good, nor does it present humans as being superior to nature.
• Material Humanism - (Marxism/Leninism) All reality is made up only
of matter. Dialectic materialism (the struggle between social problems
and their solutions). Ethics are wrapped up in economics
WORLD RELIGIONSComparing Views
6. Pantheism – There is no creator beyond the universe because the universe is
God. God is all and all is God. Creation and creator are two different ways of
viewing the same reality. Examples: Hinduism, New Age Movement
7. Panentheism – God exists in the universe. God is in all. God is to the universe
as a mind is to a body. The universe has both a material aspect and an
immaterial aspect. God does not completely control the universe, he only
influences it. This is also called process theology. Examples: Baha‘is,
Unitarian Universalists
WORLD RELIGIONS