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)


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)


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?


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


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


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.



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.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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