This is the introduction to (what I hope to be) a series of posts explaining my beliefs (and the beliefs of other like-minded persons) on various issues for the purpose of granting a better understanding to persons who hold to a different set of beliefs than my own. It is my desire that these posts both inform and foster open discussion on these issues.
A few notes before we begin:
* I am not a professional author. While I will rough-edit these posts and will attempt to logically convey my positions and beliefs on various issues I will likely bungle the wording at points or not clearly communicate that which I wish to say. My apologies in advance. While I will endeavor to be comprehensive in a discussion of a topic, I will not be leaving "no stone unturned". If there is an issue you feel I did not adequately address, or a gap in my reasoning, leave a comment and let me know - I'll attempt to clarify.
* If I could summarize this series in one word it would be "Why?". Specifically to those who hold different beliefs than my own, the actions and positions I take on specific issues may seem puzzling, illogical, or downright insane. My effort here is to try and expose the "Why?" behind what I say and do - to give readers a better glimpse into my thoughts and behaviors (and the thoughts and behaviors of those who hold similar beliefs). In a similar fashion, I hope this series gives me the chance to learn some of the "Why?" behind your beliefs. If you disagree with my position on an issue, or have something to add, please post a comment and let me know your thoughts. Hey, you can even tell me how wrong I am and why.
* I live in the United States. These posts will address themes and topics that are relevant to American culture today. I realize some readers of these articles may not reside in the US, and I may not have a clear understanding of the cultural issues relevant to where you live. However, international readers are still more than welcome to join in the discussion - and if things differ greatly where you are at, let me know! I'd like to learn more.
* The title of this series is "Understanding a Conservative Christian". While my beliefs are in many ways similar to others among the US political "right" and evangelical Christian circles I in no way intend to speak for the group as a whole. I have arrived at my viewpoints independently and in some ways these viewpoints differ from the expected norms. Please understand that the viewpoints we discuss should be taken on an issue by issue basis, and not compiled collectively to represent anyone's belief system other than my own.
* As I said previously, my goals are to inform about my viewpoints, discuss various positions on issues, and learn more about the "Why?" behind the viewpoints of others. However, I need to be clear up front that a secondary objective of this series is to persuade. You see, I believe my viewpoints on these issues to be the correct one - just as I'm sure you believe your viewpoint to be correct (in truth we all do - nobody holds to beliefs that they believe to be incorrect except for the point of argument). It is not my intent to ram my beliefs down your throat, but (as a result of my worldview - see more below) I do hope that by exposing the reasoning behind my viewpoints you (the reader) might better understand the basis for those beliefs and be persuaded to believe the same. Of course, I am certainly not infallible - and I am open to correcting my viewpoints as well should you sufficiently convince me otherwise.
Worldview
Before we can launch into covering relevant topics I believe it is necessary to spend a few moments discussing Worldview. I googled the term worldview to find a good definition. These struck me as good ones:
One's personal view of the world and how one interprets it; The totality of one's beliefs about reality; A general philosophy or view of life
A set of commonly held values, ideas, and images concerning the nature of reality and the role of humanity within it.
largely unconscious but generally coherent set of beliefs about how the world operates; at the level of day-to-day practice, approximately synonymous with paradigm
The Wikipedia article on Worldview has a more detailed description. Here's a quote (which in turn appears to be a summary from Apostel):
According to Apostel, a worldview is an ontology, or a descriptive model of the world. It should comprise these six elements:
1. An explanation of the world
2. A futurology, answering the question "where are we heading?"
3. Values, answers to ethical questions: "What should we do?"
4. A praxeology, or methodology, or theory of action.: "How should we attain our goals?"
5. An epistemology, or theory of knowledge. "What is true and false?"
6. An etiology. A constructed world-view should contain an account of its own "building blocks," its origins and construction.
Our worldview is our set of core beliefs - the lens through which we view the world. It shapes our thoughts, actions, and behaviors. Understanding worldview is KEY to understanding how I (or anyone else for that matter) think, and why my viewpoints are what they are.
There are two* pre-dominant worldviews in America today. The first is the Secular Humanist worldview. This worldview is defined predominantly by its belief in the human being as supremely important and the primary authority over itself. God is unimportant to this worldview, therefore adherents tend to be atheists. From Wikipedia's definition:
Secular humanism is a humanist philosophy that espouses reason, ethics, and justice, and specifically rejects supernatural and religious dogma as the basis of morality and decision-making. Like other types of humanism, secular humanism is a life stance that focuses on the way human beings can lead good, happy and functional lives.
The second predominant worldview in America is the Biblical worldview. This worldview is based on the Bible (hence its name). It holds God as supreme over humans, His creation. It rejects the human being's importance, other than that which is acquired from being made in the image of the creator God. It too is a life stance focusing on how human beings can lead good, happy, and functional lives by fulfilling their created purpose of serving their Creator.
While these two viewpoints represent the extremes of ideological thinking in America the belief systems of most Americans falls somewhere between the two. My personal belief system is close to the second - and I attempt to refine it on a regular basis to bring it even closer.
Because our worldviews shape our thinking, our viewpoints on various issues will reflect the beliefs that comprise our worldview. You will notice that the "Why?" behind my various positions will be directly based upon the beliefs of my worldview. When viewed through the lens of my worldview, you will see the logic I have used to arrive at the viewpoint I hold - even if that viewpoint seems illogical from the perspective of a different worldview.
Moving Forward
My tentative plan is to write a new post in this series every few weeks. The first will likely be "Origins", since this is both a topic of debate in America as well as the defining factor that shapes the two worldviews listed above. I welcome your comments and look forward to the discussions we'll have.
* A third Islamic worldview (based upon the teachings of Muhammed and the Qur'an) appears to be rapidly growing in popularity among western nations. There are of course many other minority worldviews as well.
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