Assuming that this world is it and that life is over when I die I would choose to be a counselor. I would make this choice because I enjoy helping others. I love the sight of another person or couple suddenly getting an epiphany and realizing that things are not quite as bad as they thought.  Peter Kreeft tells us in The Case for Faith

Even people without religious faith are aware of that dimension of suffering. And if we can bring good out of evil even without bringing God into the picture, you can imagine how much more, with God’s help, evil can work out for the greater good. (Strobel, 2000, p. 45)

I would also choose this profession because of passion. Several years ago, I was reading Dare to Desire and was awakened by the truth of the following passage: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go and do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” (Eldredge, 2002, p. 39)

Helping others become all that they can be, helping them to find their desire, their passion, makes me come alive. Watching them come alive is the greatest reward one could ask for.

Eldredge, J. (2002). Dare to Desire: An Invitation To Fulfill Your Deepest Dreams. Nashville: TN: Tomas Nelson Publishers.

Strobel, L. (2000). The Case For Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

The proper response would be that this is a true statement. From a Biblical perspective, it simply means that if anything other than God occupies the throne room in your heart you have a divided interest to Him. A good example is Jacob and his relationships with Rachel and Leah. He loved Leah less than he loved Rachel. The focus of his attention, affection, and desires was Rachel, his first love. Therefore, if we have money (or any other idol) sitting in the throne room we must have put God in another room. He does not have our full attention.

However, can we verify this worldview statement? Is there any evidence, scientific or life experiences that would support this statement? Are there any contradicting statements involved? Is it possible to live out this statement in the world, as we know it? (Cosgrove, 2006, pp. 66–67) Jacob and his relationship with his two wives would satisfy the first test. For those who feel using the Bible would be incorrect, a life experience of a young woman in love and in her first semester of college would suffice. Who wins out for attention, the boyfriend or college? Are there contradicting statements? No. Is it possible to live out this statement in our world today? Yes and most people would benefit greatly from choosing to do so.

My worldview places God as the object in which my daily life orbits, the one thing that remains constant each day. If anything else held that core and suddenly vanished, my life also would fall out of orbit. I feel that the statement is a true worldview statement and agrees with my worldview.

Cosgrove, M. P. (2006). Foundations of Christian Thought: Faith, Learning, and The Christian Worldview. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

Christian Theism comes with its belief in ethics. Mark Cosgrove defines these ethics as “Absolutes in right and wrong come from the absolute character of God as revealed in the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ.” (Cosgrove, 2006, p. 138) While the Bible does not use the words premarital sex, it does use the word fornication or casual sex or sex outside of marriage. How is my decision on premarital sex influenced by my worldview? God’s absolute moral ethic is, if you are single there is no sex, therefore there is no sex.

Sexual integrity is the decision to maintain a life of no premarital sex. Sexual integrity involves consistently living a life while guarding one’s mind, will, and emotions from sexual impurity. Observing the lives of Joseph and Samson provides reminders for those who choose a life of sexual integrity and sexual immorality.

Personally, there are two major reasons for choosing a life of sexual integrity. First, it is what God requires of me. Second, I choose to be a positive influence for my two daughters and son. As Christ states, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” John 5:19 (NASB)

References:

Cosgrove, M. P. (2006). Foundations of Christian Thought: Faith, Learning, and The Christian Worldview. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

NASB Zondervan Study Bible. (1999). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Billy Graham undeniably fits into the Christian Theism worldview. At the early age of thirty during a passionate struggle with philosophical and psychological questions about faith, God, and intellect Billy plunged to his knees and cried out to God. “Father, I am going to accept this as Thy Word – by faith! I’m going to allow faith to go beyond my intellectual questions and doubts, and I will believe this to be Your inspired Word.” (Strobel, 2000, p. 10) He then went on to become “America’s pastor”. (Wacker, 2009, p. 492) Comparing his family life to that of other worldviews, we see again an undeniable fit into Christian theism. His belief on marriage was “that honesty, modesty, sobriety, gentleness and, above all, fidelity were both Christian and manly virtues. Yielding to desire was easy; resisting was hard.” (Wacker, 2009, p. 496) He also played the prefect role of the waiting father awaiting the return of his prodigal son. During the late 60s and early 70s there were struggles at the Graham household with his rebellious teenage son. These struggles cast the evangelist into the role of a loving and patient father. (Eskridge, 1998, p. 84) The lifestyle Billy Graham lived along with the use of his money, the handling of family problems and his career choice fit perfectly into the picture puzzle of Christian theism.

Would I choose Billy Graham as a personal role model? I would not hesitate to choose the evangelist as a role model. Reminiscing of childhood days at Grandma’s house and listening to that beautiful baritone voice deliver a message saying “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NASB) always prompted a lengthy conversation lasting into the early hours of morning. Regardless of the audience or the arena, the message delivered demanded a response and a decision from those moved by the Holy Spirit. Knowing that at age 91, 21 percent of Protestant pastors chose Billy Graham as one of the most influential figures in their lives. Mr. Graham’s name was chosen three times more often that other well-known pastors like Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, Rick Warren, and John MacArthur. (People, 2010) Time magazine journalists, when asked about the sincerity of the evangelist said, his sincerity is like “paint stripper, removing any pretense and pride.” (Wacker, 2009, p. 496) Martin Marty famously ranked him as one who displayed the “fruit of the Spirit.” Questions about the financial integrity, unpretentious lifestyle, or marital faithfulness of Mr. Graham hardly ever arose.

References

Eskridge, L. (1998). “One Way”: Billy Graham, the Jesus Generation, and the Idea of an Evangelical Youth Culture. American Society of Church History , 83 — 106.

People. (2010). Christian Century: , Retrieved from Religion and Philosophy Collection database.

Strobel, L. (2000). The Case For Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Wacker, G. (2009). Billy Graham s America. American Society of Church History , 489 — 511.

The first “puzzle piece” for the formation of a worldview is determining does God exist. “In the beginning” (NASB Zondervan Study Bible, 1999) Christian theism was the guiding force for education, politics, and personal lives until the end of the seventeenth century. (Cosgrove, 2006, p. 75) With the introduction of modernism and Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species a world without God began to emerge. Modernism removed God from the minds of people as they searched for answers other than the idea of an “Intelligent Designer”. (Strobel, 2000, p. 79) From a movement that removed a personal God desiring a personal relationship with everyone evolved modernism, post-modernism, naturalism, pantheism, and other worldviews in an attempt to fill a void left vacant by the removal of God. Does God exist? In Lee Strobel’s books The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith the overwhelming evidence indicates that there is indeed a God! Bill Craig in The Case for Faith when discussing the origins of the earth and life says, “The precision is fantastic, mathematically breathtaking, that it is foolish to conclude that it could be an accident. Even the idea that skeptics have to create such outlandish theories stems from the fact that the fine-tuning of the universe points directly at an Intelligent Designer—some people will hypothesize anything to avoid arriving at that conclusion”. (Strobel, 2000, pp. 78 — 79)

The second “puzzle piece” for the formation of a worldview is determining who defines right and wrong. Naturalism has no absolute definition of right and wrong. The customs or the social order in which you exist determines the standard of moral ethics. Naturalism fails in its attempt to provide a basis for moral decisions. (Cosgrove, 2006, p. 91) Regardless of the depths one searches, there will be no absolutes defined in the New Age Movement. Absolutes, ethics, and truth are all relative and defined by the individual. (Chepkwony, 2006, p. 319) Of the other worldviews studied the summation of defining right and wrong follow the thought of philosopher Michael Ruse: “Morality is a biological adaptation no less than hands and feet, an aid to survival and reproduction … any deeper meaning is an illusion”. (Strobel, 2000, p. 80) Who defines right and wrong? Once concluding that God indeed exist, we must also conclude that right and wrong derives from God’s Word. With the creation of Adam and Eve the concept of absolute morals received its definition with God’s command “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16–17 (NASB) God has provided a paradigm for right and wrong and the penalty for making a bad moral choice. The right choice results in the eternal security of every believer–initiated by God the Father–consummate through God the Son–assured by God the Holy Spirit.

The third “puzzle piece” for the formation of a worldview is determining whether humans are free to make their own choices or controlled by deterministic forces. From the very beginning human’s destiny was that of a free willed agent. If not there would have been no consequences for choosing to eat from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. God’s Word gives us guidance in what is expected from us but at no time does He force us into making choices against our free will. God uses three descriptive words to reveal His plan for us, His prefect, permissive, and prevailing will. His prefect will is His desire to see everyone repent of sin and not perish. His permissive will provides the option of choosing spiritual life or spiritual death, of being blessed or being cursed. The last, His prevailing will is full forgiveness and eternal life in heaven to those who repent and trust in Christ as Lord and Savior.

How does my personal worldview compare with those I have studied in this course? My personal worldview compares perfectly with that of Cosgrove’s Christian theistic worldview. There is a God! He does exist as three persons in one God—The Trinity. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and suffered, died, and was resurrected that I might have eternal life. God’s word gives knowledge as special revelation. While there is one interpretation, there are thousands of applications of His Word. The world offers general knowledge via nature and my own experiences. I am highly valued by God and my purpose is to glorify God and accomplish His work in this world until the return of Christ. His Word and the absolute character of God are the basis for my moral ethics. There is a purpose for suffering within the context of God’s love, power, and purpose. Through suffering, I not only draw closer to God but also have a means through empathy to comfort others just as God comforted me. (Cosgrove, 2006, pp. 137 — 138)

How does faith contribute to this worldview? According to my son, faith is seeing what others cannot see and hearing what others cannot hear. Regardless of the position of the world, faith is what brings me into an intimate relationship with God. Faith and logic are companions, companions that lead me into a relationship with God.

How have your views changed since beginning this course? No, other than having a better understanding of other worldviews and the reasons behind why they choose as they do, my personal views nor my worldview has changed.

References

Chepkwony, A. K. (2006). New Age movement: a challenge to the church in the 21st century.  African Ecclesial Review , 312 — 331.

Cosgrove, M. P. (2006). Foundations of Christian Thought: Faith, Learning, and The Christian Worldview. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

NASB Zondervan Study Bible. (1999). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Strobel, L. (2000). The Case For Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8 (NASB)

Sin destroys the nerves of our conscience and removes the tenderness of our heart. Sin makes the conscience calloused, much like a stone mason’s hands. Sin makes the heart stony. It is at this point, when the nerves of our conscience have become hardened and calloused that sin is paying its wages.

Running from God is impossible; it just took me a long time to learn that. Plus the loss of a marriage to a wonderful and talented lady and mother. How can I get away with it? God is omnipresence! I must have been kidding myself thinking that I could hide from God.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. Psalms 139:7–10 (NASB)

I cannot run from God but I can surely run to God. There is but one solution to my unfaithfulness and that is repentance. I read somewhere a while ago that “God Allows U Turns”, so the only way we can repent is to stop right where we are and turn ourselves around by the grace and power of God, running into His faithful arms.

One of the targeted areas presented these statements:

Making Successful Transitions

v  Before beginning something new, you must end what is old.

v  Acknowledge and accept the reality and importance of any losses involved.

v  Recognize that the “neutral zone”, the mid-transition period between the ending of something and the new reality, is an important and necessary part of the process. It is here that many people stumble, because the old is gone and the new is not yet familiar of comfortable. Though many people try to, the journey through the neutral zone cannot really be rushed, Bridges says. And to abandon the neutral zone altogether is to abort the transition.

This I understand the old has ended. With my wife’s divorce, I would have to accept that this has definitely ended in her eyes.

The letting go is killing me. The adaptation of having to live somewhere else is hard. I miss being able to see our children each day as they get off the bus. I miss helping with homework. These changes are a major adjustment. For that matter, not having to wash tons of clothes, make beds, sweep, mop or even take out 10 bags of trash each week are all things I miss.
The acknowledging part is easy; accepting the realities and losses is another story. Would this count as sharing your feelings? Of course, there is always the grieving process. I promise you that I still love my wife. Nevertheless, in this grieving I attempt to bury (in a good sense) and she keeps getting up out of her grave. Just about when I think I have managed to put a part of this to rest she throws another monkey wrench in and I have to start all over again. Oh! How it hurts. Things I have learned! Sin has two brothers. They are named sorrow and death. They each bring their own share of pain.

I guess if I ever got out of the grieving stage, I could transition into this stage. Can I abandon this stage? Not likely! It is during this stage that we will see many areas of growth. Emotional, spiritual and how we conduct ourselves. I know that I do not want to rush this stage but the world sure seems to feel different about it. There are many who tell you to just suck it up and get on with life. Let go, she does not need you anymore. She is no good, get on with your life.

Granted, I would think that most that make these type comments have never experienced what one is going through. I guess that is why God allows some of us to experience this type of pain and sorrow. So that when the time comes, we are better able to understand exactly what that person is going through. However, until you have walked in those shoes it is hard to show empathy and compassion. In addition, there is the feeling that you get from old friends. In divorce, even these people begin to treat you as if you had a disease or something. Not sure, of what to say or to say anything at all they begin to ignore you or pretend that nothing has happened. Oh! If it was only that easy.

It is quite possible that divorce was prior to his conversion to faith in Christ. Holding this against him would be contrary to Gods’ Word. The Bible teaches that if anyone comes to Christ he is a new creation, that the old man has passed away and a new man has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 1973, 1978, 1984). What joy those words must bring a man contemplating entering the ministry field. In Christ, you are a new creation. The blood of our Savior has put the old sins, the past, away from us. The Spirit of God has renewed us, day by day through repentant faith.

The Bible allows for divorce in the case of adultery and abandonment. It is possible the man is divorced because his unbelieving spouse left the marriage. Paul clearly states “But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.” 1 Corinthians 7:15 (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 1973, 1978, 1984). As a believer, one who did not seek or initiate a divorce, he is released from the marriage and is free to remarry. He can be the innocent victim of a spouse’s covenant-breaking sin, that of immorality or fornication. One must contend that a divorce occurring from immorality or fornication also allows for remarriage without committing adultery. We must also consider the Bible does not state that an elder or pastor must have never been divorced.

The most controversial requirement of a pastor is the phrase “the husband of one wife”. How does one define “the husband of one wife?” John R. Bisagno gives the best understanding of Paul’s teachings in his book Letters to Timothy. He says,

The best thinking today from Greek scholars is that it is impossible in the Greek for this expression “husband of one wife” to refer to a status. It must be a trait…Paul is not referring to a leader’s marital status, as the absence of a definite article in the original indicates. Rather, the issue is his moral, sexual behavior. (Bisagno, 2001)

Reading the entire passage one can see that all other qualifications are an inclination toward a character trait and not a status. Yes, a godly church is impossible without godly leadership and it is important to look at the overall godliness of the prospective elder. Not the detail that the requirement of “the husband of one wife” is not met.

Is divorce the unpardonable sin? No. Unfortunately, there are many within the church that act and treat others as if it is the unforgivable sin. Divorce is a volatile issue and has become a common practice among Christians and non-believers. This fact alone makes it a major issue in relation to clergy or desiring to heed a call to become an elder or pastor. When it comes to deciding if a divorced man should be permitted to serve as a pastor each case is unique. Because of this uniqueness, viewing and evaluating each case is accomplished with its’ own distinctive circumstances. How? By utilizing, the fundamental principals established for guidance in God’s Word. In His Word is the power of faith to change human lives. William Neal Moore once said “Plain and simple, it was Jesus Christ. He changed me in ways I could never have changed on my own. He gave me a reason to live.” (Strobel, 2000) It is for this reason that Churches should reconsider their stance on calling divorced men as pastors. God changes lives.

References

Bisagno, J. R. (2001). Letters to Timothy: A Handbook for Pastors. Broadman & Holman

Publishers.

Strobel, L. (2000). The Case For Faith. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.

The Holy Bible, New International Version. (1973, 1978, 1984). Grand Rapids, Michigan:

Zondervan.

Is scientific experiment the only way to achieve real knowledge? If you experienced a miracle, would you trust your experience? Why or why not?

To believe that scientific experiment is the only path to knowledge is absurd. Participating in this class proves this question false. The answer would be a resounding no!

Humans discover knowledge through personal experience, intensive study, unbiased observation, and investigation of a particular subject. While some of these methods may require scientific experiment, it is not a requirement of them all. Mark Cosgrove even tells us that personal experiences, liberal art programs and other fields of academic study contribute to the knowledge and development of humans. (Cosgrove, 2006, pp. 43 — 44)

If I experienced a miracle, would I trust my experience? Absolutely! “God has – and does – intervene in the world through miraculous acts.” (Strobel, 2000, p. 59) When one stops and considers the infinite possibilities of what could have happened with the Big Bang not believing becomes impossible. The difference in nanoseconds results in a world incapable of supporting life. Considering the universe reminds me of a camping trip with my son. As we quietly lay outside late one evening and watched for falling stars he made the comment, “Daddy, how can anyone believe that all of this came from a Big Bang or we came from monkeys. There has to be a God.” He was ten at the time and his faith continues to grow. I personally feel it is a miracle that my son has suffered from chronic crohn’s disease for several years, with frequent visits to the hospital, and still have a positive outlook and strong faith. Alternatively, as was discussed earlier, the suffering might have drawn him closer to God and allowed his faith to strengthen too.

References:

Cosgrove, M. P. (2006). Foundations of Christian Thought: Faith, Learning, and The Christian Worldview. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

Strobel, L. (2000). The Case For Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

How is your decision about premarital sexual activity influenced by your worldview?

Christian Theism comes with its belief in ethics. Mark Cosgrove defines these ethics as “Absolutes in right and wrong come from the absolute character of God as revealed in the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ.” (Cosgrove, 2006, p. 138) While the Bible does not use the words premarital sex, it does use the word fornication or casual sex or sex outside of marriage. How is my decision on premarital sex influenced by my worldview? God’s absolute moral ethic is, if you are single there is no sex, therefore there is no sex.

Sexual integrity is the decision to maintain a life of no premarital sex. Sexual integrity involves consistently living a life while guarding one’s mind, will, and emotions from sexual impurity. Observing the lives of Joseph and Samson provides reminders for those who choose a life of sexual integrity and sexual immorality.

Personally, there are two major reasons for choosing a life of sexual integrity. First, it is what God requires of me. Second, I choose to be a positive influence for my two daughters and son. As Christ states, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” John 5:19 (NASB)

References:

Cosgrove, M. P. (2006). Foundations of Christian Thought: Faith, Learning, and The Christian Worldview. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

NASB Zondervan Study Bible. (1999). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.