Worldviews vs. Politics

Politics has become, for many, a weary topic. They would rather it would go away, they don't like to discuss it, and really, what does it matter anyway?

As I reflect on what I have written here, and what I read from both the Bible and our cultural media outlets daily, I have come to realize that very little of what we discuss here in this blog is truly political. Rather, it has everything to do with worldview. Once upon a time in America, Democrats and Republicans approached problems differently, but with the same basic worldview. Our disagreements were policy-based; how best to live out what we saw to be the "right thing to do."

But the divide has grown, and our culture is no longer unified in its basic worldview. We do not agree on whether God exists, or (if He does) what His nature is, or most of the basic questions of right and wrong... or even if there is right and wrong. And so as we disagree on policy, now - what used to be called "politics" - we are really disagreeing on much deeper, more fundamental issues. We are disagreeing at the level of worldview, not politics - and disagreement at such a level leaves no room for compromise.

Take the major issues of our time: Abortion. Homosexual rights. Climate Change. Universal Health Care. They are all worldview questions, first and foremost. Is abortion murder? Are homosexuals truly born the way they are, or is it sinful behavior? Is mankind a steward of the Earth, or the determiner of its destiny? Should an elite few be making life and death decisions for the others on a daily basis? These questions don't lend themselves to compromise.

I believe that Solomon, wisest ever among us here on Earth, had it right in Lamentations 1:1-9. There is nothing new under the sun. The problems that plague our land have plagued lands since Creation, and they will continue to do so until the end. The Bible is relevant to our world today, because nothing has really changed since Adam fell. And when we discuss worldviews, we are really discussing what we believe to be the meaning and purpose of existence. More than any other, these are the conversations we should be having with our fellow men and women; so few have any real hope left. Many have bought the lie of evolution in ways they don't even realize (how often do you hear this: "The Bible just isn't relevant to the 21st Century."). This is evolutionary thinking applied to history, the belief that somehow people and societies are 'evolving' and becoming more advanced over the years. When you step back and think about it, the average American has less useful skills (in the context of history) than most of his ancestors. Do we truly believe that our dependency on electric and battery power makes us smarter than Adam? Keep in mind that the Bible tells us King Solomon was the wisest who ever lived, or ever will live (1 Kings 3:12) - and he has been dead for nearly 3000 years.

And that makes the worldview conversation even more vital. No matter the starting point, we must build the relationships that will allow us to engage in the conversation that matters: worldview.

Let me encourage you that God created you for a specific purpose. There has never been a person like you in the history of the world, and there never will be again. You live in your community, in this time, for a purpose.

My worldview begins with Absolute Truth: God is (Gen 1:1). And God loves us enough that he sent Jesus to die for us (John 3:16). And by accepting what Jesus did for us, and owning Him as our Savior, that we can go to Heaven and be with God when our mortal bodies fail (Romans 10:9).

This is where the Christian worldview begins. Where does yours begin? Until we figure this question out, the answers to the other important questions of our time will elude us.