Category: Biblical Worldview

Happy Thanksgiving

~ jbwatson ~ Leave a comment

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. I think it just may be my favorite holiday, though Christmas is a close second. I love autumn, anyway (though living in South Dakota now I don’t get to enjoy the changing colors of the trees!), but Thanksgiving is such a special time with loved ones, and is accompanied by such yummy food (some of which we get at no other time of the year!) that it is hard to bear. Of course, more than anything else, Thanksgiving is a time that we are basically forced to stop whatever else we have going on and take time to reflect on the many blessings that the Lord has given us.

Thanksgiving is also an important part of national history, from the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Indians, to the many presidential proclamations for days of Thanksgiving and prayer. When it comes to the latter, most of us have seen the more notable proclamations of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but there are some wonderful proclamations by other U.S. presidents, too. I am particularly fond of the one issued by President Grover Cleveland in 1887, which reads, in part…

The goodness and the mercy of God, which have followed the American people during all the days of the past year claim our grateful recognition and humble acknowledgment. …

On the day let all secular work and employment be suspended; and let our people assemble in their accustomed places of worship and with prayer and songs of praise, give thanks to our Heavenly Father for all that He has done for us while we implore the forgiveness of our sins and a continuance of His mercy.

Let families and kindred be reunited on that day and let their hearts, filled with kindly cheer and affectionate reminiscence, be turned to the source of all their pleasures and to the Giver of all that makes the day bright and joyous.

And in the midst of our worship and enjoyments let us remember the poor, the needy, and the unfortunate; and by our gifts of charity and ready benevolence let us increase the number of those who with grateful hearts shall join in our Thanksgiving.

I won’t get into what would likely happen if the president (regardless of his name or party) were to issue such a proclamation today. I think we can agree that the response would likely include some legal threat and endless tongue wagging by the ADL, ACLU and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Sad, but true.

Nevertheless, I choose to be challenged by Cleveland’s words…to remember to give thanks to God for His many blessings on me and my family, and to remember that I am so much more blessed than so many others who are “poor, needs and unfortunate.” It is also an excellent reminder that no small part of what I have to be thankful for is something that God took away from me–my sins–and that I need to continue to “implore” Him for the forgiveness of the sins I still commit.

As you gather with your friends and family tomorrow, I trust that you will pause to give thanks for God’s blessings on you, and on our nation. There are many verses of Scripture that remind us of the importance of giving thanks. Perhaps none of them are more poignant than Psalm 107:1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!”

Amen!

Eligibility Requirements

~ jbwatson ~ 1 Comment

This morning I met the recruiter for our area for the U.S. Army, and her boss who covers a much larger area (including some 360 high schools, I believe he said). In the course of our conversation he told me something that surprised me a bit: he said that only two or three out of every ten high school students right now meet the eligibility requirements for the Army. Interestingly, though, he said that most of those who are ineligible are ineligible not for academic reasons but for moral and ethical reasons. He mentioned marijuana use and alcohol use, which I might have expected. He also, however, mentioned something I don’t think I had ever thought of in terms of the Army–the incredibly foolish things people post on their Facebook and MySpace pages, and the blatantly stupid if not obscene handles some people select for their e-mail addresses (the preceding terminology is mine, not his).

This conversation left me with two thoughts about the U.S. Army, and one about the Lord’s Army. Regarding the U.S. Army, my first thought was that there must be a very ideal correlation between the number of new recruits the Army needs these days and the number of well-qualified applicants, since at various times in our history the Army never would have been so picky. That the Army is so much more selective now, by the way, is a good thing, in my opinion. Not only does modern warfare and defense require much more technologically advanced knowledge than it has in the past, but I think I would find plenty of company when I say that the threshold for qualifying for military service should be considerably higher than having a pulse and a desire to blow things up.

The second thing this made me think of was how long-lasting and consequential ill-advised decisions made in the heat of the moment or in youthful ignorance can be. The background checks mentioned by this recruiter are things I have done. As someone in a position to make hiring decisions, I have Googled applicants and checked to see if they have Facebook content that is available to the public. (I avoid MySpace like the plague). I have looked at e-mail handles, too. And I know you know the ones we’re talking about. The ones that might be funny when you’re in high school or college, but when included on a professional resume or application demonstrate an incredible lack of tact and professionalism at best and intelligence at worst.

Regarding the Lord’s Army, though, this conversation reminded me again of how glad I am that the eligibility requirements there are much less exacting. In fact, if I did everything perfectly when it came to earning good grades, keeping my Facebook page clean, and never getting in any trouble with the law, all while sending all of my e-mails from an e-mail handle dripping with Christian-ese, the Lord would tell me I had not been accepted. Only by admitting that I could do nothing on my own to earn my way in and that in and of myself I am completely unworthy to join His Army can I even hope to become eligible. And only by accepting that Jesus Christ came to earth as a man, lived a perfect life, died upon the cross and rose three days later, winning the battle over sin and death, can I get in.

As we approach Thanksgiving, this is the thing I am more thankful for than any other: I am in the Lord’s Army, and only because “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.”

An Open Letter to the ADL

~ jbwatson ~ 1 Comment

In today’s mail I received a letter from Jennifer Nielsen, the Project Director for A World of Difference Institute and Director for the Training and Education Curriculum Division of the Anti-Defamation League. Her letter begins thus: “As the December holidays approach, we at the Anti-Defamation League–one of the nation’s premier organizations defending religious liberty–know that many school districts are faced with difficult questions about how to appropriately acknowledge the December holidays.” The letter goes on to explain how a school can celebrate diversity, respect different views on religion, and “comply with the United States Constitution.”

How might we do that? According to the ADL we would do it by never endorsing any religious faith over another. We may teach about a holiday only if it furthers a “genuine secular program of education.” Furthermore, religious symbols are “not appropriate seasonal decorations” because “symbols of religious holidays make some students feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.”

The letter’s accompanying Quick Guide includes instruction that a creche (i.e., a nativity scene or even simply a manger) is never acceptable at a public school, whether alone or as part of a mixed religious display with multiple religions represented. (The guide states that the same holds true for any government property). Furthermore, “mixed religious and non-religious decorations” are never acceptable, and “non-religious seasonal displays” such as white lights, reindeer and snowmen are acceptable so long as “more than one holiday or religion is represented by the ‘non-religious’ images chosen.” Oh, and the Supreme Court has ruled that Christmas trees are “non-religious.”

Am I the only one struck by the incredible stupidity of guidelines proclaiming that religious decorations are never acceptable, and that non-religious ones are, so long as those non-religious decorations represent more than one religion?

I could delve into a very lengthy discourse on the absurdity of most of the contents of the letter and guide, but I will spare you. I could also engage in a discussion about whether or not a public school should acknowledge or celebrate any “religious holidays,” but I will skip that for now, too. Of course, there is a wonderful and very simple solution to this issue: Don’t enroll your student in a government school! And since Ms. Nielsen either doesn’t realize that Sunshine Bible Academy is not a government school, or feels that we are in need of her ridiculous guidelines anyway, I am sending her the following letter by U.S. Mail:

Ms. Nielsen,

I am in receipt of your recent letter regarding “the December holidays” and the ADL’s suggestions on how to “appropriately acknowledge” said holidays. I submit that I respectfully disagree with the vast majority of the contents of your letter and the accompanying Quick Guide.

I consider most of the guidance that your mailing includes for public schools to be in error. However, since our school is a non-public school, I will refrain from going into a detailed examination of those errors and simply ask that you remove our school from your mailing list.

As we celebrate Christmas next month we will be focusing on one “religion” and one religious observance—the birth of Jesus Christ, who came to earth in the form of a man to live a perfect life, die a sacrificial death, rise again three days later, and in so doing make possible the forgiveness of our sins. I trust you will know and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas this year, too. That will be our prayer for you and your organization as we celebrate next month.

On behalf of Sunshine Bible Academy, may I be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,
Jason B. Watson
Superintendent

Biblical Worldview

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The phrase “worldview” has become a bit of a buzzword of late, particularly in Christian circles. And while I think this is a good thing, I am not completely convinced that everyone who talks about it defines the term in the same way. So just what is a worldview, and a biblical worldview specifically?

A worldview is the filter through which an individual views the world around him or her, the events, thoughts, ideas and beliefs of the world, and through which that individual forms his or her reaction and response to those same events, thoughts, ideas and beliefs. An individual’s worldview shapes and influences everything that he or she thinks. In the case of a biblical worldview then, the Bible becomes that filter—everything is viewed through the teachings of the Bible, and the teachings of the Bible influence the individual’s actions and reactions.

Specifically, a biblical worldview means recognizing the truth of the Scriptures and everything in them. This includes the biblical account of creation (and thus the rejection of Darwinism and evolution), the biblical instruction about marriage (and thus the rejection of homosexual relationships, no-fault divorce, premarital and extramarital sex), and so on. The Bible has much to say, either directly or in principle, about virtually every issue that an individual may be confronted with—from the “hot button” issues like abortion, cloning, homosexuality, the death penalty—to less contentious but equally important issues like the use of one’s money, respect for authority, parenting, treatment of other people, etc.

Of course a biblical worldview also necessarily includes embracing the key commandments of the Scripture—to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself—and the recognition that for the Christian, this world which we currently inhabit is only temporary, that our permanent residence is in heaven with our Creator, and that what we invest for eternity is far more important that what we could ever invest here on earth.

A biblical worldview is one which has as its filter the belief that there is one God, in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), that God, through His grace, allows men to receive faith to believe His Word, to accept Jesus Christ, and to be indwelled by the Holy Spirit. It includes the belief that God created all things and is sovereign over all things. Nothing ever has happened or ever will happen apart from God, in His sovereignty, either causing or allowing it to happen. God calls people to Himself; they are saved, by grace, through faith, not by any works of man; sanctification is an ongoing process that will culminate only in glory; and all human beings will be resurrected to an eternal existence—an eternal life for the redeemed and an eternal death (separation from God) in hell for the unredeemed.

An important part of the biblical worldview is that believers are to reflect God in everything that they do. Not every believer will be called into full time ministry in the sense that they are pastors, missionaries or Christian school teachers, but every believer is called to full time ministry in the sense that every experience of life, every occupation, every human interaction is an opportunity to demonstrate Christ, through one’s words and deeds. Believers are to do everything unto the Lord, whatever it is that they are doing.

Everyone has a worldview. The important question is, is yours biblical?

Purely Secular Subjects?

~ jbwatson ~ Leave a comment

Earlier this month the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in “Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Et Al.” This case involves religious school employment and the matter of a ministerial exception, who is covered by it, and so on. While the decision issued by the Court will potentially have implications for Christian schools, the case itself is not what I am interested in writing about today. Rather, I am interested in some of the discussion during the oral arguments.

In the process of questioning one of the attorneys, Chief Justice John Roberts asked a question that began this way: “Well, let’s say it’s a teacher who teaches only purely secular subjects….” Now, I am not going to criticize the Chief Justice. My understanding is that he is a devout Catholic, and I suspect that on a personal level he may agree with me when I say that my contention is that there is no such thing as a “purely secular subject.” Mr. Roberts was involved in the process of parsing intricate legal arguments in an effort to determine whether or not someone who is a minister is or is not entitled to certain protections or statuses under the law when his or her primary job responsibilities to do not involve matters of a specifically-ministerial nature. And as I said, that issue is beyond the scope of what I am interested in for the purposes of this discussion (and, I suspect, beyond the scope of what you are interested in reading about!)

What does interest me is this idea of “purely secular subjects.” It is a position held by many, whether professing Atheists, professing Christians, or professing adherents of any number of religions. Unfortunately, it is a position held by many churches and Christian schools, too. There are far too many “Christian” schools that start the day (or even each class) with prayer, include a chapel service for students and probably a Bible class, but go about the rest of their academic instruction and curriculum development as if English, math, history, science, physical education, art and music are “purely secular subjects.” There are some Christian textbook publishers who seem to hold to this position, as well. Their books contain no recognizable difference from those written by secular publishers and used by public schools or, at most, have an occasional Bible verse printed along the bottom of a workbook page.

The reality is, there is no such thing as a secular subject. The dictionary (dictionary.com) defines secular as “of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal.” The definition even includes a specific reference to schools and education and says that secular means “concerned with nonreligious subjects.” Someone who is a follower of Christ, someone with a biblical worldview, will reject the argument that there can be any subject that is purely temporal and unconnected to God. The fact that a specific area of study may be pertaining to “worldly things,” by which the definition means things that are of this world and in this world, does not mean that said subject is completely disconnected from things that are not temporal or “of this world.”

Colossians 2:8 says “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (ESV). If we allow ourselves to be sucked into the argument that there are subject areas that are “purely secular” we are throwing open the door to the influences of empty deceit and worldly philosophy in accordance with human tradition. When we do that we are allowing ourselves to be pressed into the mold of the world. Paul, however, instructs believers this way: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, ESV). We can only transform our minds by approaching every subject from a scriptural position, interpreting all subject matter and academic instruction through the lens of God’s truth. Whether we’re talking about reading a piece of literature, evaluating a painting, or studying the events of history, there simply is no such thing as a purely secular subject. You either recognize God’s presence and involvement or you deny it. Either way, though, it’s “religious.”

Close-mindedness

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One of the leading academics in the United States is Stanley Fish, who also writes an online column for the New York Times. In a recent interview Mr. Fish stated that he believes that no one can operate without faith, which he defines as “not specifically religious but as a set of assumptions which structure your consciousness and allow you to see what it is that you see, then you realize that it is impossible not to have your consciousness structured by a set of assumptions.” That is a bit hard to follow at first reading, but Fish goes on to elaborate as follows: “This is another way of saying that there’s no such thing as an open mind, and that’s a good thing. If you had an open mind, a mind not structured by presuppositions, it would have the characteristics of a sieve. Everything would just fall right through it. So I am an advocate of close-mindedness.”

Fish is right, of course; no one has a completely open mind, because we all have beliefs, convictions, ideas and preferences that frame our view of the world and how we perceive what goes on around us. That is the very definition of a worldview. The important thing is what shapes and influences and informs our worldview. Fish does not go so far as to specify what he believes that should be, and in fact declined when asked to describe his own faith. I will not be so timid, however. I believe, and unashamedly so, that one’s worldview must be informed by the Scriptures. Anything other than that will result in a flawed and necessarily self-centered worldview.

Why necessarily self-centered? Because if one’s worldview is not shaped by Scripture, and the conviction that there is one true God (and only one!) and that He created the universe and everything in it, then there are no absolutes and there is no higher power. Perhaps you have heard some people say that the only absolute is that there are no absolutes? Besides being self-contradicting that is one of the most ridiculous positions anyone could take (and if you would like to explore that discussion sometime, just let me know…I’d be happy to spend as much time as you like talking about that!) But anyone who tries to live their life by such a belief will necessarily pick and choose which things he or she believes and holds to based on what is most appealing, reasonable, convenient, and/or important to him or her. The most important part of that sentence, though, is the last four words: “to him or her.” When absolute truth is abandoned and everything becomes subjective, it necessarily becomes self-centered. I don’t mean to sound harsh or judgmental, there is simply no other basis on which someone will make a decision or establish a belief.

If you doubt that, try asking someone who does not have a biblical worldview or hold to absolute truth why he or she believes something. Anything…it really doesn’t matter. Just ask someone who fits that description why they believe as they do or practice what they do or live the way they do and the answer will almost certainly start with, “Because I…”. Whatever comes next is irrelevant; the point has been made. The filter, the basis, the foundation, the starting point will always be “I.”

When one acknowledges God and acknowledges that He is supreme and sovereign there is no longer an “I” in the picture. Someone who has a biblical worldview and answers the question posed in the previous paragraph will answer “because God…” or “because the Bible….” If “I” is in the answer at all it will likely be to say “because I believe the Bible.”

So next time someone tells you that you need to have an open mind, tell them “no thanks” and seize the opportunity to explain to them that they don’t have an open mind either. It’s simply a matter of what our close-mindedness is based on.

Simply Not Enough

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In the April 2011 issue of Tabletalk magazine from Ligonier Ministries (www.ligonier.org) there is an interview with R. Albert Mohler, Jr., the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  In the interview Dr. Mohler is asked about what the church can do to better prepare its members to meet the cultural challenges of the 21st century.  His answer is excellent, and is just as applicable to the Christian school as to the church.

“For far too long, evangelical churches have simply assumed that it is our task to give our church members a basic level of biblical knowledge, to create opportunities for Christian fellowship, and to encourage parents in the Christian nurture of their children.  But what we have failed to understand is that Christians in the twenty-first century are being thrown into a world in which just a little bit of Bible knowledge is simply not going to be enough.  Simply having positive fellowship and nurturing experiences in the church and in the Christian family will not be enough.  The church must prepare people to be able to think Christianly in a world where the intellectual rules have fundamentally changed.  They are going to have to learn to be faithful in terms of every-day decision making, in terms of profound moral questioning, and in terms of political, economic, and cultural issues.  It is not that the church needs to be constantly talking about the culture; rather, it is that with the cultural challenge around us, we need to talk more and more about the Bible and coming to a deeper understanding of the Scriptures.  The church must equip its members to be deeply biblical so that the theological mode of thinking is something that comes naturally to believers.  Such Christians will be saturated with biblical truth, sustained by the life of the congregation, and encouraged into faithfulness by the communion of the saints.”

What Dr. Mohler describes is exactly what effective Christian educators and Christian schools seek to instill in each of their students.  A biblical worldview is the ability to think Christianly–it is the lens or the filter through which we see and understand everything around us.  Some Christian schools (and some churches) are content to sprinkle their classes (or their services) with a few Bible verses here and there, probably a prayer, and then to spend the rest of their time trying to act like, look like, and be attractive to the world.  The Bible makes it very clear that we are not to be of the world.  A deeper understanding of Scriptures is exactly what is needed if we are to make an impact for Christ.

At Sunshine Bible Academy, and at other Christian schools faithful to God’s design for education, every subject is presented with a biblical worldview.  We do not hide from or ignore the realities of the world around us, but we ensure that our students understand what is taking place in the world by understanding how it fits into God’s plan and/or is a result of man’s fallen nature.  Every subject is interconnected–to each other, and to the Bible.  Yes, there is a Bible class that each student takes, but biblical instruction is not restricted to that class.  When  instructors teach math, science, history, literature, music, physical education and art they do so with a biblical worldview.  Students learn to see the orderliness of God in math, the power, wonder and majesty of God in His creation, the importance of good health in maintaining our bodies for the Lord’s service in physical education, and so on.

Education from a biblical worldview equips students to meet the challenges of the 21st century, both academically and biblically.