What worldviews are in conflict with the Christian worldview? Why?

A worldview is “any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world, and the relationship of people to God and the world.” That definition is provided by Summit Ministries, an organization that is equipping and supporting rising generations to embrace God’s Truth and a Christian worldview.

We all have a worldview, even if unconsciously and without formally articulating it. It is our take on the nature of the world, like a lens through which we view and try to comprehend life. If the lens is faulty, if the prescription is wrong, our view of the world will be faulty and blurry. Such an uninformed and out of focus view will lead to poor decisions, bad behavior, and an unfulfilling life. The prophet Hosea warns, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6)

A Christian worldview is based on seeing and interpreting life through the lens of God’s truth as revealed in the Bible. That truth begins with God who predates Creation as we know it. “In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1:1)

A Biblical worldview pronounces that we are loved by God, made in His image, and created for eternal life, while also acknowledging our sinful human nature. The Bible is the Christian’s constant point of reference with rules and wisdom to live by. When we fail to live up to God’s holy standards, we learn in the Bible that God offers us redemption and a path to eternal life through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Worldviews in conflict with Christianity begin with ‘in the beginning, no God.’ For them, there is no divine image in which we are made; instead, we are seen as no different from the animals, a random, evolutionary product of time plus chance. They acknowledge no divine truth to serve as a guide for our lives, and no such thing as eternal life, which we will spend in heaven or hell. They assume that human nature is good, not sinful, and thus not in need of a redeemer. Whereas the Psalmist proclaims, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:6) The atheist worldview believes, “the universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.”

Many non-Christian worldviews, ideologies known as “-isms,” are not only different from but also hostile to the Christian view. Some of the best known are Secular Humanism, Materialism, Naturalism, Marxism/Communism, and Postmodernism. Christians must study the Bible to understand their own worldview, and they need to become acquainted with the ideologies that are determined to replace it. How will you respond to the challenge presented by Joshua (24:15)?  “Choose this day whom you will serve, . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”