Hey everyone. I hope you have enjoyed your week. We missed many of you at the prayer night. It was a powerful night. The next Transforming Prayer Night is on the 30th from 7-8. I hope you make it a point to come.
This week is Tour 3. We will once again split our group into our 2 "campuses." Continue to be praying about whether or not God is calling you to lead a new group and if so, whom you might want to invite to go with you to start the group. Next week is Superbowl Sunday and the following week we will all be back at the Rodolph's to discuss our direction. Take care and see you Sunday at 5!
Introduction
Lesson 3 takes us into the western regions of the compass, where we engage in an in-depth examination of biblical and contemporary ideas about the nature of the human race. The focus of the discussion is anthropology: Who is man? Where did he come from? What is the meaning and purpose of his existence? In the course of this study, Dr. Tackett demonstrates that the answers we bring to these questions have a direct bearing upon our approach to another pressing problem, one of the thorniest and most challenging of all – Why is there evil in the world?
Themes
Having established the importance of determining whether the cosmos is to be viewed as an open or a closed box, Dr. Tackett now moves on to examine another defining aspect of any comprehensive worldview: its basic assumptions about mankind. Here again we discover a fundamental conflict between Christianity and the perspective of contemporary culture. The Bible teaches that man consists of both body and spirit and is created in the image of God; our culture assumes that he is purely material, the product of mindless, purposeless forces. The Bible says that man has rebelled against God and fallen from his original state of innocence; contemporary thought maintains that he is "basically good." The Bible affirms man's need for divine grace, redemption, and regeneration; popular thinking asserts that "self-actualization" is the key to happiness and fulfillment.
Christianity represents evil as the product of the Cosmic Battle that rages within man – the conflict between humanity as it was meant to be and what it has actually become as a result of sin. Godless philosophy and psychology, on the other hand, can suggest only one possible solution to the problem of evil in the world: man must throw off the restraints of superimposed social conventions and institutions (i.e., any kind of moral standard) and pursue "self-fulfillment" to the fullest possible extent. This is what Dr. Tackett calls "the pernicious lie."
Points to Watch for
Some viewers – even those who consider themselves Christians – may have difficulty accepting the idea that "self-fulfillment" and the call to "follow your heart" are inconsistent with a Christian worldview. Others may object to Dr. Tackett's assertion that a great deal of the radical social and political activism we see in the world today is driven primarily by secular man's sinful desire to throw off the shackles of "God's social design." All will find it stimulating and profitable to wrestle with the question he poses: why do non-believers and evolutionists find evil so troubling?
Discussion Questions
1. We looked at a number of things on this tour. Let's list some of the key elements. What were they? Which ones do you think were most important or critical? Why?
2. Let's discuss the truth claim that man is basically good. Do you see any evidence that our culture has bought this notion? What is that evidence? Do you think we live in a culture of "blame"? If so, how is that linked to the notion that man is basically good? What about "victim mentality"? Is that related? If so, how? What about the issue of "tolerance"? Any linkage? Why or why not?
3. Consider Maslow's position that man must self-actualize by getting in touch their inner desires and bring them out. What are the consequences of this? Why would it give rise to a hostility toward Christianity?
4. Let's revisit the Carl Rogers' statement: "I do not find that evil is inherent in human nature." What are the implications of this view of man in relation to what man really needs? What does it do to the biblical concept that man needs a Savior?
5. Why do Christians so often feel "stumped" when non-believers point to the existence of evil in the world? According to this discussion, what is the ultimate source of evil?
6. How does your worldview influence your definition of evil?
7. What are the major differences between the Bible's view of man and autonomous man's view of himself?
8. How might a person's understanding of human nature and the meaning of human life determine his or her behavior or lifestyle? Given the basic distinctions between biblical and man-centered anthropology, how would we expect a believer's behavior to differ from that of a non-believer?
9. How do differing views of mankind play into the social struggles and conflicts we see in our culture today?
Friday, January 23, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Tour 2: Philosophy & Ethics: Says Who?
Hey everyone. Just a reminder that we will be one life group... multiple campuses this weekend. Please make sure you let us know if you are planning on attending at Skyler and Nikki's or at Joel and Callie's. If you are not planning on attending please let us know. Email Nikki at nrodolphrn@gmail.com
Introduction
In this second installment of our worldview tour, Dr. Tackett takes students into the northeast quadrant of the compass for an introduction to Philosophy and Ethics, the two outside pillars of our Temple of Truth or framework of foundational concepts. In essence, the message of this lesson parallels the precept of Proverbs 23:7 – "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." The heart of the discussion lies in the thought that there is a formal and vital connection between our ideas about the nature of the world (philosophy) and our understanding of right and wrong behavior (ethics).
Themes
Philosophy, according to Dr. R. C. Sproul, is "a scientific quest to discover ultimate reality." This would seem to indicate that philosophical ideas about truth are closely aligned with the biblical definition given in Lesson 1: truth = reality. In this connection, it's worth noting that the 1828 edition of Webster's Dictionary included the following affirmation: "true religion and true philosophy must ultimately arrive at the same principle." Significantly, Webster's original definition of the word also asserted that philosophy aims "to enlarge our understanding of God." God, of course, has been edited out of subsequent editions of the dictionary. This is consistent with the perspective of contemporary culture, which has been taken captive by the unfounded assumption that "the cosmos is all there is or ever was or ever will be" (Carl Sagan). Another way to say this is that current thought pictures reality as a closed box – a cosmic cube – in which there is no room for anything that cannot be sensually or materially perceived. The problem is that with the lid of the box closed and God excluded, philosophy is deprived of a universal reference point and thus crippled in its "scientific quest for ultimate reality." As a result, it cannot answer the most basic questions about right and wrong behavior.
Points to Watch for
Dr. Tackett persuasively argues that even the most outspoken adherents of "cosmic cube" thinking and relativistic ethics – thinkers like Carl Sagan and William Provine – cannot possibly live by their own reductionist and materialistic principles. On the other side of the coin, he suggests that many contemporary Christians have been unwittingly taken captive by the assumptions of our age ("conformed to this world"). He concludes the lesson by challenging students to think more aggressively about what it means to be "transformed by the renewing of the mind" (Romans 12:2).
Discussion Questions
1. Why are so many people – even those who argue adamantly for the "cosmic cube" perspective – so obviously uncomfortable with life "inside the box"? How do they attempt to deal with this difficulty?
2. What do we mean by universals and particulars? How are they related? What bearing do they have on our quest for answers to the "Big Questions" of life?
3. Dr. Tackett asserts, "You won't find the answers to the Big Questions inside the box." Why not?
4. What, according to Dr. R. C. Sproul, is the distinction between morality and ethics? How has confusion on this point precipitated a crisis in ethics in the modern world?
5. How does the biblical worldview stand opposed to the "cosmic cube" worldview?
6. Is it possible for a Christian to be deceived and "taken captive" by the empty philosophies of the world? If you have been deceived, how do you know? How?
Feel free to make comments or throw out questions. Our goal is to create a dialogue throughout the week. See you all Sunday.
Introduction
In this second installment of our worldview tour, Dr. Tackett takes students into the northeast quadrant of the compass for an introduction to Philosophy and Ethics, the two outside pillars of our Temple of Truth or framework of foundational concepts. In essence, the message of this lesson parallels the precept of Proverbs 23:7 – "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." The heart of the discussion lies in the thought that there is a formal and vital connection between our ideas about the nature of the world (philosophy) and our understanding of right and wrong behavior (ethics).
Themes
Philosophy, according to Dr. R. C. Sproul, is "a scientific quest to discover ultimate reality." This would seem to indicate that philosophical ideas about truth are closely aligned with the biblical definition given in Lesson 1: truth = reality. In this connection, it's worth noting that the 1828 edition of Webster's Dictionary included the following affirmation: "true religion and true philosophy must ultimately arrive at the same principle." Significantly, Webster's original definition of the word also asserted that philosophy aims "to enlarge our understanding of God." God, of course, has been edited out of subsequent editions of the dictionary. This is consistent with the perspective of contemporary culture, which has been taken captive by the unfounded assumption that "the cosmos is all there is or ever was or ever will be" (Carl Sagan). Another way to say this is that current thought pictures reality as a closed box – a cosmic cube – in which there is no room for anything that cannot be sensually or materially perceived. The problem is that with the lid of the box closed and God excluded, philosophy is deprived of a universal reference point and thus crippled in its "scientific quest for ultimate reality." As a result, it cannot answer the most basic questions about right and wrong behavior.
Points to Watch for
Dr. Tackett persuasively argues that even the most outspoken adherents of "cosmic cube" thinking and relativistic ethics – thinkers like Carl Sagan and William Provine – cannot possibly live by their own reductionist and materialistic principles. On the other side of the coin, he suggests that many contemporary Christians have been unwittingly taken captive by the assumptions of our age ("conformed to this world"). He concludes the lesson by challenging students to think more aggressively about what it means to be "transformed by the renewing of the mind" (Romans 12:2).
Discussion Questions
1. Why are so many people – even those who argue adamantly for the "cosmic cube" perspective – so obviously uncomfortable with life "inside the box"? How do they attempt to deal with this difficulty?
2. What do we mean by universals and particulars? How are they related? What bearing do they have on our quest for answers to the "Big Questions" of life?
3. Dr. Tackett asserts, "You won't find the answers to the Big Questions inside the box." Why not?
4. What, according to Dr. R. C. Sproul, is the distinction between morality and ethics? How has confusion on this point precipitated a crisis in ethics in the modern world?
5. How does the biblical worldview stand opposed to the "cosmic cube" worldview?
6. Is it possible for a Christian to be deceived and "taken captive" by the empty philosophies of the world? If you have been deceived, how do you know? How?
Feel free to make comments or throw out questions. Our goal is to create a dialogue throughout the week. See you all Sunday.
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