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Ideas have “families”.  They derive and connect with other ideas and work to influence other worldviews.

Five of our worldviews hold that our ultimate reality is knowable (while they disagree on what that ultimate reality is).  Secular Humanism and Marxism say that ultimate reality is knowable and only physical.  Therefore there is no existence after or beyond this world and it is only the physical here and now that matters.  Cosmic Humanism says the opposite:  Ultimate reality is knowable, but it is spiritual.  Therefore, physicality is merely an illusion.  Christianity and Islam are both Theistic worldviews.  In other words, ultimate reality is knowable because it is made by God and God created the world, both physical and spiritual.

With these starting points, if we consider the question, “What does it mean to be human?” from a Secular Humanist or Marxist perspective, a human is merely a body.  Whereas, according to a Cosmic Humanist, humans are merely spiritual beings.  And, Christians and Muslims believe that humans are made both physically and spiritually.

These foundations will determine other principles such as psychology, sociology, etc.

Now, post-modernism sits alone simply because it assumes that you cannot know reality.

All worldviews begin with assumptions regarding philosophy and theology.  This week, we focus on what is known as Naturalism (Secular Humanism & Marxism).

According to these worldviews, the ultimate reality is what is natural – what we can see, hear, feel, taste and smell – but not the spirit.

As the old addage goes, “To a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”  Therefore, to a Naturalist, everything appears to be only natural and explained by the laws of physics.  This looses its logical foundation when we start to consider such things as personal relationships and odds-defying historical events.

What lifestyles do a Naturalistic worldview promote?

–       Atheism (there is no God)

–       Agnosticism (there is no knowledge of God)

–       Neo-Darwinism (All biological creatures stem from the same single organism, therefore a higher origin and purpose do not exist)

–       Reductionism (reducing everything – including humans – to less than what they actually are)

–       Scientism (all problems and answers are scientific)