The Contrasting Views Of Christianity And Secularism

Introduction

In the course, we deliberated on the perception of the worldview and looked at secularism, postmodernism, new religiousness, Christianity, and Marxism. The main aim of this paper is to generate a comparison and contrast between Christianity and Secularism in the final paper. The essential notions of each worldview will be addressed, and a coherent rationalization for one of the discussed worldviews and a conjoint basis of the worldviews will be compared and contrasted.

Central Ideas, Concerns, and Goals of the Religions

Christianity can be defined to be both a philosophy and a religion of life in which God is viewed as the universal supreme being. Christianity’s groundwork is known to revolve around the life of Christ, the death of Christ, and the resurrection of Christ, who is believed to be God’s sent only son and known to be the “messiah” whose purpose was coming and saving the world. In addition, Jesus’s birth in the world and crucifixion were to give forgiveness to sinful Christians. In addition, there is an understanding that Christians must pay for their sins since they believe that “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (Holy Bible, 2016). Furthermore, Christianity has a known devotion to Jesus Christ and God and a strong belief in the Bible, which is viewed to be a sacred book according to Kids of Courage (2013). “Important scriptures that outline Jesus’ teachings, the lives and teachings of major prophets and disciples, and offer instructions on how Christians should live”.

Conversely, secularism can be described as a living religious conviction and philosophy that perceives the supreme being of the universe as a man. In contrast to Christianity, Secularism strongly rejects the existence of any supernatural, including God. Rather, it just believes in the goodness of man. Secularists have thought that “People should feel good about themselves regardless of their behaviour” (Abounding Joy, n.d). They also believe that humans are a portion of the natural setting and that people have control over fortune. Secularism is built on the basis of the belief that lack of education and ignorance bring about problems in Secularism. In response to the rejection of the idea of the existence of God, Secularism strongly believes in an alliance of education, knowledge as well as science towards the improvement of the world. (Secularism.org n.d) states that the Secularism principles include equality of all humanity, including the non-religious and religious, state and church separation and belief freedom.

Comparison-and-Contrast: The Ten Ways of Looking at the World

Theology

On theological dimensions, Christians have a belief in everlasting God and that heaven and hell exist. Myers & Noebel, 2015, states that Christianity posits God’s existence as a relational, personal and a being who made himself known through the scripture and nature. In addition, Christianity believes that God makes everyone in His image and that God is the designer; Christianity also believes that everyone can experience the power of redemption and that each human being was made to serve a specific purpose. In that, the Christians have proclaimed the existence of a “personal, triune God who desires to be in a relationship with those who bear his image” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 480). In contrast, the main concern of Secularism is on now and here and an opposed belief in eternity. The secularists, in addition, do not believe in the existence of God. “God is nonexistent or irrelevant” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 479). Rather, they are believed to be atheists and believe in nature and man.

Philosophy

Christians believe that “sensible [order] via Jesus Christ, the personification of the logos, enables them to know things” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 481). Christian philosophy focuses on reconciling science and faith, beginning with the use of natural reasoning explanations in conjunction with Christian revelation. Christians think that science and faith should coexist healthily. Materialism, naturalism, and atheism are among the beliefs held by secularists, according to Myers & Noebel (2015, p. 473). According to Secularism, matter exists indefinitely. “The material universe is all that exists, and the phenomena have a natural explanation,” Myers & Noebel (2015, p. 481) declare to Secularists. Any immaterial “the soul, the afterlife, God – does not exist by definition” as nature is all that exists (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 481). To a Secularist, only the scientific methods can describe reality. Secularists believe that man, evolution, mind, body, and soul result from natural selection rather than the supernatural design.

Ethics

On the basics of ethics, Christianity is highly concerned with preserving moral order. “All that is good, true, and lovely is based on God’s character,” Christians believe (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 483). Christians believe that being truthful is the greatest matter that should be observed. “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,” Proverbs 12:22 (Holy Bible, 2016, ESV) says, “but those who act truly are his joy.” Since God is believed to be everywhere, Christianity asserts that “an ethical system founded on his character will live in every soul, across all civilizations, and at all times” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 483). The foundations of secular ethics are based on logic, reason, empathy, or moral perception. The Secularist perspective holds that there is no existence of bad or good, or wrong or right. Hence, it must not exist.

Biology

In a biological view, Christianity perceives that God created humankind, and Christianity accepts science as the orderly creation of God. “Science is the study of God’s orderly creation” (Geneva College, n.d., p. 2). In the Christians’ view, God’s providence generates the basis for viewing the universe’s constancy and order. The secularist’s beliefs lie in evolution as the human creation cause, which is defined as “natural selection acting upon genetic mutations, where random changes in DNA lead to adaptions which may improve the ability of some organisms to survive and reproduce” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 267). The secularists in this matter argue in the sense that natural selection is the root of human creation.

Psychology

Psychologically, Christianity believes in personhood in that they perceive God to be a person. They also believe that humans are God’s product, “required thinking, planning, artistry, and execution – all qualities God shared with us, his image-bearers” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 485). On the other hand, Secularism is based on self-actualization as the way to keep someone happy and healthy. The secularism fundamentals push the secularists to believe that God is a myth and that we evolved from animals. In Secularism, all the psychological intrusions are controlled by nature.

Sociology

According to the Christian perspective, the family is the most important social institution. The family, in particular, is crucial to society’s evolution. Except for family, everything else might fail or fall. The family is in charge of instilling and carrying out the Lord’s moral responsibilities. There are no religious orders or faith leaders in Secularism because there is no God. “Society forces us to do what we do: we aren’t making choices, but responding to external stimuli,” according to secular sociology (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 486) and that nature can explain a lot of the Secularists’ beliefs.

Law

The only lawmaker, according to Christians, is God. “God gave us divine laws and the means to discover them,” the Christian faith claims (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 489). Over ceremonial, civic, or judicial components, Christian law emphasizes the eternal moral precepts of the divine law. The grace-over-law theology is the most appealing. As they “reject the ideas of fallenness,” secularists can only rely on themselves to build the legal system (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 488). Furthermore, the church and state should be kept distinct.

Politics

In the political measures, God is ordained in numerous organizations in the Christian religion, and He plays a crucial part in the caretaking of His creation. “The worth of persons, a balance between society and person, and the valuable functions of the government, family, and church,” according to Christianity (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 486). God influences the laws that God gives to His followers, according to the Christian worldview. The Ten Commandments serve as a set of guidelines for Christians to follow. Secularists believe that man and his environment are the outcomes of evolutionary forces. Secularists measure the significance and purpose of human existence on a human scale. Secularists think that their issues, ideas, and philosophies can all be important.

Economics

In the Christian view, “No economic system can save us or usher in the Kingdom of God”, says Christianity (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 491). The Bible serves as a guide to economic ideals, such as righteousness. Secularists thought that “people are essentially good and smart enough to establish a good society without divine guidance,” which is a socialist viewpoint (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 491). “Material prosperity diminishes the felt need for religious solace, resulting in religion playing a smaller role in society and politics,” according to Secularism (McCleary, 2010, p. 43).

History

History, according to Christianity, is the “epic unfolding of God’s ultimate plan for all people” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 493). From a historical point of view, Christians can better grasp their everyday roles and the history of their choices and lives by learning about God’s history. Secularists think that ” our beliefs evolve as we progress,” according to Myers & Noebel (2015, p. 493). Secularists believe that the history of evolution can give us the necessary history and information for both creatures and societies.

A Logical Defense

In my view, the Christian understanding is more fascinating than the secular worldview. Secularists, in addition, argue that mathematics and science are responsible for human life. In addition, they argue that theories such as the Big Bang theory are responsible for the existence of both living and non-living organisms. Referring to Keefe (n.d., First Cause Argument, para. 2), however, I do not comply with this since he explains that it is “based on the instinct of mind that we all share: the instinct that says everything needs an explanation. Nothing is just without a reason why it is.” In addition, Kreeft argues that “the whole universe is a vast, interlocking chain of things that come into existence. Each of these things must, therefore, have a cause.” Secularism does not have a good explanation for this. Therefore, it is further argued that there must be a primary cause for everything. According to Keefe, if there is no reason for something, it “violates the Principle of Sufficient Reason for everything” (First Cause Argument, para. 5).

Another reason why I boldly believe that evolution is not the cause of existence is because there is a huge difference between animals and human abilities. For instance, the complexity of the mind of a human. According to Keefe (n.d., Argument for Design, para. 5), it “is the most intricate piece of design in the known cosmos.” Humans are capable of amazing things, leading one to conclude that a Designer is behind their function, creation, and ability. In addition, because of its intricacy, human DNA had to be created by a creator or an outside force, as “we cannot escape the presence of intelligent (very intelligent) design” (Every Student, n.d., Is God Real, p. 3). Our DNA is significant because it further proves that God is our creator. The intricacy, design, and variety of our human bodies are all due to God, and thus, I approve of the Christian worldview.

Common ground

Although Secularism and Christianity are greatly contrasting, several similarities exist in both worldviews. For instance, the belief in the moral codes is shared between both worldviews and has a common goal of living peacefully. In addition, both worldviews have common contemporary discussion topics generated in both of them. For instance, abortion and homosexuality are discussed in both worldviews. Furthermore, the two are believed to have a common ground for economic justice. In the sense that both worldviews have common characteristics, both religions can converge and create a stronger, cohesive religion that would work efficiently.

Conclusion

Throughout the worldviews that we discussed, the paper has tackled religion based on Secularism and Christianity. The contrast and comparison between the two religions have ultimately pointed out that there are several differences and similarities between the two religions. Furthermore, the paper generated a logical defence for the Christians and discussed the common ground that exists between the two religions. Thus, the research on the paper has shaped the understanding of Christianity and secular worldviews.

References

Abounding Joy. (n.d.). Christian? Or Secular Humanist?. https://www.aboundingjoy.com/humanism_chat.htm

Answers in Genesis. (n.d.). Chapter 27. https://answersingenesis.org/is-god-real/what-is-thebest- argument-for-the-existence-of-god/

Everystudent.com. (n.d.). Is God Real. https://everystudent.com/wires/is-god-real.html

Geneva College. (n.d.). Integration of Christian Faith and Biology. https://www.geneva.edu/dept/biology/pages/bio_integration-print#

History.com Editors. (2017). Christianity. https://www.history.com/topics/history-of-christianity

Keefe, P. (n.d.). Arguments from Design. https://peterkeeft.com/topics/design.htm

Keefe, P. (n.d.). The First Cause Argument. https://peterkeeft.com/topics/firse-cause.htm

Kids of Courage. (2013). Comparing Christianity and Secular Humanism. https://www.kidsofcourage.com/?p=7422

McCleary, R.M. (2010). The Economics of Religion and Secularization. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15570274.2007.9523277.

Myers, J. & Noebel, D. (2015). Understanding the Times: A Survey of Competing Worldviews (5th ed.). ISBN: 978-1434709585.

Secularism.org. (n.d.). Exploring Secularism. https://www.secularism.org.uk/what-issecularism.html.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV). (2016). https://www.biblegateway.com