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MarketFaith
Ministries
321 Anton Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32312
Phone: 850-383-9756
Fax: 850-514-4571
Email: info@marketfaith.org
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Basic Assumptions and
Implications
of Each Worldview
- Naturalism
Basic Assumption The only
thing that exists is matter which is evolving and eternal.
Implications: When a group
forms, they decide, based on their own perceived needs, what kind of values
and behaviors will be useful for the survival of the group. If the condition
or situation changes, there is no compelling reason why the cultural
elements can’t also be changed. Morality is simply what the group wants it
to be.
- Animism
Basic Assumption: The
universe contains both material and immaterial parts. Spirits exist in a
separate place from physical beings, but they interact with each other in a
symbiotic relationship.
Implications: The
world and life are not moving toward a higher destination so the tendency is
simply to live life one day at a time and accept things the way they are.
Left to themselves, animistic cultures tend to remain living in primitive
circumstances with very little societal advancement.
- Far Eastern Thought
Basic Assumption: The
cosmos is composed of an impersonal substance and everything that exists is
formed from substance. God is everything and everything is god.
Implications: The
primary impact of Far Eastern Religion on culture is to promote passivism.
- Theism
Basic Assumption: There
is an infinite and transcendent God who is Creator and Sustainer.
Implications: Theism
basically lends itself to an impact on culture that is both moral and
positive, but most forms result in a legalistic approach to living life and
the development of culture. The moral order ought to be a certain way
because it is written in the law or put forth by the prophet. The way things
ought to be are specifically prescribed.
- Relational Revelation
Basic Assumption: There
is a personal, infinite, transcendent God who is Creator and Sustainer.
Implications: Relational
Revelation lends itself to an impact on culture that is both moral and
positive. It does all of this in a way that puts a priority on a personal
relationship with God as the motivation for fulfilling the purposes of God.
It is not just the end result that matters. The means by which the outcome
is brought about is also vital. The means are conveyed by personal
instruction from God to individual human beings.
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