Why We All Need a Biblical Worldview

These statistics from overseas shine a dreadfully bleak light on the current state of the world and Christianity. Not only are large numbers of Christians (and especially Christian youth) abandoning their faith; they are adopting the false ideas presented throughout our society - Darwinism, naturalism, relativism, postmodernism, pluralism, and many others. Most Christians have simply not been taught how to develop a comprehensive Christian view of reality or an intelligent Biblical defense regarding the fundamental issues of our day.

"Secular Education is the most powerful ally of Humanism [Atheism], and every American public school is a school of Humanism. What can the Theistic Sunday Schools, meeting for an hour once a week, and teaching only a fraction of the children, do to stem the tide of a five-day program of humanistic teaching?" - Charles Francis Potter, Humanism: A New Religion, p. 128

A nationwide survey revealed that only 4% of adults in the USA use a Biblical Worldview as the basis of their decision-making. The survey discovered that only 9% of born again Christians have such a perspective on life. [1]

More college freshmen today describe themselves as liberal than at any time since the Vietnam War, according to a US nationwide survey taken during the fall of 2001. 57.9% think gay couples should have the legal right to marry and 29.9% say they are "far left," the highest figure since 1975. [2]

In a national survey, respondents were asked if they believe that moral absolutes are unchanging or whether morals are relative to the circumstances. 64% of Americans adults and 83% of American teens denied moral absolutes. Only 34% of adults and 8% of teens held to an absolute standard of morality. The same national survey found the following among Christians surveyed. 55% of Christian adults and 76% Christian teens denied moral absolutes. Only 32% of Christian adults and 9% of Christian teens held to an absolute standard of morality. [3]

"The basic problem of the Christians in this country...is that they have seen things in bits and pieces instead of totals. They have very gradually become disturbed over permissiveness, pornography, the public school, the breakdown of the family, and finally abortion...They have failed to see that all of this has come about due to a shift in a worldview—that is, through a fundamental change in the overall way people think and view the world and life as a whole.” - Francis Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto, p. 19

According to findings published in a UCLA dissertation, Dr. Gary Railsback notes that between 30 and 51% of Christians renounce their faith before graduating from college. That means one out of two professing Christian youth are turning their backs on the 18 years of Christian instruction from their homes and churches and embracing the atheistic ideas of their professors. [4]

Each year thousands of Evangelical high school students take the Nehemiah Institute PEERS worldview test, a survey revealing their worldview perspective regarding politics, economics, education, religion, and social issues. Every year since 1988 Christian students have been answering those questions more and more like Humanists and less and less like Biblical Christians.

Today, the majority of Christian high school students are responding as committed Secular Humanists would respond.

"Nothing short of great Civil War of Values rages today. Two sides with vastly differing and incompatible worldviews are locked in a bitter conflict that permeates every level of society...the struggle now is for the hearts and minds of the people. It is a war over ideas. And someday soon, I believe, a winner will emerge and the loser will fade from memory. For now, the outcome is very much in doubt." - Dr. James Dobson, Children at Risk, p. 19–20

Summit Ministries is an educational Christian ministry whose very existence is a response to our current post-Christian culture. Today, countless Christian youth have fallen victim to the popular ideas of our modern world. Most have adopted these ideas into their own worldview, while still others go on to renounce their Christian Faith altogether.

Summit views its role in God's kingdom as a catalyst to counteract this alarming trend. However, our ultimate goal supersedes simply training. As Christians are challenged to stand strong in their faith and defend truth, they will also be equipped to have a positive influence on the society in which they live.

Summit Ministries was founded in Colorado by Dr. David Noebel (author of “Mind Siege”, “The Battle for Truth” and “Understanding the Times”) in 1962. The Summit is geared especially for senior high school students and university students.

The Summit camp has been designed to equip students with the facts and the skills they need to deal with humanism and evolutionism. The Summit is a crash course to enable students to understand and articulate the Christian worldview, to enable them to answer the toughest questions and to practically prepare them so that they can respond to every challenge to their Christian faith with confidence.

Christianity is not for the weak minded. It is not enough to simply believe. You have to know what you believe and why you believe it. And you need to be able to defend it. The Summit will enable you to understand and respond in a Biblical way to everything from relativism to dualism, from Hollywood to humanism, from Marxism to Islam. The Summit can change your life.

At the Summit you will encounter dedicated Christians seeking to live with integrity and deal honestly and intelligently with life's challenges. The Summit is packed full with mind stretching and life altering learning and soul searching. It also includes lots of physical challenges, obstacle crossing, problem solving, team building, fun, fellowship, hikes and sports and many lifelong friendships begin there.

Summit helps you realise your God given potential to take positive action to change your world for Christ. This is accomplished through a unique programme of: guest lecturers, international speakers, authors and key leaders in their fields, special video presentations from all over the world, discussion groups, practicals, outreaches, outdoor activities, projects and interaction with others determined to make an impact on the world for Christ. Detailed manuals, textbooks and lecture notes are provided as part of the course.

International speakers at the Summit 2010 near Cape Town include: Rev. Greg Denysschen – the Founder and Director of Jivannadi Mission and recognised as one of the best authorities on New Age, Occultism, Demonology and Deliverance; Dr. Peter Hammond – Founder and Director of Frontline Fellowship, pioneer missionary to Mozambique, Angola and Sudan; and Philip Stott – Engineer and International Creation Science lecturer.

“Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

If you are interested in attending the Biblical Worldview Summit (1 - 8 January 2010) near Cape Town, contact Frontline Fellowship:

Tel: 021 - 689 4480
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information about the Biblical Worldview Summit, click here .

This article is used with permission from www.summit.org

References:

[1]  The data in this report are based on a US nationwide telephone surveys conducted by the Barna Research Group from its telephone interviewing facility in Ventura, CA. The interviews among a national random sample of 2033 adults were conducted from September through November of 2003. http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PagePressRelease.asp?PressReleaseID=154&;Reference=D

[2]  The CIRP Freshman Survey, based this year (2001) on responses from 281,064 students at 421 four-year colleges and universities, is the nation's oldest and most comprehensive assessment of student attitudes. It is a joint project of UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute and the American Council on Education, based in Washington, D.C. http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/norms_pr_01.html

[3]  The data in this report are based on two nationwide telephone surveys conducted by the Barna Research Group from its telephone interviewing facility in Ventura, CA. The interviews among a national random sample of 1010 adults were conducted in late October and early November 2001. The interviews among a national random sample of 604 teenagers (ages 13 to 18) were conducted in November 2001.http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PagePressRelease.asp?PressReleaseID=106&;Reference=C