Yesterday I taught from Daniel 1. In this great chapter Daniel
and his three friends are taken away from everything they know and are put into
a program to change their whole worldview. As I read that I began to think
about if you want to change the worldview of a whole culture how should you go
about it? Six ways come to mind partially based upon Daniel 1:
1.
The Family
Nebuchadnezzar shows that if you want to change the worldview of an
individual you need to get them away from their family’s worldview. He took the
captives from their families and brought them to his kingdom, he even changed
their names to reflect the worldview he wanted them to have. This method is
extreme. We see it with military indoctrination, certainly with cults, and even
with some schools. A concern every parent has is his or her children will leave
their home and change their worldview when they are put into another
environment. Daniel and his friends kept
their correct worldview even in this environment because God was with them and
no doubt they had been trained well at home before they left.
If
I (taking the role of a minion of Satan) were trying to change the worldview of
America away from Christianity I would start with the family. I would try to
break up the family unit, make it as dysfunctional as possible, and redefine
what a family is by my own warped worldview. I would also try to keep families
so busy that they did not take or have time to teach a good worldview to the
children.
Conversely,
if I want to ensure a Biblical worldview it needs to start in the family. We
must do all we can to support healthy family units and equip them to teach the
children. I also want to encourage families to set aside time to spend
together. Time spent cannot be taken back, thus we must learn to use it wisely.
2.
The Educational System
Nebuchadnezzar realized that the education of students is vital for
forming the desired worldview. The young Israelites were taught for three years
all the wisdom of the Chaldeans. In this indoctrination they were instructed in
the ways of wise men of their day including their philosophy, writings,
science, and occult practices.
If I were seeking to change the worldview of America away from
Christianity into the wisdom of this world I would do all I could change what
is taught in school and who taught it. I would start with highest level of
education and let it trickle down to the entry level. I would seek to put
professors in place at our best universities that would undermine the truths of
the Gospel. I would have them train the next generation of leaders. Those
trained in this new philosophy would then go teach what they had learned in
schools, boardrooms, battlefields, courtrooms, offices, and companies all over
the world. Even at the entry level of education I would seek to teach that the
religious beliefs of our parents are only their opinions and not grounded in
facts. In the name of inclusion I would seek to silence all forms of
Christianity. Furthermore, I would only teach the portions of history that fit
my agenda. I would also have them read only materials that backed up my agenda.
On the other hand, to ensure a Biblical worldview I would do everything
I could to get well-qualified, intelligent, reasonable professors with a
Christian worldview into the universities. I would invest in the training of
teachers in our primary schools and support them in every way possible. I would
seek to get apologetics materials (that are not crazy) into the hands of these
teachers. I would teach students that while Christianity is all about faith, it
is a reasonable faith based upon truth. I would teach them logic and how to
think in a critical manner rather than simply to pass a standardized test. I
would also introduce them to the great writers and thinkers of the past that
would help them to develop their worldview beyond their current situation.
3.
Popular Media
Nebuchadnezzar,
like most rulers, was excellent at propaganda. It has always been true that the
victor writes history and the news is written with an agenda in mind. He wanted
to influence the world through his actions and writings and he was successful.
If I wanted to erode the Biblical worldview of America I would seek to
control the popular media. I would report the news in a manner that is biased
toward discrediting Christianity. I would use the newspapers, magazines, news
channels and programs to constantly teach my agenda. I would use comedians to
point out hypocrisies, inconsistencies, and make fun of those that hold to
orthodoxy. If I could I would use famous people that have no training in
philosophy, logic, or theology to tell the country what to believe. I would try
to convince the public that if it is on the Internet it must be true. I would
seek convince America that gossip and slander are real and important news.
If I wanted to maintain a Biblical
worldview I would seek to keep the media based upon facts rather than biases. I
would seek to produce newspapers, magazines, news programing, blogs, and such
that give a reasonable approach to the issues of the day. I would not seek to
produce programing and print for only a Christian audience, but rather mass
media that is done with quality and integrity. I would teach people to discern
the source of the information and judge accordingly.
4.
The Arts (music, books, art, movies, etc.)
Babylon was known for its art and architecture. The Babylonians used
music and writings to teach their philosophies and it was successful.
If I wanted to remake the worldview of America I would seek to control
the arts. I would produce quality music that lyrically teaches immorality,
violence, antinomianism, rejection of authority, and undermines everything
holy. I would also make movies and television shows that desensitizes the
audience to violence, sexuality, course language, and outlandish philosophies.
I would seek use celebrities to define a new norm for dress, language, sexual
choices, and opinions. I would try to trick Americans into believing that these
celebrities know best. I would pass pornography off as art. I would use novels
to introduce ideas of sexual promiscuity in the name of love, violence in the
name of masculinity, the occult in the name of imagination, and agnosticism in
the name of enlightenment.
To ensure a Biblical worldview I would seek to produce the world’s best
music, art, literature, movies, plays, and such to the glory of God. I would
not seek to outlaw the pagan views of some, but rather produce such excellent
artwork (music, books, etc.) that it draws the world to the light. I would
expose our young people to great examples of excellence in the arts as often as
I could, from the right worldview.
5.
The Legal System
Nebuchadnezzar
as ruler of the empire was the last word in the legal system. He made the laws
and enforced the laws. As such he clearly influenced the daily lives of the
people.
If I wanted to degrade the Biblical worldview of America I would seek to
control the legal system. I would make the system unfair to the poor and biased
toward the rich. I would seek to have judges that saw their role as not only
interpreting the law, but also creating law through their decisions. I would
seek to control the law schools as to teach the next generation of legal
experts my worldview. I would use the court system to infringe upon the rights
of some and to overprotect the rights of others. I would do all I could to make
they system more about politics than truth and justice. I would seek to convince the public that it
is their right to sue anyone for anything because they must protect their
personal rights and there is money to be made.
However, if I were seeking to maintain or recapture a Biblical worldview
in America I would want to do everything I could to ensure the legal system is
fair and just. I would want to distance politics from the legal system as much
as possible. I would set boundaries upon the power of the courts to reinterpret
and make laws. The concepts of truth, impartiality, and common sense would rule
the day. I would seek for law schools to be administered by those that share
this conviction. I would plead for Christians that are in the legal system to
express their worldview and integrity through their actions.
6.
Politics
Nebuchadnezzar controlled the politics of the day. He went into
Jerusalem and laid down his own law. In his land he controlled the politics of
the day.
If I wanted to destroy the Christian worldview of America I would seek
to use politics to do it as well. I would ensure that special interest groups, lobbyists,
corporations, and those with great wealth controlled the agenda. I would seek
to divide the nation and convince both sides they were in the right. I would
pressure the public to think about economics above virtue. I would invest power
in a limited few that would do anything to maintain their power. I would use
the vices of greed, pride, lust, and slander to control as many politicians as
I could. I would seek to have the American public so distracted by political
debate that they forget that this world is only temporary. I would try to make
patriotism a religion for some and convince them that morality is dependent
upon the situation (all is fair in war for instance).
Though, if I wanted to maintain or reestablish a Christian worldview in
America I would be very concerned about the politics of the nation. I would
want Christians to research candidates and their philosophy of governing. I
would want them to be known first and foremost as Christians rather than from a
political party or agenda. I would want their hearts to be on Christ and not
solely on the affairs of this world. I would want Christians to be prepared to
discuss the issues of the day with intelligence and grace. I would encourage Christians to get involved
in the political process within the confines of their worldview. I would seek
them to write letters, make visits and calls, vote, and perhaps even run for
office if they can maintain their walk with Christ while doing so. I would seek
that they would remember to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what
is God’s, to not make politics their religion.
Well there are a few thoughts from a very
sleepy preacher. Hopefully I did not ramble and I made sense.
