Why I’m Doing What I Do

nasa_blue_marbleAs mentioned in the Who I Am page,  it is my WORLDVIEW — my VALUE SYSTEM — that drives me, and the background information I shared there will give you a perspective on how that value system developed and how it has motivated me to become more actively involved in trying to make a difference in this country’s direction. Here, I will describe as succinctly as possible exactly what Worldview and Value System guide how I view world events and how I formulate thoughts regarding those events — thoughts on interpreting them, on formulating writings about them, and on envisioning ways to solve problems and capitalize on opportunities arising from them.

My Worldview

Although academicians like to discuss Worldview in ways their colleagues, and certainly “less educated” people, will consider erudite, all the ins and outs they may offer on the subject really boil down to only two options: Theism, the belief that there is a transcendent God who created the universe; and Naturalism, the belief that natural causes alone are sufficient to explain everything that exists.  If a visitor to this site feels strongly that Naturalism is the correct view, I doubt that without “one on one” discussion I will be able to convince him/her otherwise.  I would simply ask that person to consider the following:

  1. Naturalism — and its view of the “big bang” theory or any other explanation of how the universe as we know it began — begins with something already in existence, and does not address the question of how “something” can spring from “nothing”.
  2. As for Theism, no religion other than Christianity and Judaism starts at the point at which nothing exists.
  3. Most Naturalists I’ve read or heard speak seem to assume that Theists are somehow “less intelligent”, “unenlightened”, etc. — i.e., that they need their God because they simply do not fully understand science and therefore have no other basis for explaining what they cannot prove.  The problem is, they can’t prove their position, either.

My Value System

So … my Worldview is clearly Theism.  I have no formal credentials as a theologian or philosopher, so there is no point in my trying to explain my Worldview and why I have it. If anyone is interested in knowing about resources that have helped shape my Worldview — written by people who do have such credentials — I can offer the reference material listed at the end of this page*.

A person’s Value System stems from his/her Worldview.  In the context of what this site is all about, my Value System can best be summarized as follows:

There is one God.  He has revealed Himself to man in His Word, and that Word is the 66 books of The Bible.  The Universe, which includes but may not be limited to all that the term represents when we use it, was His design, and all that is in it [and if applicable, all that is outside it] is under His control.  God’s Word is the only absolute truth that could even theoretically exist; if there is no absolute truth –i.e., no absolute standard — then there is no standard [because there is literally an infinite number of possible standards if truth depends on the opinions of people]. Civil government was a part of God’s design from the beginning.  This view of civil government is not based on the assumption, as people outside this Worldview generally believe it is, that the only system of government that can work effectively is a theocracy.

Although America was not formed as a Christian nation per se, it is clear that the heavily-prevailing Worldview of the Founding Fathers was Theism, and moreover, that the heavily-prevailing Value System was very closely aligned with the Christian Value System that stems from the Word of God — not necessarily Christianity itself, as a religion [although that case could be argued with considerable backing], but the same Value System [See statements made by our Founding Fathers in the Our Founders and Was Religion A Key Factor Or Not? pages under America’s Heritage].

Why I’m Doing What I’m Doing

Since at least back to 1973 [the Supreme Court ruling in the Roe vs. Wade case], this country has been turning farther and farther away from the core values on which it was founded.  During the past seven years, the pace of that departure has been accelerating very rapidly — I would say, exponentially.  For more depth into why I say this, see the Loss Of A Common Value System under the What The Heck Is Going On? Home Page banner.

This departure from our core values is at the root of the other mounting problems we are facing [out-of-control spending and debt, increasing polarization within our government, increasing racial and ethnic tension, etc].  If we are to survive [yes, I said if we are to survive — not if we are to flourish] as a nation, we must come to grips with what is going on.  It is for this reason that I am doing what I do — I love my country, and I simply cannot sit idly by and watch it continue to unravel.  If there are things I can do to have even the slightest influence on turning this nation around and putting it back onto a sustainable path, I have decided that I will do those things.

* Reference Material

  1. The Holy Bible [I Am That I Am, In The Beginning (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1)]
  2. A Christian Manifesto [Frances Schaeffer, 1982]
  3. WV3: Worldvoice, Worldview, and Worldvenue [Thom Wolf, PhD]
  4. The Faith [Charles Colson, 2008]
  5. God and Government [Gary DeMar, 1982, 1984, 2001 (three volumes)]
  6. Creation Regained [Albert Wolters, second edition, 2005 (first edition was in 1985)]
  7. The Knowledge of the Holy [A. W. Tozer, 1961]
  8. How Should We Then Live? [Frances Schaeffer, 1979]
  9. How Now Shall We Live? [Charles Colson, 1999]
  10. The Christian in a Post-Modern World [Serendipity House Foundations of the Faith series, 2003]
  11. The Jesus You Can’t Ignore [John MacArthur, 2008]
  12. Turning The Tide [Charles Stanley, 2011]
  13. The Politics of Loving God [David Fowler, 2013]
  14. One Nation [Ben Carson, 2014]

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