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Lesson OneWhat Are the Major Worldviews?3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoQuestions a Worldview Seeks To Answer - Part I3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeQuestions a Worldview Seeks To Answer - Part II3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourDistinctives of a Biblical Worldview3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FiveWhich Worldview Will You Choose?3 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 504
Discussion Questions
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List a television show, a book, a friend’s opinion, or some other source that illustrates each of the six worldviews listed. Example: Deism—Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the moon, indicated on a NASA form that he was a deist.
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Monotheism – Gail Bradley I believe in Jesus Christ I am monotheist.
Deism – Benjamin Franklin was a Deist,
Naturalist – Charles Darwin, a scientist and biologist, was a naturalist.
Nihilist – Karen Leslie Carr, philosopher, is Nihilist.
Existentialist – Albert Camus, novelist and Jean Paul Sartre, playwriter and screen writer, Existentialist,
Pantheist – William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) Du Bois (1868 – 1963) was a pioneering American sociologist, Pan-Africanist, civil rights activist and organizer, and author.
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Candace Cameron Bure = actress who is a born again evangelical christian
Mahatma Gandhi = social activist who was Hindu (Pantheism)
Jules Verne = Though raised catholic, Verne gravitated towards Deism, many believe his novels reflect a Deist view point
Charles Darwin = Likely the most famous, well known naturalist, as well as geologist and biologist and creator of the “evolution theory”
Friedrich Nietzsche = Philosopher who claimed “God is dead”, arguing we had destroyed him through scientific discovery
Simone de Beauvoir = well known French existential writer and feminist
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Monotheism – My own personal belief that there is one God who created the world and all things in it, and continues to “work all things together for good”
Deism – Several of my genetics and physics professors from university are deists. Their pursuit of science informs them that the only explanation for the universe is intelligent design by a Creator, but not one that continues to influence our world
Naturalist – Alexander Oparin wrote The Origin of Life proposing that all life came from inorganic matter (however, I am inclined to point out that the theory of evolution is not strictly naturalist as it does not address the origin of life, just what has supposedly happened since life began. Evolution is, however, employed by naturalists as a mechanism for change after abiogenesis)
Nihilism – Many teenagers I have known have gone through a nihilist stage in which they question “who decided what is good and bad?”
Existentialism – Albert Camus’ The Outsider/The Stranger was very existentialist (although Camus described himself as an absurdist)
Pantheism – Many of my neighbors are Buddhists and light candles during full moon festivals and give offerings to make merit
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Monotheism – The Bible would be the most obvious answer
Naturalism – The majority of Scientists would take this stand I would imagine.
Pantheism – Native American movies/shows
Deism – George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
Nihilism – Soren Kierkegaard
Existentialism – I struggled to think of anything for this one. It is the one I am least familiar with.
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Monotheism: The Chosen Netflix Show
Deism: The Good Place TV Show
Naturalism: Ben is Back (2018 film)
Nihilism: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022 film)
Existentialism: 2001: A Space Odyssey movie
Pantheism: Kung Fu Panda movies
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Of the six worldviews listed, which two are most alike? Which two are the most dissimilar? Explain.
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The two most similiar are monotheism and deism because both theories site the same source of life (God). However, the differ from there. The two most dissimilar are monotheism and existentialism because one believes life and it’s source have a purpose and the other says life is meaningless and from nothing.
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existentialism and naturalism are alike in that there is not much meaning to life and things just happen to be.
Monotheism and Nihilsm are dissimilar in that monotheism would bring purpose and meaning into every area of life while nihilism would not bow down to an ultimate authority.
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Judaism & Christianity– mainly Jesus is the only differing factor. Any of the top 3 and pantheism.
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Monotheism vs Nihilism probably… An ultimate moral compass is quite important, especially with Love at the center like in Christianity. Nihilism arrogantly pushes that away and destroys wonderful, beautiful structures and guidance that keep societies, families, people strong and supported.
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I think monotheism and deism are the most similar. They believe that there is a higher power that created the world and has ultimate power over creation.
Monotheism and nihilism seem the furthest away from each other. Monotheism recognizes a higher power that created the world and is deeply immeshed in the world. It shows that God is caring for his creation and has a hand in the daily aspects of life. Nihilism rejects the idea that there is purpose in any of our actions or in the world itself. Nihilism says nothing matters and monotheism says everything matters so much that God would be part of it.