The Clash of World Views

September 26, 2022

A Christian Evangelist friend, Bruce, told a group of church teens that their volunteer work in the community deserved a gold medal. A young boy nearby overheard the comment and said, “I want a gold medal too.” Sensing the nudge of God, Bruce reached into his pocket and pulled out a smiley face card that resembled a gold medal. It was a tool Bruce used to share the good news of the Gospel of Christ with people. He turned the smiley face over and began explaining three reasons to smile: God loves you; Jesus died for you; and you can have eternal life. He then then shared another teaching tool called, “Why did Jesus Die?” Together they talked about sin, Jesus’ life and death, and His ability to save us from our sins. That day God used Bruce to help the boy accept Jesus Christ into his life! Bruce finds those experiences are some of the most joyful in all of his life because he knows that boy’s life will never be the same.

If that boy decides to go to college, there is a good chance he will be penalized for his decision to follow Jesus Christ. The American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) is currently representing two students who were denied admission to the Radiation Therapy Program at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). One student, Brandon, was denied admission because when asked in an admissions interview what was the most important thing in his life, he replied simply, “My God.” In rejecting his application, Radiation Therapy Program Director Dr. Dougherty informed Brandon, “I understand that religion is a major part of your life…however, this field is not the place for religion…If you interview in the future, you may want to leave your thoughts and beliefs out of the interview process.”

The college unapologetically doubled down on this sentiment, stating that Dr. Dougherty’s statement “is not bad advice.” This situation may seem unbelievable, but unfortunately Brandon isn’t alone and the number of stories like it are occurring in greater and greater number.

Young people are experiencing the clash of world views with greater frequency and consequences than ever before. Our teens are being raised in homes where they receive a foundation in faith and a great experience in church. They go to college and if they profess their faith they could receive failing grades or be expelled for having the audacity to live in accordance with their faith.

The Western World View claims to be one of science, logic, and facts. In this world view the theories of evolution, big bang, and other popular teachings are moved to the realm of fact, without the proper amount of proof according to the scientific method. I am very aware of the Western World View because I held it for the first thirty years of my life. As a minister, I found that the complexity of the universe, the human mind and body, and the experience of miracles seemed to shatter the Western World View on a regular basis.

Over the last twenty years I have tested the Biblical World View very carefully, and though I find there are areas of life that the Bible doesn’t explain to me clearly, at least not yet, the truth I find in scripture is far more dependable than what passes for truth in the Western World View.

There is no way I can do justice to this argument in this short article so I will give one example I have seen repeated thousands of times personally. That boy in the opening illustration didn’t just feel better after accepting Jesus Christ into his life. He experienced God! If he holds onto his faith through life he will be happier, have better relationships, have a better marriage, raise healthier kids, and experience less incidence of alcoholism or other addictive behaviors, as well as depression. He will find more meaning and purpose in his life than his non-believing counterparts. Every poll ever taken of Christians and non-Christians confirms this. As Paul writes in I Corinthians 2:5, “That your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Have you experienced the clash of World Views? How strong is your faith when this happens? Have you made a decision to trust the truth of scripture no matter what? Have you ever been used by God to lead another to faith in Jesus Christ? How profound was the experience of being used by God in this way? If you have never been used by God to lead someone to faith, I pray you will experience this amazing event soon. (To find out more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org).