David Westerfield

Gospel. Culture. Technology. Music.

Category: worldview


Greg Koukl: The Myth of Moral Neutrality

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On July 16, 2015

In Culture, worldview

http://www.str.org/articles/the-myth-of-moral-neutrality#.Vae9uYUo7bg

“One of the most entrenched assumptions of relativism is that there is such a thing as morally neutral ground, a place of complete impartiality where no judgments nor any forcing or personal views are allowed. Each takes a neutral posture towards the moral convictions of others. This is the essence of tolerance, the argument goes.”

“What are values clarification exercises meant to teach? That there are difficult ethical circumstances in which the lines are not clear and the solutions are ambiguous? We already know that. No, these exercises go further. They imply that because some circumstances are ethically ambiguous, there are no ethical certainties at all.

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The Intolerance of Tolerance – D.A. Carson (MP3’s)

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On January 29, 2013

In Apologetics, Culture, worldview

Good stuff.

The Intolerance of Tolerance – Part 1 (MP3)

The Intolerance of Tolerance – Part 2 (MP3)

What’s Obvious to One Group May Not Be So Obvious to Another – Humbly Explain Yourself

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On July 10, 2012

In Christian Culture, Theology, worldview

“To some extent, cohesive social forces are at work in any culture or subculture with shared worldview and shared doctrines. In itself this counts neither for nor against the truth of the worldview or the doctrines. But it does mean that things that seem ‘obvious’ or ‘plain’ or ‘commonsensical’ to members of a social group need not be at all obvious to those outside.” – Vern Poythress, Understanding Dispensationalists.

As a side note, this book was explained to me by a DTS graduate as a book in which they learned more about dispensationalism than their whole student career in attendance at DTS, ironically enough.

The Decline of Western Civilization and the Church (As We Know It)

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On October 16, 2010

In Christian Culture, Culture, Theology, worldview

Update: notice I say “the church, as we know it” meaning it will look differently than it does now)

I have written many posts on the impact of the economy in relation to the fall and decay of Western society. Yet, the economic unraveling due to just plain old rampant fraud and excessive debt (though of course all a quantum size larger than man has ever known) is a symptom of something that is brewing in our culture at a much deeper level.

We are secularizing at a rapidly expanding rate. This secularizing has produced a moral crisis now in this country that is affecting everything, including the economy. Our character as a people is corroding, our morality is rusting and in fact poisonous.

As a result a culture who doesn’t stand on the pillars of the dictates of Scripture, even the most fundamental issues of morality that are necessary for societies to stand, eventually falls from within and descends into 1) chaos, and out of the chaos emerges some form of authoritarianism.

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Today Show Reports Yet Another Gem – Spanking Makes Your Kid Dumb

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On September 25, 2009

In Christian Culture, Commentary, Culture, Theology, worldview

Religiously convicted parents’ disciplining techniques make their kids dumber than more “enlightened,” secular parenting techniques, according to “new” analysis; that is, parenting techniques are better for your childs’ intelligence coming from a worldview and presupposition that denies the inherent wickedness of a persons’ heart, or rather, just denies the very existence of sin in general.

Okay this research didn’t say that out-right, but using deductive reasoning, one can easily fill in the blanks about where they are coming from in their broader worldview assumptions that always seems to “inform” the scientific method they employ.

Please give me another heaping dose of misinformation, NBC.

So should I go with this researchers’ “finely tuned,” humanistic, enlightened analysis of parenting? (Emphases and bracketed insertions mine)

  • “‘All parents want smart children,’ said study researcher Murray Straus of the University of New Hampshire. ‘This research shows that avoiding spanking and correcting misbehavior in other ways can help that happen.'”
  • “‘You can’t say it proves it, but I think it rules out so many other alternatives [great postmodern acrobatics, pure certain uncertainty?]; I am convinced that spanking does cause a slowdown in a child’s development of mental abilities,’ Straus told LiveScience.”

Or should I go with the Word of God, despite the unpopularity or difficulty of doing so?

  • “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” – Proverbs 13:24
  • “Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.” – Proverbs 19:18
  • “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.” – Proverbs 22:15
  • “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” – Proverbs 29:15
  • “Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.” – Proverbs 29:17

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