Paul Derengowski, ThM
Have you ever wondered why talking to some people is like talking to a brick wall? They want to argue whatever specious point they have, but when you bring up the fact that their point is specious, they are simply incredulous that you do not agree with what they are saying.
They believe that their argument is rock solid because they either said so or because someone else told them so.
“Science says” this or that is the typical default source of authority to settle all matters, at least according to them, and that often without any reference that “science” said anything.
In fact, science does not tell us anything; people tell us things, and that is regularly from the same self-centered perspective as those making up the arguments that make no coherent sense in the first place.
Nevertheless, it is these same people who are destroying not only themselves, but the culture around them, as they insist that they can solve whatever ill that is effecting the world, if everyone will simply accept their premise that we just need to be logical or reasonable about whatever and use our minds, then everything will be okay.
Well, I am all for using one’s head to solve problems. But, another problem comes along when the question is asked, just whose mind or decision takes precedence when two or more minds cannot agree on the same subject?
Whose personal opinion is the one that counts when one says “You’re hurting me,” and the other person says, “No, you’re enjoying what I’m doing”?
Because depending on the foundation that a person begins his/her petition or argument will depend on whether it is universally true or not for everybody.
And unless the petition or argument is universally true, because something beyond or transcendent to our personal opinions makes it so, then we have no reason, apart from our selfish desires, to contribute toward or complain about anything.
It is why the biblical worldview is so imperative. God has spoken, via His written word (the Bible), and impressed it upon at least some people’s minds through His Spirit, certain prescriptions and truisms that, unless we are ignorant or simply not listening, are universally true for everyone.
It is one of the reasons why the Apostle Paul would write, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Those subscribing to a biblical worldview are the only persons, in a world losing its collective mind, who can judge or make valid, objective decisions and judgments about whatever event, good or evil, that faces humanity.
It is not a matter of their self-righteous opinion.
The reason for this is simple: those same persons are deferring to the One who knows all things, infinitely and perfectly, from beginning to end, and He has revealed that wisdom and knowledge in the very Scripture that Paul mentions.
This does not mean that the Bible is a textbook that can be deferred to, to help a person learn algebra, business law, or marine biology.
What it means is that by deferring to the Creator of all things, which would include algebra, business law, and marine biology, is the premier starting point for understanding those subjects, objectively, if a person truly wants to learn them.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction,” wrote Solomon (Prov. 1:7).
Yet, more and more people have accepted the age-old lie that they can go it alone and learn without God’s revelation, solve problems without God’s revelation, raise families without God’s revelation, spend money without God’s revelation, run the government without God’s revelation, and so on and so forth.
The age-old lie, though, has demonstrated just the opposite.
People are dumber than ever (even with a college degree in hand from a prestigious university), they are faced with problems they do not have a clue how to solve, their families are in shambles, they are so far into debt they will never get it all paid off, and government (at all levels) is so corrupt that no one can trust it.
We are losing the culture war on truth because our worldview has been intentionally skewed away from God and His revelation, which is the only objective source for the truth.
Our mostly selfish worldview is driven by selfish opinions, selfish decisions, that have resulted in selfish outcomes, and those pointing out the inherent self-destruction of it all are mocked, reviled, and made fun of, because they are making the objective case that there is a better way.
King David wrote, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Ps. 11:3).
The answer is, they can do nothing.
It is only a culture willing to listen to God’s revelation, as the only objective foundation that is universally true for everyone, that prospers.
All other foundations are nothing more than subjective opinions that amount to wood, hay, and stubble, destined for the fires of chaos and destruction.
