Perhaps you are saying something similar to this:
But how can you possibly do that? Doesn't that mean that there is no way that you are a true believer in Christ and in His plan for your life? Doesn't that mean that you are blinded and need to come back to Christ? You must be in a bad way.Before you feel the need to message me and tell me all of these types of things, I want you to try to separate yourself from your own perspective and see things from mine. Most of the rest of this entry will be coming straight from a conversation I have been having with my boyfriend on the way I understand and interpret the concept of "worldviews." He has said that I may use anything he has said in this conversation in this post, and of course I would like to share what he told me that sparked this whole explanation and conversation.
B: A side point: I have never said there there is no god(s). Lower case, nonspecific; however, I will say that man-made stories will not get us closer to god(s). Science offers us the best hope of connecting with a creator(s) if it/they does/do exist.
N: And personally, I can love that last statement...but I'm not like everyone else. If I wasn't wired that way, I would have taken a very different path in my life. Why would I, a devout Christian, choose to study Biology and Medicine for years and years and devote my life to it, all the while actually strengthening my *personal* conviction that there is a creator? Does that mean that I haven't fallen somewhat away from religious traditions and stories and that I don't share some skepticism towards them? No. That is all true. BUT I do believe more strongly than ever that there is a creator, and I am thrilled at the knowledge the brains he gave us can discover. And, you know, I always thought you saw the two worldviews as being mutually exclusive.
B: Explain.So, following is my explanation to him, and some of my views on such matters.
"Mutually exclusive" is a statistical term meaning given A, then not B. And, given B, then not A. There is no overlap, like you would see in a vin diagram. Each excludes the other by definition.
"Worldview" is a term I have only ever heard used in church, but still... Basically, it just means the belief filter through which you see and interpret the world. This is part of the reason I am not a belligerent person, nor do I identify as "fundamentalist." I understand the concept of everyone having a different filter through which they see and interpret the world around them. Only the subject in question has the ability to change his/her own worldview based on information or ideas for which they deem relevant enough to alter their worldview. So basically, it had always seemed to me that you saw the filter based in science as mutually exclusive with a filter based on ideas/teachings/beliefs of a religion.
B: What I am hearing is that people choose to be ignorant of fact based on whether they feel like it...?I am not talking specifically about ignorance of facts. Is it not true that every person, when met with new knowledge or ideas and opinions of another person, has the choice of whether that will become important enough to them as a person to use it as a guideline through which to interpret what they observe in the world around them? We each have our own worldview, the way we see the world. We do not all interpret every happening with the same exact interpretation or emotion or attributes. Given, there can be many similarities, but there can also be differences. I, for an example, find this concept beautiful to think about. Others may feel a strong need to be surrounded by people with more similar worldviews, and thus wish strongly to only tolerate people who interpret life in similar ways as themselves. This can be shown by having only friends who look and/or think like them, or by trying to change those around them to share their views. Doing so intently and forcefully is different than the same thing happening by choice through conversation and thought. This is how I have determined that people can be given the same information and see different things. Again, I happen to be someone who finds diversity (yes, even of thought) to be a rather beautiful thing. I am the sort that wishes everyone around me would learn from each other and respect each others varying worldviews.
B: Some facts are absolute though. That is what I am having trouble understanding. Why do people choose to be ignorant of "absolute truths?"Again, I am not disagreeing. I am merely saying that to understand their interpretation, one must consider their worldview. How does that fact register to them? They may choose to ignore it instead of integrating it, even if all reason argues to integrate it as absolute fact. It is their choice as a sentient being, though, and cannot be forced. Just as they see the existence of their deity as absolute truth (yes, those words), and they do not understand why someone else does not register what they do or chooses not to integrate that into their worldview. Again, it is the choice of each sentient being what is incorporated.
Also, not everyone cares to research the science behind every discovery. Even though I am scientifically minded, I do not blindly believe every scientific article I read. I want to see their proofs. I want statistics. I want to see repeat tests, consistent results, and large n values with statistically significant p values. That is how my brain is wired. When it comes to religion, again I want to see similar results when comparing an idea or practice with a large n. Data collection is different and more subjective, but I still want to see it.
B: I understand.Basically, this is how I integrate relevant material into my worldview. As I have grown older and my thinking has become more independent, I have altered my worldview. As I have studied biology and medicine, and as I have met and interacted with people who are different than I am, I have altered my worldview. To not take into account our own experiences is to blindly hold to a preconceived way of seeing the world in a manner so rigid that it becomes folly. I have altered my worldview to include much of the science that you cling to for understanding and interpretation of the world around you. But for me, that fits well into my worldview of believing that there is a Creator. My life experiences have led me to believe that He loves us. My life experiences have also solidified to me that the way of life encouraged by the Bible and by the standards of Christianity usually is not a bad idea...there tends to be less drama and consequences that way. The basics of what I believe are very set, but there is much that I am curious to discuss and to consider. My thoughts on hell, for example, is one area that I know I am not sure about. I am not ashamed to say that I do not know what to believe about everything, because I do not wish to believe anything too blindly. There is a point where faith comes in, and I know many would fault me for not having more of it to take literally every word in my English Bible. I know that there is so much knowledge in that rich book that I am not privy to because I cannot read and understand it in its original language and context. I cannot have a conversation with Jesus in the flesh as He was in the flesh. That's okay. I'm content for now to not have that. I can only make my conclusions based on what I have, not what I am not privy to. May grace cover what my mind cannot understand or fathom. If I truly believe that God understands our hearts and minds, then I must also believe that He knows our decision-making process and what guides each of the worldviews we develop. May His grace, understanding and mercy cover the rest.
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Now, I know that you may still not understand how I can think this way and have a meaningful and healthy relationship with someone who does not share my worldview. That is okay, you don't have to understand it. Know that we are happy with each other. Know that we support and respect each other. Know that we aren't afraid to talk about the hard stuff. Know that we can compromise with each other better than almost anyone else I have ever observed. Know that we love each other with a love that defies reason and understanding and that we see the value of the other in our lives. I will leave you with a link to a story that many people also do not agree with or understand. However, it was meeting this couple in real life years ago that gave me the courage to see if such a relationship could actually work, and could do so happily and healthily. Have a very blessed day, whomever of you actually took the time to read all of this. :)
