Worldview stormfront coming

By Rev. Chris Legg, LPC

Ok, I have to admit that my ability to create the longest onramp in the world to a thought may be a problem.  I apologize… BUT (sorry about undoing the apology) I honestly do not see how to jump straight to an issue without filling in the context… and now I am adding a paragraph of context about filling in context… 

The Dominant Worldview.

(If you need to have the concept of a “worldview” explained, check out this article.)

For a very long time, the Judeo-Christian worldview has been the dominate worldview in the industrial/informational West.  Perhaps not always the loudest and at times not the most widely held… but the one most deeply integrated into the culture.

There are a lot of aspects of culture and civilization that this has allowed to flourish, though not always without stumbling.   Consider classically liberal ideals like free speech, free assembly and religion, the scientific revolutions, rule of law, an end to ownership slavery, and many more.

Certainly many of the principles were abused, neglected or ignored by many who claimed to espouse Judeo-Christian ideals, but the foundations for all kinds of good things were there – foundation stones that include, for examples, the belief in an orderly creation that can be studied, personal moral agency and responsibility that was open to the judgment of a higher power, and that human are frail and fallen beings who require checks and balances in order to live in harmony… but I would like to focus on one key fundamental to the Judeo-Christian ethic: 

The Imago Dei.  

“Man in the image of God” (I am referencing the race of “man” here and elsewhere in the article… as you will see clearly in about 2 lines, “created in the image of God” is male and female). I believe there is only one “race” of humans. I know there are cultural and ethnic differences between people, but to think of those as “racial” in nature is an error.

The initiation of this ethic is found in chapter 1 of The Book of Genesis:

²⁷    So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Amazingly, the debate, almost from that day until this one, as to the total meaning and interpretation of this concept, grows and sometimes, rages.  

My personal belief is that it is largely an issue of ownership and authority, as Jesus expresses in the “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” message based on the word “image”. A coin is Caesar’s, clearly, because it bears his image; we are God’s, clearly, because we bear His. Other “gods” had idols as their images; Yahweh has us as His. It is pretty cool to dig into, but more digging is beyond our scope here.

However, there are some very clear interpretations that other passages of the book that is considered Holy by Jews and Christians.  A vital one is found in God’s words to Noah immediately after the flood. The flood had apparently been triggered by the level of evil and violence that plagued God’s creation; God had wanted to wash clean the creation of the infection of the rebellion of man and spirit alike.

At the end of the flood, God re-emphasized the truth of man being created in His image and He applied an ethic to it as well.  Though He certainly had the authority and obligation to end human life as only His wisdom saw fit, He restricted that authority to ONLY Himself.  Genesis 9:6:

⁶  “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. 

God is putting into place an application of this truth of the Imago Dei.  God is telling humans to respect the Him-given right of life for other humans.  Why?  Because humans are in His image.  In one phrase He clarifies His authority and His value of human life.  In doing so, He assigns dignity to mankind as a gift – not one earned or wrested, but one given freely. 

The Imago Dei… the image of God.

We get another fascinating interpretation by Jesus in Matthew 22.  In this passage, which at the surface is about taxes, ends up being about this concept yet again.  When asked if they should pay taxes to Caesar (the occupying tyrannical power that Israel was under), Jesus asked for the coin used to pay taxes…

¹⁹ Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. ²⁰ And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹ They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Did you catch it?  That was the ESV, my preferred translation, but perhaps the New King James will help you:

²⁰ And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”

²¹ They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

There it is.  “whose image…”

Once again, Jesus defends the concept of ownership and authority – creation of and service to – humanity.

This isn’t just some cute motto or mythical statement Christians like to make…

This idea is the underpinning of the way the Judeo-Christian worldview has continued to say that it is morally right to fight for tolerance.  I know that practitioners have not always done a good job of practicing this moral code, but it has always been there.  Christians attempting to use scripture to defend the evil ethnic chattel slavery of the pre-civil war era had to greatly censor the Bible in their efforts to do so. …  Why?  Because God’s word calls for humane, ethical and even loving treatment of others – even those in servitude to you!  (antebellum style slavery wasn’t part of the Jewish concept of slavery).

This ethic allowed the dominant worldview to accept – tolerate – other views and opinions and even practices that were in direct opposition to it!  The common Christian saying was to “love the sinner; hate the sin”, so that people who were living in opposition to the worldview were still to be loved!

This powerful ethic led to the freedoms of religion, assembly, personal property, the press, self-defense and speech, just to name a few.  Even those who disagree with us or hate us are still worthy of the dignity that comes with being created in the Image of God.

But there is more to consider here…