CHRISTIAN & SOCIETY: UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIAN 1.

Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus. 2. Relating to or derived from Jesus or Jesus teachings. 3. Manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus; Christlike. 4. Relating to or characteristic of Christianity or its adherents. 5. Showing a loving concern for others; humane. n. 1. One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus. 2. One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic religion centred on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.[1] Etymology The word comes from Greek (christianos), from (christos) meaning "the anointed one."[2] In the (Greek) Septuagint version of the Hebrew Bible, christos was used to translate the Hebrew ( Maa,) (messiah), meaning "[one who is] anointed."[3] The first known usage of the term (christianos) can be found in the New Testament in Acts 11:26: "the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch." They were disciplesand followers of Jesus Christ. The other two New Testament uses of the word also refer to the public identity of those who follow Jesus. The Jewish king said the Apostle Paul had almost persuaded the king "to become a Christian" (Acts 26:28). Writing in 1 Peter 4:16, The Message paraphrase, the Apostle Peter encouraged believers who are abused "because you're a Christian, don't give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name!" The earliest recorded use of the term outside the Bible was when Tacitus recorded that Nero blamed the "Christians" for the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64.[4] "Christian" also means a member or adherent of a church or other organized group within Christianity. As an adjective, the term may describe anything associated with or thought to be consistent with Christianity, as in "the Christian thing to do." What is a Christian? The American Heritage Dictionary defines a Christian as "one who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or lives the lifestyle based on the life and teachings of Jesus; one who lives according to the teachings of Jesus."[5] A wide range of beliefs and practices is found across the world among those who call themselves Christian. A 2007 survey in the United States identified the following five typical Americancategories:[6] Active Christians: Committed to attending church, Bible reading, and sharing their faith that salvation comes through Jesus Christ. Professing Christians: Also committed to "accepting Christ as Savior and Lord" as the key to being a Christian, but focus on personal relationships with God and Jesus more than on church, Bible reading or sharing faith. Liturgical Christians: High level of spiritual activity, mainly expressed by attending and recognising the authority of the church, and by serving in it or in the community. Private Christians: Believe in God and in doing good things, but not within a church context. In the American survey, this was the largest and youngest segment. Cultural Christians: Do not view Jesus as essential to salvation. They are the least likely to align their beliefs or practices with biblical teachings, or attend church. They favor a universaltheology that sees many ways to God. Other countries may not show the same variety, especially where there is active persecution of Christians. People who have a distinct heritage and come to believe in Jesus may also identify themselves differently. Messianic Jews believe that they are a sect of Judaism and that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and the Divine Savior. They seek to live in obedience to the Hebrew Scriptures, including the Torah and Halakha. The term rice Christians refers to people who profess Christianity for material benefits.

SOCIETY:
The relationship of men to one another when associated in any way; companionship; fellowship; company. Connection; participation; partnership. A number of persons associated for any temporary or permanent object; an association for mutual or joint usefulness, pleasure, or profit; a social union; a partnership; as, a missionary society. The persons, collectively considered, who live in any region or at any period; any community of individuals who are united together by a common bond of nearness or intercourse; those who recognize each other as associates, friends, and acquaintances.

Specifically, the more cultivated portion of any community in its social relations and influences; those who mutually give receive formal entertainments. a. The totality of social relationships among humans. b. A group of humans broadly distinguished from other groups by mutual interests, participation in characteristic relationships, shared institutions, and a common culture. c. The institutions and culture of a distinct self-perpetuating group. 2. An organization or association of persons engaged in a common profession, activity, or interest: a folklore society; a society of bird watchers. 3. a. The rich, privileged, and fashionable social class. b. The socially dominant members of a community. 4. Companionship; company: enjoys the society of friends and family members. 5. Biology. A colony or community of organisms, usually of the same species: an insect society. noun 1. Persons as an organized body: community, people, public. See specific/general. 2. A group of people united in a relationship and having some interest, activity, or purpose in common: association, club, confederation, congress, federation, fellowship, fraternity, guild,league, order, organization, sor ority, union. See group. 3. People of the highest social level: aristocracy, blue blood, crme de la crme, elite, flower,gentility, gentry, nobility, patriciate, quality, upper class, who's who. Informal upper crust.See over/under. 4. A pleasant association among people: companionship, company, fellowship. See connect,group. The English word society can be stretched or narrowed to cover almost any form of association of persons possessing any degree of common interests, values, or goals. Society in the nineteenth century meant the upper classes; one might now refer to international academic society or European society, though these uses might be disputed. The primary and most normal sense refers to a society defined by the boundaries of the state, even though this usage is odd and potentially misleading in the many cases where there is more than one sizeable ethnic or cultural group in a society, like Canada and South Africa. A wide variety of contemporary writers choose to refer, in a Hegelian manner, to a civil society. A civil society in this sense is not the population of a state as such and it is very far from being the mere amalgam of people on a particular territory. Civil society is a range of relationships and organizations which possess a tendency to form a political system. 4 a: a part of a community that is a unit distinguishable by particular aims or standards of living or conduct : a social circle or a group of social circles having a clearly marked identity <literary society> b: a part of the community that sets itself apart as a leisure class and that regards itself as the arbiter of fashion and manners5 a: a natural group of plants usually of a single species or habit within an association b: the progeny of a pair of insects when constituting a social unit (as a hive of bees) ; broadly : an interdependent system of organisms or biological units A society is a group of humans or other organisms of a single species that is delineated by the bounds of identity, social, functional interdependence, or eusociality. Human societies are characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive culture or institutions. Like other groups, a society allows its individual members to achieve individual needs or wishes that they could not fulfill separately by themselves, without the existence of the social group. Society, however, may be unique in that it is ontologically independent of, and utterly irreducible to, the qualities of its constituent individuals. As a reality sui generis, or "of its own kind", it is emergently composed of social facts that often hinder rather than help the pursuits of the subjects that form its physical and psychological underpinnings. More broadly, a society is an economic, social or industrial infrastructure, made up of a varied multitude of individuals. Members of a society may be from different ethnic groups. A society may be a particular ethnic group, such as the Saxons; a nation state, such as Bhutan; a broader cultural group, such as a Western society; or even a organism such as an ant colony. The word society may also refer to an organized voluntary association of people for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes. Sociology is the study of society and social behaviour.
THE FIVE MAJOR WORLDVIEWS 1. THE PANTHEISTIC TRADITION (Buddhism, Hinduism, Transcendentalism, Mysticism, New Thought) All reality is ultimate of One Divine Essence. Nature is infused with Spirit that encompasses it. Spirit manifests itself in the physical world as nature or matter. Matter evolves bodies; bodies evolves minds; minds evolve souls; souls return to Spirit which is their source. We are spiritual

beings having a human experience, evolving in consciousness as we return on the long journey from matter to Spirit. We experience our mystical union with the Divine Essence through Yoga or Zen Meditation. "Spirituality" means letting go of the "false self" associated with ego fixations and the socially adapted personality, and experiencing our True (Authentic) Self which is One with the Divine Essence, the Absolute. The result of this mystical experience of our Divine Nature is universal love and respect for all sentient beings, with which we share a common Spiritual Essence. 2. THE POLYTHEISTIC TRADITION (Primal Religion, Hinduism, Taoism, Shamanism, Druidry, Wicca) There are many gods, spiritual energies, and metaphysical levels in the universe. These "gods" or spiritual energies are manifested in the deep structures of the collective consciousness known as archetypes or universal mythic symbols. These archetypal images and energies are experienced in dreams, trance states, active imagination, poetry, myth-making, story-telling, art, chanting, music and ecstatic dance. These primal and archetypal energies can be used to heal and serve the community through shamanistic rituals and natural alchemy or magic. "Spirituality" is living a balanced and well-tempered life in which the "gods," "entities," "spheres," "muses," "planets," and "energies" are harmoniously constellated so that we live according to the wisdom of Nature and our guiding spirits. Ideally, the result of honoring the gods or archetypes is that we care for the soul, re-enchant our everyday lives, and live in harmony and balance with all of nature. We enjoy sacred pleasures and intimate partnerships of love and beauty. 3. THE HENOTHEISTIC TRADITION (Early Judaism, Some Native American, Some Post-Modernists) There are many gods, but One High and Supreme God. While we recognize the contributions of the various sacred traditions, and learn from all, we believe there is one Great Spirit that is the ultimate reality. We show respect to all people and all traditions, but we believe that worship is most properly directed to the High God. "Spirituality" means living in the awareness of many sacred traditions, but relating them all in a subordinated way to the worship of the High God which is the full revelation of truth. 4. THE MONOTHEISTIC TRADITION (Judaism, Islam, Christianity) There is only one true God, the infinite and personal Creator, whose perfect character is love, holiness, righteousness, justice, mercy, kindness and compassion. "Spirituality" means receiving the Word of prophetic revelation and redemptive salvation. It means responding to the grace and truth of God in faith and obedience, love and service. Ideally, we seek to love the Lord our God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. 5. THE ATHEISTIC TRADITION (Agnosticism, Humanism, Existentialism, Romanticism, Rationalism) There is no God, for if there is, we cannot or do not know. Consequently, we humans are free and responsible to develop our own personal and collective potential in this world without the aid of divine sponsorship. "Spirituality" means renewing the human spirit, which includes the moral sentiments such as sympathy, fairness, self-control and duty. Ideally, we dedicate our life to realizing our creative human potential - developing body, mind, heart and spirit, and to serving the good of the greater human community. The Theistic Christian Worldview

Christianity rests on the belief in the God of Scripture who created the universe and everything in it. The Bible is the foundation of the Christian worldview. God has revealed Himself to man through the person of Jesus Christ. The person who responds to the leading of the Holy Spirit and believes that Jesus died for the sins of the world and rose again (proving His deity) is a Christian. When the Christian chooses to allow the Holy Spirit to guide him/her, the fruit of the Spirit (as shown above) will overflow from his/her life. Key Characteristics of Christian Theism 1. The Bible is the inspired Word of God and is without error (inerrant). It is the handbook for living the Christian life. 2. God created the universe and everything in it. 3. God is a personal Being, not an unknowable force. He has revealed Himself to man through His creation, His Son Jesus, and through the Bible. 4. All people are born sinful, preventing them from having a personal relationship with a holy God. 5. The relationship between sinful man and a holy God is only possible because of Jesus Christs redemptive work, His death and resurrection. 6. Salvation is only possible as a free gift from God, not through any good works man can do. 7. Because Christ died for us, we have the privilege of living for Him by imitating God in all we do, say, and think.

How does the Theistic Christian worldview answer The Five Life Questions? From where did I come? The universe and everything in it was created by the personal Creator, God (Genesis 1:1). Why is there such a mess in the world? When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, sin entered the world. As their descendants, we have all been born with a sinful nature, separating us from fellowship with God. Our natural tendency is to live to please ourselves, instead of living for God (Genesis 3; Romans 3:23, 5:12). God established His unchanging moral standard for the world. Regardless of our opinions, God ultimately determines what is right and wrong behavior. What hope do I have? Gods Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth to die on the cross for our sins. He was raised to life again, so that if we believe in Him, we can have a personal relationship with God (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10; I Corinthians 15:3-4). We become His children and receive salvation, through Jesus Christ, as a gift of Gods grace, not because of anything we have done (Ephesians 2:8-9). What is my purpose in life? My purpose on earth is to love God, to love others, and to live life to the fullest (Matthew 22:36-40; John 10:10). My goal is to imitate God in everything I do, say, and think. As I live my life in Christ, I can help lead others into a relationship with Jesus Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit. As a Christian, I should also work for the renewal of our culture, so that Gods justice and righteousness will reign here on earth (Genesis 1:28). What happens when I die? Those who believe in Jesus Christ will live forever with Him in heaven (John 3:16, 14:2-3; Revelation 21:1-4). II. THE NATURALISTIC/HUMANISTIC WORLDVIEW

The naturalist/humanist does not believe in a God, and therefore, makes no room for Him. Instead, man becomes the centre of his own universe, seeking autonomy by pursuing those things, which gratify his own self-interests. Key Characteristics of Naturalism/Humanism 1. Man, not God, is at the centre of all things. 2. Since there is no God, there are no moral absolutes; nothing is absolutely wrong. 3. Science allows us to study the material world, which holds the key to understanding life and ultimately provides humanitys salvation. 4. Man is believed to be inherently good, making it possible to achieve utopia. 5. A persons value system is directly related to what he/she needs for personal satisfaction. 6. Reaching humanitys full potential holds the key to progress. 7. Humanists dont necessarily agree with the generally accepted answers to the real questions of life. They feel free to discover their own answers. 8. Knowledge does not come from faith in Christ, but is based on the human intellect and the ability to reason. 9. Naturalism/Humanism emphasizes bringing out the best in people by promoting scientific inquiry, individual freedom, human reason, tolerance and self-determination. 10. Generally accepted standards for moral behaviour are developed or discovered, and their value is tested by their consequences. How does the Naturalistic/Humanistic worldview answer The Five Life Questions? From where did I come?

The universe created itself. Everything in the universe is the result of random, impersonal, undirected forces of nature. We did not come from a transcendent Creator God. Humanity is the result of purposeless evolutionary development over a long period of time. In the beginning was the Big Bang. Why is there such a mess in the world? Humanity is inherently good, but some people have not fully reached their human potential. Without this self-actualization, these people dont have the ability to fully cooperate with others. Is there any hope? Humanity is the only hope for getting the world out of the mess it is in. The pursuit of knowledge and human progress will bring about the eventual elimination of all that is wrong with the world, ultimately making utopia possible. What is my purpose in life? Humanitys purpose is simply to pursue cooperation and mutual agreement on basic human wants and needs. All people are to seek the knowledge necessary to fix whats wrong with the world. What happens when I die? All people will experience a physical death. Nothing exists beyond their current existence.

III.

THE POSTMODERNIST WORLDVIEW

Like humanism, the post-modern man rejects God and His binding moral authority. Instead, he embraces a morality relative to his culture, and ultimately, a life without purpose. Postmodernism is a reactionary movement against Enlightenment principles, progress and the objective search for Truth and morality. Key Characteristics of Postmodernism 1. There is no belief in a transcendent God. 2. Postmodernism rejects the idea of a grand narrative (metanarrative), a single principle or story which attempts to explain all of human history. Postmodernists are sceptical and suspicious. They attempt to deconstruct everything in life. 3. There is no belief in objective Truth. Any truth that exists is determined solely by ones own culture. According to Nietzsche, There are no facts, only interpretations.2 4. There are no moral absolutes, only moral relativity. Each person decides his/her own standards by which to live. 5. Absolute tolerance is a primary virtue. 6. Subjective feelings direct ones life. Postmodernism looks for therapeutic (quick fixes) to the problems of life. 7. Postmodernism seeks the soul and spirit. It prefers the experimental to the rational. It values direct participation in all aspects of life, as opposed to representation. Images are more important than words, and community is valued over the individual. 8. Postmodernism, in its purest form, leads to a life without hope. It reflects a pessimistic view that everything is meaningless (nihilism). How does the Postmodernist worldview answer The Five Life Questions? From where did I come? The universe created itself. It is the result of random, impersonal, undirected forces of nature. Humanity did not come from a transcendent Creator God, but is the result of purposeless evolutionary development over millions of years. In the beginning was the Big Bang.

Why is there such a mess in the world? People who advocate universal truths are the source of all the problems in the world. Their belief in absolutes results in power struggles, such as the Inquisition or the Crusades, in which one individual or group attempts to assert power over another. Is there any hope? There is nothing we can put our trust in, since absolute Truth is non-existent. What is my purpose in life? We must each continually question everything in our world, applying the post-modern practice of deconstruction. We must also be tolerant of everything. What happens when I die? The human body experiences physical death and nothing more beyond this life. IV. THE PANTHEISTIC WORLDVIEW

Pantheism asserts that God is part of creation, not separate from it. Everything is god. For the pantheist, man is one with ultimate reality, continually seeking spiritual enlightenment. Key Characteristics of Pantheism 1. God is in everything and everyone. 2. The universe and everything in it is divine; therefore, everything is interconnected. 3. The spiritual dimension is the only one, which exists, but it is unknowable. 4. Man is one with ultimate reality. 5. Truth comes through being at one with the universe. 6. Man must seek to become one with the universe through spiritual enlightenment, not rational thought. 7. There is no distinction between good and evil, only between the enlightened and the unenlightened. How does the Pantheistic worldview answer The Five Life Questions? From where did I come? The universe created itself. The universe and everything in it, including man, is the result of the random, impersonal, and undirected forces of nature. We did not come from a transcendent Creator God, but are the result of evolutionary development over millions of years. In the beginning was the Big Bang. Why is there such a mess in the world? Science has been abused to harm nature and human beings. Is there any hope? The only hope of saving the earth is with better, more ethical science. The future is ours to make, or unmake. What is my purpose in life? Mans only purpose is to connect more deeply and harmoniously with the universe, nature, and other humans, and to help others to do so. Through meditation we can learn to perceive our unity with the universe, understand it, and act upon it.

What happens when I die? The body will die and go through many rebirths, or reincarnations, until it eventually becomes one with the universe. This oneness is called nirvana. Once it is reached, there is no more need to be reborn. V. THE SPIRITIST WORLDVIEW

The Spiritist rejects the God of the Bible. Instead, his focus is on all who dwell in the spirit world as the reason for everything that happens in life. The goal is to please the spirits. Key Characteristics of Spiritism 1. The focus is on the spirit world, a world of good and bad spirits and an intelligent force, known as god. 2. All of life is interpreted through a spiritual lens because the spirits control everything that happens in the world. 3. The idea of cause and effect influences much of the Spiritist philosophy. 4. Truth is found through the shaman, a medium who serves as the liaison between humans and the spirit world. 5. Contact with the spirit world brings one into communion with various spirits and god, the transcendent creative intelligence of the universe. 6. Moral values are determined by things which either honor or irritate the spirits. 7. Good works in life help ensure a person greater spiritual evolution through reincarnation. 8. Jesus Christs good works make him a positive model to follow, but he is not viewed as God. How does the Spiritist worldview answer The Five Life Questions? From where did I come? God, as the Supreme Intelligence, is the primary cause of everything. He is not described as a being, who, but as a thing. It created the universe and everything in it, including the spirits. The spirits have incarnated into the material world as human beings. Why is there such a mess in the world? The problems and ugliness in the world are the result of less advanced, imperfect spirits trying to incite the human beings in which they dwell, toward evil. Is there any hope? Without charity, there is no salvation. Ones salvation ultimately comes through an evolution from spiritual infancy to a state of spiritual perfection through reincarnation. The goal through charitable behaviour is the moral and spiritual transformation of humanity. What is my purpose in life? Our purpose is to continually strive to do good in order to improve our position on our spiritual journey. Through reincarnation, one will progress more quickly toward spiritual perfection and ultimate happiness. What happens when I die? The spirit is continually reincarnated, and death merely means a change of wavelength for the deceased. A medium is said to be able to receive messages from these new frequencies, which others cannot sense.

Five Major Worldviews It sometimes seems as if there are more philosophical and religious views than any normal person could ever know. Indeed, there are more than six thousand distinct religions in the world today. However, some people are surprised to find that the worlds religions and philosophies tend to break down into a few major categories. These five worldviews include all the dominant outlooks in the world today.