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Is your family following the presidential candidate race? There are a lot of great opportunities to teach kids a biblical worldview as you hear the latest news.
What is a worldview?
Worldview is like a pair of glasses that help you make sense of the world around you. It is the sum total of your ideas, decisions, passions, priorities, and actions.
Want to know what influences your worldview? Think about the voices and view points you value most in making decisions. Who do you closely listen to? Whose opinions do you value? Who do you go to for advice?
Madeleine Albright’s Word to Women
Take the presidential race for example. In recent news, Madeleine Albright made some strong statements saying women should vote for a female candidate like Hillary Clinton because she is a woman and women should stick together, supporting one another. In fact, Ms. Albright said, “And remember, there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other.” This is a prime example of Postmodern Tribalism.
Postmodern Tribalism
In Postmodern Tribalism, individuals identify with a group of people like themselves. These groups (tribes) could be divided by race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, relationship status, culture, or any number of other factors. The tribe (group) in the case study above would be “women.”
Here is the question. In Postmodern Tribalism, individuals act according to the standards of the group (tribe). For example, women should vote for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman. According to this view, women have needed to band together since the dawn of feminism and should continue to do so for the sake of all women.
That may sound good on the surface, but there are problems when this is examined through the lens of Scripture, the foundation of a biblical worldview.
What does the Bible say?
A biblical worldview bases our thoughts, feelings, actions, passions, and priorities on what God’s Word says.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (ESV)
Let’s take a brief look at the example of Postmodern Tribalism above (Madeleine Albright’s comments). Here are just a few examples. As you read, ask yourself, “Should women support other women just because they are women?”
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:27-29 (NASB)
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (ESV)
I hope you vote based on issues, not based on a candidate’s race, gender, or tribe (group).
Family Conversation Guide
Parents, when you or your family members encounter statements in the news saying someone “should do” something, ask yourselves the following questions:
- What does this person want me (or whoever they are addressing) to do?
- Why does this person say I (or whoever they are addressing) should do this thing?
- What does the Bible say about this?
As you and your family develop the habit of examining campaigns, advertisements, and decisions through the lens of Scripture, you will strengthen your biblical worldview.
To read more about Postmodern Tribalism and other common worldviews, see Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives by Steve Wilkens and Mark L. Sanford.
