Lesson 1: The Impact of World View and Humanism on Counseling

2008-12-30T23:27:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest challenges in life is how we deal with the numerous philosophies, theories, and world views about life as we encounter them. Students who study in such fields as Psychology, Philosophy, Theology, Sociology, Anthropology and any of the other Social Sciences including Drug, Alcohol and Addiction Studies, are constantly learning these views mostly presented as fact rather than theory. By the time they have been exposed to the major philosophers, theorists, and theologians, they are very confused about which ones to live by since they all seem to contradict one another so much while at the same time having a charismatic pull.

Some people go through their whole lives keeping their options open as to what to believe, picking and choosing as from a huge smorgasbord those philosophies, theories and world views that meet their desired need at the time. Intelligent men and women who have graduated from counseling programs all across the nation, when asked what theorists they subscribe to may respond saying they are Freudians or Neo-Freudians, Rogerians, Behaviorists, Reality Therapists, Rational-Emotive Therapists, or any other of the well know theorists. Most call themselves "Ecclectic", meaning that they have decided to pick and choose what theories to rely upon in counseling depending upon how they see the need at the time. This multifaceted philosopical position leaves plenty of options open and is an easy road for those who believe that truth is relative.

As Christ-centered counselors, our biblical world view does not leave this option open for us. We know that the Bible tells us the Truth to all matters pertaining to life and that Truth is absolute as determined by God, and not relative. Many make their own truth to meet their personal fancy. Such is the case of an historic group of natural scientists who met together in 1933 to write the original doctrine professing Humanism as an alternative religion to Christianity. This document was called the Humanist Manifesto and said the following:

HUMANIST MANIFESTO I

THE ESTABLISHING DOCUMENT OF RELIGIOUS HUMANISM

15 Major tenets of humanist belief contrasted with 15 Christian World View answers

First: Religious humanists regard the universe as self-existing and not created.

Christian world view: God created the universe.

Second: Humanism believes that man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as the result of a continuous process.

Christian world view: God created both man and nature, man is a distinct creation of God, created in HIS own image. Man did not evolve from lower forms of life as part of an evolutionary process but was created by God and intended by God to have dominion over the earth.

Third: Holding an organic view of life, humanists find that the traditional dualism of mind and body must be rejected.

Christian world view: Disagrees with the organic view of life in its idea that man is only a small part of all organic structures but Agrees with Dualism in the sense that Dualism rejects a strict physical/chemical understanding of the brain. Christians believe that man's mind, will, and emotions are not only influenced by Chemistry and Physics but are designed to have a supernatural connection to God.

Fourth: Humanism recognizes that man's religious culture and civilization, as clearly depicted by anthropology and history, are the product of a gradual development due to his interaction with his natural environment and with his social heritage. The individual born into a particular culture is largely molded by that culture.

Christian world view: Man is not only a product of culture, civilization, nature and social influences, but is more significantly molded by his level of intimacy with God.

Fifth: Humanism asserts that the nature of the universe depicted by modern science makes unacceptable any supernatural or cosmic guarantees of human values. Obviously humanism does not deny the possibility of realities as yet undiscovered, but it does insist that the way to determine the existence and value of any and all realities is by means of intelligent inquiry and by the assessment of their relations to human needs. Religion must formulate its hopes and plans in the light of the scientific spirit and method.

Christian world view: God's thoughts are higher than man's thoughts; even science has its human limitations but God does not. Man may continually try to develop a theory that explains all things but will never be able to explain what only God could understand.

Sixth: We are convinced that the time has passed for theism, deism, modernism, and the several varieties of "new thought."

Christian world view: God is alive today and will bring victory into the lives of all who turn to Him and worship Him in spirit and truth.

Seventh: Religion consists of those actions, purposes, and experiences which are humanly significant. Nothing human is alien to the religious. It includes labor, art, science, philosophy, love, friendship, recreation-all that is in its degree expressive of intelligently satisfying human living. The distinction between the sacred and the secular can no longer be maintained.

Christian world view: It is not our human greatness that brings about a satisfying human life, but it is found rather in our surrender of reliance on self to reliance upon God. As He transforms us from the inside out, our true identity emerges and the expression of God is seen in the way we live which brings unspeakable peace and joy.

Eighth: Religious Humanism considers the complete realization of human personality to be the end of man's life and seeks its development and fulfillment in the here and now. This is the explanation of the humanist's social passion.

Christian world view: Only God through our surrender and obedience to Him can build us into the people He created us to be. In His building of us, He also put passion in our hearts to fulfill our God-given purposes.

Ninth: In the place of the old attitudes involved in worship and prayer the humanist finds his religious emotions expressed in a heightened sense of personal life and in a co-operative effort to promote social well-being.

Christian world view: Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and worship of Him and prayer will never cease to be important avenues to spiritual development.

Tenth: It follows that there will be no uniquely religious emotions and attitudes of the kind hitherto associated with belief in the supernatural.

Christian world view: God loves to give supernatural emotions of well being and joy to His people. As people draw near to God, old destructive attitudes change because of the supernatural work of God.

Eleventh: Man will learn to face the crises of life in terms of his knowledge of their naturalness and probability. Reasonable and manly attitudes will be fostered by education and supported by custom. We assume that humanism will take the path of social and mental hygiene and discourage sentimental and unreal hopes and wishful thinking.

Christian world view: Overcoming crisis is much more to be gained by giving it to God than relying upon ones own intellect. Hope in God does not disappoint and brings power for victory if we trust and obey the leading and guidance of His Spirit.

Twelfth: Believing that religion must work increasingly for joy in living, religious humanists aim to foster the creative in man and to encourage achievements that add to the satisfactions of life.

Christian world view: It is not the creative achievements of man, but God through man that brings the true satisfactions of life.

Thirteenth: Religious humanism maintains that all associations and institutions exist for the fulfillment of human life. The intelligent evaluation, transformation, control, and direction of such associations and institutions with a view to the enhancement of human life is the purpose and program of humanism. Certainly religious institutions, their ritualistic forms ecclesiastical methods, and communal activities must be reconstituted as rapidly as experience allows, in order to function effectively in the modern world.

Christian world view: God is in control, when man exerts his control over organizations and institutions, unless led by God, he makes a mess of it.

Fourteenth: The humanists are firmly convinced that existing acquisitive and profit-motivated society has shown itself to be inadequate and that a radical change in methods, controls, and motives must be established to the end that the equitable distribution of the means of life are possible. The goal of humanism is a free and universal society in which people voluntarily and intelligently co-operate for the common good. Humanists demand a shared life in a shared world.

Christian world view: It is not the profit motivation of society that causes our problems but the underlying sin that inspires greedy and all sorts of other sinful behaviors.

Fifteenth: We assert that humanism will: (a) affirm life rather than deny it; (b)seek to elicit the possibilities of life not flee from it; and (c) endeavor to establish the conditions of a satisfactory life for all, not merely for a few. By this positive morale and intention humanism will be guided, and from this perspective and alignment the techniques and efforts of humanism will flow.

Christian world view: Living a life surrendered to God can bring about the things listed in tenet 15 that humanists would like to see established. But one thing that humanism can not do is bring God's supernatural peace into terrible circumstances that people often find themselves in.

Go to Module 8 - Lesson 2

Module 8: World View and The Religion of Humanism

Lesson 1: The Impact of World View and Humanism on Counseling