by A Cooper

Created on: November 12, 2009   Last Updated: December 04, 2009

Ask anyone you meet if they know what the world view of a Christian is, or what it means to be a Christian, and you will likely get a wide variety of answers. Many people believe that Christians simply "try to live right", implying that this is something they do on their own strength. While this may be true for some, it is not how God intended for his children to live. He says in His Word that His "burden is easy and His yoke is light". This means that we are to lean on Him for the strength and direction needed to live "right". We cannot live a righteous life without the help of the Holy Spirit.

God's Word, delivered to mankind through revelation is the "light" or "pathway" that directs the life of a Christian.

Every individual, whether Christian or not, will face God in judgment for the lives they led. Personal responsibility plays an important part in the world view of a Christian.

Christians do not agree with the theory of evolution. We believe the story of creation as described in the Bible. It is not possible for someone with a creationist mindset to entertain the conjectures of any person who believes in Darwin's origin of species.

Abortion is a heinous act in the eyes of most Christians. We believe that life happens at the moment of conception, so the individual who causes a woman to lose her child by either chemical or surgical methods is guilty of murder, without question. There are several references to when life begins in the scriptures, and science is now starting to support this belief.

A mature Christian will be revealed by their ability to forgive others when they have been wronged. Jesus told his disciples that they must forgive others as they themselves were forgiven. This is a concept known as "grace". In other words, a definition of grace is "forgiving others even when they don't deserve it". This is why the Amish chose to forgive the murderers who killed some of their own. To be a true follower of Christ, you must seek to develop this important attribute.

Christians are not perfect, but we believe that we are supposed to choose to live the way Jesus would want us to, leaning on Him for the strength to do so. It is a result then, of this call to perfection, that some people might consider us to be hard headed or narrow minded. While at times it may seem that way, and indeed it may be true in some situations, most Christians want to live peacefully with people who may not share their world view, but also, to always be ready to share the "gospel" with others.

Learn more about this author, A Cooper.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.