Why Mind Takes Precedence Over Matter, Schaeffer on the Myth of Neutrality, and a Question About Science and Worldview
Welcome back to The Think Institute Newsletter. Every Friday, you and 1400+ other subscribers receive an idea from me, a quote from somebody else that I think you’ll find helpful, and something to think about. Please feel free to pass it on to a friend. Want to read the archives? Go to https://thethink.institute/archives. Here we go.
AN IDEA FROM ME
Mind takes precedence over matter. That's hugely important. Unity and diversity, those are on an equal playing field. Mind and matter are not. Mind comes first. Mind is primary. Personality is primary. Consciousness is primary and takes precedence over non-consciousness. We can extrapolate that out. Entities that have mind, personality, and consciousness have greater value than those that don't, because they are more like God.
Now, what does that mean for human beings? Human beings are the pinnacle of God's creation. The last thing that God created was Adam and Eve… And we are created in the image of God. We are personal, we have consciousness, we have mind, we have personality.
So in a very important way, we are more like God than everything else in creation. We relate to God in a way that no animal does, that no tree does, no rock does. That's not to say God doesn't love the rest of his creation or that he didn't create it good, but he created man, mankind, best. So unlike unity and diversity, mind and matter are a little different. Mind takes precedence over matter.
—Source: The Biblical Christian Worldview’s Metaphysics Make it BETTER than Other Religions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeWHm8drt2g
A QUOTE FROM SOMEBODY ELSE
There is a sad myth going around today - the myth of neutrality. According to this myth, the secular world gives every point of view an equal chance to be heard. And it works fairly well - unless you are a Christian.
—Francis Schaeffer
(Listen to “Why Is There ‘No Neutrality’ Toward God?” on my podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTHUUPqET6g)
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“Behind every scientific invention or theory there is a worldview or philosophy that is itself not scientific.” —Khaldoun Sweis. What kind of worldview or philosophy does science require? Does science require faith?
Reply in the next seven days, and I will write you back.
In Christ,
Joel Settecase
President, The Think Institute
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