The Founding of America

The history of America’s founding dates back hundreds of years to England, where revolutions occurred over freedom of religion. Because of lack of freedom the Puritans sailed to America, where they set up colonies.

One of the great contributors to the Reformation’s role in advancing political and religious liberties was Martin Luther who said that the church and the people should have more freedom in religious matters and that the government should no longer legislate about God. Saying that the government could not force people to believe in a certain religion, Luther believed that the role of the state was limited to secular things, and people’s minds and opinions could not be controlled, which was also believed by John Calvin, who came after Luther, and said that people’s minds and opinions are exempt from government control. During his life, Calvin also said that if a king went against God or ordered a individuals to go against God, then they should and must disobey the king. Although it was a long time after either of these men lived, America was built on their basis of freedom of beliefs and religion.

The Puritan Revolution broke out in England, when Charles 1st tried to force his Scottish subjects to worship in ways they found offensive. During this time, Samuel Rutherford wrote a book called Lex Rex that said the king should not have authority in religious matters, and if the government broke its own law the people could break laws. In 1688 the glorious revolution broke out when King James 2nd tried to enforce The Divine Right theory, but parliament forced him off the throne.

On August 5, 1620 the Puritans, who are called pilgrims, sailed for the New World to have religious freedom. When they arrived in America they drew up a document called the Mayflower Compact, which pledged their mutual submission to each other and promoted fair laws. Believing that God was the perfect king and the Bible a perfect expression of His will, the Puritans advocated a government in which written words, not people, were sovereign.

As people, dating hundreds of years back, fought for there freedom of conscience, they set up the basis of America. In his lifetime, Martin Luther said that freedom of religion was right. Fighting against Divine Right of Kings, the Puritans turned against the king in the revolutions. Finally, sailing to America, the Puritans escaped from the king to found America.

America's Roots

America, as people know it today, could not be as it is except for numerous courageous people who took risks and for events which took place. Without the ideas that support Christianity and many events which took place prior to it, the American Revolution most likely would not have occurred. Advancing political and religious freedom happened during the Reformation, which was one of the most essential steps to freedom in America. Although the colonies were not even founded yet, two revolutions in England were already setting the stage for America’s birth. Bravely sailing to America, the first colonists began to shape the way that America would be governed.

The Reformation’s role in advancing political and religious liberty was enormous because it was the first time when certain daring people took the chance of speaking out and proclaiming their thoughts and ideas which may have opposed the governments. Probably the most outspoken of all people during the reformation was Martin Luther who posted his ninety-five theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, boldly naming all of his objections to the way the Catholic Church operated. As no one had ever even hinted that there might be something wrong with the Catholic Church, Martin Luther’s objections were a big step towards religious freedom and separation of church and state.

Writing “Institutes to the Christian Religion,” John Calvin had an exceptionally significant part to play in the Reformation through his writing, which later influenced the founders of the U.S. and shaped their political ideas. These men’s writings were similar. Before religious freedom could be grasped, the first risky, but vital steps had to be taken during the Reformation by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others like them.

Setting the stage for America’s birth were two revolutions: the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution. In 1641 a long and terrible civil war broke out, which lasted years. Sometimes called the Protestant Revolution, this war was between those loyal to the king, Cavaliers, and English Puritans, who wanted to purify the Church of England, hence the name Puritans. When King James II was on the throne, he refused to recognize the colonies of New England and believed in the Divine Right of Kings theory, which says that a king has been divinely appointed by God, and therefore has the right to do whatever he wishes. This led to the Glorious Revolution when Parliament peacefully took James II off the throne without using violence.

Essentially, these two Revolutions, the Puritan Revolution and the Glorious Revolution, prepared the way for America’s beginning, because it showed the government that the Puritans were serious about their beliefs, were even willing to stand up and fight for them, and were tired of the government’s unrelenting control over their beliefs.

Pursuing their dreams of religious liberty, many Puritans decided to make the journey across the ocean to America and settle there. The colonies were founded. When the colonists came together to draw up their laws, they realized that without a king they were powerless to restrain lawlessness, but they knew that they couldn’t possibly survive unless they founded their laws on biblical moral standards, while still having a separation of Church and State. Wisely, they drew up a document called the Mayflower Compact, which pledged their mutual submission to each other. Concerning the separation of Church and State in years to come, some were not as effective at keeping them separate, which led to unjust events and eventually the Salem witch trials. The Salem witch trials were a time when many women were unfairly and brutally executed for being accused witches.

Thankfully, after this terrible epoch followed a revival and the Great Awakening, and American colonists began to sort out how their government should function correctly. The Puritans flight to America was vital to the way America is set up presently because they learned by trial and error the most effective way to run a government.

Significantly, because of the events which led to the American Revolution, America was founded with biblical morals. When the Restoration took place it advanced political and religious freedom. Because of two Revolutions which took place in England, the beginning of America was indirectly prepared. Fleeing and settling in America, the Puritan colonists set into place laws that we still follow today.

Hydeful Nature

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson, which was published in 1886. After becoming a famous book, over 123 film versions were made about it, not to mention other adaptations, including stage performances and radio dramas. Certainly, the main theme in this book is about the fight between good and evil in all of us. This reflects the Bible verse Romans 7:19-20, which says, “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is the sin living in me that does it.”

Living an ordinary life as a doctor and a good man, supposedly, Dr. Jekyll wants to give into sinful temptations. “He began to go wrong, wrong in the mind,” says Mr. Lanyon one of Dr. Jekyll’s old friends. Secretly creating a potion that will transform him into Mr. Hyde, who is actually the completely evil side of himself, Dr. Jekyll can do whatever he likes without people knowing it’s him. By drinking the potion, Dr. Jekyll can turn back into his regular and better self and continue with life like normal. While concealing his evil life, Dr. Jekyll is strong and healthy, but when he is his Mr. Hyde, he is small and weak.

Viciously evil, Mr. Hyde displays Dr Jekyll’s worst nature. “Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish; he gave the impression of deformity without any nameable malformation.” Changing from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde, this man is a murderer and has no mercy; he is cruel, and some people say he’s barely human, and they get chills when they’re around him. By killing a defenseless man and also trampling a small child, Mr. Hyde shows how evil he is.

Robert Louis Stevenson, who is the author of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, seems to have a view close to the Christian world view. Choosing to become Hyde, Jekyll decides to become evil and do what he wants. While he becomes more controlled by Hyde, Jekyll finally gets trapped forever by his pride in the body of Mr. Hyde. In this way Stevenson shows how Dr. Jekyll becomes a slave to his sin. Man has choice. The Bible says that we need to take responsibility for our actions, which is similar to Dr. Jekyll choosing to become Mr. Hyde. In the Bible it also says that man has a sinful nature, and man is totally depraved, and Dr. Jekyll gives into sin because he chooses to.

Closely following the Bible’s view of man, Stevenson shows how man has choice and a sinful nature, while also showing that man is totally depraved and needs a savior. Creating the illustration of man as a sinful creature, Stevenson’s book is consistent with the Christian world view of man as seen in Romans 7:19-20, which says that people want to do good, but they often don’t.

The Doubleness of Man

Dr. Jekyll is a large, middle-aged, well-to-do man who possesses enumerable titles to his name and is high up in society. Although Dr Jekyll is a gentleman, who is kind and polite, some of his old friends disapprove of what they call his “scientific heresies.” “Too fanciful; he began to go wrong, wrong in the mind,” reflects an old comrade, Mr. Lanyon. Ambitiously Dr. Jekyll works on his scientific concoction until he finally finishes it and decides to try it. He drinks it. Transformed into another being, whom he calls Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll can do whatever he likes when he’s in the other form, which he can change into at any time he likes. During his excursions as Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll gives into all his sinful desires and enjoys doing evil without having to worry about his reputation. After awhile of this routine, though, Dr Jekyll begins to become a slave to his sin and can no longer control when he changes into Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll, who was of the best stature in society, eventually can no longer overcome his sin and is a slave to worse self, Mr. Hyde.

Mr. Hyde is Dr. Jekyll’s double worse self. He is pure evil. Detestably pale and dwarfish, deformed somewhere, hardly human, and an extraordinary man is how he’s described him and fear him. “Particularly small, and particularly wicked looking,” says one onlooker. Murdering a well-known man and treacherously trampling a girl who was walking on the street, Mr. Hyde displays ruthless violent behavior. Inside and outside Mr. Hyde is a disagreeable and horrible person. Mr. Hyde is very powerful, and he overpowers and destroys Dr. Jekyll’s good nature.

Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde who actually rejected the God of the Bible, had a similar view to the biblical world view. Although it is not clearly stated that man is made in the image to God, the book does say that Dr. Jekyll lost hold of his better original self. Concerning the view that man is fallen it is clear that he believed man has a sinful nature and must battle against it or he will become a slave to sin. Interestingly, the view that we cannot be our own representative is portrayed, although Robert Louis Stevenson didn’t believe in God. Comparing himself pridefully to all of his neighbors and justifying himself on a standard lower than God is when Dr. Jekyll’s final mistake happens, and he turns into Mr. Hyde permanently. Robert Louis Stevenson did not believe in God or the Bible, but the world view displayed in his writing is very close to the biblical world view.

Creating us in his image, God purposefully made us significant and this is the biblical world view. Within each person there is a spirit which is which allows us to live after death according to the Bible. God made man he gave man free will to choose make choices. Man has a sinful nature. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:3). Because of our choice to sin, men are now slaves to their sinful natures without God. Thankfully, we have Christ as our perfect representative so that we can be saved and fight against our sinful natures. Although Robert Louis Stevenson is not a Christian, he displays a world view undeniably close to the biblical world view. This book is a fantastic intriguing story about the true doubleness of human nature.

The Nature of Frankenstein

Mary Shelly, the author of Frankenstein, reveals a lot about her world view in this book. Her world view is very different than the biblical world view. Examining this closely, readers find differences between the God of the Bible and the God of this book, the nature of man, and the view of the natural world.

Representing God in the book Frankenstein, Dr. Frankenstein has a secret: the secret of creating life. As he uses that secret to make a monster, he does not seem to care about what will happen when it comes to life, which is foolish. Completely obsessed, Dr. Frankenstein gives life to the monster and is so terrified he runs away from his own creation. Differing from the God of the Christian world view, Frankenstein, the God of the monster, runs away from his creation and hates it, seeking to destroy it; whereas the Bible says God is loving and kind to his creation and wants to have a relationship with them. In the book Frankenstein, Mary Shelly, the author, portrays God to be weak and hopeless, which does not match the world view of the Bible.

When he was first created, the monster, who represents man, was innocent and wanted to learn and to be loved. The monster realizes later that he will never be loved, and he becomes malicious and starts killing Frankenstein’s friends and family, while proclaiming that it wasn’t his fault, but that it was his surroundings that made him who he is. Showing in this book what she thinks of the nature of man, Mary Shelly indicates that she believes it’s not people’s fault that they are evil, but rather, their environment is the cause of their evil actions. But the Bible says that man is responsible for his actions.

Calling nature the “all powerful,” Frankenstein reveals his view that nature is like a god. In grief, Frankenstein goes to nature for comfort, whereas the Bible says that humans should take care of nature, but it is God who made nature. Apparently, Mary Shelly believes that nature is nature with a capital N, like a god.

Weak and wretched is how God is pictured by Mary Shelly, and it does not follow the Christian world view at all. Also not following the Bible is that man does not have choice. The view of nature in this book says that there is nothing more powerful, which is not true to the Bible.

Extraordinarily Ordinary

Although the beloved Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” was filmed years ago, it is still a favorite of young and old. This movie was released in 1946 and is set in the time of the Depression when most families were poor. Generously, George Bailey, who is the hero, finds ways to help others. Listening to and answering prayers, the God of Bedford Falls is loving and infinite and fits with the biblical world view. Throughout the movie, man is show as made in the image of God and having free choice. In the movie, good and evil both have consequences.

As “It’s a Wonderful Life” starts, God is shown in heaven receiving prayers for a man named George Bailey, who is loved and cherished, but who has something terribly wrong with him. How does this God respond? What kind of a God is he? God calls an angel named Joseph to help him and tells him about George’s situation and that He is planning to send the angel Clarence to help. Immediately, the audience perceives that He is a compassionate God, one who hears and answers prayers. He knows everything about George. Choosing the quirky angel, Clarence, although he is a second-class angel and innocently naïve, God shapes his plans through others even if they are imperfect. Upon hearing the prayers, God does not fix the problem in a bolt of lightning, but he teaches George that He knows best. God, in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” is loving and infinite and correctly portrays the real God of the universe.

Compared to the biblical world view, which is that man is made in the image of God, man is fallen, and man has free choice, “It’s a Wonderful Life” shows an accurate view of man. George Bailey, hero of the story, is fallen—a good man—yet fallen. Mr. Potter, enemy of George Bailey, is an evil man and is also fallen. Although the characters of the story are imperfect, they are significant, which is one of the main themes of the movie, and this portrays the biblical world view that they are made in the image of God. “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many others. When he’s not around, it leaves an awful hole, doesn’t it?” Clarence asks George. Living in a small town, working at the Building and Loan, and leading a simple life, George Bailey is an ordinary man, but his choices affect so many others in a positive way. Constantly throughout the movie, the characters’ actions and choices, namely George’s, affect the story, their lives, and others lives in both small and huge ways. Without George’s choice to rescue Harry from drowning when they were kids, Harry would have died and would never have gone to war and saved every man on his transport. They all would have died. If George hadn’t chosen to marry Mary instead of traveling the world, which was his dream, she would have become an old maid, living a dismal life. Repeatedly, George’s choices affect his and others lives more than he could ever imagine.

In “It’s a Wonderful Life,” there is good and there is evil and good and evil both have consequences. Good and evil in the story are paralleled by George Bailey and what kind of place Bedford Falls is and Mr. Potter and what sort of place it would have been if George had had not been born. Generously giving to others, sometimes from his own pocket, George Bailey is a good man and is dearly loved by many. While George is good, Mr. Potter is an evil, rich, cowardly man who cheats people, cruelly steals from George, and only cares about doing “good” business. He is sorely hated. Named after George Bailey, Bailey Park is a nice neighborhood with pretty homes owned by poor, hard-working people who are decent, friendly, and have a sense of community. If George had not been born, Bailey Park would have existed in Pottersville as a neighborhood that looked like a dumpster with houses plopped in the middle of it. Paralleled by George Bailey and Mr. Potter and each of their own towns, there is a distinct difference between good and evil. For each action that is taken in Bedford Falls, there is a consequence. Completely lacking morality, Mr. Potter’s choices led to many peoples’ sadness as they lived in his slums, while George’s choices of kindness and love led to the story’s happy ending. There is good and evil in Bedford Falls, and there are consequences for actions, which follows the biblical world view.

Absolutely loving and entirely infinite, the God in “It’s a Wonderful Life” follows the biblical world view. Possessing free will, the people in “It’s a Wonderful Life” make choices that are significant and affect the circumstances, which follow the biblical world view. In the film, man is fallen. In the movie, good and evil exist and are paralleled by George Bailey, who is the hero, and by Mr. Potter, who is the villain. A person may not be winning glory in a war, sitting in an important meeting in a skyscraper, or exploring the world, but each human life is significant. “It’s a Wonderful Life” has a wonderful message that just as George’s extraordinarily ordinary life touched many others, every person can affect others with either love or hatred.

A Truly Wonderful Life

The movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” is best known as a Christmas movie starring James Stewart. How can a movie that is about a man who doesn’t get to follow his dreams, who is stolen from, who is ordinary, and who considers killing himself a happy movie? Surprisingly, George’s story is one of love and the importance of any person and their effect on the world.

The God of the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” is all-knowing, personal, and loving, which seems similar to the God of the Bible. “Dear Father, I’m not a praying man, but if you’re up there and you can hear me, show me the way. I’m at the end of my rope. Show me the way, oh God.” Praying to God, whom he calls “Father,” George Bailey receives an answer, which makes God personal. The answer to his prayer comes in the form of an angel named Clarence who shows George what the world would be like without him. In “It’s a Wonderful Life,” God knows George’s full-life story and everything that ever happened to him and how much George’s choices have affected people in a good way.

In “It’s a Wonderful Life” man has free choice. George Bailey, who has many bad things happen to him still makes good choices. Even though George dreams of going to college and traveling the world, he unselfishly makes the choice to stay in Bedford Falls and help people after his father dies. When Clarence comes he shows George what would have happened if George had never been born and made the choices he did. Harry would have died, his old boss would have gone to prison, Mary would have become an old maid, and Potter would have taken over the town.

Evil, in Bedford Falls, is portrayed by Mr. Potter’s choices, especially, just as evil is a choice for every man, which follows the biblical world view. Absolutely evil, Mr. Potter seeks to take control of Bedford Falls. Stealing eight thousand dollars from the Building and Loan, he hopes to put them out of business and see George go to jail. Mr. Potter is a great example of what sin does to people—it corrupts. Mr. Potter was a lonely, bitter old man.

Fully loving and all knowing, the God of “It’s a Wonderful Life” fits into the Christian world view. In this movie, man has free will to choose right or wrong, which is how human nature works. The most significant message of this movie is how people’s choices affect others, either for good or for bad, which shows George has a truly wonderful life.

The Not So Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The “Wizard of Oz” is a movie based on the book by Frank Baum. The Land of Oz is not governed by the same rules and principles at those express in a Biblical world view. In Oz, the Wizard rules, but he is not like the God of our world. Unlike the Biblical view about the nature of man, which says that man is sinful and has choice, the Wizard of Oz shows man without any choice. Similarly, evil in the story does not reflect a biblical world view.

Contrary to the God of the Bible, the Wizard of Oz is neither infinite nor personal. Although in the beginning of the story the Wizard is inaccurately portrayed as great and wonderful, we find out later that he is not great or powerful, and he is just a man who acts great and helps no one. Hiding from the people of Oz, the Wizard does nothing without payment, and he does not keep his promises. The Wizard also cannot give Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, or the Lion what they need and tells them that they already have what they need.

In the Land of Oz, the nature of man is very different than what is the Biblical world view. For example, the Bible says that man is created in the image of God, and is special because of it. While in the Land of Oz, we find out the Scarecrow’s take on life by some of his song lyrics. “I would not be just a nothin,’ my head all full of stuffin’.” As you can see, the scarecrow measures his worth by his knowledge. Also, the biblical view says that man has choice about his actions. The Lion says that it’s his fate to be a sissy, which means he doesn’t get to decide whether he’s brave or not.

Suffering and evil are caused by the witch who lives in Oz. This is different from the biblical world view because she’s the only source of evil. But in the Bible it says that man’s choices also lead to suffering and evil. Therefore, in the movie, once the witch is dead, that means that all is good. There’s no requirement for a savior. In fact, the Wizard God is not the savior. Man is. In the end of the story, the witch is killed by Dorothy, who does it on her own strength.

In conclusion, the Wizard of Oz is the not the hero. The heroes are Dorothy and her friends. Overall, the movie portrays a world view that is not biblical. It has a very different view of God, of man, and of evil.

The Seemingly Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Somewhere over the rainbow lies a land with a wonderful wizard, where there are no troubles, and where all your dreams come true. Or so you thought. The movie “The Wizard of Oz,” based on the books, which were written by Frank Baum, was released in the late 1930s. If we carefully examine “The Wizard of Oz,” we will see that the wizard represents the god of Oz, although there are some differences between the wizard and our God. Presumably, Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion represent man. Throughout the movie, the despicable witch represents evil.

The god of Oz is the wizard, who is seemingly great and wonderful. Although the wizard is known as great, and Dorothy and her friends sing of “all the wonderful things he does” the wizard is later revealed to be a disappointing man--only a man. Absolutely different from our God, the wizard is not loving or infinite. Yelling at Dorothy and her friends in a deep commanding voice, the wizard has no compassion for the distance they’ve traveled, calls them degrading names, and forcefully tells them to “go away and come back tomorrow.” Because of his deep commanding voice, the wizard might be pictured to be an infinite, omniscient God, but his words betray him. Asking them what they want, he demonstrates that he isn’t all-knowing. He doesn’t know them either. When we look closely we can easily see that the wizard isn’t as great and wonderful as everyone thought.

In the land of Oz, man is represented by Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion. The Bible tells us that man is made in the image of God, which gives us worth and significance to him, but that isn’t clearly found in “The Wizard of Oz.” “I would not be just a nothin’ my head all full of stuffin’ my heart all full of pain.” Singing these words, the scarecrow tells us that he believes he is worth nothing because he believes he has no brains. Intelligence gives him value. When the tin man sings that he’s an empty kettle he shows that he believes he’s a piece of junk because he thinks he has no heart. Remarkably difficult to uncover, the view of choice in Oz is not always free will as in the Biblical world view. Fate affects the circumstance more than the individual actions of the character and when action is taken it is usually an accident. Blaming his cowardice on fate, the lion sings, “When you're born to be a sissy” and “a fate I don’t deserve.” When Dorothy kills the witches both times she whimpers, “Oh, I didn’t mean to.” Repeatedly she insists that Toto didn’t know what he was doing when he bit Ms. Gulch. Unlike the Biblical world view, “the Wizard of Oz” doesn’t consistently show a view of free will.

Representing evil in Oz, the witch correctly portrays evil, but the view of evil is tainted because of the imperfect misgivings of the wizard. Evil comes from another source, which is the witch, as well as the wizard. Because the wizard isn’t holy, this view doesn’t follow the Biblical world view which is that evil comes from another source outside of God. In the Bible, sin leads to pain suffering, and death, but only occasionally in Oz. Predictably, the witch dies in the end and “evil” is overthrown, but the wizard, when accused of being “ a very bad man” never repents as he isn’t “that bad.” He was “acceptable.” The view of evil is skewed because of the imperfection of the wizard.

Representing God in Oz, the wizard portrays a different kind of god than our God. Within the story, Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion represent man. The witch represents evil. The most significant thing about “The Wizard of Oz,” which is still an entertaining movie, is that it doesn’t follow the Biblical world view. Although, if you don’t study it closely you might not discover this.

Aslan's World

Extraordinarily magical, Narnia is filled with talking beasts and other creatures. While Aslan is king of Narnia, he also has some characteristics of God. Created by a god, Narnia's nature is very like our world. Narnia is affected by evil just as our world is because of man’s choice.

Being the perfect example of God, Aslan, who created Narnia, is also the God of that world. Fully loving, Aslan feels grief for Diggory in The Magician’s Nephew and gives his life for Edmund in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, just like Jesus gave his life for us. While having loving characteristics, Aslan is also omnipresent. He knew what happened in the world of Charn and what Charn had become. Aslan also says in the book the Dawn Treader that he is also the God of our world.

Similarly, Narnia and our world are created by a God and have seen and unseen portions. Being created, Narnia was not an accident, which means Aslan, the creator, is in control. During the White Witch’s rule, the animals still believe in Aslan even though Aslan isn’t visible, which shows great faith in the unseen. The deeper magic from the dawn of time also shows how the invisible things have great power.

In Narnia, the causes of evil and suffering are human choice and Queen Jadis. Waking Jadis up, Diggory had a choice, but he chose to do the wrong thing which eventually led to evil in Narnia. As in our world, humans have choice and so does Diggory.

Madly evil and violently cruel, Queen Jadis hates Narnia because she feels a greater power there (Aslan) than she possesses, which makes her even more insane and she runs off to the mountains. Queen Jadis becomes Queen of Narnia many years later and her rule ends with her death; she is killed by Aslan, who saves Narnia.

Narnia is a world existing alongside ours and also having meaningful sequences of events. Existing beside our world Narnia, is much different from our world. In one way Narnia has its own time. In Narnia some of the meaningful things are Diggory bringing Jadis to Narnia, which is how evil enters Narnia. Briefly, here are some meaningful things that happened in Narnia: Narnia was created, evil entered Narnia, Aslan died and was resurrected, the Golden Age, new Narnia. While Narnia has many similar events it is also a very different world than ours.

Obviously Narnia is very like our world with a god like ours, man having a nature like ours, and finally that free choice is the reason for evil. The most significant thing about Narnia is Aslan and how holy and mighty he is.

A Story of Rescue

The talking animals, the green forests, and the roaring Lion are bits and pieces of the beautiful land of Narnia where everything is more colorful, more lovely, and more exciting. Ruled by the Lion, Aslan, Narnia is a world were animals talk, Kings and Queens rule, and magical things happen. But Narnia also isn’t too different from our world in some ways. Narnia was created by a God, sin entered by another source, and history has purpose.

In Narnia, Aslan, the great magnificent Lion, is God. Singing Narnia into life, Aslan is the creator of Narnia, as God is the creator of our world. When the Lion sings, lights appear, the earth is covered in growing things, and animals appear from humps in the ground. “Narnia. Narnia. Awake. Love. Think. Speak. Be walking trees. Be talking beasts. Be divine waters,” Aslan says. Aslan is omnipotent. Aslan always forgives wrongs, even the worst wrongs. Although Aslan always forgives, he is a holy perfect God and firmly wants justice, and believes that all wrongs must be righted. Sacrificing himself in the place of the traitor, Edmund, Aslan dies as the perfect offering, but rises again because he had done no wrong. Aslan, who is perfect and holy, laughs, cries, and talks with his creation. He is all-powerful and personal.

Like the Biblical view of our world, the nature of Narnia is that it was created by God and it has a seen and unseen portion. Created by Aslan, Narnia is intricately designed and didn’t pop into being by chance. God made it. “Thus, with an unspeakable thrill, she [Polly] felt certain that all the things were coming (as she said) ‘out of the Lion’s head.’” There is and unseen portion too. Sadly, some in Narnia can’t see Aslan or hear his voice because they are too focused on unimportant things or because they choose not to. “The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. Uncle Andrew did. He soon did hear nothing but roaring in the Lion’s song. Soon he couldn’t have heard anything else even if he had wanted to.” The nature of the Narnian world, which follows the Biblical word view, is that it is created by God and that there is a seen and unseen portion.

The cause of evil and suffering in Narnia is the free choice of individuals and is from an outside source. Evil doesn’t come from Aslan. In Narnia, all are given free will and aren’t the slaves of Aslan, but are his friends. Absolutely different from Narnia, the ancient city of Charn is where Diggory wrongly rang the bell, which caused evil queen Jadis, to awake and escape to Narnia. Although evil found its way into Narnia it was because of a wrong choice from another source, and not because of Aslan, who is holy and perfect.

Throughout the lives of the people of Narnia, Aslan is involved, weaving in and out of the circumstances and developing his plan through them. Proudly parading through the streets of Tashbaan, the so called “great” royalties notice only their own riches, wealth, and power, which is all they value. Although not immediately apparent to many, there are things of importance that don’t fit into the category of the flashiest fashion or the newest gossip in Tashbaan. Aslan, King of All, is right before them, nudging his plan along, but they pay as much attention to him as if he were in another dimension. “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). There is a meaningful sequence of events in Narnia. Pushing Shasta to shore when he was baby, Aslan saved his life so that years later he could save Anvard. Aslan has a plan. In Narnia the sequence of events is significant even outside Aslan’s plan. Because Diggory rang the bell in Charn, the witch woke and escaped to Narnia, which eventually led to Aslan sacrificing his life. Similar to the Bible, in Narnia there is another world adjacent to ours, which is Aslan, and the sequence of events is relevant.

When Aslan, who is the God of Narnia, created Narnia, it was completely perfect because Aslan is perfect. Tragically, sin contaminates Narnia because of another’s choice in another place. Because history has meaning, this choice leads to Narnia becoming a desolate place for years to come. The reason this story is most beautiful is that it’s our story, the story of our loving God rescuing us because we couldn’t rescue ourselves.

A Relationship, Not a Religion

Throughout our lives we start to shape the way we view the world, whether or not we are aware of it, and this can significantly affect how we live our lives. Undeniably, our beliefs will determine the way we act and the way we think. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I have chosen to base my world view on God’s word, the Bible. There are seven questions that make up my world view: What is God like? What is the nature of the universe? What is the essential nature of man? What is the basis of morality and ethics? What is the cause of evil and suffering? What happens to man after death? And what is the meaning of history?

Although it can be difficult to analyze and explain God with words, I believe there are two characteristics that God has evidently revealed to his people, and those are that he is both infinite and personal. Frequently, through creation and through his word the Bible, God is magnificently displayed as an infinite and transcendent God. In Romans 1:20 it reads, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” God literally spoke the world into existence. He made the world out of nothing! God is amazing! Surely, God is infinite, but what if God was only a mysterious all-powerful God far off in the distance, creating fear in everyone that He might strike us dead at any moment? Unlike a controlling dictator, God has written in his word and also on the hearts of his children that he loves us and is here with us through his spirit. “For this is what the high and exalted one says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with those who are contrite and lowly and to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite’” (Isaiah 57:15). Caring about us deeply although we are sinners, Christ pursues us to be in a relationship with him, communicating with us through his Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord! From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God expresses his love, a divine, perfect, holy love, even sending his son Jesus to die for us. Jesus demonstrated love in his ministry on earth. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” He wept for Lazarus. Unlike the other people who were ready to stone a woman for committing adultery, perfect as he was, he forgave her. What love is this? Omnipotent, creating the heavens and the earth, and yet, “let the little children come”! God is infinite and personal, unfathomable, and very real.

Because our God is all-powerful and omniscient he could make the world, and because he is loving and personal he did. Our world is so intricately designed that we can never fathom all that happens here; from the heavens, the sun, and the Milky Way, to the smallest red blood cell in our body, the world screams that there is a creator. Creating everything in six days, both the seen and unseen, God rested on the seventh day. My youth pastor once described it as an iceberg—we can only see 10% of it from the ship but the other 90% is under the water. Typically for the western civilization of today their world view is based upon a set of ideas that reject this view of the world by saying, “What you see is all there is!” or “What you see is what you get!” “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that had been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all the people. The light shines in the darkness and nothing can overcome it” (John 1:1-5). Jesus and the Spirit were in the beginning when God made the world. God, who is the light of the world, is proclaimed through the beauty of his creation.

Creating humans in the image of God, God made Adam holy and perfect, with a desire to obey and be in a perfect friendship with him. God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals. And over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; man and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-29). God created us to be like him, to love light and to hate darkness. He also created us with a purpose: to rule over the earth and the animals and to take care of it. Although God created us in his image and made us personal creatures unlike animals, he did not make us omniscient as he is. Genesis 2:7 puts it nicely: “Then the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Exclusively, God also gave us a human spirit which is our spiritual self. Every human has a spirit. Our human spirit is what allows us to exist after death. Even if we aren’t believers in Christ we will still exist after death, but we will be eternally separated from God. We also have two other parts that make up our being—our physical self and our heart, which includes our emotions, will, and personality. “The human spirit is the lamp of God that sheds light on one’s inmost being” (Proverbs 20:27). Lying slyly to Adam and Eve, the serpent told them that God didn’t want them to be like him, although God had already created them to be like him. He also gave them free choice and they chose to sin. Adam was humanity’s representative. He sinned, so we sin. Adam and Eve didn’t have the compulsion to sin as we have, but they chose it, and now we have a sinful nature. Unfortunately the cause of our sin is total depravity, which means that evil has invaded every part of the human nature, forever lost and apart from God. Without Jesus, who represents God’s perfect standard, our story would be a dismal one.

The basis of morality and ethics is simply God’s word, the Bible. Because the Bible is the perfect expression of God himself, God is the perfect standard. Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” In his word, and through the living Word, Jesus, God shows us what his standards are. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” If there is a difference between good and evil and our basis of morality and ethics is the Holy God who is perfect, how can we be even slightly good? Thankfully Christianity is not just a set of impossible rules that we will continue to fail, but a beautiful surrender of our lives so that Jesus can continue to perfect us. The basis of morality and ethics is Jesus, the perfect lamb, who conquered evil.

Throughout history, man has struggled with the problem of evil and suffering. Wrongly, some think that because God created everything and everything comes from God, then evil must come from God, too. This is not the case. Creating all things perfect, God hates evil and is unable to do anything wrong. “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1:31a). When God made us, he gave us free choice, and we were the first to bring sin into the world. In Mathew 22:3 it says, “He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused.” Giving us free will, God then invites us to follow him, but we avidly refuse and, instead, rebel against God. If the deed is done, then why doesn’t the all-powerful Lord, who is loving and forgiving, just take the pain and suffering away? Surely, it is for these very reasons: because he is loving and he is forgiving. Giving people more time to repent and come to him, God is generous and merciful. Evil and suffering did not come from God, but from our choice to sin, but fortunately, we have hope of God coming back to destroy sin and the devil once and for all. Undoubtedly, sin effects what will happen to us at death.

According to the Bible, the view on what happens to man after death is that although man’s body dies, his soul lives on. “Very truly I tell you; whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). When people believe in Christ, they will live forever with him in glorious paradise. Absolutely perfect, the new earth will be free of pain and suffering. Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Refusing God’s gift, some will spend eternity in a much more miserable way. The Bible says that in hell, which is reserved for Satan, his angels, and all those who didn’t believe, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Hell is eternal suffering. Regardless of where we spend eternity, we will live forever. When we are in our eternal dwelling, we can’t travel from heaven to hell or vise versa. “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things while Lazarus received his bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you, a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from thee to us’” (Luke 16:25-26). In context, this life seems short in light of endless eternity. Repeating itself many times, the Bible is very clear on what essentially happens to man after death. If physical death were the end of the story, history would have no meaning.

The Biblical world view is that there are seen and unseen portions of history. For those who do not believe, history is meaningless, but for those who have faith in Jesus there is hope that history will have a happy ending when Christ Jesus returns. Despite what people think, there are two parts: the seen and the unseen. Angels, Satan and demons are all part of the unseen world. Serving the Lord always, angels aren’t the giver of the gift or message, but are simply the messengers of God. As angels are created by God, just like everything else, they are not to become the focus of undeserved praise. Completely, Satan is God’s enemy. Satan isn’t all-powerful or all-knowing. Conquering Satan, God will punish him and his demons eternally. Many people don’t believe in the unseen world, but only believe in what they can see and what they can read in their history books. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the Father” (Mathew 25:36). We know that Jesus will return, although no one except God, himself, knows when. 2 Thessalonians 1:7 says, “And to give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.” When the Lord comes, it will be a great and amazing day for those who are suffering and heavily burdened and for believers who will be taken into heaven with Jesus to be made like him. We have unimaginable things to look forward to! “The world is not going to get better and better. The Christian’s hope is not the gradual betterment of the world, but that Christ is coming back again” (Dr. Francis Schaeffer). Christ has given us hope! Because of this hope, we must live our lives as if Jesus could arrive at any moment. Jesus is coming!

Because Jesus Christ died for our sins and since our God is loving and all-powerful, the Biblical world view is filled with hope. Now that I know what my world view is I will be able to determine what the world views of books, movies, music, and people around me are and how they compare to mine. If someone asks me what I believe, I can answer with certainty. I am glad that my world view is based on the Bible because Christianity is the only “religion” that isn’t really a religion, but a relationship.

Hope in Jesus

In the world everyone has a world view. I believe that the biblical world view is true, and whoever wholly believes that Jesus Christ died on the cross will spend eternity in heaven. A thorough world view will answer these questions: what is God like, what is the nature of the universe, what is the essential nature of man, what is the basis of morality and ethics, what is the cause of evil and suffering, what happens to man after death, and what is the meaning of history?

While people describe God in different ways, I think of him as infinite and personal. Of all the examples in the Bible of God being infinite, one of my favorites is John 1:1: “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.” Infinite means that God is “always there” and that he is totally independent. Amazingly, God is also personal. Personal means that God talks to us and is not someone who controls us; he interacts with us. Talking to Moses and telling him to free his people from Pharaoh, God showed his personal character. This God also reveals himself through the creation.

The universe declares there is a God. Creating the world, God planned it to work together perfectly. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” and Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,” which means that God created the universe extraordinarily. The world is so complex that without a creator we wouldn’t exist. God has made man in a special and unique way.

Unlike other creatures, we are created in the image of God. Genesis 1:26 reads, “God said, ‘Let us make humans in our own image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” This says we are created in the image of God. Being created in the image of the God who created us means that we are personal and more like God than any other animal. Wholly, man has a choice, and we are able to choose completely what we do, think, and say. Since we have a choice, we are able to listen to God and follow him. Adam, the first being, sinned, and now we all sin. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous, not even one.” Although the good news is that there is hope through Jesus Christ, our representative. Jesus is the light, the truth, and the only way. God has given us a choice to obey his standard.

God is the standard for morality and ethics. Since scripture is His word, we can find the standard in it, including Jesus’ living example. We also know what is true. John 8:29 says, “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone.” God is with Jesus always, and Jesus is God, making him also the complete standard. Man doesn’t meet God’s standard.

Sadly, we are sinful because our first ancestors Adam and Eve sinned. Because of them, we are sinful, but through Jesus we are saved. Jesus, who came to earth to show that he the and way, died on the cross for our sins. When this happened, we were no longer separated from God. God has no longer separated us from him, and now we can spend eternity with him.

Christians believe that there is a life after death. Completely perfect is the best way to describe heaven. Heaven, which is where people go when they believe in Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, is paradise. In the world, if people reject God and die, they will be eternally separated from God in hell. If death was the end of the story, history would have no meaning.

In this world, I believe that there are two portions: visible and invisible. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Buying clothes, books, and all other worldly things is temporary, while God is unseen, as are heaven and angels, which means they are eternal. Unquestionably, God will never leave us nor forsake us, which is the most comforting thing in the whole world. Although many things happened in the Bible, I think these are some of the most important: the world was created, Jesus was born, Jesus died, and Jesus rose again. I also think that Jesus coming back is completely important.

Because of this world view it is easier for me to recognize right from wrong. When defending my world view, I will be able to refer to biblical truths and feel confident in my beliefs. Thankfully the biblical world view also offers hope to sinners who are separated from God.