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Everyone has a worldview whether they call it that or not. A worldview is the lens we use to see the world. The beliefs of that worldview determine what we believe life is about and how we live. For example, if I believe that the world is a “closed system” and I am here to take care of myself, it leads to certain behaviors. In other words, if I believe there is no God or that He is not interested in me or my life, then I will be more likely to take things into my own hands.

The word inspired is used in different ways depending on the context. For example, we might say about an actor, “That was an inspired performance.” By that we mean there was heart, passion or enthusiasm and that it was moving. But in the theological realm, the word inspired means more than that. In fact, in Webster’s Dictionary, one of the descriptions of the word is “to cause, guide, communicate or motivate by divine or supernatural influence.”

From the early church to today, Christianity has been characterized by debate. Church councils, letters, books and 95 statements nailed to a church door are a few of the ways matters of religion and religious life have been bantered about. When I was in college, we took a coffee break after theology class, and we argued until the next class began. We didn’t solve the issues, but we did gain understanding by healthy discussion and debate.

Very few people deny that Jesus existed. We have historical verification from multiple sources that point to His first century presence. However, there is some disagreement about His nature and mission. Many will say He was a good man. In fact, people quote Jesus whenever it is to their advantage because He was a good man. Some will say He was a prophet—but no more than a prophet.

What is evil? What is wicked? By dictionary definition, evil means “morally bad or wrong.” The same source (Webster) defines wicked using the same terms but adds, “done with evil intent.” In a culture that has largely dismissed Biblical absolutes, who gets to define what is morally bad or wrong? And, if we can’t define it, how could we determine evil intent? It seems that most people will admit that evil exists, but we have a hard time agreeing about what “it” is without an objective source.