3 Guidelines to Teach Our Kids About Other Worldviews
Culture Shock
In 2015, my family and I returned to the United States after living overseas for four years. During that time away, homosexuality had become a hot topic in America. Living cross-culturally for years, I wanted to sidestep this highly politicized issue. But when my son’s best friend at preschool had two moms, I was thrust into the center of it. Whatever I told my three-year-old would reverberate to the ears of classmates, teachers, and parents. I wanted whatever cliff notes version my son repeated to overflow with grace and truth.
We can’t hide from worldviews that run counter to Christianity—nor should we. However, we can find ways to point our children toward biblical truth without removing them from every tricky situation. Sometimes parental wisdom means shielding our children from topics they aren’t ready for, but if we want our kids to learn how to navigate life in a secular world, we must teach them about worldviews that don’t align with Scripture.
Navigating the Worldviews Maze
Rather than sidestepping worldviews that may make us uncomfortable, here are three guidelines to dive into understanding other belief systems with your family.
1. We don’t shelter our children from the secular world, but instead teach them how to navigate it from a biblical worldview.
If we believe the Bible is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12), then we don’t need to be afraid to discuss opposing worldviews. Scripture is powerful! When we hold the Bible’s truth against other belief systems, we give our kids a front row seat to its beauty and worth.
A friend raising her family in a conservative Muslim culture shared how one day her son realized all his friends weren’t Christians, and wondered which religion was true: Christianity or Islam. Rather than rushing to assure her child that Christianity was the right choice, she walked through what Muslims believe versus what Christians believe.
At the end of the talk, she asked her son which religion he thought was true. His response was quick: Christianity. Learning more about Islam hadn’t weakened his faith, but strengthened it. A word of caution: I’m not advocating deep studies into other belief systems. Instead, be open to learning about and discussing the basics of what others believe in contrast to what the Bible teaches.
2. We should model wise use of Scripture in our lives.
As we emulate how to use the Bible as a foundation to talk through differing beliefs, we should be cautious with the phrase, “The Bible says.” We want to avoid misrepresenting the Bible to our kids during conversations about other worldviews.
Growing up in a conservative church, I was told, “The Bible says consuming alcohol is sinful.” As I studied the Bible in college, I discovered this wasn’t true. The Bible exhorts people not to become “drunk with wine” (Eph. 5:18) and cautions us against too much alcohol (Prov. 23:20). Over twenty years later as I disciple my own kids, I desire to carefully select my words regarding what the Bible says as we navigate the secular world around us.
In practice, this means quoting Scripture directly or explaining patterns I notice in the Bible. For example, rather than saying, “The Bible says a man should only have one wife.” I might say, “Often when a man had more than one wife in the Bible, fighting between the wives and conflict in the household was common” (Genesis 29–30; 1 Sam. 1:2–8). Then if my child has a question, I can point him directly to Scripture to support my statement.
As we discuss differing worldviews, we want Scripture to speak for itself and allow our kids to read these truths themselves. We don’t want to uphold a potential application as a command. As we do our best to carefully handle the Word of God, we can trust the Lord to direct our families in the way of truth.
3. We converse about different beliefs outside our own tradition to break down fear in our own hearts, and open the door to relationships with unbelievers.
Sometimes fear can take root in our hearts when we think about people who don’t vote like we do, dress like us, or worship Jesus. One of the best ways to drive out fear is talking about the things we’re scared to discuss. Having conversations about differing worldviews cultivates connection with, rather than isolation from, a world in need of the gospel.
“Having conversations about differing worldviews cultivates connection with, rather than isolation from, a world in need of the gospel.”
When fear drives us away from conversations, it frequently leads us astray. However, when we allow the love of the Lord to lead the way, our fear is replaced by love (1 John 4:18). Jesus modeled a lifestyle of reaching out to those who were not seeking him, and told the religious leaders, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:13). Jesus ministered out of love to those who were like “sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36) because some of those shepherd-less sheep would become part of his chosen flock.
Gospel Stepping Stones
When we learn about non-Christian belief systems with our families, we create stepping stones of connection with those who need to hear the gospel. With every book we read about a culture different from our own, or dinner guests with a non-Christian worldview at our family’s table, we break down barriers and construct bridges for potential relationships that God can use to reveal himself.
As our kids grow, they will learn more about alternative worldviews. If we want to build a solid case for a biblical worldview, we shouldn’t be fearful of those whose beliefs don’t align with ours. Instead, we can walk alongside our children and talk openly and honestly about the differences.
Editors Note: For practical ways to step into exploring other worldviews as a family, swing by Jenny’s blog for the World Religions Family Prayer Series, where she walks through five world religions from a Christian lens. Each prayer guide includes a devotion, short video, prayer prompts, resources, and activities to guide families through learning about and praying for a different world religion.