Will Islam Rule The World?By Dr. David Noebel
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          Back in 2003 Dennis Prager wrote that the world's future is being decided at this very time.  He said that such moments are rare in history and when they do occur they usually occur between two worldviews.  In our case, he says, there are three worldviews vying for the hearts and minds of the world. The three are: "militant Islam," "Western European secularism and socialism," and "American Judeo-Christianity." 
 
          What he observes about each jocking for "hearts and minds" is interesting.  He says, "The first [Islam] is being spread both peacefully and violently, the second [Secularism and Socialism] is being spread peacefully, the third [Judeo-Christianity] is not being spread."
 
          If Prager is correct then Islam will rule the world!  Secularism can not stop Islam for any number of reasons but the most obvious is that Secularists will not die for their faith!  Another reason is the Secularists version of "tolerance."  As long as the Secularists make excuses for violent Islam under the guise of being tolerant, the worse the situation will become.
 
          And while I agree with Prager in many things he says (he's my favorite Jewish scholar) I don't think he is correct about the spreading of Christianity.  Perhaps Judaism isn't doing well, but Christianity is spreading in many places around the world.  The fastest growing religion in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />China is Christianity!  And it is being spread by reason and persuasion--not violence.  Christians do not believe in preaching a gospel of "either accept Christ or die!" 
 
          But I also different a bit with Prager on the key worldview players.  I see six worldviews in play at the present time-Christianity, Islam, Secular Humanism, Marxist Humanism, Cosmic Humanism and Postmodernism.  One reason for listing these six is simple demographics.  If there are 6.5 billion human beings on "mother earth" these six quickly fill up the world's population.  In fact, Christianity and Islam account for over ½ of the world's population alone.
 
          Be that as it may, it is my contention (at my age it seems I am contending a whole lot) that an understanding of these six worldviews gives us a better understanding of the world.  And while the eyes of the world are presently on the Islamic worldview, Christians must certainly be aware of the internal struggle in the West between the Christian worldview and the Secular Humanist worldview. 
 
In fact, it seems obvious to me that if Christians lose that struggle the West will go Muslim!  And right now we are not doing well at all.  The Christian influence on the West (and by the West I mean Western Civilization) continues to diminish and in some parts of the West Christianity is looked upon as a larger threat than Islam.  American universities seem to have no problem offering "Islamic Studies," but "Christian Studies" would be considered "intolerant."   
 
          For anyone interested in better understanding the six primary players upon the world stage I would direct your attention to the latest 2006 updated and revised edition of my Understanding The Times:  The Collision of Today's Competing Worldviews.   Within its 528 pages I set forth each of the six major worldviews and look at them within the parameters of a worldview viz., what is their theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics and history. 
 
          No Christian can afford to be a dollar short or two weeks late anymore.  We can actually get on top of these competing worldviews and make sense of the world once and for all.  When the Air Force Academy, for example, accepts into its "Special Programs in Religious Education" the Free Thinkers of Colorado Springs, one should know immediately that a clash of worldviews (Christianity and Secular Humanism) is going on right before our very eyes. 
 
          And the fact that the Free Thinkers, who generally don't want to be known as "religious," are now pushing their way into the Academy's "faith" programs speaks volumes.  However, unfortunately, how many see the significance of such a move? 
 
          In future columns I will speak to the issue of Secular Humanism as a religion, but in the meantime Brannon Howse is allowing all our readers to obtain a copy of Understanding The Times directly from Summit Ministries via our web-store at: http://store.summit.org/product.php?productid=507&cat=2&page=1
 
For those who would rather call and order a copy the telephone number is (719) 685-9103.
 
David A. Noebel
Summit Ministries
Manitou Springs, CO 80829