Godawa’s short film “Cruel Logic,” is a brilliant example of a narrative that portrays worldview engagement. In the film, a postmodernist professor has a dialogue with a secular materialist in order to highlight the failure of both worldviews.
The value in this video is severalfold. First, it communicates dramatically that there are indeed costs incurred by the thoughts we think. Our thoughts lead to actions, so what we think will result in how we live. Specifically, a person’s wholesale adoption of a post-modern perspective on reality can result in that person diminishing the value of Scripture, diminishing the value of objective truth, even diminishing the value of truth claims made by friends and family. Second, understanding the close connection between what we think and how we act heightens the need to depend on God for our own right thinking. Scripture addresses this reality in numerous places. A couple of great examples are Romans 12:2 (Renew your mind!) and 2 Corinthians 10:5 (Take every thought captive!). Third, this video shows clearly and, again, dramatically that both post-modernism and secular materialism are deficient as worldviews.
A big goal of this class is not only to show you the right ways to think (e.g., a Christian worldview) but to illuminate the dangers of thinking wrongly and recklessly (e.g., post-modernism, secular materialism). We are willing to present uncomfortable and even difficult demonstrations of “the wrong” as long as we do not compromise biblical truth; this video does not constitute such a compromise. You’re an adult, you can handle this, and God will be glorified through your consequent and strengthened desire to think in godly ways.
In light of this film, please answer the questions after you have watched the video:
What is missing from both of the worldviews presented in “Cruel Logic”?
How do you think the film would be different if a Christian, a Marxist, or a pantheist were included in the dialogue?
