Worldviews and Its Formation - Research Paper Example

?Running head: Worldviews Worldviews Introduction People live in a world of differences with divergent views and beliefs. While some believe there is another life beyond life on earth, others believe the earth is the end of life. These beliefs are deeply rooted in their minds that they teach their children which conviction to follow. One of the areas of contention is religion and the belief in God. In the world, there are thousands of distinct religions, each purporting to follow a certain faith. However, all these religions can be grouped into seven major categories, which include all the dominant worldviews. These worldviews include Monotheism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Pantheism and New Consciousness. This paper will thus discuss all the major worldviews, and compare and contrast them with a Christian Biblical worldview. Worldview and its formation Generally, a worldview is a group of presuppositions that people hold concerning the basic setup or makeup of the world. Specifically, it is an explanation of the divergent views of the people concerning the makeup of the world. People try to apply these views in their day-to-day existence. Some authors go further to suppose that a worldview is a model of the world that is used to guide the various assumptions of a set of people (Futrell, 2006). However, not all presuppositions of the people consist of a worldview, as the assumptions have to pass certain tests. The first test is rationality, in which case people should not be asked to believe contradictory events. The second test is that there should be enough evidence to support the theory, mostly from the things that are observable. Another test is that of reality, as it should be able to provide a comprehensive explanation of the way things are. This explanation should be satisfying to those who believe in it. Lastly, the worldview should be in a position to provide a purpose for life. People should not borrow elements from other worldviews to explain their purpose on earth (Solomon, 2001). A worldview is formed by joining certain components together, which serve as self-evident. Infants have no worldview, and the perception of life for everyone takes shape as the he grows and develop. The surrounding environment shapes most of the components of individual worldviews (Sire, 2009). This environment starts to take charge at an early age, when the infant is under the care of the parent. Parents are the one who shape the first perception of the infants (Futrell, 2006). As the children grow, they develop their unique worldview based on the four fundamental components. The first component is the belief that something exist. This is because the experiences of the people have causes and effects that must be in existence. The second component is the belief that all people have absolutes, which serves as a reference point for their existence. Some people take God as their reference point, while others take love or power (Solomon, 2001). Another component for the formation of a worldview is the belief that two contradictory statements cannot both be right. In this regard, the basic law of logic applies as only one worldview can reflect the reality of life. For a worldview to be formed, it must thus have a unique belief from the others. The last fundamental component in the formation of a worldview is the belief that all people exercise faith. Everyone in the world must assume at one point that certain things or events happen without absolute proof. One of the common beliefs in many worldviews is that a personal God exist (Solomon, 2001). Comparison and contrast of the seven worldviews with a Christian biblical worldview Monotheism The Monotheistic worldview is based on the people’s belief that there is only one God. This personal God has a distinctive personality and not just a divine power. In addition, there is a belief that humankind is a special creation of God in His own image. God manifests Himself though revelation and the truth about Him is beyond all rational description. As a result, people are guided by moral values, as they use the values as an expression for their purpose on earth. Among the religions that are based on monotheism are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Monotheism and the Christian biblical worldview of faith and believes. have many things in common (Wright, 2005). First, the Christian biblical worldview is a monotheistic worldview in the sense that it believes in one God with divine powers. Although the Christian biblical worldview presupposes that God is one in three, it still holds to the belief that there is one supreme God. Another similarity between monotheism and the Christian biblical worldview of belief is the belief that the supreme God is a male, perhaps a projection of the patriarchal chieftains. These two worldviews also assert that there is an omniscient God, who is all-knowing, and the only one who knows from the beginning to the end. Lastly, the two worldviews agree that God is omnipresent, which means He is everywhere. In essence, both believe that there is nothing beyond God both on earth and in the Universe (Sire, 2009). The only contrast between these two worldviews is the nature of the God. In monotheistic worldview such as in Islam and Judaism, God is one or a unity, while in the Christian biblical worldview, God is a trinity. Christians believes that God exist in trinity which is composed of God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit. In this regard, Christianity believes that each member in the trinity has necessary existence, although of the same essence. This is contrary to monotheism, which asserts that there is only one God and His magnificent powers cannot be shared by anyone or anything else (Sire, 2009). Deism This is the belief in a supreme being, who is not known to the people and remains unreachable. The believers assert that their god is that of nature and does not intervene in their situations. He is beyond the universe and the natural laws but not in it. To them the universe moves forward with or without the intervention of the god. This worldview claims that the natural laws are self-operating and explanatory, and that man uses his ability to adapt to the conditions in the world. In this regard, god delegates his power to humankind to develop and expand what is already in the universe (Sire, 2009). There are several differences between deism and the biblical worldview of the acknowledgement of God. There is little similarity between Deism and Christian biblical worldview. One of the similarities is that both worldviews acknowledge there is God, who is a supreme being. Although the power of the God they believe in is different, they appreciate the fact that there are things that man cannot control and must be controlled by this God. Such things include the running of the universe according to the natural laws. However, a few deists give regard to the moral teaching of Jesus Christ, as the Christians. On the other hand, there are numerous contradictions between Deism and the Christian biblical worldview. First is the acceptance of the Bible as the infallible word of God. Deists do not believe in the incarnation of Jesus Christ as this to them is against the natural laws of the universe. In addition, they deny the existence of any inspired writings such as those from the Apostles. Another difference between these two worldviews is the belief in the creed the holy book and the articles of faith. According to deism, there is no hell or Satan but only signs of evil, which human beings can evade using their own reasoning. Another area of contention is the ability of human being to decide which path of morals to follow. While the Christian biblical worldview believes God must guide people on the right path, deists believe human beings have the ability to decide on their own what is right and what is evil. Lastly, unlike Christian biblical worldview, deism has no need of ministers, clergies or rabbis. This is because the worldview does not need intervention or explanation of the word of God like in Christianity (AllAboutPhilosophy, 2011). Naturalism Naturalism is a philosophical paradigm, which asserts that everything can be explained using the natural laws. Commonly known as materialism, this worldview affirms that only the physical matter is real and that it is possible to explain other things in terms of matter and physical phenomenon. In general, most of the believers view the world as an enclosed identity, which is not affected by things outside the universe. As a result, naturalism rejects the reality of supernatural forces and events, and thus does not believe in the existence of a supernatural God. To naturalists, man is as a product of biological process and not creation. The rationale behind naturalism is that only those things, which can be experienced using the five common senses, compose the reality. This makes this worldview to have no morals as even societal ethics are subject to change (Solomon, 2001). There is no similarity between naturalism and the Christian biblical worldview. On the other hand, the difference between these two beliefs is very apparent. To the naturalists, God is irrelevant which is against Christianity. In addition, naturalists assert that evolution is inevitable and that everything is because of it. This is against Christianity beliefs, which say that God is the creator of everything. The other contradiction is on science as naturalists believe science provides knowledge and morals. This is against the Christianity belief on the sources of knowledge. The last contradiction is on protection. While Christians believe God is the protector of humankind, naturalists believe human beings can protect themselves (Solomon, 2001). Nihilism This philosophy entails the believers denying even the inherent truth that happens in life. Generally, this worldview asserts there is no truth including the universe and all the metaphysical dimensions around it. There is no correlation between nihilism and the Christian biblical worldview. This is because Christianity goes further to believe things that have never been experienced. On the contrary, there are apparent differences between nihilism and Christian biblical worldview. Most nihilists are desperate and want to justify their views on the notion that nothing is real. This is contrary to Christianity beliefs, where people know there are real things, and where reality does not manifest itself, they seek the intervention of a supreme God (Sire, 2009). Existentialism This philosophy entails realizing one self and the meaning life through free will. Human beings are not pressured to act in a certain way by any external forces. People make choices based on their experiences, beliefs and outlook. In addition, people should be forced to be responsible without the help of the law or societal values. The similarity between this and the Christian biblical worldview is the will to do what is termed as ethical. Both worldviews strive to treat others with dignity out of their self-will. However, there are a number of contradictory traits between these two philosophies. The first contradictory trait is creation of human nature. Existentialists create their own human nature while the nature of Christians is dictated by their religion and the fear of God. Another area of contradiction is the control of the surrounding. While Christians believe God is in control of the surrounding environment, existentialists believe they control everything surrounding them (Sire, 2009). Pantheism Pantheism tries to give credit to the magnificent things found on earth rather than a supernatural being they have never seen. Pantheists believe on the beauty of the earth and not on the fantasies of a supernatural creature. This worldview has a naturalistic aspect in it, as it tries to promote the rights of individuals, animals and natural resources in the earth. The only similarity between this worldview and Christianity is the respect of world’s creation. On the contrary, these two worldviews are different when it comes to God. For the Christians, God should be given the honor that He deserves. This contradicts the belief of pantheists, as they place God after the beauty of the universe (Sire, 2009). New Consciousness This philosophy denies the existence of a transcendent God, and thus the existence of God. People believe in themselves and their intellectual capability is the ruling force behind their progress. They have no regard for the supreme God, as they regard material things such as wealth and power to be more valuable than anything else does. This philosophy contradicts the Christianity belief in that some of its aspects are based on the evolution, which is highly detested in a Christianity fraternity (Sire, 2009). Comparison and contrast of postmodern worldview with a Christian biblical worldview Postmodernism asserts that reality is interpreted through people language and thus it is socially constructed. The common belief in this worldview is that everything is contingent and nothing is fixed. In this regard, this worldview prevents people from accessing the real world. The community and the culture largely shape the perspective of people concerning what is true and what is not. The rationale behind the language being the predominant determinant of people’s perception is because people tend to associate more closely with those who are of their linguistic background (AllAboutWorldview, 2011). This makes it have little comparison with the Christian biblical worldview. The only similarity between these two worldviews is the manner in which the followers handle people from the same community. There seems to be respect in both parties on the way they treat their colleagues (Sire, 2009). The differences between these two worldviews are more than the similarities. First, the postmodern worldview places much emphasis on community as the core value of its belief, while Christianity emphasizes on the supreme God. For humankind to move forward, the postmodern worldview asserts that there must be consistence in the language being used, while Christian biblical worldview claims there must be the intervention of the supreme God. Another contradictory trait between these two worldviews is the role of human beings in the world. On one hand, the postmodern worldview claims that humans are products of their social setting and that it is a myth to think that people are free (McCallum, 2011). On the other hand, the Christian biblical worldview asserts that human beings were created with the sole purpose of pleasing the supreme God, who maintains them on earth (Sire, 2009). My own worldview My worldview is monotheism. I believe in one supreme God, who is both omnipresent and all knowing. I place no other creature before him, as he is the creator of all things that are in the world. I also believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and I am guided by the rules as stipulated in the bible. Moreover, I believe in God’s intervention in certain situations (Sire, 2009). This is the belief of many Baptist Christians all over the world. They do not believe in myths, shortcuts, magic or spiritual distortion that are apparent in the world. The Bible is the holy book that guides in our day-to-day endeavors, as it provides both spiritual and emotional encouragement. It is accurate in its teaching as the writers were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit while they were writing the bible. I also believe that the devil and Satan are real, and not meant to scare people from following the right path. Lastly, it is my responsibility as a Baptist Christian to share my faith with other people and draw them close to salvation (Tackett, 2011). How my worldview will influence my present and future My worldview will have a great impact in my present as well as my future. With the current advancement in technology, most of the things are bound to change. The present world is for example filled with violence, soft-pornography, anti-family campaigns and senseless cartons. In addition, the society has taken a new turn in occultisms and devil worship, and this may affect those who are not rooted in the right worldview (Slick, 2011). With my current worldview of a strict baptism Christian, I will be guided by the teachings in the bible as well as the societal norms not to indulge in heinous activities. For the future, with my worldview, I will have a bright future, as it will not be affected by unwarranted activities that are against my belief. In addition, I will progress the gospel and the teaching of Jesus Christ is this is one of the requirements of our worldview. Conclusion The world is full of people with divergent beliefs and views. While some believe in the supernatural powers, others believe that the forces of nature rule the world. These beliefs are the components that form the worldviews of people. Generally, there are seven divergent worldviews in the world, each distinct in characteristic from the others. However, it is upon individuals to discern the appropriate worldview to adopt that would ensure better life now and in the future. References AllAboutPhilosophy. (2011). Christian biblical worldview. Retrieved from http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/deism.htm AllAboutWorldview. (2011). Postmodern Worldview -- How Postmodernism Changes the Rules. Retrieved from http://www.allaboutworldview.org/postmodern-worldview.htm Futrell, M. (2006, August 18). What is a worldview? Retrieved from http://www.teachingaboutreligion.org/WorldviewDiversity/wvdiversity.htm McCallum, D. (2011). Five Worldviews. Retrieved from http://www.xenos.org/classes/papers/5wldview.htm Sire, J. W. (2009). The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog: Easyread Edition. Auckland : ReadHowYouWant.com. Slick, M. (2011). What is a Christian World View and Why do Christians Need One? . Retrieved from http://carm.org/christianity/christian-issues/what-christian-world-view-and-why-do-christians-need-one Solomon, J. (2001). Worldviews. Retrieved from http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4224519/k.362A/Worldviews.htm Tackett, D. (2011). What's a Christian Worldview? Retrieved from http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/christian_worldview/whats_a_christian_worldview.aspx Wright, D. A. (2005, March 07). "The Monotheistic Worldview". Retrieved from http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=92 Read More