Basic Components of Worldview, Essay Example

Part 1: Core Worldview Beliefs

Based on the basic components of worldview presented in Chapter 2 and the topic overview, write a response to each of the six questions that form the basic components of your own core worldview beliefs. Respond to the questions about your own beliefs in your own words, and not necessarily what you think the Christian worldview believes. Keep this document intact and only add your answers in the box under each question.

What is your belief about the nature of ultimate reality? Why?

I believe that there is a God who created the earth and lives separately from it. This is because most of the occurrences in the world such as birth, have an explanation beyond the earth. Also, various religions believe in God, and praying to him has had visible results such as healing the sick and bringing blessing

What is your belief about the nature of the universe? Why?

I believe that the universe is a free and complex place created by God for people to enjoy freely. This is because when God created the garden of Eden, he meant for man to live there and enjoy it. After the first sin, God gave man another chance by sending him out into the universe and giving him free will so that he could develop the universe according to his interest. The universe has become complex due to the different ways that humans behave and think.

What is your belief about human nature and the afterlife? Why?

I believe that there is heaven and hell, depending on how people choose to live. When God gave human beings another chance at redemption by having Jesus die for their sins, he established that those who accepted salvation would be saved and those that continued to sin would go to hell. This explains why there are believers and non-believers. In the afterlife, believers will go to heaven while the non-believers will go to hell.

What are the three worldview (atheism, pantheism, theism) beliefs about the nature of knowledge? Which one best fits your belief? Why?

Atheism refers to the non-existence of any supreme being, while pantheism is the belief that God is the universe, or he is the total of all there is. Theism refers to the belief that all things are dependent on one supreme being that Christians, Judaists and Muslims call God.

Theism best fits my belief because I believe that there is one God that created man and takes care of him, answering his prayers and requests. This is explained by my Christian beliefs that influence my behavior, such as praying and worshipping.

What is your basis for determining moral right from moral wrong? Why?

The bible is my basis for determining right from wrong. Since I am a Christian, I read the bible. It contains instructions about how God wants people to live and the consequences of sin. I have made the bible my moral basis because it contains stories about how people interacted with God, how he rewarded those who believed in him and how he punished those that disobeyed him.

What is your belief about human purpose? Why?

I believe that every person is brought into this world to have a positive impact. God is all-knowing and he created people in his own image. This means that everyone has a degree of knowledge that they are expected to utilize in the world before they die. For example, there are people who are born to help the poor and others are born to improve technology that can be used for people’s benefit. Therefore, everyone has a purpose in the world before they die.

Part 2: Evaluation

Your answers to the questions in Part 1 form the basis of your worldview. Now that you have articulated your worldview, evaluate it according to the practical test described in Chapter 2 of the textbook and the topic overview. Which of the three worldviews most closely matches your core beliefs as you answered in Part 1? Does your worldview pass the practical test for livability? Why or why not? Provide a clear explanation of the workability and practical value in the most important areas of life and experience.

The three worldviews are the belief that nothing else exists apart from the physical universe, that God is the source of everything that exists, and that everything that exists is God. My worldview is that God is the source of everything that exists. Based on my upbringing, I have learned that everything I have and all that is around me comes from God. I believe that God is the provider of life, wealth, knowledge and every aspect of life. This means that my worldview passes the practical test for livability. Livability refers to the total of all the factors that promote the quality of life. Such factors include the natural and artificial environments, social stability, economic prosperity and educational opportunities among others. I believe that God is the creator of the natural environment and everything in it, such as plants and animals. The artificial environment such as buildings indicates the knowledge that God has bestowed upon human beings to help them develop their environment according to their interests. God also created the natural world in ways that his creation can manipulate to satisfy themselves. For example, animals were put in nature so that they can use it for food and shelter. This shows that God has provided people with all that they need and put it around them so that with the knowledge that he gives them, they can decipher their environment and learn how to manipulate it for their survival.

Similarly, human beings get all they need from nature, such as building materials to promote technology, increase their knowledge and feed themselves adequately. After putting human beings in this world, God provided them with all that they would need to survive it. He then made them knowledgeable by giving them the wisdom to use their environment. For example, people have built factories where they process foods and break down trees to form books and other raw materials.

Reflect on your current understanding of the Christian faith. In other words, what is the essence of the Christian worldview? How does one become a Christian? Your response will need to articulate your understanding of Christian beliefs and does not require you to believe it.

The Christian worldview is based on the belief that there is a constant battle for the human soul due to the existence of good and evil. This is how one becomes a Christian. The understanding of the creator of the universe is done through the bible. The bible contains the instructions that people are supposed to live by and there are consequences for not following them. For example, God commands people to love him with all their hearts and not rely on their own understanding. God also asks people to love their neighbors as they love themselves. These basic instructions are what lead to people becoming Christians. Being a Christian means worshipping God and obeying all his commandments with the understanding that failure to do this will lead to eternal damnation in the afterlife, where they would go to hell.

The importance of the Christian worldview is that it allows people to lead better lives based on their interactions with each other. Due to God’s instructions that people should love each other as they love themselves, Christians tend to lead better lives by taking care of each other and respecting each other’s feelings and emotions. The Christian worldview also allows people to better take care of the world that God created for them so that it would thrive. Christians take care of this environment by rescuing animals, promoting environmental conservation and leading campaigns to end human injustices such as rape and violence, among others.

The Christian worldview helps in showing the differences between Christians and non-Christians. Christians take care of each other and their environment, pray to God for providence and protection and live with the hope of eternal life. Non-Christians do not pray, consider each other’s feelings or believe in life after death. I believe that Christianity helps make the universe a better place for both believers and non-believers.