I was born into a Christian family in a small town which is Rosedale, Mississippi. This is all I know. However, this is not because my family told me to believe in these things. Actually, my grandmother encouraged my parents to let my siblings and I choose what we want to believe in. We chose to our beliefs on our own. No one forced things on us. Although I really do not have a worldview journey, I still have many strong beliefs and I think I can support my reasons.
My personal worldview describes many ways that I view life through beliefs. These beliefs are what I hold responsible to the way I live and the world I live in. I never thought about my worldview until I took this class. There were some things that I didn’t know about myself. I realized there were some things that I thought I didn’t believe in, but I actually do. The foundation of how I came into existence is pretty much the basis of my worldview. I understand that these are my personal beliefs and others are not obligated to believe things that I do. Philosopher John Stuart Mill says that we should learn the opponent’s arguments better our own. I agree with him because using both arguments can eventually get the whole truth.
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Many of the things that I have read on and practiced helped me grow as a person. These things also gave me reasons as to why I believe in the things that I do. Being a Christian is central to my life and very important to me. There are many things that happened to me that makes me wonder. What if I chose another way to live? Would I still be here if I didn’t believe in the things that I do? I often still ask these questions to myself. I ask myself these questions not to question my faith, but to strengthen it. I hope I will not contradict myself as I try to explain my worldview. Here it goes.
II. Epistemology
Epistemology is the essential figure to one’s everyday life, whether it’s knowing how to fix something or how to treat someone. I think there can be different sources for different people. This is because everyone has different views and beliefs on things. Our knowledge is very important to what we believe in and our actions. I think I have a lot of knowledge and it’s continuing to build. I agree with Dallas Willard that knowledge is the ability to represent reality as it is on an appropriate basis of thought and experience. (Willard, 15) Since taking this class, I learned different types of knowledge that I did not know that I had.
I, personally, believe that God send me information. I think it is best for me to ask Him for information and wait on it. I also think getting information from God will have a big impact on one’s life. He sends us signs in many different ways. We are encouraged to ask Him for anything.
I know that I have moral knowledge. I know wrong from right. For example, to my knowledge, I know that it is wrong to steal out of a store for fun and engage in human trafficking. Furthermore, after hearing some news and reading articles, killing innocent people is very wrong. People that portray themselves as Christians should not engage in these types of activities. If so, they are absolutely wrong and can pretty much say that they have no morals. My moral knowledge reflects my moral truths. My conscience does not tell me that the universe was created by science. I just do not believe that.
In addition, I am pretty sure about my spiritual knowledge. Although I already know some things, my spiritual knowledge keeps growing. I know what I believe in religiously. I know that prayer, meditation, fasting, worship, and other spiritual disciplines are central to my life. For what and who I believe in, these things were created for me to follow. No one has the power to shatter my truths and beliefs unless I give them that power.
The Big Bang is said to be the origin of the universe and human beings. I think the Big Bang theory was meant to happen for us to become into existence. I also think it was created by God. I do not think science deliver more knowledge than others. Many numbers have been made up but there is no evidence as to where it came from. I will talk about this later on in my worldview.
In terms of spiritual formation, we can know what a good person is and how a good character is formed. Jesus taught people spiritual disciplines like prayer, meditation, and follow. I believe that he taught people these things to form a good character. I do not think he was crazy for this. Someone has to be an example for what he wants for his people.
III. Theology
Let’s start by defining the word belief. It is a trust in something or someone. Have you ever thought about what do you actually believe to be true? I have many reasons to believe what I do. My beliefs aren’t something that pressured for me to do. I simply believe in these things because there has been proof in my own personal life. In addition, these beliefs are central to live and are very important to my character and morals.
I think everyone has a Christian worldview. If you have never heard of God or even knew him on a personal level, you can definitely see that there is a God. I believe in the existence of God. You can see that there is a God just by looking at His creation. Everything that is and was created is the product of Him. The most astounding is the human. I also believe that God created us in His very own image. Because he created us in His image, it is respectful if we try to display His image to others. When I say that, I mean we should show kind acts of God. We should have moral and values that will reflect the basic instructions before leaving earth that He provided for us.
Have you ever thought about the problem of evil? Does evilness question the existence of God? True enough, there is a lot of evilness in the world. There is also a lot of suffering. After watching the YouTube video entitled, “Suffering and Evil: The Probability Version, it said if we consider only the suffering in the world, then God’s existence may very well be improbable. I would like to disagree with this statement. If we only considered the bad things in the world, then that only creates more problems. God allow certain things to happen because we have to held responsible for our actions. This is a way to get closer to Him and appreciate him more. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18) This scripture explains why God allows suffering in the world.
Some people think that God is impersonal. However, the Bible reveals God as a personal God. By Him being a personal God, he has the characteristics of a person. He is rational and conscious of His own being. I believe He is a living God. In the Bible, Joshua said, “By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.” (Joshua 3:10) God hears you and sees you. He knows when you call unto him in prayer. Aristotle and the Deists thought He was a distant God, but I respectfully disagree. I believe that He’s very close to us.
God loves everyone unconditionally. Whether you are a drunk, prostitute, drug dealer or anything else. We are born sinners to get to know Him. Standing on my beliefs, I know that God is a forgiving God. He tells us to repent all of our sins and we will be forgiven. That shows unconditional love that He has for us. On the other hand, that does not mean to keep sinning and expect Him to forgive you every time.
IV. Cosmology/Cosmogony
I know many people that would say that the universe was created by science. I think otherwise. The universe began when God created it. It could be billions and billions of years ago. I think everything that is still active in the universe keeps it in existence. I also believe that God keeps it in existence until He comes for His people and end it. Another part of me wants to believe that there is not an ending to the universe.
William Lane Craig discusses the Many World Theory in one of his articles. He states, “inflation is eternal in practically all models suggested so far,” he also admits, “another important question is whether or not such scalar fields really exist in nature.” Unfortunately, we don’t know. There is no direct evidence for their existence.” This lack of evidence ought to temper the confidence with which the Many Worlds Hypothesis is put forward.” I think this is most powerful because this is where the work comes in. Without the necessary information, the Many World Theory wouldn’t have been able to happen. I also think the constants will happen by chance because this can mean God possibly created it.
My cosmology/cosmogony beliefs are not very clear or strong for me. One thing for sure, I do not believe the universe was created by science. The numbers that are provided does not give me clear evidence. Again, I believe in God. I believe He created Heaven, the Earth and everything else in it. Carl Sagan says, “the cosmos is all that is or was or will ever be. I have to agree with this. We can’t change anything because this universe is not created by science. I think his statement is support to why I believe God created the universe. If it was created by science, then it will be changed many times.
I believe the Big Bang was started by God. He created this, so the universe can start. According to the article by Hugh Ross, “the Bible really does claim that the stretching out of the Heavens is both ‘finished’ and ‘ongoing’ is made all the more evident. (Isaiah 40:22) He also argues that the Bible taught the Big Bang Theory first. This could be evidence that God created the Big Bang.
V. Metaphysical Anthropology
My beliefs in metaphysical anthropology is clear. There are some areas where I need clarity. I think both the origin, which is God, and human organisms are physical with non-physical minds and souls. I do not agree with Darwin about our origins. I do not think aliens seeded the Earth, so humans evolved. I believe God used a special form of creation to create us. Below, I will explain why I disagree with Darwinism.
Everything that I talked about in the previous sections of my worldview, can support me in reason. I do believe humans are made of matter. I have always been told that our bodies are mostly made of water, oxygen, energy, and empty space. Matter came into the universe after the Big Bang. It is said that the Big Bang was the beginning of the universe. I also know that God created humans and the universe. In a way, doesn’t this explain that God created the Big Bang? Humans do not have supernatural powers of free will.
I’m a strong believer in minds and souls. Yes, I believe they are valuable because this is the gift that God has given us. The soul makes us who we are. It also will live on after our deaths. I think it’s important to have a good soul because it is the part that will leave the physical body and go into the afterlife. I try to have a good soul because I want my soul to go to Heaven with God. I think the mind is important, too. How would we be with no mind. We won’t be able to think, judge, or memorize. Our mind is the key of consciousness. Philosopher J.P. Moreland argues that if it is true that humans were created in the image of God, then there should be things that are unexplained by the hard sciences.
VI. Thanatology
Death is an event that we all have to prepare for one day. We can’t avoid it. I believe there is a whole process during the transition from living to dead. There comes a day called judgement day. This is when God will judge us on the good and the bad that we have done in our lives. He will tell you everything that you have done even when you think he doesn’t know. I do believe we as people have the option of where we want to go and most importantly, what we want to happen to us after we die. The book of Revelation in the Bible helps me to understand this process. My belief is very strong, not because my family told me how to live, but because I believe what the Bible tells me. So, I have done these readings for myself.
I believe there is another life after death. I think many people think about the afterlife. Humans have a choice of where they want to go in the afterlife. If you show acts of God and follow his Ten Commandments, then you will go to the place called Heaven. Heaven is basically the home of God, the angels, and the good after death. As a believer in Christ, my only hope is to go to this place. I believe that the humans that goes to this place are happier than they were on Earth. Even the sick and injured will no longer experience the pain that they endured once before. God brings all the peace in this place.
There is another place where some humans go after they die. These are the people who went against God. They didn’t believe in Him and worshipped Satan. This place is called Hell. It is the place where the wicked people are punished at. Evilness and suffering are just some of the things these people will experience. I do believe the descriptions of this place. In the furnace of fire, there will be weeping, moaning, and the gnashing of teeth. This is the ultimate punishment for going against God and His word.
I do not think humans vanish after they die. Yes, physically but not spiritually. I also believe the souls do not die. So, the question is, are they reincarnated? I do not believe in reincarnation after death. Take a look at this. After my grandmother died, a ladybug flew on my mother’s hand. We didn’t think anything of it because we were outside. Now, on my grandmother’s birthday and on the day of her death, my mother always finds a ladybug on her. So, does this mean my grandmother was reincarnated into a ladybug? I think not. I believe it’s just her spirit to let us know that she is still with us and doing well.
VII. Soteriology
My beliefs are very central to my life in this area. Yes, humans need to be saved from Hell. The way to gain salvation, is that you have to exercise your faith in Jesus. The way to do this is to obey his commands. Christians should confess Christ as Savior. Gaining salvation is not all about following steps. God is the only person that can achieve our salvation. I also believe people can lose out on salvation. This introduces my next point.
God is a forgiving God. I know this for a fact. However, he would want you to restore your relationship with him. He would also want you to continue to follow his word. Faith is the most important thing to have in life. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, then you can move a mountain with help from the Lord. We are saved by faith. This is what we need for salvation.
VIII. Ethics
Values, morals, and character are all essential elements to my life. My ethical beliefs are very strong. I strongly believe ethics are very important to the foundation of a civilized society. Yes, I think spiritual formation through the spiritual disciplines is a major part of ethics. Those discipline are the factors of building a good character. If they weren’t Jesus wouldn’t have taught them.
Ethical truths are important to my character. I know that it is wrong for me to hurt animals for fun. I think ethical truths are much more significant than any scientific truth. Let’s take the Darwinian evolution for example. My ethical truths say that God created us. Charles Darwin thinks that we were evolved from earlier species. I do not agree with Darwinism. This shows my ethical truths because I believe in God and he is an example of morals and values.
I think there is good, evil, right, and wrong. I do not think these values are an illusion. These are outcomes of your actions and morals. I think the good life is literally living your best life. Growing with God, achieving goals, and surrounding yourself with positivity is a good life. A good person shows values, morals, and character. A good person cares about others and will try to help anyone else become a good person. A good person chooses their actions wisely because they know right from wrong. Also, a good person will not engage in evil act of no kind. Being is a good person is more than just doing nice things for others. I think one should help themselves as much as they help others. Outer goodness is only just part of being a good person. I believe reinstating and evaluating your own morals and values will help you to continue to grow as a person.
In addition, I think we can choose how to live. It is our choice if we want to live a good life or a bad life. I think Naturalism is a big problem. Naturalism is saying that good and evil does not exist because humans does things naturally. I do not agree with naturalism because people will think performing evil acts is a natural thing. This is not okay. I also do not believe it to be true. People should be moral because it makes the world more civilized than what it would if we weren’t moral. Let me explain. Have you ever thought about how the world would be if traffic rules didn’t exist? If these rules didn’t exist, we wouldn’t be about to travel by cars, buses, and other vehicles. This proves my point to say if there were no basic rules, the world would be chaotic. I argue that without some logic of morality, I think it would be very hard for all humans to live in this world together. There are also social reasons that people should be moral. Social life will practically be impossible without morality. There is a simple rule in the way one should speak to others. Being moral relates to my theology because I care about where my soul goes after death.
I do believe Jesus is the exemplar of the good life. He provides these morals and values to have a good life. In a way, I believe the person who follows Jesus is a good person. Simply because that is who the person believes in. Judging another person, I think if he or she does follow Jesus, then they will have a good life and be a good person. French Nietzsche thinks that Jesus’ ethic of taking care of the weak, widows, the poor and people in prison is all a big lie. I have to disagree with Nietzsche. I truly believe Jesus still takes care of those people. That is his way of trying to bring those people closer to Him. He wants those people to restore their faith in Him.
IX. Political Philosophy
My political beliefs are not very much central. Epistemically, they need to be strengthened. I don’t think about these things because I feel as if I can’t control them. I will try to explain my view to the best of my ability without confusing myself and the reader. I think democracy is best for humans in light f view of human nature. Democracy promotes equality, change, and it protects the interest of citizens. These are good advantages to help build a good country.
I strongly believe in liberty of individual versus strong government control. My freedom is very important to. Not one day do I take my freedom for granted. Marx thinks that the government should tax and control people’s money and thinks that is the key for the society to cooperate appropriately. I do believe society needs just a just some government because we would need some control. I will have to disagree with Marx and the progressives. I will agree more with the Constitution and Conservatives because I believe in individual liberty.
I think I lean more on libertarian views. This might change, but this is what I believe in at this moment. My view on private property is kind of clear but still needs work. I think individuals should have the right to private property. If those individuals have the valid necessities to own the private property, then there should not be a problem. This fits with my view of human nature because those individuals are free to do whatever they want on that property because it’s theirs. Just like John Locke, I think there should be more liberty and person freedom for individual citizens. Again, there should be only enough government to have a civil society.
After some readings, I think social justice basically supports the equality of all people have wealth, justice, and opportunity. I love the idea of this. It promotes equality of all citizens, which reflects back to my view of human nature. As opposed to the progressives and statists, I agree with the American founders. The government and state should have enough money to take care the poor. But is this why progressives think the government should tax individuals for the money? Hopefully, my view of this gets clearer.
I do not think government should own all property and redistribute as needed. I think this would go against my previous views. If the government owned all property, then there will be less freedom. My rights will be very much violated if the government gives my money away opposed to my own choice.
X. Existential Issues
Existential Issues are common issues in one’s everyday life. I understand that many people do not understand these issues for themselves. Issues like the purpose or meaning in life, death, and even guilt, can pose many questions to the points. I can explain these issues by telling what I believe in and some arguments that these issues have caused.
Death is one issue that many people face today. I believe death is an important issue to talk about. Being that we can’t avoid this circumstance, we can only educate ourselves and prepare for our time to transition. Death can also cause fear to a person. As a child, I felt the same horror that William Lane Craig did. I really didn’t understand why we had to die. Having the feeling like I wasn’t going to exist anymore really terrified me. Now that I understand what life is about and my beliefs, I do not feel that horror anymore. It somewhat reflects on Sartre’s explanation and on the other hand it does not because of what I know now and my beliefs.
Another issue is the purpose or meaning to life. This issue is very important to me because it reassures me that I have a purpose on life. Everyone that God created has a purpose here on this Earth. In the article, “Absurdity of Life Without God,” William Lang Craig believe man was created with no purpose in life. I strongly disagree with him on this statement. No one will know their purpose in life right off hand. Finding out your gift will take time. French Philosopher Jean- Paul Sartre quotes “Life has no meaning a priori so it is up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing but the meaning that you choose.” In one way, I do agree with Sartre because we have to expand the meaning that God has given us. The other part of me disagrees with Sartre because he said life has no meaning. Life does have a meaning. I believe God created us with our meaning and purpose already figured out. To sum it all up, I strongly believe without God, life is absurd.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this is my worldview. My beliefs in the existence of God are very strong. Not because my family told me to believe it, but because he gave me the evidence. He has shown me who he is. Fasting, prayer, meditation, and other religious practices supports me in this reason. I believe he is the creator of all things. There might be some theological views that I need clarity on but not to the point where I question God’s existence. My theology views are very central to my life.
I think my worldview needs more work on political philosophy, metaphysical anthropology, and cosmology/cosmogony. Some things within the readings wasn’t very clear to me. I know, eventually, these views will change tremendously. I will be able to interact with the philosophers more than I did. Upon my readings on the Big Bang, my metaphysical anthropology views got clearer and I began to understand what I believed in. I’m not a political person, but this project made me want to learn more so that I can understand the terms and other arguments. It is said that I might agree with Karl Marx when I do another worldview. I am anxious to see what will happen.
The only thing that hindered me from strongly expressing my views on cosmology/cosmogony was the scientific numbers. The arguments about the universe being created by science made sense, but it doesn’t add up to everything else. After analyzing my worldview on this section, I still strongly believe God created the universe. This is one section that I will continue to analyze because I would like to see where the scientific numbers come from. I will glad to see if they were man made or possibly true.
My views on thanatology, ethics, soteriology, and ethics are epistemically strong. My beliefs are strong, and I have enough evidence to support my reasons. There were a lot of things that I could talk about in these sections. I think I could write a lot on my thanatology beliefs because I understand life after death. I understand that the soul lives on forever. However, I want to know more about reincarnation because that can be exhibited as a spirit. I think the example with my grandmother supported my view and belief in this. Soteriology is another section where my beliefs were strong. I believe in salvation and it’s a way to get closer to God.
Ethics are very important to me. They are everything that my family taught me. Most importantly, they are what God wants me to show other people. These ethics show my character. After analyzing my ethical truths, I believe I am a good person. I know what is right and I know what is wrong. I have useful and effective morals that makes me a good person. Sometimes I have to be reminded of my morals. When there’s conflict between someone and myself, I think about my ethics, values, morals.
This project was very fun to do. It made me think beyond myself. At first, I wasn’t interested because philosophy and worldview didn’t have my best interest. I am excited to do this worldview again in the next five years. The areas where my views weren’t as strong, I know they will change. I plan to have more knowledge to support my beliefs.
