Question 1: Prime reality
Discuss about the Worldview Theory and Conceptual Change.
Worldview question 2 “The cosmos God created is determined because it’s created as uniformity of cause and effect in a closed system; no miracle is possible” (Sire 2009.Pg 52).
The above statement implies that the universe has closed its doors to the orderings of God and his involvement; therefore disputing the theory of miracles. The same is also closed to the order of human beings because the latter is always caught up in a web defined through cause and effect. The theory of deism states that God in His transcendence created the earth and then abandoned it. According to Byrne (2013), the history of the philosophy is critical to the understanding of the above question. It is worth noting that any act which is considered out of the ordinary is referred to as a miracle. The issue of miracles is widely accepted among the leading world religions; which is proof that indeed wonders do exists; thus the existence of a power that causes such miracles who can only be God.
Worldview Question 3 “Human beings are complex “machines” personality is an interrelation of chemical and physical properties we do not yet fully understand.” (Sire 2009. Pg 53) The question tries to tries to eliminate God’s role in the creation of human beings. It is however generally accepted by the world’s leading religions that human being was created good, but somewhere along the way, a force stronger than the human will lead to the current evil status of human beings (Lakoff, and Johnson 1999). Therefore the science of humans in comparison to machines can only be a proof that they are God’s creations.
Worldview question 4 “Death is the extinction of personality and individuality” (Sire 2009.pg 74). The philosophy behind this reasoning tries to eliminate the possibility of life after death. In almost all religions, it is generally believed that there is life after death and the manner the manner in which a person spends his/her eternity is dependent upon how one lived his/her earthly life (Tibben-Lembke 2002). The same belief is shared among the Sikhs, Christians, Muslims and several other religions.
Worldview question 5 “Through our autonomous human reason, including the method of science, we can know the universe. The cosmos, including this world, is known to be in its normal state” (Sire 2009.Pg. 75). The theory brings into existence a belief that human logic coupled with scientific methods are enough to help human beings in their understanding of creation. It may be partly right but must not be taken as the absolute truth. As stated by Begley (1998), complete reliance on science and reasoning takes away one’s belief in God.
Question 2: The cosmos and miracles
Worldview question 2 “ eternal reality is the cosmos God created ex-nihilo, to operate with uniformity of cause and effect in an open system” (Sire 2009.Pg. 31). The philosophy surrounding this question affirms the Christian belief which states that God is who he is and cannot be explained by mere human knowledge and understanding. According to Genesis 1:3, God created everything out of nothing. Donnelly (1970), disapproves most philosophers who oppose the issue of creation ex-nihilo, he states that the fact of existence and the lack of human explanation of any other power which could have been responsible for creation is proof enough for the fact that the world was created by God.
Worldview question 3 “ Human beings are created in the image of God and thus poses personality, self-reliance, intelligence, mortality, gregariousness, and creativity (Sire 2009.pg. 34). The question on the image of God has been an issue which has posted a lot of challenge to religious students. The question that remains unanswered is; to what extent do humans resemble God? The above problem seems to have outlined some of the shared characters between humans and God. According to the Catholic Church, man is created in the image of God and shares the responsibility of creation with God. According to Pope John Paul (1978-2005), humans are co-creators with God but on a limited capacity.
Worldview question 5 “Human beings can know both the world around them and God himself, because God has built into them the capacity to do so and because He takes an active role in communicating with them” (Sire 2009.Pg. 36). The word view question is widely accepted by various world religions. It answers the act of communication between human beings and God which various faiths perform through the action of prayer and supplication. In trying to answer the question of God in communication, Schultz (2005), explains that the fact that humans have a limited capacity to perceive God is what makes them worship Him. Meaning that God has not fully revealed himself to humans; prompting humans to seek Him more through prayer and supplication.
Worldview question 3 “human beings were created good, but through the fall, the image of God became defaced. Though not ruined as not to be capable of restoration through the work of Christ, God redeemed humanity and begun the process of restoring humanity to goodness, though any given person may choose to reject that goodness” (Sire 2009.Pg. 38-39).
Question 3: Human nature
The worldview question tries to answerer the question of restoration after the fall of humanity and free will. According to (Bowie 2000) it is generally accepted among various religions that humankind lost purity after the fall. Most world religions, like Christianity, have their version of the fall of humanity and the quest for restoration.
Worldview question 1 “Prime reality is the infinite, personal, God revealed in the holy scriptures. This God is triune, transcendent and immanent, omniscient, sovereign and good” (Sire 2009.Pg. 28). This worldview theory tries to affirm the trinity of God; according to the Christian faith, God exists in three forms namely: God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. His throne is in heaven, and he is pure. Other religions agree that God exists in more than one form, even though some disagree with the personified nature of these forms. As explained by Wierenga (1989), the omniscience, omnipotence and the omnipresence of God is revealed through the interaction of humans with both God and nature.
Worldview question 1 “prime reality of matter. Matter exists eternally, and in all there is. God does not exist” ” (Sire 2009.Pg. 68). The question of the existence of God is denied by this worldview. Matter has been proved to exist eternally through various scientific methods; however, the age of matter can be traced to the creation of the world. Various religions ask the question of who created matter. Which brings us back to the proof that there is power greater than matter, and that power can only be defined as God because of the supernatural nature of creations. Research by Lieb and Lebowitz (1972) found out that matter exists in an infinite volume which when reduced, takes the form of or constitutes another type of matter. Therefore the quantity of matter in the universe can neither be diminished nor increased.
Worldview question 3 “human beings, though personal, are part of the clockwork of the universe” (Sire 2009.Pg. 52). The worldview question affirms what is obvious, that humans are part and parcel of the universe. Not even death can detach humans from the universe. However, most religions agree that there is a world after the universe. According to various religions, the existence of a perfect world is agreed upon. Both Christians and Muslims call it heaven. The description of heaven may vary from one religion to another, but the characteristics are the same across major world religions. According to Baum and Sheehan (2013), the clockworks of the universe can only be scientifically explored; the nature of matter and the formations of the world are as chaotic as the forces of creation behind matter. The author of science is God, and according to the Christians, God chooses what to reveal to humans and what to hide from them. It is not out of selfishness but for the preservation of humanity and safety of the universe.
Question 4: Death and afterlife
Worldview question 4. “Human beings may or may not have a life beyond their physical existence” (Sire 2009.Pg. 53). The deist’s theory creates an option for an open debate on this question. There is no clarity of life after death. However, the main reason for belief in a particular religion is life after death; most religions believe that the suffering of this world because of faith cannot go unrewarded. It would be unfair to suffer on earth without hope for a better life when life ends on the planet. Conversely, it would be unfair to enjoy the earthly life and expect to suffer for the sins committed during one’s life. Richards and Bergin (2014) State that Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are believers of life after death and the consequences of sin.
Worldview question 6 “How do we know what is right and wrong” (Sire 2009.Pg. 68). .the question can only be answered from God’s perspective on morality. All world religions agree that the standards of decency are only set by God. The Christian, Muslims, and Sikhs all agree on this matter. There however divergent views from philosophers who believe that morality is a matter of choice and not free will; in their approach to disputing the role of God regarding the human moral standards. According to Hauser and Singer (2005), there is no religion without morality; all religions believe in the choice to do right or wrong as guided by the God-given conscience.
Worldview question 7 “What is the meaning of human history?” (Sire 2009.Pg. 69). The Christians have a belief that human history is linear as a result of everything regarding the quest for the knowledge of human history leads back to God. According to North, Wallis, and Weingarten (2009), there are however other religions that agree with Christians on this matter, but also differ to some extent by stating that human history is linear but without any meaning.
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Wierenga, E.R., 1989. The nature of God: An inquiry into divine attributes. Cornell University Press.
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