My Worldview Research Paper

My Worldview

Everyone has a different way of perceiving the world that influences not only their beliefs, but what judgments and decisions they make. “A worldview is a set of beliefs about reality and human nature” (Cosgrove, 2006, p. 18). Three of the components that help make up my worldview are the origin/nature of the universe (my etiology), the existence of God (my ontology) and the knowledge I have gained that justifies my beliefs (my epistemology) because they have shaped my thoughts, experience, education, and life decisions. My family has been the main strength in the development of my worldview because of the influence they have had in my life. According to Cosgrove (2006), people engage their beliefs when they are a child
Although I am not certain of whom or what God is, I do believe that there is an ultimate source that caused life to begin. Cosmologists of today claim that the origination of the universe arose out of event called the “Big Bang” about 15 billion years ago. From that I can only conclude that the universe has a definite beginning. Totten (1999) explains that the Big Bang begun from a “singularity,” and before the Big Bang there was no space, time or matter; the origin of the universe is something that transcends all of these things. Totten (1999) goes on to explain, scientifically, that thing or being that caused the Big Bang is something called the “first cause.” This leads me to support the many worldviews that believe that the ultimate “first cause” of the universe, was God (or any similar name that we give the
Rowe (1998) said that human reason is incapable of rationally justifying the belief that deities do, or do not, exist. I, on the other hand, believe that humans can rationalize just about anything and everything. Nonetheless, I also believe that at this time, we cannot offer substantial proof that God exists. This brings me to my epistemology; how I know what I believe is justifiable. The answer to that is: I don’t. I can be certain that human knowledge is limited to what we know for sure, and all we really know is of the natural world. As part of the natural world, it seems very difficult that we are to be able to fully understand the supernatural. A theist, one who infinitely believes in the actuality of God, cannot essentially prove without a shadow of a doubt of God’s existence. One must rely solely on faith. I have already considered the inadequacies of natural causes for the beginning of the universe, but without actually proof, cannot rely on anything expect faith that there is an ultimate source we call