Personal Worldview
A majority of human beings reflect on their existence as well as the universe. In this regards, many questions abound concerning their respective purpose and what happens upon the completion of one’s life on earth, as well as the existence of a Higher Power (O’Brien, 2011). These questions are integrated in the context of modern health in an attempt to understand spirituality and its relevance in Managed Care.
Spirituality is related to a range of different meanings in consideration to other contexts such as sociological and philosophical elements. Flanagan (2010) takes a sociological consideration and relates spirituality as the search for meaning with respect to an individual’s life. In this case, the need to relate one’s life and their purpose in life derives the meaning of spirituality in this context. On the other hand, the philosophical angle defines spirituality as the quest of the meaning of one’s life and their connection to the universe (Locklin, 2011). In the context of scientism, spirituality is associated with materialism in the sense that reality only exists through science.
In this regards, the existence of external elements such as one’s existence, thoughts, spiritual connections are only products of the mind. In this regard, anything that cannot be physically and scientifically verified is nonexistent. With respect to postmodernism, this aspect does not believe in truth but rather classifies it as perspectives. In addition, in consideration to reality, according to postmodernism, every individual creates their own reality.
Prime Reality
This concept is explained as the belief in existence of what one considers as real. In this case, various aspects may be considered as real such as Higher Power such as God, and the material world that is characteristic of everything visible such as the environment.
Nature of the World around Us
The world around us was created by God. Despite various scientific theories that detail the autonomous creation of the universe through the Big Bang event, this view does not consider the intricate almost artistic detail present in external elements. In addition, the orderly existence of elements in the universe was not a result of an abrupt event that is mostly characterized by chaos. For instance, the arrangement of the solar system indicates a prevailing order with regards to planets in the system.
Human Being
A human being is a complex person that is comprised of intricate body and neurological systems that govern his/her existence. In addition, human beings are works of God, as they were created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, they are at a higher level with respect to all aspects such as psychological considerations than compared to other beings in the universe.
This view differs from the scientific concept that defines human beings as descendants of apes. This categorizes human beings with respect to the evolution concept progressed by Charles Darwin that recognizes human beings as being in different classes such as homo habilis, homo erectus, and homo sapiens with respect to mutation and natural selection processes.
Afterlife
Once a person’s duration on earth expires, their physical state is terminated and their spiritual self is transformed to a higher state that is not bound by the physical body. The person’s spirit is, therefore, available to roam anywhere it pleases without any restrictions. In this case, since human beings are made in the image of God, their transmission to a higher order than their earthly state connects with the spiritual side hence explaining the transformation.
Epistemology
The consideration of being made in the image of God provides the basis by which human beings can understand the premises of certain aspects and have required knowledge in all facets of life. In this case, the nature of God being all-knowing provides the requisite basis upon which knowledge over every aspect is available to human beings. This consideration is because being made in the likeness of God provides the impetus for the adoption of the same characteristic with respect to earthly matters.
Rightness and Wrongness
As mentioned above, the prevailing essence of human beings being created in the image of God provides the basis upon which individuals can recognize aspects as either right or wrong. In this case, God’s personality is good and as such, being products of His work, human beings are recognized as being in a position to differentiate between rightness and wrongness. This concept provides the ethical point of view upon which bases human choices. In this case, the existence of objective moral standards provides an ethical code that governs human decisions and their connection to their being right or wrong.
Human History
This concept relates to the realization of one’s purpose on earth. In this case, as mentioned above, every individual has a predetermined destiny that is already determined by God. Therefore, in relation to human history, human beings recognize the will of God in their lives and the need to connect with the purpose. In addition, this aspect is driven with the recognition of the need to abide by the overall mission of creating a unified community under the leadership of one, loving God.
Conclusion
The establishment of the world view helps determine an individual’s basis with regards to their belief and consequently their relation to different aspects to daily situations. This consideration assists in decision making and an overall understanding of various situations.
References
Flanagan, K. (2010). A sociology of spirituality. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishers.
Locklin, R. B. (2011). Spiritual but not religious?: An oar stroke closer to the farther shore. Collegeville: Liturgical Press.
O'Brien, M. E. (2011). Spirituality in nursing: Standing on holy ground. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
