Worldview Questionnaire

Men are, by nature, leaders and women are, by nature, torturing and caring. ‘Evil’ comes from within people- not from external source. Homosexuality is inherently wrong. Violence is a natural part of whom we are, regardless of how we are brought up.

These were just a few of the statements that we had to rank from 1-10 (1 being “strongly agree” and 10 being “strongly disagree”). I honestly struggled with answer some of them, just because some of the statements that I believed in contradicted with another statement that I thought to be very true. For example, I agreed that there is a God is not merely an escape from reality. I believe that He is real, and that He is the creator of all things natural. However, I disagree that homosexuality is wrong. I believe that ‘wrong’ is too much of a judgmental word, and should only be used when one is certain about something. I am not a strong supporter of gay rights, however I believe that God created everyone unique- with different interests. If he created a man to love a man, I don’t think it is anyone’s right to hold it against them and critic them in any way. Then follows the question ‘How do we know if these statements are wrong or right?”

Like the questionnaire, I truly think that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions and beliefs. We discussed about how experience plays a big role in what we know. If one has gone through the process or an event and has felt and sensed the particular moment, I think that one truly knows the truth about that event. I do believe that without experiencing something, you cannot truly know for certain. But on the other hand… what about religion? I’m still confused about spiritual beliefs.  Sure, if I had experienced a very obvious miracle from God, it could prove that there is physically a God in our lives. With only stories to tell, how can one be so certain? This is where I think I struggle the most…

What does it mean to know?

As the first day of class, I expected it to be one of those first day classes merely spent learning each other’s names, calling out your hobbies, and basically, a study hall. What I least expected was the question that was thrown at my face the minute we walked in. “What does it mean to know?” Well, what does it mean to know? The answer that came to my head was “To be certain of something with proof.” I was pretty sure that I had a clear definition of what “knowing” meant. However, Dr. Escalante Mead started questioning our responses. What about God? We can’t see him, but how do you know he’s there? This threw me off guard, because it obviously didn’t match my definition of what it means to know. Obviously, I know there is a God because I believe in it. My parents had read me passages of miracles from the Bible, and taught me about Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. But could I physically see God? Of course not. It’s just too risky to say that knowing something can be based only upon belief. It just made me think that much deeper…How much do I truly know? Is everything I know a fact? Or merely things that I hear and learn to believe that it are true when it’s actually a pure lie or fiction? We discussed how knowing is not only determined by proof or your knowledge in a specific field. Personally, I believe everyone has a different perception on what they “know”. Of course, if there were tangible proof for everything we ever know, life would be so much easier. But I realize that your background, culture, family, and even senses could affect what you claim to truly “know”.

To be totally honest, I had never thought so deeply and continuously in my life. I left the class feeling as if a bomb had exploded in my head…I just hope that throughout this year, I learn to grow and think outside the box, to ponder beyond my comfort zone in connecting with different aspects and perspective on knowledge.