Worldview

Every human being lives with a set of beliefs. This set of beliefs constitutes a worldview. At the level of definition it does not matter what a person believes, only that he or she believes something. We believe something about ourselves, something about how things are supposed to be, something about where we came from, and something about what happens when our time on earth is over. We all believe something, and “the something” that we believe is our worldview.

In this sense, a worldview is synonymous with religion. Religion most basically is a group of persons who are connected to each other by the beliefs they hold in common. For example, a particular group of people have formed a connection with each other on the basis that they all believe that life originated on the planet Mars. They are “bound” to each other by this common belief. Their religion may certainly evolve in terms of how they go about  living because of their belief. But as a group bound together by this common belief, they will seek to formulate the practical implications of life originating on Mars.

Yet it must also be noticed that people hold many different beliefs. As as their beliefs grow in number, they also begin to fall into certain categories. Some beliefs are more important than others. Some beliefs have much more influence over life than others. There is a hierarchy to their beliefs. The more valued the belief the more influence it has over they way in which life is lived from day to day.

The physical environment is a good example of a set of beliefs that have formed a religion. It is a religion that summons its adherents to express worship of the environment. The adherents may not agree on what expressions of worship will dominate their religion. Some will fly in jets without a moment’s concern for what happens to the environment as a result of a jet’s exhaust. Others will abhor the hypocrisy of worship the environment on the one hand, and feeding the ruination of the environment on the other.

So, in one’s set of beliefs there are some that are clearly more influential than others. Perhaps some believe a particular proposition so strongly that they would be willing to die defending the proposition if need be. They would sacrifice something in the defense of their belief. The person who sacrifices one dollar to further his or her belief is far less devoted than a person who will sacrifice his or her life to further that same belief.