Each individual holds their own worldview or belief system that is founded on a collective tacit assumption that defines and rationalizes life to them. Their worldview influence their opinion on the subject matters e.g. human nature, God, right and wrong, relevance of religion, politics, emotional problems, and the effectiveness of counseling.
There are numerous worldviews in today’s society yet six major worldviews substantively influence the lives of many,
- Christian Biblical or Judeo-Christian worldview
This worldview believes in an almighty, everlasting, powerful and loving God who sent his Son to die for the world, to redeem humanity from their sins and obtained for them forgiveness and mercy and eternal life. This omnipotent God continues to work in the lives of people by sending them his Holy Spirit who teaches them wisdom e.g. love, forgiveness, morality, and responsibility towards others.
This God is personal God (as opposed to beliefs of a far-away, detached and punishment happy God) who is interested in the everyday living of humanity, who wants the best for them i.e. abundance of life and who provides for their every need. Christianity throughout the centuries has been wrought with corruptions and evil practices leading to the reformation and division the church. There are 2.1 billion people who believe in this worldview and are constantly growing in the middle kingdom of China and the savannah of Africa. - Islamic worldview
Islam’s origin is in the Old Testament of the Judeo-Christian Bible and heritage. They believe in a monotheistic God - Allah (as opposed to the Christian’s Trinitarian God). They believe in Abraham as their father and the Ishmael (not Isaac) was the chosen one of Allah. They claimed that the Christian bible has deliberately left out Allah’s final revelation through his chosen messenger Muhammad.
Islam itself has produced many sects such as the Shiites, Sufis, Sunnis, Ahmadiyyas, and Wahhabis which differs from one another in their practices and principles. Islam in its aggressive engagements concluded that Christianity has broken and collapsed. There are some 20 percent of followers from the world’s population making up 1.2 billion people. - Marxist worldview
This worldview has failed in the West with the collapse of communism yet Marxism or socialism’s progressive and deep-rooted atheist worldview of prohibiting the acquisition of private properties still holds up in countries like China, North Korea, Burma, Cuba and others with an estimated 1.3 billion people. It has also surreptitiously penetrated the education system and surprisingly found its way into Christian churches and communities. - Cosmic humanist worldview – Hinduism, Eastern mysticism, New Age
This is popularly known as the new age movement. This movement believes that God is the universe and vice versa, the universe is a God. Oneness with the universal energy which is also known as the life force means oneness with God. The universe is the source of all good. People by releasing good thoughts into the universe will receive in return all the good they desire.
God is in all things and all forms as taught in Hinduism and Eastern mysticism. People have the potential to be god when they achieved a certain level of oneness with the universe by their own merits. They believe in reincarnation where past life’s events determine the present life’s direction of happiness or suffering. The practice of freedom of belief where truth is relative and cosmic mysticism lends attraction to the new age movement. An estimated 1.1 billion people are involved. - Secular humanistic worldview
This worldview believes that human is the determinant factor of morality and decision making. It embodies human reason, ethics, social justice, and philosophical naturalism. A humanist approach to life accentuates the distinct duty or role of humanity and the ethical outcome of their choices and actions.
Religion, the supernatural, and superstition are rejected as a reference to moral and decision making. Divine miracles must be thoroughly investigated rationally and scientifically and must not be accepted or rejected on the basis of religion or faith in the supernatural.
The foundation to seeking truth in secular humanism is essentially predominant towards science and philosophy. - Postmodern worldview
Postmodernism started as a movement in the arts, architecture and literary criticism as a departure from modernism. It is related to social constructivism. It espouses the notion that individuals should take charge of their own truth. They should decide for themselves what truth is. All truths and ideas out there must be deconstructed and science does not ascertain truth and impartiality.
Social constructivism comes up with a method to determine the effects of social and political pressures on the construction of self. It focuses on individuals learning that took place because of their involvement in a group.
by Aloy L. Counsellor, Author, Speaker. He has rigorously trained in counselling and psychotherapy, served full-time in ministries, and worked businesses on solid principles. His calling and mission are to counsel, write, and speak Hope to all.
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Reference:
Litchfield B. and N. 2014, Counseling and Family Therapy. Volume 1. Fourth Edition. Canberra, Australia. Litchfield Family Services.