Human History and Spirituality

¶ … misunderstood -- and to some, the seemingly mysterious -- subject of spirituality. Within the each person's worldview, there are always personal questions to be asked as we learn the skills needed to serve others -- and spirituality has a place within this question. This paper will examine spirituality and worldview, along with the personal views of the writer vis-a-vis the seven questions to be addressed. Thesis: each person should not only have a spiritual outlook or worldview, but each person should be constantly examining and challenging his or her own approach to what role spirituality plays in our profession and in our personal lives.

What is spirituality? A good place to launch a search for a meaningful understanding of spirituality is in Psychology Today. The article explains that for some people, spirituality relates to being involved in organized religion, and attending weekly services in a church, a synagogue, a mosque or a temple. "For others, it's more personal -- some people get in touch with their spiritual side through private prayer, yoga, meditation, quiet reflection or even long walks" (Psychology Today).

However, for me, spirituality means simply being out in the natural world, whether at a beach, a forest, on a windy hill, in a lush valley, or just under a tree in the back yard. I have become skeptical of organized religion because there are so many dramatically diverse dogmas within the various religions that each present a single way to achieve heaven (or paradise) upon one's passing. They can't all be true, of course. But I believe in God, the Creator of this enormous universe. I see our earth as a small spinning planet among a bewilderingly untold number of billions of stars and galaxies -- and some powerful force clearly created the Cosmos. I am humbled sitting outside at night looking up at the universe; that, for me, is spirituality.

What is Prime Reality?

Author James Sire writes in the publication Christianity that worldview is "...a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions" (Sire, 2012). We hold these presuppositions either "consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently," and basically our worldview is a commitment, a matter of the soul and the heart. It's how we live and view life, and how we work interact with those around us.

Prime Reality logically should be considered as God, or the Cosmos, or as Native Americans view it, The Great Spirit. The word "prime" means of the highest importance, and "reality" is the condition or thing as it actually exists" (Christian Shepherd). Hence, God must be considered "prime" because He is of the highest importance to our existence on this planet. In Colossians 1, it is written: "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18).

Moreover, the article in Christian Shepherd explains the God's Word must also be thought of as prime reality. In Luke Chapter 21, the Lord explains that "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away (Luke 21:33).

What is the nature of the world around us?

This depends on how we see the world around us. Because there is chaos, violence, hunger, bigotry and poverty, does this color the world around us as all dark and mean spirited? The way in which the world is viewed certainly depends on the individual. If the individual has a positive worldview, as I do, the dark, unfair situations are indeed there but on the other hand there are wonderful acts of giving and unselfishness to be appreciated. There are millions of refugees seeking a better life for their families, and those who reach out to refugees are being guided by the prime reality in their lives -- their God, their hopefulness, and their spirituality.

What is a human being?

The human, technically, is a biological specimen. Humans face great complexity when it comes to trying to understand the difference between "the good and evil forces of life" (Ventegodt, et al., 2003). In fact being a human means finding "a balance between hundreds of extremes," and learning when to avoid extremes and when to "pursue them" (Ventegodt, p. 1). The secret of the heart, Ventegodt explains, is when "reason and feelings meet and we become whole"; moreover, an entire new quality emerges when reason is "balanced perfectly by feelings and where mind and body come together in perfect unity" (Ventegodt, p. 1).

What happens to a person at death?

If a person adopts the Christian philosophy, that person believes that at death he or she will either go to heaven or to hell, depending on what kind of life he or she lived. The Roman Catholics have what is called purgatory (a kind of temporary place for the soul), Hindus believe they will be reincarnated, and Islamic terrorists believe if they martyr themselves they will be surrounded by beautiful virgins. That Islamic idea of life after death is of course absurd, but again, it is easy for a thoughtful person to eschew religious dogma because all main faiths (except Buddhism) clearly explain what kind of life one must live in order to get to heaven. What we do know is that after one dies, the body deteriorates quickly, and as to the soul, it is one of life's greatest mysteries that having spirituality and a worldview cannot fully explain.

Why is it possible to know anything at all?

Healthy humans have been given cognitive abilities -- the ability to think and learn -- and through effective use of these tools, humans have the opportunity to understand a great deal. If we just have beliefs but we don't have knowledge, we are lost, in my opinion. S.R. Griffiths of England writes (in a philosophical context) that in the "broadest sense we cannot know anything" because we are "locked within our own minds and ambiguous language." But on the contrary, in the real world, we do learn, we do have "logical reasoning, intuition," and the ability to form ideas and opinions. We can't be continually skeptical about everything just because we don't fully understand everything. The key is, we don't need to know everything, just the things that help us contribute to society and to our families; but we do need the passion for knowledge.

How do we know what is right or wrong?

Leading moral, ethical lives doesn't just happen extemporaneously. Yes, scientism is the belief that engaging in skeptical research is the most valid path to the truth. But science cannot replace religion because religion offers values and moral substance. Indeed, studying spirituality through philosophy and learned authors is a way to know right from wrong. Bringing up our children to learn the good from the bad, the polite from the rude, and peaceful as an alternative to bullying, sets the stage for the next generation to know right from wrong.