Spirituality
Over the years, several connotations have been developed with regard to the concept of spirituality. The commonly accepted definition of spirituality describes it as a religious process through which human beings seek to reorient their originality in the image of God through the help of the Holy Spirit (Sheldrake, 2013). Spirituality also refers to the attachment that people have to religious values. The concept is also used in reference to the property owned by a church. I believe that spirituality is the process through which people search for meaning in life by seeking a connection with something bigger than their soul.
Pluralism, Scientism, and Postmodernism
According to my understanding, pluralism refers to a social organization that tolerates diversities in race, religious beliefs, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds. It is based on the principle that reality consists of numerous basic elements (Sheldrake, 2013). I believe scientism refers to a situation where someone is obsessed with science to the point of having too much conviction in the supremacy of scientific consciousness and practice. I understand postmodernism as a 20th-century faction that triggered the departure from a novelty in the fields of arts, architecture, and philosophy in a highly critical manner characterized by a general disbelieve in theories.
Prime reality and the nature of the world around me
According to my Christian religious beliefs, prime reality refers to the doctrine in the existence of God as revealed in the bible. He is triune, magnificent, ubiquitous, autonomous, and immanent (Aslan, 2017). I believe that the principle of prime reality shapes the world around me. God’s invisible qualities shape the way people perceive themselves and their relations with the world, thus influencing their behavior and beliefs.
I can say with certainty that the world around me is on hiatus because people have stopped being at peace with themselves. The world is no longer peaceful because people are angry and fighting on the inside, while they want to experience peace on the outside. This phenomenon has been necessitated by the large disconnect created by human beings between themselves and nature (Sheldrake, 2013).
A human being and happenings when one dies
A human being refers to any living or extinct member of the species Homo sapiens with distinguishing features such as erect carriage, articulate speech, and advanced intellectual growth (Steiner, 2014). I also believe that a human being is someone who does not treat others with the required dignity, as well as treats animals with dignity and is friendly to nature. According to the bible, when a person dies and one’s soul is separated from the body, the latter retrieves to the dust of deprivation (Aslan, 2017).
Possibility of knowing anything at all
One of the most contentious issues around the world the way human beings are capable of knowing anything. I believe one of the many reasons behind this phenomenon is the fact that people have varying religious beliefs, ethnicities, and cultures. This has created a situation where people develop varying and irreconcilable understandings of truth. Studies have shown that truth is conformity to reality as verified by a society, political group, or like-minded people (Aslan, 2017). This means that truth is anything that one decides as so. From a Christian perspective, I believe the ability of human beings to know anything is founded on the belief that God exists because he revealed himself to his disciples. Thus, God is the source of all the knowledge that human beings have, and because of his unchanging nature, truth becomes consistent and unlimited (Steiner, 2014).
The ability of people to know right or wrong
I believe the ability of people to choose between right and wrong is also founded on the unchanging nature of God. People are able to choose right because their ability comes from God, and that is his character. Through the Ten Commandments, God gave human beings the power and ability to understand right and wrong (Steiner, 2014). Therefore, whenever someone is doing a wrong thing, it is right to assume that one is aware of his or her actions because they already know the right thing to do. God clearly defines right and wrong. Thus they cannot change under any degree of human justification.
Meaning of human history
The meaning of human history is a highly controversial topic, especially among critics of religion. From a Christian perspective, I believe that human beings exist according to God’s plan. God had a purpose for creating human beings, thus forming the foundation of their history. The meaning of human history started when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Their sins led to both spiritual and physical deaths on earth as punishment for disobedience.
Later on, God revealed his plan to save his people from destruction and restore their lost dignity (Steiner, 2014). Through his son Jesus Christ, God sent someone on earth whose sole purpose was to turn people back from their sinful ways and embrace the purpose for which they had been brought to fulfill on earth (Steiner, 2014). I believe that human history helps people to believe in the existence of God and his true nature.
References
Aslan, R. (2017). God: A human history. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group.
Sheldrake, P. (2013). Spirituality: A brief history. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Steiner, R. (2014). Universal spirituality and human physicality. New York, NY: Rudolf Steiner Press.