How do you ascertain the worth in a worldview?
Do you go on the actions of its practitioners?
Not intentionally as I find this can be misleading. All humans are imperfect. I do look at the joy, peace, happiness and perspective it seems to bring them though. It can be hard looking past negative actions of a practitioner, but I do try. Having a father who is a minister quickly alerts you to the knowledge that even "holy and wise men" are flawed.
Do you go on the apparent benefits the worldview brings their mindset and life?
See above.
Perhaps you ignore the practitioners and look at the originator and their life.
In my case my eyes are firmly on the originator. Sometimes I see aspects of him in his followers. Only by "knowing him" can I see this though.
Do you focus on the ideas alone. Do the ideas inherant within a philosophy attract you?
Yes. Ideas do. However I do look at the whole picture. At the ideas themself, at the reasons one should take on the ideas, the day to day application of these, the negative things it is reacting against, and what the personal result taking on those ideas have in my life.
Do you incorporate different views under one umbrella? If so:
(a)How do you balance the worth of accumulated wisdom within a balanced and layered view with your own perspective and the idea that you can know more than the originator(s).
I generally have found that a view adhered to by large numbers of people over many years, has to include even seemingly small details to work. Replace grace with Karma in Christianity and Jesus death makes no sense. Add grace into the Hindu Karmic system and differing rebirths don't seem fair. Place pantheism into Islam and Allah no longer is an independent personality seperate from creation.
That said, within a codified faith it is perfectly concievable that we should be able to know more than it's early believers. In Christianity, though time obscures older facts, we have more record of the way God has worked. We can view the gospels in context, with hindsight, against history, and against things that occur today. That said, physically knowing Jesus in Palestine would have been astounding.
(b)What is the balance between your behavioural choices and your theological/cosmic beliefs. Does one outweigh the other?
My behaviour is directly influenced by my belief system. Were I not of the persuasion I am, I would be a hedonistic, drug abusing, philandering, totally arrogant yet freaked out rock and rolling musician. Instead I am the humblest person I know. Humility is my middle name. No-one is more humble than I....er hang on..
Seriously my faith changes my actions. I draw inner strength, creative inspiration, solace, companionship and wonderment directly from my relationship with my God. Experiences are magnified. Looking at the patterns on a leaf becomes similar to looking at a masters painting for me. Thus I stop and look at the leaf - belief dictates behaviour.
Have you had a supernatural experience?
I have had friends who claim to have seen Angels - fallen and otherwise. I have a friend who was cured of a sight problem in one eye at a healing service. To the point that they had headaches etc. from the influx of visual reception. I have another aquaintance healed of chronic back complaints, and another from cancer.
Compared to this, no I have not.
However when I look back at key moments in my life I see direction. I see key things occurring that were insignificant at the time, yet became ultimately important in shaping who I am. I also have been saved from death and serious injury on more than one occasion - from car accidents, electrocution, and an intestinal problem/blood loss. Others would see coincidence, I see a God.
Perhaps you have balanced all the above?
Balance is an aim of mine though not always attained.
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I am the walrus!.... er, no hang on....
A fair dinkum laughing Hyena!